Why is this more expensive than Banishing Light when Journey to Nowhere was cheaper than Oblivion Ring?

Because unconditional removal in lower rarities is a lot worse to make Limited more fun, and Journey to Nowhere is among the oh-this-is-so-unbelievably-good-I-have-to-first-pick-it. :)

Yes, it's a bit boring, and I think removal can be better than what Theros block had, but I'm trying to be consistent at least in this set. I don't want it to end like M12 where you had a Doom Blade nobody ever passed alongside Wring Flesh and Sorin's Thirst.

Mmm, fair point. I'd rather see something that's not so completely obviously worse than JtN though. The expensive RtR / Theros removal at least had some minor benefit tacked on, like Sip of Hemlock's lifeloss or Trostani's Judgment's populate. Could this gain 3 life, or be a 1/1 creature, or something?

You know, that's a tricky sticking point. I wouldn't argue for Sip of Hemlock to be the new normal, but it would make sense if Murder clones pushed up to 5 cost in common. But if there must be something that makes a 5 cost Murder clone theoretically better than Murder, then the new cost will never stick. Or, at least, it would take a very long time with lots of repintings of 'awkwardly different Murder' before we finally appreciated getting a 5-cost Murder.

But, yeah, it's true. Almost-always-worse-thans costing more is kind of depressing. Maybe sometimes necessary. I couldn't say.

Funny, jmgariepy. A Terminate has just been spoiled for M15.

I appear to be mis-proven. Wizards decided to rip the bandage off and not wait 4 years before finally printing what everyone was expecting. Good for them. I guess Magic's history is not the same thing as current design.