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The Magicians Graphic #1-5
The Magicians: New Class
THE NEW CLASS STARTS HERE! Long after Quentin and his friends have graduated from Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, Dean Fogg invites a historic new group of students to enroll -- the first ever class of hedge magicians, rogue practitioners of unsanctioned magic. But the traditional magicians aren't too thrilled to have the rule-breaking outcasts in their hallowed halls, and tempers flare as the student bodies clash to prove their superiority -- not realizing a new danger has emerged to threaten them all. The malevolence behind the threat at Brakebills will rock everyone to their cores -- and even shock longtime fans of The Magicians!
New York Times bestselling series creator Lev Grossman returns with an all-new story in the world of The Magicians with award-winning writer Lilah Sturges (The Magicians: Alice's Story) and rising star artist Pius Bak that features the first appearance of the next generation of heroes and villains. Collects The Magicians #1-5.
New York Times bestselling series creator Lev Grossman returns with an all-new story in the world of The Magicians with award-winning writer Lilah Sturges (The Magicians: Alice's Story) and rising star artist Pius Bak that features the first appearance of the next generation of heroes and villains. Collects The Magicians #1-5.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2020
30 people are currently reading
935 people want to read
About the author
Lev Grossman
68 books10.3k followersHi! I'm the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which was adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on Syfy.
I've also written two novels for children: The Silver Arrow, which the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People magazine, Apple and Amazon all put on their best-of-the-year lists, and its sequel The Golden Swift. I do some journalist and screenwriting too.
I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, the son of two English professors. My twin brother Austin is a writer and game designer, and my older sister Sheba is an artist. Sometimes I live in Brooklyn, New York, other times in Sydney, Australia, where my wife is from. I have three kids and a somehow steadily increasing number of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 28, 2020
If you like the books, you’ll probably like this. If you like the show, you’ll definitely like this—it hews more closely to the sensibilities of the latter than the former.
One thing, however, is for sure: it is, it turns out, vastly superior to Saved By the Bell: The New Class (then again, so is a dried-up slug). BUT—is the original Magicians class superior to the original SBTB class? Whoa boy. Now we’ve got ourselves a contest. And now someone needs to contract me to write the living feces out of that crossover.
I do know this: there are definitely some lonely Fillorian girls (and boys) who would pay 25 cents to watch A.C. Slater flex.
One thing, however, is for sure: it is, it turns out, vastly superior to Saved By the Bell: The New Class (then again, so is a dried-up slug). BUT—is the original Magicians class superior to the original SBTB class? Whoa boy. Now we’ve got ourselves a contest. And now someone needs to contract me to write the living feces out of that crossover.
I do know this: there are definitely some lonely Fillorian girls (and boys) who would pay 25 cents to watch A.C. Slater flex.
March 24, 2021
This was genuinely one of the most grotesquely horrid things I could have picked up to read.
I really love the original series. It's innovative, it's weird. It has a ton of soul. It takes a group of incredibly flawed, unpleasant people and then it manages to break them and build them up and by the end I couldn't help caring about them. It was good. It had this defined mood. Something that worked for me.
This one, though. It feels like the writer only read some sort of a short summary without understanding what the hell the original was doing. One thing about the novels was that magic is hard work. You can't just wing it. It's boring and painful and it kill your soul a little. You grind, you make an effort. You have to be precise. You have to be a genius. Yes, even hedge witches.
Here we have a group of hedges just being allowed in to Brakebills. Why? Dunno. They don't have to take the exam, which was a crucial point in the novels. They don't have to take endless classes, they don't have to study patiently. They don't get sent to some Arctic hellhole to make them even more miserable.
Nah. They "just learnt Latin at a homeless shelter". They just FEEL magic.
It looks like a spit in the face for the whole idea of how they gain true power in the books.
The magical protection on Brakebills just isn't a thing. Nothing exists. They literally teach battle magic to kids who don't even have the basics, because why not? Especially smart throwing in some kid who supposedly hates that they are even there. "Oh, you hate each other? FIGHT." Brilliant.
The relationships between people are laughable. The whole thing starts with people kissing each other's ass and telling each other how lovely they are. Fuck off. The Magicians, the REAL ones had complex ways people related to each other. This one has "yassss, you are so GOOD, YAAAAS".
Also insta love left and right. Two seconds of conflicts about it. Which gets resolved like nothing with 2 lines of dialogue.
What is pacing? We don't need no pacing.
