Boy, it’s good to be back.
Good morning everyone, and welcome back to the Mirror Gallery here on Hipsters of the Coast. It’s been nearly eighteen months since I’ve last written here. I can think of no better way to reopen the doors to this column than with a Grand Art Tour, and for one of the most interesting sets in Magic’s recent history.
Previous iterations of the Grand Art Tour were a trip through approximately ten of what I deemed the most noteworthy works in a given set. Their inclusion was based on a loose and somewhat subjective set of criteria, often changing based on set dynamics or stylistic strengths. Magic and its aesthetic tendencies have changed since then; there are more cards, more artworks, and even more styles and experiments present in any given release. As such, this first article back will be a true survey, choosing one work from each distinct set and subset that makes up the entire Edge of Eternities release. That’s nine pieces, plus one bonus (because I can’t help myself) to arrive at our routine ten-ish artworks.
This was more of a challenge than I anticipated, but that’s a very, very good thing. Time to blast off; this is the Edge of Eternities Grand Art Tour.
Astelli Reclaimer by Carly Milligan, acrylic and oil on paper, mounted on wood cradle panel, 18” x 24”
Main Set: Astelli Reclaimer by Carly Milligan
We begin with newcomer Carly Milligan. She came in swinging with her second card for Magic. Dynamic, thematic, and rendered magnificently in pinks and purples, it’s everything you could ever ask for in an angel from the Edge. This painting has been used across previews and promotional material all the way back to the First Look for this set at MagicCon Chicago, and is still being seen in videos for the upcoming MagicCon Atlanta. It’s been chosen for good reason. Her painting has become emblematic of this set, this setting, and Magic’s first frontier into space. Bravo, Carly!
Viewport Lands: Shock Land Cycle by Chris Ostrowski
Breeding Pool, Godless Shrine, Sacred Foundry, Stomping Ground, and Watery Grave by Chris Ostrowski. Digital.
Sure didn’t take me long to cheat here, did it? The Viewport lands are split into two sets of five: the reprinted Shocklands by Chris Ostrowski and the new Planet Lands by Piotr Dura. Initially I was not a fan of this kind of blacked-out border treatment (the Borderless Clan cards from Tarkir: Dragonstorm were not my favorite), but here Ostrowski has made me a believer.
Triumphant: Tannuk, Steadfast Second by Pascal Blanché. Digital
Triumphant: Tannuk, Steadfast Second by Pascal Blanché
(Note the name change: this image was first shown during MagicCon Chicago, February 2025)
The Triumphant series places a legend from Edge of Eternities in front of one of Sothera’s moons. For Pascal Blanché, a heroic figure in front of a sun, moon or planet is literally what this artist does.
Blanché first worked for Magic back during Zendikar Rising, and what a treat to see him return for a subseries seemingly made just for him. Strong and saturated colors are turned to eleven with this classic, conquering composition. This painting is science fiction meets Magic in the most subtle way. I’m glad there is a percentage of artwork like this one that strikes a chord.
Beyond the Quiet by Serena Malyon, watercolor and acryla gouache on Arches 300lb rough paper, 13” x 18
Surreal Space: Beyond the Quiet by Serena Malyon
The Surreal Space subset is to showcase the edge of the Edge, the strangest stretches of style and storytelling found within this set. Nestled amongst the fourteen cards, all remarkable in their own right, is perhaps the best (yes, I’m saying it) piece across everything in Edge of Eternities: Beyond the Quiet by Serena Malyon.
I’m going to break my ‘critic’ character for a moment. I’ve worked with Serena as her agent since 2022 when she began in Streets of New Capenna. I had the privilege to sell this piece for her, and to hold the physical painting in my hands. To see it, feel it, and experience it. It’s an incredible work of art, and captures the essence of the entirety of Edge of Eternities in a single image: the scale, the wonder and the sheer possibilities of what Magic can do, and can be. It’s an honor to handle her work, and I’m so damn proud of her and what she’s been able to accomplish in the last few years.
To the moon, Serena.
Japan Showcase: Sothera, the Supervoid by Mateusz Urbanowicz
I generally leave the Japan Showcase out of my art-icles (Editor’s Note: Donny is a dad now, so this joke gets a pass). I don’t have much of a background in the aesthetic or associated artists, and it’s often quite hard to find the full artwork outside of the card image. While the latter is still true, Edge of Eternities offered up something a little different in this piece by Mateusz Urbanowicz:
Sothera the Supervoid by Mateusz Urbanowicz. Digital.
Urbanowicz is a Polish artist working both digitally and traditionally in watercolor alongside his comic artist wife Kana in Tokyo, Japan. If you look at his website, you won’t find anything that looks particularly like this, at least not at first. But digging deeper, and looking into pieces like his cover for Habitats, all of a sudden you see how he’s crafted this image. It’s his first for Magic, inspired by his work outside the game. I don’t know if it’s a sign of things to come from him, or a reemergence of his stylistic past not present online, but in either case it’s refreshing to see something from the Japanese showcase that looks a little different.
