The Supermutant Magic Academy is a graphic novel written by Jillian Tamaki. It was originally published as a webcomic before being compiled into a book. The story revolves around a diverse group of students who attend a school for magic and mutant abilities. However, unlike traditional magical schools like Hogwarts, the Supermutant Magic Academy is a more contemporary and satirical take on the genre. The students at the academy include various mutants, aliens, and humans who are learning to navigate their powers and identities. The story explores themes such as adolescence, identity, love, and the struggles of being different in a world that is often quick to judge and dismiss.
BRAD HAWLEY, who's been with us since April 2012, earned his PhD in English from the University of Oregon with areas of specialty in the ethics of literature and rhetoric. Since 1993, he has taught courses on The Beat Generation, 20th-Century Poetry, 20th-Century British Novel, Introduction to Literature, Shakespeare, and Public Speaking, as well as various survey courses in British, American, and World Literature. He currently teaches Crime Fiction, Comics, and academic writing at Oxford College of Emory University where his wife, Dr. Adriane Ivey, also teaches English. They live with their two young children outside of Atlanta, Georgia. View all posts
BRAD HAWLEY, who s been with us since April 2012, earned his PhD in English from the University of Oregon with areas of specialty in the ethics of literature and rhetoric. Of all that I have written, the most important information I can give you in deciding whether to read SuperMutant Magic Academy has to do with the type of humor used.
The story explores themes such as adolescence, identity, love, and the struggles of being different in a world that is often quick to judge and dismiss. Each character has their own unique struggles and experiences, making for a dynamic and relatable cast. The graphic novel format allows for a visually stunning representation of the story.
SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
SuperMutant Magic Academy is a difficult book to review, but it is certainly an easy one to recommend. You need to get a copy, and you need to put it next to your HARRY POTTER collection on your bookshelves. It’s funny, shocking, goofy, light, and surprisingly more endearing than a book like this one should be, since at first it seems to be a mere spoof — not always lovingly, thank goodness — of the HARRY POTTER novels.
Jillian Tamaki wrote, drew, and posted online these little one-page visual gags. I didn’t know about it until it was collected and published as a single volume. To be honest, the first time I saw it, I picked it up at the comic shop and was not hooked. The drawings did not impress me, and I didn’t think the jokes were that funny (at first!). But then I visited the comic shop again about a month later, and I saw SuperMutant Magic Academy again and decided to give it another chance. I am very glad that I did.
The art certainly grew on me, and I’m now embarrassed that I was not initially able to appreciate the style Tamaki used. I also was mistaken in thinking that the pages were unrelated, throwaway gags. The story builds, and we get to know the characters over the course of the almost three hundred-page book. I wouldn’t call SuperMutant Magic Academy a graphic novel, since I reserve that term for books that form a tight thematic narrative, but there is enough connection between the stories to pull the reader along and to feel a sense of closure at the end.
The book is comprised of black-and-white art with four to six panels per page, which means that Tamaki is actually mastering the art of the comic strip, of putting lightning in a bottle, much the way a poet employs a sonnet, to see what can be done within a seemingly limited format. Her sense of humorous timing is excellent, and she varies that humor, sometimes depending solely on the visual, sometimes solely on the verbal, and sometimes on a perfect mixture of the two.
What really makes this book great is Tamaki’s set of characters. There is a funny young student, Frances, who likes to shock her peers with her performance art; a student, Evan the Everlasting Boy, cursed, of course, with living forever; a team of D&D players; a Hogwarts-type professor, Ms. Grimdorff, who seems capable of the most incredibly kind but unwanted advice ever offered; and Marsha, my favorite, a young girl with an endearing crush on her very kind, very cute, but hopelessly oblivious, heterosexual girlfriend, Wendy.
