Review: The Backstagers #1-#4

Title: The Backstagers 
Author: James Tynion IV and Rian Sygh
Genres: Comics, Fantasy, YA
Goodreads

‘James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal, The Woods) teams up with artist Rian Sygh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest) for an incredible yet earnest story about finding a place to fit in when you’re kinda an outcast.

When Jory transfers to the private, all-boys school St. Genesius, he figures joining the stage crew would involve a lot of just fetching props and getting splinters. To his pleasant surprise, he discovers there’s a door backstage that leads to different worlds, and all of the stagehands know about it! All the world’s a stage…but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic!’

I received a copy of The Backstagers #1 through Netgalley, and just after I included it in my mini reviews , the publisher contacted me asking if I wanted #2-#4 as well. I loved #1 quite a lot, so of course I jumped at the chance to read the other issues! And with new issues, comes a new, and not-so-mini, review!

The Backstagers is an incredibly cute graphic novel series about Jory who joins a stage crew known as the Backstagers. Here, Jory finds friends for life, but he also discovers the mysterious and magical world behind the curtains, and goes on many adventures.

The thing I probably love most about this graphic novel is the characters. I always love reading about friendship groups, especially when each and every character in this friendship group is so unique and diverse. I fell in love with every single character, and I really enjoyed going on adventures with them and seeing them interact.

I also highly enjoyed the art style. It’s very colorful and incredibly cute, and it goes perfectly with the story and gives it the perfect atmosphere. Sometimes even just the right amount of creepy.

The story line is great as well. Every issue focuses on a new issue (ha!), but it does have one bigger story line woven through it, which will keep you wanting to pick up the next issue because you can’t help but wanting to know what happens next.

Sadly for me, the last issue ended on quite a big cliffhanger, and I’m on a book buying ban right now so I’ll have to wait a few months to find out what happens next, but I’m incredibly excited about it! Issue #5 might even be the first think I’ll buy once my book buying ban is over, but we’ll see.

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