Terramorphic Expanse by Allen Panakal. Digital.
Commander: Terramorphic Expanse by Allen Panakal
This is Allen’s first card for Magic, and there couldn’t have been a better set for him to begin his career with the game. Known for his creator-owned project Ancient Ones, his highly graphic, graffiti-esque style explodes within the card box, extremely fitting for this card and setting as a whole. It’s unique, it’s abstract, and it pushes the boundaries of what a Magic: The Gathering card can look like. Welcome to the show, Allen: we’re stoked you’re finally here.
Stellar Sights Borderless: Calder Moore
The Stellar Sights series are a highlight both of this set, and of what Booster Fun can be in 2025 and beyond. Art Director Sarah Wassell mentioned in her press that many of these artists longed to paint space, and the results prove this unquestionably and enthusiastically. The results are truly astounding, and I’m hoping to cover these two groups in depth on my Substack.
Readers from years ago may remember when Calder Moore entered the Magic scene, on the Warhammer:40K and Lord of the Rings Universes Beyond projects. Since then he’s done a bit of everything, from oversized cards to basic lands, but for Edge of Eternities, we have something truly special.
Blinkmoth Nexus, Eldrazi Temple, Creeping Tar Pit, Raging Ravine by Calder Moore. Digital.
Constellations, undulating forms, and cosmic explosions of color abound. And yet each piece, especially when paired with its card name, is instantly recognizable as Magic, just in space. Moore has shown incredible range over his 26 cards with Magic, and even amongst these four newest pieces. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Mana Confluence Matteo Bassini. Digital.
Stellar Sights Poster: Matteo Bassini
Bassini is not new to Magic. He’s been a part of every set that has major graphical or Art Deco influence, from Zendikar Rising to the Streets of New Capenna, from Enchanting Tales in the Wilds of Eldraine to the basic lands of the Lost Caverns of Ixalan. But his six lands for this Poster variant Stellar Sights take his catalog one step further, with Mana Confluence chief among them. These designs are the epitome of the poster-esque retro-futurism this series aims for, and you can easily imagine them with faraway places titled across the top, snappy catch-phrases and alluring promises billboarded across the bottom.
They all exude, as Liz Lemon said in 30Rock, “I want to go to there.” Mission accomplished.
Sliver Overlord by James Bousema. Digital.
Special Guests: Sliver Overlord by James Bousema
James Bousema is no stranger to this cinematic format, having done several cover and poster variants previously. But as we’ve seen with the Stellar Sights artists, the volume has been turned to 11, pushing his own illustration and design to make something truly immersive and unique for this setting. His style is indicative of ‘old’ Magic, and we get Onslaught-era, Riptide Project Slivers, now in Space for 2025. How awesome is that?
To be clear, ALL of ten of these Special Guest cards rip, and I will continue to be the biggest SPG fan out there. I love what they represent, and Bousema’s Sliver Overlord is the summation of those goals. It’s another card this set will be remembered by forever
Bonus: The EOE Work of Andrew Mar
Top:Celestial Colonnade, Mutavault, Gravblade Heavy, Memorial Team Leader
Bottom: Pull through the Weft, Lithobreaking, Cascading Cataracts, Lotus Field
All by Andrew Mar. Digital.
Sometimes an artist does a lot of work on the set, especially if they’re responsible for a cycle of basic lands or a group of related artifacts. But rarely does an artist have eight pieces of work in one release, and scarcer yet split evenly with four in the Main Set and four in the Booster Fun showcase. Enter the wizard of worlds beyond, Andrew Mar.
From space rocks and Kavu to rainbow bridges and literal aliens, Andrew spared no color from his digital palette, and left it all on the table with the most varied cross-section of subjects and compositions in the release. No two are alike, and yet all eight are of the highest kind and quality. It’s not the first time he’s done something like this, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. And while I don’t know how he still does it after more than a hundred cards, one thing is for sure: Edge of Eternities is that much richer because he’s in it.
Wrapping Up
I can confidently say that Edge of Eternities is my favorite Magic set of the last few years. I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done one of these, but what a fitting release to sink these artistic canines back into. The Art Directors, especially the Booster Fun team of Studio X, were able to bring back the best of the best from the last five years, a literal all-star line-up of the folks at the top of their craft, and it’s noticeable. The real ones see it, and we’ll remember what happened here for a very long time.
Before I go, if you’re reading this you’ve likely noticed that the flywheel of Hipsters of the Coast has begun spinning again, even if slowly. Look for new articles on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Tuesdays will have everything you need to know about new sets and products, Arena, and interesting editorials, while Thursday is Vorthos Day: art, story, culture, and the weird shit for the sickos that like that sort of thing.
As always, and especially now, thanks for reading. It’s wonderful to be here again, and I’ll see you next time.
Donny Caltrider (he/him) has been writing about Magic: The Gathering art since 2018. He has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and works in varying capacities as an agent with nearly 50 Magic artists.
He likes baseball, Magic, good cards, great art, whiskey, and you.