There's magic in "Charmed: The Power of Three"
New cards provide an unusual, effective overview of the hit series .
It'll be several months until SOTA releases its initial assortment of action figures based upon the cast of "Charmed," but there's magic in the air for fans of the show. Inkworks' new "Charmed: The Power of Three Ultra-Premium Trading Cards" offers a generous collection of photos, facts, autographs and keepsakes.
I will confess, I was a bit unsure of what to expect as I opened packs. Unlike most card series which offer photographs on the front and lots of text on the reverse, "Charmed: The Power of Three" opts for a different presentation.
The basic set consists of 72 cards. The fronts present crisp screen-captures and publicity shots on a shiny, metallic paper stock. A rich assortment of mystical symbols and phrases serve as borders. Flip 'em over and things get interesting.
The backs of the first nine cards form a puzzle of Piper Halliwell. The reverse of the next nine comprise a "Family & Friends" subset with capsule biographies of the main characters. The next nine form a puzzle of Phoebe Halliwell. Nine "Book of Shadows" cards offer incantations from various episodes. Another nine create a puzzle of Paige Matthews. Nine "Black as Cole" cards explore the dual nature of Phoebe's sweetheart, Cole Turner. The backs of the next nine are dedicated to a group photo of Paige, Piper and Phoebe. Four "The Spot" cards describe the sisters' troubled family business, a nightclub that attracts an... unnatural... clientele. Five "Behind the Scenes" cards discuss the making of "Charmed." The set closes with a checklist.
At first blush, the preponderance of puzzle cards seemed weird, but when actually placed side by side in the proper sequence, they look fantastic. Each large image has been composed and cropped in such a way that every individual card offers some interesting component: A face, some text, or -- hey, let's be honest about why "Charmed" is so popular -- a sizable portion of each actress' knockout body. It's all done flirtatiously but tastefully.
Bonus "chase cards" are plentiful. Every box is designed to resemble an oversized spellbook, with a group photo of the heroines on the "spine"/back. All sealed boxes include one of three "Boys of Charmed" boxloader cards, plus 24 seven-card packs. Randomly scattered among packs are six different "Spellbinders" cards with striking holographic backgrounds of stars; These can be found one in every 11 packs. Nine foil coated and embossed "Power of Three" cards form a puzzle of the women; These too are seeded one per 11 packs. Five "Pieceworks" cards containing snippets of screen-worn costumes are also available. Three are drawn from the superhero outfits featured in the episode "Witches In Tights" (seen on card #23 in the basic set). Phoebe's wedding dress and veil from the episode "Marry-Go-Round" have also been sacrificed in the name of cool chase cards. One "Pieceworks" card can be found in each box. Finally, cards signed by Alyssa "Phoebe" Milano, Rose "Paige" McGowan, and a dozen supporting castmembers (including "Nightmare On Elm Street" icon Robert Englund) can be found at a rate of one per box.
We pulled two complete basic sets, boxloader card #BL-3, "Spellbinders" #S-2 and S-3, "Power of Three" cards #P2 and P3, a card autographed by Milano, and "Pieceworks" card PW-3, featuring a snippet of Piper's silver superhero vest.
The core set looks great. The bonuses are fun. Collation is excellent. The word "charmed" pretty much sums it up. "Enchanting" works, too. This is great stuff.