Nor do we need art that looks good in any way. This was unpleasant to look at. The covers made me think this was going to at least be visually okay. Nah, mate. HORRID.
So basically shitty characters, done ugly, doing random illogical things, not following the in universe rules, the conflicts get left at nothing, nothing matters, the mood is ass...
I wouldn't recommend this to any living being.
I really love the original series. It's innovative, it's weird. It has a ton of soul. It takes a group of incredibly flawed, unpleasant people and then it manages to break them and build them up and by the end I couldn't help caring about them. It was good. It had this defined mood. Something that worked for me.
This one, though. It feels like the writer only read some sort of a short summary without understanding what the hell the original was doing. One thing about the novels was that magic is hard work. You can't just wing it. It's boring and painful and it kill your soul a little. You grind, you make an effort. You have to be precise. You have to be a genius. Yes, even hedge witches.
Here we have a group of hedges just being allowed in to Brakebills. Why? Dunno. They don't have to take the exam, which was a crucial point in the novels. They don't have to take endless classes, they don't have to study patiently. They don't get sent to some Arctic hellhole to make them even more miserable.
Nah. They "just learnt Latin at a homeless shelter". They just FEEL magic.
It looks like a spit in the face for the whole idea of how they gain true power in the books.
The magical protection on Brakebills just isn't a thing. Nothing exists. They literally teach battle magic to kids who don't even have the basics, because why not? Especially smart throwing in some kid who supposedly hates that they are even there. "Oh, you hate each other? FIGHT." Brilliant.
The relationships between people are laughable. The whole thing starts with people kissing each other's ass and telling each other how lovely they are. Fuck off. The Magicians, the REAL ones had complex ways people related to each other. This one has "yassss, you are so GOOD, YAAAAS".
Also insta love left and right. Two seconds of conflicts about it. Which gets resolved like nothing with 2 lines of dialogue.
What is pacing? We don't need no pacing.
Nor do we need art that looks good in any way. This was unpleasant to look at. The covers made me think this was going to at least be visually okay. Nah, mate. HORRID.
So basically shitty characters, done ugly, doing random illogical things, not following the in universe rules, the conflicts get left at nothing, nothing matters, the mood is ass...
I wouldn't recommend this to any living being.
August 18, 2020
Set firmly in the world of the Magicians books and not the TV show, it's a new day at Brakebills when a class of Hedge Witches are inducted into the hallowed halls. Of course, that goes about as well as can be expected, with murder, magic, and mischief galore in these five issues.
Lilah Sturges and Pius Bak are old hands at Magicians books by now - their Alice OGN was fantastic, and getting a bit more freedom to inhabit the world and craft characters and stories of their own really works in their favour. You won't see any pre-established characters here aside from Dean Fogg for obvious reasons, but the New Class are all interesting and multi-layered, so they'll have won you over by the end of the book easily. I really hope we get a follow-up to this one, because unfinished business does not begin to describe the ending.
Bak's artwork remains as ethereal as ever. He does a lot with a little, he's a very economic artist, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gorgeous covers by Qistina Khalidah as well.
Unlike Alice's Story, I feel like this volume is probably open to both book and show fans due to the tangential nature of its tie-in. It's its own story, and the creative team really gets to thrive as a result. I hope this is the beginning of a magical future for this team and these characters, I really do.
Lilah Sturges and Pius Bak are old hands at Magicians books by now - their Alice OGN was fantastic, and getting a bit more freedom to inhabit the world and craft characters and stories of their own really works in their favour. You won't see any pre-established characters here aside from Dean Fogg for obvious reasons, but the New Class are all interesting and multi-layered, so they'll have won you over by the end of the book easily. I really hope we get a follow-up to this one, because unfinished business does not begin to describe the ending.
Bak's artwork remains as ethereal as ever. He does a lot with a little, he's a very economic artist, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gorgeous covers by Qistina Khalidah as well.
Unlike Alice's Story, I feel like this volume is probably open to both book and show fans due to the tangential nature of its tie-in. It's its own story, and the creative team really gets to thrive as a result. I hope this is the beginning of a magical future for this team and these characters, I really do.
