At one of the most prestigious magical schools in the world, there is more to learn than the most productive spells for any occasion — as Oni Press’ upcoming graphic novel The Black Mage makes clear.
Originally revealed last year on Heat Vision, the 144-page release by Daniel Barnes and D.J. Kirkland centers on the first black student attending St. Ivory, a famous wizarding school as the result of a “Magical Minority Initiative.” But as Tom Token soon discovers, it’ll take a lot more to be accepted at the school than he first thought, with a conspiracy running all the way back to the American Civil War waiting to be dealt with.
At the time of announcement, Barnes described the book as “the kind of story my 13-year-old self would’ve freaked out about,” likening it to “if Harry Potter fused with The Boondocks and started making a bunch of loud Final Fantasy references.”
The Black Mage is currently scheduled for a late October release as a paperback, but Oni Press is offering an exclusive hardcover edition direct from its website, with pre-orders now open. To help convince potential readers, Oni provided an exclusive preview of what to expect.
