Lev Grossman’s 2009 novel The Magicians is foraying into the world of comics in 2019, as Boom! Studios has acquired the comic book and graphic novel license of the novel, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The first release as part of the deal, will be an original graphic novel penned by Lilah Sturges and Pius Bak titled The Magicians: Alice’s Story. The comics will have a cover from Steve Morris.
Scheduled for release in July 2019, Alice’s Story will adapt and expand upon the mythology of the first novel in Grossman’s series, refocusing the narrative from the point of view of Alice Quinn as she joins Brakebills and discovers the magical world of Fillory.
Grossman mentioned to THR, “Comics have always been a big part of my reading life — Watchmen in particular was a major major influence on The Magicians — so I’ve always hoped this story could play as a comic someday. I had actually been trying for years to make it happen, but I kept getting hung up on rights issues and things like that. When it was finally free, I brought the idea to Boom! Studios, and it was clear right away that they knew what to do with it.”
Sturges, who’s followed the series in all its iterations, sees Alice as a quiet main character whose decisions resonate throughout the rest of the universe. Even though she doesn’t get a lot of attention, Sturges sees her as hugely important for the world of The Magicians.
With the new format, the team aims for a true portrayal of magic through a different perspective. Bak and Sturges point out that comics are one of the few mediums in which fantasy can thrive, especially compared to live-action film and television.
