This is such a fun, fast-paced graphic novel, with a lot more depth then I was expecting, and I really loved it. The parallels with the real world aren't even subtle, and that makes this a poignant graphic novel. But the story is told in a more light-hearted way, and it's often funny. From "St. Ivory Academy", to Tom Token and his companion Jim Crow, and the Academy officials being dressed like Klan members, the fantasy serves a purpose to explore the past and present of racial inequality in the US.

Rep: Black main character, several Black side characters

CWs: racism, violence

3.5/5 stars
This graphic novel is a collision of magic and racial histories, which aren't normally featured in fantasy settings. The Black Mage is a quick read, that covers a lot of material, and keeps you interested. A lot of stuff seems to happen within a tiny window of time. Also, the art style is friendly and belies the seriousness of the topics that make up this book.


*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Rating: 3 stars
Thanks to Netgalley for having this available to read and review.

The art work is phenomenal!! The colors look so vibrant on my iPad it made reading more enjoyable.

When I read the synopsis I thought it was about an African American boy dealing with racism at a wizarding school since he is the only African American boy there. It was a huge surprise when the schools head master was a Kkk member with the hood over his head and the full length robe.

I thought the concept was unique and interesting I loved how Harriet Tubman & Fredrick Douglass was involved in the story and I think this would be a great graphic novel for young black teens and get them talking about their African American history but with a twist.

The book starts with an epic fight with Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, and John Henry facing off against the Klu Klux Klan who are attempting to end the underground rail road.

I winced when I was reading this, because, well, it doesn’t make sense.

Say it with me: THE KLAN DID NOT EXIST DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

In fact, the reason the Klan wears white is that they're the ghost of Confederate (that's what they think it makes them look like anyway).

Then there's the issue with the fact that Harriet Tubman, Fedrick Douglass, and John Henry weren't pals, and they certainly didn't rescue slaves together. In fact, they all lived very different lives.

I understand this is fantasy and that it has magic, but you have to maintain a tiny sense of realism when you're dealing with historical characters.

Then we skip to the present day, to Mr Token (because he’s the Token minority character, get it? Ugh) sitting on a train and reading his acceptance letter to St. Ivory Academy Of Spellcraft And Sorcery.

Then the train pulls into Alabaster Station, to make sure we really know how white this “St Ivory” school is. You might as well call it Cracker College.

Oh, and the ‘Token’ black guy has crow who is named, you guessed it, Jim.

There’s also a literal white knight (as in, a knight that wears white armor) that yells “whites only!”

Half the staff at Cracker College (including the headmaster) dresses like the KKK. And as we learn later in the story, the school was once the base of operations for the Klan. One of them even says they’re going to “Make St. Ivory Great Again.” Not to mention, they have an actual, literal “Segregation Ceremony.”

When Token ends up playing (giant, Harry Potter Rip off) chess against one of the bad guys, he of course ends up with the black pieces and the bad guy (in KKK robes) has the white ones.

There’s a magical artifact that the baddies have and the ghosts of Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Tubman want back. It’s John Henry’s magic hammer (because I guess he’s Thor?) One of the baddies then somehow uses it to summon dead confederate soldiers, and because everything is a stereotype, they yell “THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN!”

It turns out that the “Magical Minority Initiative” is a scam (-surprised Pikachu face-). In fact it was all just to lure Token to the school, because it’s kept floating by a magical crystal that has to be recharged with the souls of black mages.

I like stories that have a message, especially if it’s an important message. What I don’t like is stories that bash you over the head with the moral until you’re dizzy.

Some parts of this story were good, and some were actually hilarious (like the racist skeleton that says "our bones are still white") but all of that was drowned in constant, blatant symbolism.

This graphic novel is about a Black kid who gets accepted into a shady magical school that turns out to be run by actual KKK.

I really liked the art and colors, and I loved the message of fighting your oppressors with the help and the strength of the generations that came before you.

I do like stories with powerful messages to be a little more subtle or metaphorical, especially when they take place in a fantasy/alternate reality, which is why I'm giving it "only' 3.5 stars (rounded up), but I also wholeheartedly recommend it and think that these types of in-your-face, no-space-for-misunderstanding-the-message-here stories are becoming more and more important every day. A Black kid will read this comic and feel empowered and that's what matters.

This graphic novel starts with a flashback to 1852 with two elite conductors fighting the klan. Present day we meet Tom who has been accepted into St Ivory - a magical institution of the highest ranking. He gets to his first lesson and the talk around the school is buzzing as Tom is the first black mage to ever attend the school. From the outset he is tormented and bullied by many of the students. Curious things begin to happen that could suggest there’s something mysterious going on, can he uncover the truth?

