THE BANDIT OF BARBEL BAY

Just as its predecessor, Fantasy Sports, Vol. 1, did, this manga-inspired volume features Wiz-Kid, a brown-skinned young female wizard apprentice, and Mug, a barbarous tomb raider.

When Mug and Wiz are thrown off route on their way to the Archmage and land in a ramshackle town populated by what look like walking fish, Mug’s injured, and Wiz hasn’t enough magic to take them to their destination. Soon after meeting a cunning healer who tells them it was mages who ruined Barbel Bay, their bags of treasure are stolen. Conjuring the minimal magic to which she has access, Wiz produces a spell to find the treasure. Following it, the pair navigates seemingly abandoned streets until they reach the shore, where everyone has gathered for a volleyball tournament—at which their treasure has been added to the prize. In the process of their saga, Wiz starts to question their missions. What truly does the Order of Mages mean to do with all the treasure? Why are they raiding cities and leaving them ruined? Bosma could have simply mirrored Wiz’s first, successful outing, but instead he introduces Wiz’s back story, moral complexity, and mystery and leaves the ending unresolved, making this second volume more substantial than the first. Bosma’s anime panels are polished, with movement and the right amount of intricate action-adventure frames.

Fans will be breathing down Bosma’s neck for the third.