The Magicians: Alice’s Story
Based on the novel The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Hardcover
Written by Lilah Sturges
Art by Pius Bak
Colors by Dan Jackson
Letters by Mike Fiorentino
Cover by Scott Newman
Publisher: Archaia Entertainment
Release Date: July 16, 2019

Before I dive into the review of The Magicians: Alice’s Story, I would like to give you a bit of the history of the source material. I was a store manager for a Waldenbooks, but little did I realize how close to the end that company was. In those days we got ARCs (advance reader copies) of virtually everything and let me tell you, that is no small perk. So when an ARC came in that was touted as an adult Harry Potter-esque book about a magical college, I was intrigued. I have some vague memories of starting it during a lunch break and being swept away by the realism of it all. Lev Grossman‘s book grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. The book became a trilogy, then later a SyFy series that is spectacular in its own way. So yeah, this graphic novel only adds one more dimension to an already breathtaking franchise. Allow me to elaborate!

Star Trek: Picard, the upcoming streaming series featuring Star Trek: The Next Generation character Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) won’t hit CBS All-Access until 2020, but two prequel projects for the show will be released first!

First up will be a deluxe 3-issue comic book miniseries from IDW Publishing, to be followed up by a novel from Simon & Schuster Gallery Books, both of which will center around events that take place before the beginning of the Star Trek: Picard streaming series.

We Are Here Forever
Paperback | Kindle
Written by Michelle Gish
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release date: July 30, 2019

The Puramus are cute as buttons and one of the few creatures left on the planet after the humans have disappeared. Now that they are the dominant species, jump through time and join them on an adventure as they navigate towards civilization. With names such as Box and Roomba, these adorable little guys (or girls or unisex) use the humans leftover stuff to adapt and evolve.

Mad Magazine, the long-running humor magazine, which sliced sacred cows of every facet of life from the left, right and the middle, announced last week that it is ceasing publication after its August issue. For many generations of fans who grew up with and were heavily if not solely influenced by the magazine in their youth, the announcement closes a chapter in the annals of American humor.

Bettie Page: Unbound #1
Written by David Avallone
Art by Julius Ohta
Colors by Ellie Wright
Letters by Taylor Esposito
Covers by John Royal & Mohan, Scott Chantler, David Williams & Kelsey Shannon, Julius Ohta
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: June 5, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

In the world put forth by Dynamite Entertainment, fetish model and actress Bettie Page led a double life working for the government in an underground spy capacity. Indeed, she bore witness to several earth threatening travesties and was paramount in the success of many of the cases.

The story shared here in Bettie Page: Unbound #1 is but one of many times she risked life and limb for the good of humankind. There is, however, something that makes this particular tale more appealing than some of the others. Read on if you must know more!