At the start I found this graphic novel compelling. The graphics are clean and vibrant with the characters being drawn so beautifully. The premise is what drew me to this novel, I certainly found the blend of plot and illustration great to begin with. He meets Lindsay his student liaison, early on and at times I felt she was being unkind to him but it turned out to be curiosity. However his class and in particular the son of the principle is horrid. It was hard to read those moments purely because of how isolating it was for Tom, knowing that this has happened many times in real life. The representation in this story is another reason I wanted to read this. As the story went on, my enjoyment of this story lessened.

I felt that they tried to blend too many elements into this story. The characters aren’t given a chance to develop which is a shame, I left it feeling that only two characters were focused on and they were underdeveloped. The magic system was the most disappointing as it wasn’t developed. As the reader you had no idea how they cast spells and what they meant. The blend of American history was something that I felt showed the most promise, showing the struggle of not only Tom but of the flashbacks too. However again, it just wasn’t developed fully. Throughout I just felt that things were underdeveloped and the elements added needed that time spent building the foundations.

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from NetGalley, thank you!

Rating: 3,5/5

Tom Token is the first ever black student at the St.Ivory Academy, a prestigious school for mages. Everyone sees this as a step towards inclusivity, a hope that the wizarding world is finally able to leave prejudice behind and accept everyone equally. To Tom, however, it doesn’t feel that way. His classmates bully him and ask many ignorant questions and the only person who seems to actually like him is a girl called Lindsay. Not to mention the creepy texts he is receiving and hints that he may not actually be the first student that went to the Academy.

The Black Mage is a bold commentary on racism - the teachers are members of KKK, there are many references to segregation in American and at one point the headmaster says “make St. Ivory great again”, which as we all know is a reference to this one other racist guy (no name dropping ofc). It’s all set in a world where magic is real probably to make it more accessible to teenagers and teach them about the American Civil War history and make them more sensitive about certain current events. As a white European, I probably didn’t catch some more subtle dibs that would be clear to a black American person but the meaning was clear and the plot, although simple was enjoyable. I did feel that the whole thing was a bit rushed and I would like it better if the whole thing was longer but it was still a nice, action and social commentary-packed read.

Both Tom and Lindsay are very likable. Tom starts off as a bit of a closed off and distrustful guy, which isn’t exactly surprising seeing how people around him treat him but he grows into a courageous and very sweet guy. Lindsay grows too, from a rather excitable but smart girl who is proud of the inclusivity program at the Academy and believes in their good intention to a strong person who sees how much discrimination her friend is facing and isn’t afraid to stand up to him. Tom also has an adorable crow pet.

The art style is colorful and clearly styled for that old-school manga and animes to the point that the main bully’s girlfriend looks like a typical high school ohime-sama, you know, the one that covers her face with the back of her hand and does the long “ohohohoho” laugh. It makes characters look adorable and I really loved this stylistic choice. At some point, Lindsay’s wand changed into a magical girl wand and I screamed. Also, Tom’s look in the final battle when he got the hammer and his eye started flaming blue was so cool and badass, I absolutely loved it.

To sum up, The Black Mage is a fun read with a strong social commentary, lovable characters and art style that will surely make old-time manga readers happy. My only issue was that it was a bit too short and they found out about the whole conspiracy too easily and because of that it felt rushed. Besides that, it was a nice, action-packed read that can hopefully make more people open their eyes to racial issues.

The Black Mage was amazing and will stick with me for a long time! It also proved to me why graphic novels should be in my reading rotation more. Not only are they usually quick to read, but the few that I have read have shown greater diversity than most popular novels have ever displayed. The imagery and name choices also enrich the storyline of The Black Mage.

Tom Token is the main character and at the beginning of the book he is headed to St. Ivory Academy to be the first black student in an all white magic school. Not only does he face discrimination and racism on his first day, but he finds that he is there for a much bigger reason. This is a great fantasy adventure! I loved it from beginning to end and would recommend to anyone looking for a new graphic novel.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was first wary of this book because the beginning sounds exactly like Harry Potter. I mean like receiving a magical letter aboard the train going to the 'Academy of Spellcraft and Sorcery' similarity. But things ended there as Tom has a different, albeit cliche, adventures ahead of him. I just think there is so much more than a cliche adventure in there. It somehow shows the real life scenario of racism even in schools, and even when faced with authorities. Somehow it mirrors the world with its 'St. Ivory great again' line. The issue with racism gets me and that's why I enjoyed the story and made me read the whole thing as fast as I could. Oh, and the art is pretty amazing as well.

3.5 stars. Wow, this was a cool concept for a story: Harry Potter meets American Civil War history and the KKK. I don't think I've ever read a fantasy novel that incorporates deep elements of racism in it! This artwork isn't the type that I usually like, but I think it suited the story and I especially liked the use of all the colors. I really enjoyed the HP setting of the school! Honestly, it was a little terrifying to see all the KKK outfits being worn by children in school (even if it's just fiction) and the thought of them having 'magical powers' in a fantasy world where they are still the oppressors, was also a terrifying thought.