September 28, 2020
I’m a major major fan of the book series and the tv show so I was excited to get another addendum to the series I love so much. But... well. The build up to the final climax set us up for what ended up a very anticlimactic resolution where it basically amounted to: this person is a serious threat and we should all be afraid and careful of them only to defeat them in one panel and they give up and leave. There were a couple of jumps in narration that just didn’t make sense(going from daytime in library to evening at a different location, that random one page in a throne room), and while I’m hoping it was set up for a longer running story, the way the jumps were handled was very jarring and took me out of the story. I also found it very hard to care for any of these characters and really didn’t care for their plight or heartbreak or anything and then that one whole thing where a woman sleeps with a guy because her friend and he liked each other but she slept with him because he liked her friend and then when her friend asked her why she did that she just cried and ran away? It all made no sense and her weird justification for why she slept with him was weak and then he and the friend still got together anyways without any real heart to heart talk and here I thought the story was setting it up for a more complicated “will they or won’t they” story and.. I still don’t get why she slept with the guy her friend liked! Saying “I slept with him because he liked you!” Is... I don’t understand. And In the end, I didn’t care for these people or the plot and I’m still going to get the other books in the series if there’s more because I am starved for Magicians content but I can only hope the plot gets better
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2020
More like a 3.5.
The story was alright, and only improved, especially with the last couple issues. Enjoying the new characters. Liked that it’s a lot more inclusive than the originals and the show.
The artwork is pretty, however, is not doing it for me, though. Everything seems pretty hasty. The covers are great. Just wish the interior had a similar style, even if it was speed painting it would fit the cover work better and be a huge improvement imo.
The story was alright, and only improved, especially with the last couple issues. Enjoying the new characters. Liked that it’s a lot more inclusive than the originals and the show.
The artwork is pretty, however, is not doing it for me, though. Everything seems pretty hasty. The covers are great. Just wish the interior had a similar style, even if it was speed painting it would fit the cover work better and be a huge improvement imo.
December 1, 2021
*More like 3.5 stars than 3.*
Like a 100m dash, this comic was so incredibly fast-paced. It skimped on the character growth and fast-forwarded through all the action. There were convenient resolutions abound and lacklustre late revelations. Yet there was something sort of endearing about this ragtag bunch of young adults. They didn't have that same great dynamic of the original class of Brakebills student (aka Quentin & co.), but they certainly made for an interesting and diverse group. The levels of representation in this comic were so off the charts I couldn't decide if it was nice to see or simply box ticking.
The plot was simplistic. Or rather the plot had the potential to be more complex if the execution had been less rushed. This was a whole 13 episode tv show arc squashed into 5 25-paged issues and, boy, was that obvious. And there was something about the structure of the storyline which I found to be quite reminiscent of the show. I'm guessing more issues weren't guaranteed and so the writer had to dump most of the character bonding moments and go heavy on the exposition and quick solutions. It's a shame really, but the cliffhanger at the end did leave a little something for the reader to walk away with so maybe we'll see more of this new class of magicians in the future...
Like a 100m dash, this comic was so incredibly fast-paced. It skimped on the character growth and fast-forwarded through all the action. There were convenient resolutions abound and lacklustre late revelations. Yet there was something sort of endearing about this ragtag bunch of young adults. They didn't have that same great dynamic of the original class of Brakebills student (aka Quentin & co.), but they certainly made for an interesting and diverse group. The levels of representation in this comic were so off the charts I couldn't decide if it was nice to see or simply box ticking.
The plot was simplistic. Or rather the plot had the potential to be more complex if the execution had been less rushed. This was a whole 13 episode tv show arc squashed into 5 25-paged issues and, boy, was that obvious. And there was something about the structure of the storyline which I found to be quite reminiscent of the show. I'm guessing more issues weren't guaranteed and so the writer had to dump most of the character bonding moments and go heavy on the exposition and quick solutions. It's a shame really, but the cliffhanger at the end did leave a little something for the reader to walk away with so maybe we'll see more of this new class of magicians in the future...
January 9, 2021
I didn't care much for this, partly because none of the characters were charming or interesting (no investment in their success or failure), partly because I just don't care for the art style of American comics. Makes me think twice about picking up Alice's Story, because although it sounds like it might be really interesting, I don't have much faith that I'll enjoy it.
March 1, 2022
This story was much better than Alice’s story. I felt like it had a good balance in length, although comparing it to Alice’s story there could have been double the issues and still be a compact story except with more build up in tension.
I’m positive about the inclusivity in this story. The transgendered person, the non-binary person who is respectfully being referred to by everybody by their correct pronouns (they/them) and the gay kiss. It was very not in your face, how I feel inclusivity should be.
Also, this ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. I hope there’ll be more.
I’m positive about the inclusivity in this story. The transgendered person, the non-binary person who is respectfully being referred to by everybody by their correct pronouns (they/them) and the gay kiss. It was very not in your face, how I feel inclusivity should be.
