For anyone craving more depraved, magical Brakebills action after Syfy's television adaptation of Lev Grossman's critically acclaimed series The Magicians ended following its 5th season, look no further! In 2019 BOOM! Studios began publishing a 5-issue mini-series called The Magicians: New Class which follows a new group of freshmen at Brakebills Academy of Medical Pedagogy in a story that takes place after Grossman's third and final novel in his The Magicians trilogy, The Magician's Land.
The Magicians, first published in 2009 by Viking Press, follows the story of Quentin Coldwater, a fragile but passionate young man who discovers a secret world of magic and adventure right below his nose. While this might sound mighty similar to the beginning of the Harry Potter franchise, The Magicians Brakebills Academy is a college and the raunchy, violent story quickly diverts from anything resembling the world of Hogwarts. While Grossman's trilogy made him a New York Times best-selling author, Syfy's 2015 adaptation of the trilogy into an ensemble television show is what really shot the franchise into the mainstream, and quickly became a beloved show for fans of fantasy, drama, and comedy.
The Magicians: New Class - co-written by Lev Grossman and award-winning author Lilah Sturges (Jack of Fables, House of Mystery) with art by up-and-coming Pias Bak (Eat the Rich, Child of the Parish) - is not Grossman's first foray into comic book spinoffs of The Magicians. Previously Grossman released The Magicians: Alice's Story which focuses on fan-favorite character Alice Quinn and also takes place in the world of the novels, which was received very well by both critics and fans. Now Grossman is exploring what happened to the world of Brakebills after the final novel, with New Class featuring Brakebills' first class of much-maligned Hedge Witches (magicians who taught themselves unsanctioned magic without attending a magical academy) and the only returning character is the ever-present Dean Fogg.
BOOM! Studios released the 5th and final issue of the exciting mini-series back in 2020 so anyone who is interested in reading the series in its entirety is able to pick up all the issues in a compiled trade paperback.
While Grossman's novel trilogy and the SYFY adaptation share a basic framework, world-building, and lore, the plot of the two versions of The Magicians deviate
greatly especially past season 3 of the TV series, so fans of the franchise who want to explore the world more may want to read the trilogy before the comics if they haven't already. Grossman is a master at world-building and creating engaging characters so it is almost a guarantee that if a fan enjoyed any part of The Magicians franchise, they will surely get a kick out of The Magicians: New Class.
Long-time fans of the franchise might at first glance be disappointed that Grossman's sequel comic doesn't feature any of The Magicians' beloved characters like Elliot, Alice, and Julia but in reality, Grossman and Sturges are setting up an entirely new generation of magicians, ripe for TV adaptation. The Magicians: New Class offers an interesting political spin on the franchise's hedge magician versus traditional magician, with a major focus of the series following the tensions between the two student groups. For anyone who wants more The Magicians content make sure to pick up BOOM! Studios mini-series The Magicians: New Class.