The pages with the two of them created the narrative I was most interested in, and they added to the book a little needed suspense, which made the collection hard to put down. Tamaki rightly relied on this rotating cast of characters to hold the book together, but the love-tension between the two girls did the most to tie together this series of vignettes. At times, the stories about Wendy and Marsha were just plain funny, but at times, their story was quite touching, and Tamaki allowed their relationship to evolve over the course of the book.
Of all that I have written, the most important information I can give you in deciding whether to read SuperMutant Magic Academy has to do with the type of humor used. Tamaki is a writer with an edge to her humor, and if that’s not to your liking, then you should not read this book; however, if you like satire, this book is for you. For example, on one of my favorite pages, two homophobic boys don’t want to read Oscar Wilde for their assignment (One boy asks his teacher: “This is some sort of gay book, inn’it?”). After showing the boys reading the book in the second panel, Tamaki, in the remaining four panels, shows the boys’ lives together as they grow up and fall in love, from school to the grave. In six hysterical panels, Tamaki both skewers homophobic men, implies that books might actually change the way one thinks, and suggests that the fears people have about the manner in which books change us are ridiculous (Opening our minds about the different ways people live and experience the world we share? Yes. Actually changing our sexual orientation? Um, No.).
After the scenes with Wendy and Marsha, my favorite moments are the ones with Frances, particularly when she has come up with some type of new performance art. But Frances pretty much steals the show whenever she’s on the page: She’s got a deadpan look, and we never know what she’s going to do or, better yet, where she’s going to do it.
Tamaki’s humor is expressed with great variety: Though she will run through some standard and not-so-standard D&D jokes, she is endlessly creative throughout the book, really having fun spoofing the conventions of the campus novel. There’s vandalism to be dealt with and bad grades that students try to get out of, and just about anything and everything you can imagine. It’s great fun.
It may not be a perfect five-star graphic novel, but it’s also far better than a series of vignettes written over a long period of time should be. The reader feels that the book is complete by the last page: You’ll finish the book happy you spent time with the characters, and you’ll want a copy because you will have favorite pages you will force your friends to read. SuperMutant Magic Academy is not to be missed. In fact, I suggest purchasing two copies — you will have trouble getting back the copy you let your friends borrow.
Tamaki's artwork is captivating and adds depth to the characters and their emotions. The use of black and white illustrations is simple yet effective, adding to the overall charm and wit of the narrative. One of the strengths of the Supermutant Magic Academy is its ability to balance humor and heartfelt moments. The story is filled with witty and clever dialogue, often poking fun at common tropes found in magical school stories. However, it also tackles deeper issues such as depression, self-doubt, and the search for purpose. Overall, the Supermutant Magic Academy is a refreshing take on the magical school genre. It combines elements of fantasy, humor, and poignant storytelling to create a memorable and thought-provoking reading experience. Whether you are a fan of graphic novels, fantasy, or simply enjoy stories that explore the complexities of human nature, the Supermutant Magic Academy is definitely worth checking out..
Reviews for "Supermutant Magic Academy: Exploring the Boundaries of Reality and Fantasy"
1. Sarah - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Supermutant Magic Academy". It had so much potential with the intriguing concept of mutants attending a magic school, but the execution fell flat for me. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to connect with any of them. The storylines felt disjointed and disconnected, making it hard to follow along and become invested in the plot. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming and unsatisfying.
2. John - 1 star
I cannot understand the hype around "Supermutant Magic Academy". It seemed like a jumbled mess of random stories that didn't go anywhere. The artwork was lackluster and inconsistent, making it difficult to visually enjoy the book. The humor also fell flat for me; I found myself rolling my eyes more often than laughing. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a meaningful and engaging read.
3. Emma - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Supermutant Magic Academy", but it simply didn't deliver. The characters were bland and uninteresting, and their struggles and conflicts felt superficial. The art style was also a letdown, lacking detail and looking rushed in many panels. The book had its moments, but they were too few and far between to compensate for the overall lack of substance. I was expecting a captivating and mind-bending narrative, but I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.