Magic Review - Heroes and Villains by Craig Petty

David from Magic Orthodoxy delivers a detailed and enthusiastic review of Craig Petty and Phil Smith’s 'Heroes and Villains' deck, a unique collaboration with Penguin Magic. This deck, designed to resemble a collectible gaming card rather than a traditional deck, boasts a clever concept and deceptive potential. The deck features 52 cards split into 'Heroes' and 'Villains,' each depicting characters from literature, history, or mythology, and utilizes Phil Smith’s Optical Marking System for various routines. David highlights the deck's high-quality card stock and attractive design, showcasing its potential for classic card tricks like 'Oil and Water' and 'Sandwich' tricks, as well as more complex routines like the Shuffle Board effect and a three-stage mind-reading routine. He emphasizes the importance of subtle handling to avoid revealing the markings and suggests flexible patter opportunities due to the deck’s gaming card appearance. While he would have preferred a closer resemblance to a traditional gaming card, David ultimately recommends 'Heroes and Villains' for its creativity, deceptive power, and quality construction.