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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
This was an impulse decision at the library. I love the TV show, but I haven't tried to read any of the books because I am 100% TEAM ELIOT AND MARGO FOREVER and I hear they are less central, if not marginal, in the books. A graphic novel seemed like an easy way to dip my toes in.
I wasn't in love with this, but I feel like I got to know and understand Alice better (she remains a bit of a cypher, most of the time, in the show), which I suppose was the goal. Many other characters were clearly VERY different from their TV show versions, and while there are deviations for Alice, she seems to remain mostly the same. I enjoyed her journey as a tiffin, and the reveal of Jane Chatwin's manipulations here.
I don't know if they are planning more of these, but if there was an Eliot's Story, I would grab it in a heartbeat.
I wasn't in love with this, but I feel like I got to know and understand Alice better (she remains a bit of a cypher, most of the time, in the show), which I suppose was the goal. Many other characters were clearly VERY different from their TV show versions, and while there are deviations for Alice, she seems to remain mostly the same. I enjoyed her journey as a tiffin, and the reveal of Jane Chatwin's manipulations here.
I don't know if they are planning more of these, but if there was an Eliot's Story, I would grab it in a heartbeat.
Sentí como que tenía prisa de contarlo todo, dejando chingos de detalles fuera y al mismo tiempo no contaba mucho. Lo cual le quita fuerza a lo importante y pues... está padre pero se siente trivial.
Si tomamos la idea de que se ha repetido la misma historia muchas veces y esta es una de esas, me quedo con la de la serie.
Si tomamos la idea de que se ha repetido la misma historia muchas veces y esta es una de esas, me quedo con la de la serie.
adventurous
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this as I am a fan of the show. Graphic novels are not what I generally read, but I thought the way it flowed was really great. Loving the way it seamlessly blends with the story of Alice.
A totally boring retelling of The Magicians, but from Alice's perspective. Had potential but the writing didn't work for me.
dark
medium-paced
There’s a lot to enjoy about this graphic novel—the art is great! I’m glad we got Alice’s perspective on the events of the first book. But I think I was disappointed it didn’t really cover new ground. I wanted it to have some of the beats from later books. That said, what we got was engaging. Alice is a far more interesting character than Quentin, and I felt like he was more interesting through her narration. I think this is a nice one if you felt like the original book was lacking something, but I don’t think it covers much new ground.
Better than the TV show, I think!
But it turns out I kinda haaate bildungsromans. I'm just like, urrrrgh I am so annoyed by these immature characters... and it turns out... that there is a WHOLE GENRE devoted to that, and maybe... maybe, their eventual maturity. At least Alice becomes pure magic, which is a maturity of a sort? Except she's basically dead, like... she annihilated herself. And yeah, maturity doesn't like, make you a psychopath? Usually it's the opposite? So yeah, now that I think about it, it's kinda weird that the book tries to get me to think that Alice sacrificing her life and her resulting state of mind as an ego-less (and empathy-less) Niffin as "maturity" when, from my point of view at least, letting yourself die for a pretty dumb reason and then getting superpowers is like, the most naive-and-cringeworthy-young-person-who-thinks-they're-wise thing, like ever. But that part was in the books/show and is ha, not so apparent here. Probably because the comic must gloss over the fact that like, getting older/more mature shouldn't make you a monster in order to resemble uh, the usual sort of bildungsroman thing where the main character gets calmer and wiser (but OMG can you IMAGINE if Niffin Alice was like, FUCK y'all I CAN'T believe I DIED for you snotty bratty children. Amazing. I would be so into it! but like, god forbid a woman shows anger, that gets a woman killed... hey, just like Alice! all she had to do was fuckin' DIE and then her anger at being cheating on is forgiven! wonderful /s)? And like, it doesn't explore the grief of the snotty bratty children either (not their POV to be fair) really so it's like, brushed off as sadness = maturity as well? I mean, did someone REALLY have to die in order for that to happen? Janet, Quentin, and Eliot are privileged snots, true, but seems like, in a few years they may have become decent people, regardless? Or are all magicians doomed to eternal immaturity because they get everything they want, like the spoiled children of billionaires? (haha now I am imagining like, the Hogwarts kids being told, "There was no wizarding war! It was made up to stop y'all from being LITTLE SHITS. Your friends are still dead, though) Like, thinking anything other than the death of a young person as a crappy, tragic thing is uh, bullshit. It's not heroic and it's not a teaching moment. That's how it is, it 100% sucks and then you deal with it. It doesn't make you a better person. Just ask an old person (I mean real old, like 80-90. Not a person in middle age, they are way too scared of death. They got all these weird, meaningful ideas about it. But they probably think I'm being weird about it myself. but look: but my generation is SICK OF IT. Sick of war and young people dying, young people sacrificing, SICK OF IT). So basically these things are like, a sheltered and immature view on death and getting older. I mean, if it continues it might make sense but as of now... So, I think JOANNA: stop reading bilungsromans and YA.