Also, this ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. I hope there’ll be more.
November 30, 2022
4 stars!
I ended up finding this was more interesting than I thought I would. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I ended up finding this was more interesting than I thought I would. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
June 29, 2021
At some point after the original trilogy, the Brakebills staff decide to let hedge witches into the school as third years, without making them make up courses or pass the entrance exam, an exam many of them have probably already failed. They also hire the leader of a coven to become a teacher at the school. For about a page or two, the students face prejudice. Then they discover the real reason they are there,
This is better than >Alice's Story, but not by much.
The thing I become more and more convinced of the longer I read comics is that comics are next to impossible to pace effectively. I have become more and more impressed by those who can do it as I read many comics paced as badly as a netflix show. There's multiple different ways you can fail at effectively pacing your story, but this one falls into what I call Plot Summary Comics, which are comics that read like a wikipedia plot summary with some nice pictures. By the end of the comics I knew the characters about as well as I had when I started except for some defining characteristics such as the self destructive one, trans one, and the supportive one. Those are fine starting points but I should know more when the story is over than I could have learned from the back of the book.
I think there's a pretty good book here that explores outcasts, diversity, and affirmative action similarly to how the original explored privileged listless depression. But if that book was possible in a comic format then it was not delivered satisfyingly here.
This is better than >Alice's Story, but not by much.
The thing I become more and more convinced of the longer I read comics is that comics are next to impossible to pace effectively. I have become more and more impressed by those who can do it as I read many comics paced as badly as a netflix show. There's multiple different ways you can fail at effectively pacing your story, but this one falls into what I call Plot Summary Comics, which are comics that read like a wikipedia plot summary with some nice pictures. By the end of the comics I knew the characters about as well as I had when I started except for some defining characteristics such as the self destructive one, trans one, and the supportive one. Those are fine starting points but I should know more when the story is over than I could have learned from the back of the book.
I think there's a pretty good book here that explores outcasts, diversity, and affirmative action similarly to how the original explored privileged listless depression. But if that book was possible in a comic format then it was not delivered satisfyingly here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
I only picked this book up because I thoroughly enjoyed both the books and TV show and thought graphic novel spin off set in the same world could be fun. This was so far below the mark it's difficult to find nice things to say about this one. If you find this review before reading please take my word. This is not cannon nor is a necessity to read for you to be a fan of the magicians.
March 15, 2021
Giving this one an extra star for potential in a comic that didn't have time to go anywhere. But the plots were totally ham-fisted and clearly tied up too early. I feel like the world and characters could have worked if they'd had time to grow.
But definitely don't bother reading it. Nothing of interest happens.
But definitely don't bother reading it. Nothing of interest happens.
November 16, 2020
4.25 stars! I hope that there will be more installments love me some hedge witches. :)
June 21, 2021
I loved diving back into Brakebills; this was quite a short story and I want more!
August 29, 2022
I really liked the artwork but didn't care about the characters or the story at all.
March 7, 2024
I thought this one was alright, but I don’t think I would read any sequels following this one. Things felt overly rushed and it was hard to get invested into the characters because they didn’t really stand out.
March 17, 2022
70%
"I had a vision that changed everything for me"
* turns out this is part of some larger franchise that I had never heard of before, but it's okay because the story was completely followable on its own - there were a few references to what I assume other books covered, but it wasn't every anything vital to the reader's comprehension
* more of the 'hedge magic' would've been nice; they kept saying how they were equal to traditional magic, but the few examples we saw made them look pretty weak and low-key pathetic in comparison
*I don't really get why
"I had a vision that changed everything for me"
* turns out this is part of some larger franchise that I had never heard of before, but it's okay because the story was completely followable on its own - there were a few references to what I assume other books covered, but it wasn't every anything vital to the reader's comprehension
* more of the 'hedge magic' would've been nice; they kept saying how they were equal to traditional magic, but the few examples we saw made them look pretty weak and low-key pathetic in comparison
*I don't really get why
October 5, 2020
I really liked the first issue, but from there on the story started to move too fast. I love Brakebills, but for me that's not what The Magicians is about. The TV show had a similar problem where it was more about being a Narnia/Hogwarts where you can die instead of actually looking at the genre tropes and playing with those.
July 16, 2020
Loved everything about it ! The plot and characters were intersting, The artwork was great, and also Great ending
February 10, 2022
I loved the books and the tv series so when I saw this on the shelf at the library, I grabbed it without a second thought.
