Wizard Beach is a short comic series by Boom Studios. As a fan of magic and mysticism in general, what drew me initially to this series was the fantastic covers like what you see above. They are imaginative, colorful, and just plain wacky which is a plus in my book.
However, in this critic’s opinion, the art is the only place where this series really shines. While the story isn’t terrible, at the same time, not a whole lot really happens in the series. If I were to put it in simple terms, this is a story about a lesson rather than a story with a lesson. It seems like a weird statement I know, but allow me to show you what I am getting at.
The Beginning
This is how we begin Wizard Beach. A war between a sect of magic users against frost giants. According to subsequent dialogue the Frost Giants brought an endless winter with them as part of an invasion force (Im pretty sure) with the Wizards trying unfreeze a location known as the Waterfalls of the Eternal. Its apparently a source of magic for these wizards and without it their power dwindles with their creature based allies turning to the “dark side” to survive.
Our hero, young Hexley Ragbottom, is determined to unfreeze the waterfall to bring an end to the conflict. His uncle, Salazar Ragbottom, is a wizard of significant power who might have the key to ending the conflict with some weather manipulation based magic.
Hexley leaves his home (under some strained conditions with his father) in order to retrieve this magic from his Uncle who lives on the famed “Wizard Beach.” When he arrives though…..
The rest of the series follows a pretty basic formula afterwards. Hexley continues to pester his Uncle to teach him the magic he wants. Salazar makes vague promises about doing so, instead showing Hexley around the beach with its various activities. Above all, he continues to to repeat the same message, “There is more to life than…”. Which, in this instance, is ending the current conflict back home.
Salazar does mention that he left because he was tired of the endless fighting back home though. How he wanted a different life, a better life, which required him to leave home in order to find it here at this beach. Hexley accuses him multiple times of cowardice, which Salazar shrugs off, but eventually is taught the magic he needs to unfreeze the Falls. Once he got it, he left practically that night to go home to do as he intended since the beginning. Which brings us to.
The End
Yep. Despite unfreezing the Falls, regaining their source of magic, and driving out the Frost Giants, it ultimately didn’t matter. All it did was bring a new problem which as shown is a swarm of magic resistant mosquitoes. Its here that Hexley realizes that his Uncle was right, that even solving a problem would only create a new one, and leaves to join his Uncle at the Beach where they kick of a birthday celebration for the old dude.
So that’s Wizard Beach. Excellent art, colorful and interesting environment pieces, but with a very lukewarm story.
You can pick up your copy of Wizard Beach directly from BOOM! Studios, Comixology or your local comic book store.
How did we rate Wizard Beach? 3 Sodas
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