One aspect that I didn't enjoy so much at the start was that there's a lot of text in the speech bubbles and I felt like I had to really zoom in to be able to read it all properly (so that broke up the panels a bit weirdly). As the story progressed there was still a lot of text in certain speech bubbles but for the most part it lessened. Since this is a standalone(?) the story progressed very quickly and it also wrapped up very quickly and neatly, which was kind of "eh". I honestly would've liked to have the story be longer so that we get to learn more about the characters, and to get some character development in the story as well. The ending while "happy" not only felt too abrupt but also a little unresolved -- I mean, how does the school still exist? I want to know more.

Overall, I'm glad that I decided to pick this up. It was an interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy in exchange for an honest review! A review will be posted on my blog closer to pub date.

I am so in for all that Harry Potter feelings on this book! Love the way the author decided to portrait all the racism in a fantasy setting which is not that common. Loved the art style and the pacing. It is a powerfull story and to see a black wizard succeed over the evil in the world is all I wanted to read on a book! Highly recommended it! I just wish it would be a bit longer than it is, but I am fine with it.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy.

I was not a total fan of the art style but enjoyed the plot/story. I loved how the author mixed together historical and fantastical elements.

I am very grateful to have had a chance to review this early. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. This is the story of Tom Token, a young black teen who gets the opportunity to attend St. Ivory School of Spellcraft and Sorcery, an all white magical school. Of course things don't go well right out of the gate, but he handles it well. The plot starts to thicken once Headmaster Lynch is introduced.

The graphics in this are amazing. The writing is great as well, but the graphics just added that extra element to it. Plus, there were so many comparisons I kept making to the characters. Lindsay gave me Sailor Moon vibes, Alexis and Bryce gave me Team Rocket vibes, and the graphics gave me manga vibes.

The one thing I didn't like was that the story seemed to move a little fast. Seeing as it's a graphic novel kind of makes sense, but it did throw me off some because it just seemed like things happened back to back to back.. Overall, I enjoyed this and it did make me laugh at times. I'm more than likely adding this my bookshelf when it comes out.

First, let’s start with the things I loved. The art is absolutely stunning. I was gazing in awe at the wonderful artwork. Pure beauty. Also, the idea was brilliant. Taking a current and important topic as racism and trying to reflect about it in a fantasy world was a great idea. No doubt about it.

That being said, the story wasn’t my cup of tea. The story felt super rushed and the characters were one dimensional so I’m not sure that I cared about them. Sometimes I couldn’t even understand their motivations. But I do think that those issues could be solved in future volumes, so I still have hope for the story if it continues.

Like I said, I really appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish, and the graphic novel can be really useful as a conversation starter in families, schools, book clubs or group of friends about the problem of racism in our world. So it works as a conversation starter, but not sure if it works as a good, cohesive, enjoyable story. But, then again, maybe, it was never meant to be that.

3/5 stars

Absolutely amazing. Harry Potter basically meeting the hate u give since it discusses racism, references the civil war. Fredrick Douglas and Harriet Tubman doing magic. This was so amazing and the art made it read almost like a manga. I definitely want this series to continue!

The Black Mage is a fantasy, school-setting, adventure graphic novel, wrote by Daniel Barnes and illustrated by D.J. Kirkland. The plot is very interesting, including the American Civil War; the characters are memorable, especially their facial expressions; the art style is delightful. I was surprisingly pleasant to laugh so much at the little jokes and hilarious situations. I would highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story was really original it addresses racism and institutional racism in a fantasy setting. The illustration is beautiful and rich in colour and the story manages to touch every emotion. I hope there will be more in the series because I'd be straight to read it!

eARC provided by Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this! One of my favorite things about this particular graphic novel was the discussion of institutionalized racism, particularly in the way it would make it easy for young people to learn about the importance of being aware of your own privileges and acknowledge how important it is to work against it because of the harm it could cause. One of my favorite things was seeing the historical figures come to life in this text - I hope we get more from this world to get a peak into the historical setting of this school.

Overall, I definitely recommend people pick it up! A quick, important read to start a conversation that I'm so glad is being brought to the table in the graphic novel world!

i was surprised by how much i liked the black mage. i really liked the illustrations (they were sorta anime but they also weirdly looked like the art from Totally Spies😂). i appreciated the diversity and the concept of the book and i really loved how racism and sexism were challenged, sadly unlike many books. overall a really enjoyable book!

I am absolutely in love with this timely and clever book. The creators have put together a beautiful, thoughtful book that is heavily influenced by manga and JRPGs, right down to the echo drops. Absolutely worth your time.