It had some potential, but I felt the characters were shallow caricatures and the plot was too compressed.
It had some potential, but I felt the characters were shallow caricatures and the plot was too compressed.
May 26, 2020
Im gonna need more of this asap! Feels true to the original series and yet opens things up in an exciting new direction. Love it!
January 11, 2022
Promising start, but ultimately it fell flat for me.
May 5, 2025
"The Magicians: New Class" is a graphic novel focusing on a group of six students enrolled at a magical academy who go from being strangers to friends after banding together to defeat a mutal enemy.
The graphic novel consists of five chapters.
Chaptet one begins by transporting the reader to a house in New Orleans, Louisana and introducing characters Professor Keshawn Warren and his three students Audrey, Emily and Patrick (Pat.) After walking through a portal, the foursome arrive at Brakehills Academy for Magical Pedagogy where they meet Dean henry Fogg and are introduced to other students attending the academy. Following the introduced by Dean Fogg, Audrey, Emily and Patrick are treated poorly since they are the first students allowed into the academy who practice hedge magic which in non-classical magic traditions taught which has existed for millenia but not taught in formal school by in informal "houses" but are enrolled in the acadmey as third-year students. When Porfessor Warren and Dean Fogg arrive at a class attendedby Audrey, Emily and Pat along with Brakehills Academy students Andy, Brian,and Sophie, they are all surprised when they are invited to work together on a secret project. The evening, the six students gather in a secret area of campus to compare magic skils. Chapter one ends with the death of a classmate following a spell gone wrong.
Chapter two begins with the group of five students coming to terms with the sudden death of the classmate, Audrey suggesting that they tell someone and get help, and Andy telling her a cautionary tale about a student who did something similar and was severly punished. Not wanting to cause trouble after having recently arrived at Brakehills Academy, Audrey, Emily and Pat reluctant agree to having a spell put on them along with Andy and Brian which prevents them from discussing what happened to their classmate with anyone outside of their group of five. Chapter two ends with the group of five being shocked when they arrive at class the next day and see their "dead" classmate very much alive and waiting for class to begin.
Chapter three begins with the group of six being taken to a secluded builidng on campus by Professor Warren and Dean Fogg to begin learning battle magic. The group is distant towards their recently returned formerly deceased classmate and Pat suggets to Audrey that they leave the academy and return home but Audrey is against it since she's concerned about other students being safe. Although Andy is inital a jerk to all, he shows surprise tenderness toward Emily regarding something he's observed. Chapter three ends with Professor Warren and dean Fogg making a grisly discovery the next morning when visiting the academy library.
Chapter four begins with Dean Fogg informing academy students of the murders of library staff and the theft of some very important magical books. Audrey. Emily, and Pat find themselves being accused of causing the murders and soon Professor Warren and Dean Fogg inform the six students of that the villian responsible for the murders and thefts was a former graduate of Brakebills Academy. Following a battle magic lesson in which the formerly dead student almost kills Emily, Pat is able to determine the true nature and goal of the formerly dead student. Chapter four ends with the formerly dead student providing the villian with the store books from the academy library.
Chapter five begins with a battle between the former dead student and instrustors at the academy. While the five students watch the battle unfold, Brian provides an unconventional solution to their problem. Although the five students are unsure if Brian's plan will worry, they relucntantly agree while leads to the battle ending and the formerly dead student being released from a murderous spell. Chapter five ends with Audrey helping establish a relationship and Andy surprisingly having his heart broken.
As I finished this graphic novel, I liked the overall storyline but will give a disclaimer to the reader that there are a few gory images in the graphic novel so be prepared. In addition, I found it interesting that although a brief amount of backstory was provided on the Audrey, Emily, and Sophie, no backstory was provided on Andy, Brian, and Pat.
The graphic novel consists of five chapters.
Chaptet one begins by transporting the reader to a house in New Orleans, Louisana and introducing characters Professor Keshawn Warren and his three students Audrey, Emily and Patrick (Pat.) After walking through a portal, the foursome arrive at Brakehills Academy for Magical Pedagogy where they meet Dean henry Fogg and are introduced to other students attending the academy. Following the introduced by Dean Fogg, Audrey, Emily and Patrick are treated poorly since they are the first students allowed into the academy who practice hedge magic which in non-classical magic traditions taught which has existed for millenia but not taught in formal school by in informal "houses" but are enrolled in the acadmey as third-year students. When Porfessor Warren and Dean Fogg arrive at a class attendedby Audrey, Emily and Pat along with Brakehills Academy students Andy, Brian,and Sophie, they are all surprised when they are invited to work together on a secret project. The evening, the six students gather in a secret area of campus to compare magic skils. Chapter one ends with the death of a classmate following a spell gone wrong.
