The Marvel universe comes to Magic: The Gathering, this time in a big way

Magic: The Gathering is welcoming an enormous diversity of IPs into its fold. It’s part of what’s known as Universe Beyond, and it has the community divided. While it’s true that it has opened the game to many new players, it’s also true that it doesn’t always feel like these IPs feel fully integrated into the universe or the game traditionally associated with Magic: The Gathering. Making many people feel unhappy with the crossovers.

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Among them, last year’s Spider-Man one was one of the most talked-about. Not as carefully handled as fans would’ve wanted, nor as well integrated into Magic, both Marvel and Wizards of the Coast are trying to make up for it. Because this year they’ve given us a collection of new cards, this time focused on the whole Marvel universe. And this time it does feel much more integrated into the game and made with much more care for the fans.

A collection full of interesting cards

The most interesting thing about the collection is, without a doubt, the return of a mechanic we already saw in the Spider-Man collection: that of heroes and villains. With it being really important whether each character belongs to one group or the other, the synergies between them make some cards really come into their own when there are full groups from the same side. This helps highlight something intrinsic to the Marvel universe: how both sides tend to work in groups.

You can see this at every level of the design. The Commander decks, this time, have focused more on groups of characters, such as the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, or an alliance between Loki and Dr. Doom, to underscore that core dynamic in the Marvel universe. This constant collaboration.

Something that can also be seen in how many of the mechanics that return center on strength in numbers. With ships, vehicles, some examples of affinity, and in general, it being a set built around group strength over individual power. Though if this collection has shown us anything, it’s that Thor can fix everything if you have enough spells. Because if you’re worthy of Mjolnir they’re going to need a whole group to stop you.

Cards with details for the biggest fans

What’s interesting about this collection is that, unlike the Spider-Man one, it takes on the whole Marvel universe. This allows it to delve deeper, get into specific details, and get much more specific. Without being afraid to make some tremendously specific nods, the interest of the collection lies in how it manages to be recognizable to more casual fans, while also having many aspects that only the most hardcore will recognize.

The numerous card treatments help with this. Both the comic-book styles, from panels to old covers, and the reprints of older cards with iconic illustrations, tap into the long, iconic history of superhero comics. Something that is only slightly marred by the fact that, in wanting to cover so much ground, it feels like they don’t go as deep as they could: there are so many characters that it ends up being a bit of everything, but not much of anything, making it a little disappointing on that front if you’re a fan of one particular superhero or group.

In any case, the collection feels much better integrated into the Magic universe and much more aware of Marvel’s own universe. And while it’s true that aesthetically it still feels like a departure from the game, it feels more fitting because of the care and affection that went into it. Which makes it a set that’s easy to warm to.