In fact: I take it back. Maybe it is just like the TV show.
Also: I am making it sound a bit deeper than it is. I can overthink a bubblegum wrapper.
But it turns out I kinda haaate bildungsromans. I'm just like, urrrrgh I am so annoyed by these immature characters... and it turns out... that there is a WHOLE GENRE devoted to that, and maybe... maybe, their eventual maturity. At least Alice becomes pure magic, which is a maturity of a sort? Except she's basically dead, like... she annihilated herself. And yeah, maturity doesn't like, make you a psychopath? Usually it's the opposite? So yeah, now that I think about it, it's kinda weird that the book tries to get me to think that Alice sacrificing her life and her resulting state of mind as an ego-less (and empathy-less) Niffin as "maturity" when, from my point of view at least, letting yourself die for a pretty dumb reason and then getting superpowers is like, the most naive-and-cringeworthy-young-person-who-thinks-they're-wise thing, like ever. But that part was in the books/show and is ha, not so apparent here. Probably because the comic must gloss over the fact that like, getting older/more mature shouldn't make you a monster in order to resemble uh, the usual sort of bildungsroman thing where the main character gets calmer and wiser (but OMG can you IMAGINE if Niffin Alice was like, FUCK y'all I CAN'T believe I DIED for you snotty bratty children. Amazing. I would be so into it! but like, god forbid a woman shows anger, that gets a woman killed... hey, just like Alice! all she had to do was fuckin' DIE and then her anger at being cheating on is forgiven! wonderful /s)? And like, it doesn't explore the grief of the snotty bratty children either (not their POV to be fair) really so it's like, brushed off as sadness = maturity as well? I mean, did someone REALLY have to die in order for that to happen? Janet, Quentin, and Eliot are privileged snots, true, but seems like, in a few years they may have become decent people, regardless? Or are all magicians doomed to eternal immaturity because they get everything they want, like the spoiled children of billionaires? (haha now I am imagining like, the Hogwarts kids being told, "There was no wizarding war! It was made up to stop y'all from being LITTLE SHITS. Your friends are still dead, though) Like, thinking anything other than the death of a young person as a crappy, tragic thing is uh, bullshit. It's not heroic and it's not a teaching moment. That's how it is, it 100% sucks and then you deal with it. It doesn't make you a better person. Just ask an old person (I mean real old, like 80-90. Not a person in middle age, they are way too scared of death. They got all these weird, meaningful ideas about it. But they probably think I'm being weird about it myself. but look: but my generation is SICK OF IT. Sick of war and young people dying, young people sacrificing, SICK OF IT). So basically these things are like, a sheltered and immature view on death and getting older. I mean, if it continues it might make sense but as of now... So, I think JOANNA: stop reading bilungsromans and YA.
In fact: I take it back. Maybe it is just like the TV show.
Also: I am making it sound a bit deeper than it is. I can overthink a bubblegum wrapper.
Not having read the novels, and only watching the fantastic SyFy show, I guess I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this graphic novel. I thought it was going to be a prequel that explains Alice's background and maybe explored her family dynamic more. What I actually got was an interesting point of view from Alice that shared the novel's story. Or that's what other reviewers said. I didn't get that context, but I don't think it mattered. I was thrown off by the very different portrayals of the characters versus the TV show. The story was a lot of fun though. I think it was a great graphic novel. Good story, good characters. The whole idea of other worlds and portal hopping is fantastic!