Chapter two begins with the group of five students coming to terms with the sudden death of the classmate, Audrey suggesting that they tell someone and get help, and Andy telling her a cautionary tale about a student who did something similar and was severly punished. Not wanting to cause trouble after having recently arrived at Brakehills Academy, Audrey, Emily and Pat reluctant agree to having a spell put on them along with Andy and Brian which prevents them from discussing what happened to their classmate with anyone outside of their group of five. Chapter two ends with the group of five being shocked when they arrive at class the next day and see their "dead" classmate very much alive and waiting for class to begin.
Chapter three begins with the group of six being taken to a secluded builidng on campus by Professor Warren and Dean Fogg to begin learning battle magic. The group is distant towards their recently returned formerly deceased classmate and Pat suggets to Audrey that they leave the academy and return home but Audrey is against it since she's concerned about other students being safe. Although Andy is inital a jerk to all, he shows surprise tenderness toward Emily regarding something he's observed. Chapter three ends with Professor Warren and dean Fogg making a grisly discovery the next morning when visiting the academy library.
Chapter four begins with Dean Fogg informing academy students of the murders of library staff and the theft of some very important magical books. Audrey. Emily, and Pat find themselves being accused of causing the murders and soon Professor Warren and Dean Fogg inform the six students of that the villian responsible for the murders and thefts was a former graduate of Brakebills Academy. Following a battle magic lesson in which the formerly dead student almost kills Emily, Pat is able to determine the true nature and goal of the formerly dead student. Chapter four ends with the formerly dead student providing the villian with the store books from the academy library.
Chapter five begins with a battle between the former dead student and instrustors at the academy. While the five students watch the battle unfold, Brian provides an unconventional solution to their problem. Although the five students are unsure if Brian's plan will worry, they relucntantly agree while leads to the battle ending and the formerly dead student being released from a murderous spell. Chapter five ends with Audrey helping establish a relationship and Andy surprisingly having his heart broken.
As I finished this graphic novel, I liked the overall storyline but will give a disclaimer to the reader that there are a few gory images in the graphic novel so be prepared. In addition, I found it interesting that although a brief amount of backstory was provided on the Audrey, Emily, and Sophie, no backstory was provided on Andy, Brian, and Pat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2021
First off, I'm entirely the wrong person to review this. So basically, discard everything I'm about to say. I've never read the books. I loved loved loved that TV show. And that's so backwards for me. It's literally the only time i can think of that I've liked a screen version more than a paper version.
If you fall into that category (I can't imagine there are many of us) this might not be the right choice for you.
The characters that carry over into this story are the versions from the books, not the show. Dean Fogg will be a jarring change if you are used to the television version.
The story on the whole was actually pretty good. There were a couple twists that felt very magicians-ish. And enough that I'd like to know where it goes. As long as I can get it from the library.
And there's a piece of the graphic novel I'm having a hard time putting to words. It was both interesting and bothersome. I'm still rolling it around in my head a bit, so first off and foremost, I apologize if anything I say is offensive. Like I said, I'm still rolling this around in my head a bit, and my own thoughts have not solidified yet.
It's the inclusion in the story. I'm to a point in my life and especially in my consumption of fiction that the lack of inclusion/diversity stands out to me and diminishes my enjoyment of the experience.
It's who I am, it's where I live, it's what I read, it's what I love.
But......
This story felt like it was checking off boxes rather than feeling natural.
Case in point. The trans character frequently reminds us that they are trans. Even wears a t-shirt announcing they are trans. And there was this one panel that bothered me. I stopped cold on it and it took a bit for me to figure out why it bugged me. It's all of the characters walking down a hallway. I didn't notice it at first, but the male characters were drawn with a very specific leg position, and the females with a distinctly different leg position. The trans character was drawn with the male leg position. Why did that bug me so much? I don't know. Should it have? I don't know? I'd be curious to know if other people noticed and what you all think.
There was something we watched recently, I cant' remember what it was now. Recent in pandemic times might be the past month of the past 3 years anyway... Where there was a trans character that was never identified as trans in the show. It wasn't hidden, it wasn't a secret. It just wasn't called out every 10 minutes. We weren't reminded every 10 minutes lest we forget. And it wasn't literally written on a t-shirt.
That's harsh. Am i being too harsh? I think i'd rather have fumbled inclusion than no inclusion. Right? I honestly don't know. Still mulling it over.
If you fall into that category (I can't imagine there are many of us) this might not be the right choice for you.
The characters that carry over into this story are the versions from the books, not the show. Dean Fogg will be a jarring change if you are used to the television version.
The story on the whole was actually pretty good. There were a couple twists that felt very magicians-ish. And enough that I'd like to know where it goes. As long as I can get it from the library.
And there's a piece of the graphic novel I'm having a hard time putting to words. It was both interesting and bothersome. I'm still rolling it around in my head a bit, so first off and foremost, I apologize if anything I say is offensive. Like I said, I'm still rolling this around in my head a bit, and my own thoughts have not solidified yet.
It's the inclusion in the story. I'm to a point in my life and especially in my consumption of fiction that the lack of inclusion/diversity stands out to me and diminishes my enjoyment of the experience.
It's who I am, it's where I live, it's what I read, it's what I love.
But......
This story felt like it was checking off boxes rather than feeling natural.
Case in point. The trans character frequently reminds us that they are trans. Even wears a t-shirt announcing they are trans. And there was this one panel that bothered me. I stopped cold on it and it took a bit for me to figure out why it bugged me. It's all of the characters walking down a hallway. I didn't notice it at first, but the male characters were drawn with a very specific leg position, and the females with a distinctly different leg position. The trans character was drawn with the male leg position. Why did that bug me so much? I don't know. Should it have? I don't know? I'd be curious to know if other people noticed and what you all think.
There was something we watched recently, I cant' remember what it was now. Recent in pandemic times might be the past month of the past 3 years anyway... Where there was a trans character that was never identified as trans in the show. It wasn't hidden, it wasn't a secret. It just wasn't called out every 10 minutes. We weren't reminded every 10 minutes lest we forget. And it wasn't literally written on a t-shirt.
That's harsh. Am i being too harsh? I think i'd rather have fumbled inclusion than no inclusion. Right? I honestly don't know. Still mulling it over.
December 28, 2020
This is a graphic novel taking place some years after Alice and company have left Brakebills. The school is changing in that it is going to allow hedge witches to enter the school which causes trouble between the students that have been at Brakebills and the hedge witches (who they don't consider to be true witches.)
What makes things worse is that the three hedge witches are being entered as third year students which, naturally, makes the students that have been at the school jealous.
One of the traditionalists tries a spell in what the hedge witches consider to be unusable ground and it goes severely wrong. The special group of students is told they will learn battle magic (normally something not taught) and they find the supposedly dead girl very much alive.
There's more deaths, the library is robbed and get a lot worse. This is the first of at least two graphic novels if not more.
I think it's interesting, especially in the attitude of the traditionalists to the hedge witches, whom they look down upon. Good enough that I will definitely plan to get the next novel(s) in the series.
What makes things worse is that the three hedge witches are being entered as third year students which, naturally, makes the students that have been at the school jealous.
One of the traditionalists tries a spell in what the hedge witches consider to be unusable ground and it goes severely wrong. The special group of students is told they will learn battle magic (normally something not taught) and they find the supposedly dead girl very much alive.
There's more deaths, the library is robbed and get a lot worse. This is the first of at least two graphic novels if not more.
I think it's interesting, especially in the attitude of the traditionalists to the hedge witches, whom they look down upon. Good enough that I will definitely plan to get the next novel(s) in the series.
December 30, 2024
3.5⭐️
This is an interesting concept to follow for continuation of The Magicians book trilogy by Lev Grossman (not the tv show). It has nothing to do with any of the original characters, aside from Dean Fogg. Hedge witches seem to play a big role in this story, as well as battle magic.
It does take place a long time after Quentin and his group have gone, as stated at the end, in the authors note.
I thought it fell a bit flat because there wasn't a lot of detail or backstory provided, I didn't really know which characters were hedge witches and who were Brakebills students to begin with. I found their relationships to be confusing - they all seemed to know, yet not know each other but there was no context.
Overall it was an OK story, I just wish there had been more depth to it.
The graphics are pretty cool. Seeing the magic in graphic novel form was so interesting, and the art for those scenes was very well done!
This is an interesting concept to follow for continuation of The Magicians book trilogy by Lev Grossman (not the tv show). It has nothing to do with any of the original characters, aside from Dean Fogg. Hedge witches seem to play a big role in this story, as well as battle magic.
It does take place a long time after Quentin and his group have gone, as stated at the end, in the authors note.
I thought it fell a bit flat because there wasn't a lot of detail or backstory provided, I didn't really know which characters were hedge witches and who were Brakebills students to begin with. I found their relationships to be confusing - they all seemed to know, yet not know each other but there was no context.
Overall it was an OK story, I just wish there had been more depth to it.
The graphics are pretty cool. Seeing the magic in graphic novel form was so interesting, and the art for those scenes was very well done!
July 21, 2021
The world of Brakebills has always had some sexual tension. There has also been a decent amount of queerness and homoeroticism. Now, that is all out in the open and it plays decently well. I worry a little bit that it may be too rigid. I have always assumed that there is something about the power that lets these folks see past the rigid sexualities.
The way that this tale is told seems to still have some structure. Once again, that has to do with my original reading of the novels. Of course, Lev is involved in this and maybe I have been reading it all wrong.
Anyway, this is a slice of an epic that is told. There is some hanging bits to the story that allows for a followup. There does not have to be anything more but if so compelled by sales and critical reception, I dare to say that we will see some more graphic novels along this fashion.
The way that this tale is told seems to still have some structure. Once again, that has to do with my original reading of the novels. Of course, Lev is involved in this and maybe I have been reading it all wrong.
Anyway, this is a slice of an epic that is told. There is some hanging bits to the story that allows for a followup. There does not have to be anything more but if so compelled by sales and critical reception, I dare to say that we will see some more graphic novels along this fashion.
September 19, 2021
Another graphic novel by the team that brought us Alice's story and it is every bit as good. This is new territory. Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy has invited talented hedge witches to join the student body. Why is a secret. It seems a talented student at Brakebills has turned rogue. They have been stealing books containing dangerous magics. Their purpose is unknown. They have been leaving dead magicians and hedge witches in their wake. They must be stopped.
The story gives us both sides of the argument, but not a solution. I suggest this is but volume one in another trilogy in the continuing story of the magicians. It's a good start. It left me with things to think, were magic real. I highly recommend it to graphic novel traders and those who want more of the Brakebills magicians.
The story gives us both sides of the argument, but not a solution. I suggest this is but volume one in another trilogy in the continuing story of the magicians. It's a good start. It left me with things to think, were magic real. I highly recommend it to graphic novel traders and those who want more of the Brakebills magicians.
October 8, 2020
The next generation of the Magicians comes in graphic novel format, continuing the story from the successful trilogy created by Lev Grossman (though following the book format - not the successful tv show, essentially an alternate timeline if you will)
We meet the three hedge witches that join Brakebills and the new Professor to join with Dean Fogg and his three selected students to learn battle magic and fight against a new threat to the magical order.
My only critiques come from the fact that the graphic novel doesn’t tie in to the TV show, which I felt would have provided far more appreciate fodder for the graphic novel to draw from.
I really hope this series continues - because that cliff hanger was not fair.
We meet the three hedge witches that join Brakebills and the new Professor to join with Dean Fogg and his three selected students to learn battle magic and fight against a new threat to the magical order.
My only critiques come from the fact that the graphic novel doesn’t tie in to the TV show, which I felt would have provided far more appreciate fodder for the graphic novel to draw from.
I really hope this series continues - because that cliff hanger was not fair.
May 14, 2021
I have been watching the Netflix TV series, which is okay. So I figured I would take a stab at this book when I saw it at the public library on the picks shelves. I was not disappointed. It was a one-sitter read, easy flow, storyline was a bit dark and mysterious, and turned out to be a pretty good read. I see only the prequel is available at the library...may check it out.
Ironically, this was (c) 2019, 2020, and towards the ending predicts on 3/1/2041 a flu virus wipes out 99%. We had a pandemic announced in March 2020, a virus that hit worldwide, and nearly wiped out a large population of people. This can be a bit scary since this book was copyright a year prior and happened, just not to extremes/exaggerated, but who knows what lies in the future.
Disclaimer: I borrowed a copy.
Ironically, this was (c) 2019, 2020, and towards the ending predicts on 3/1/2041 a flu virus wipes out 99%. We had a pandemic announced in March 2020, a virus that hit worldwide, and nearly wiped out a large population of people. This can be a bit scary since this book was copyright a year prior and happened, just not to extremes/exaggerated, but who knows what lies in the future.
Disclaimer: I borrowed a copy.
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