At this graphic novel's center is a fun trick. Y'know that visual gag in Spongebob where it'll emphasize something gross by suddenly cutting from its usual cartoony style to a disturbingly realistic closeup? That happens on page 53 and does not end.

Loved this. It was like if Junji Ito had a baby with the creator of Over the Garden Wall. The illustrations are so cute some pages and stunningly terrifying others, sometimes both at once. Even though there’s practically no dialogue and the illustrations are large enough to take up the pages, it’s so well paced and still had twists that made me gasp. 

This book was unexpectedly dark, but still a cute read.

It starts so cute and it turns into horror so quick. Its amazing but Jesus Christ I was not prepared for this level of body horror in something that starts out so sweet and simple. 

I feel like I can always count on Iron Circus to create a unique graphic novel experience. This one is basically wordless (there are a couple of pages with words on them, but that's it). I thoroughly enjoy the art style; it's black and white, but some of the pages really have a lot of detail in them. 

The story itself is a bit strange and ends a bit quickly, but it was interesting from beginning to end! If you enjoy strange graphic novels experiences, definitely pick this one up!

In an idyllic valley, a silent mage awakens to adventure forth with their magic. But what they discover is only death and horror.

I picked up Mage because a friend read an early copy and knew I would be baffled and intrigued by the premise. I love when graphic novels push the boundaries of the medium, and Mage certainly does it with a flourish. In the media kit notes, this novel is described as Junji Ito-esque - which is EXACTLY what you need to know going into this. The charming illustrations that introduce the world (and are featured on the cover) are completely turned upside down once the reader is introduced to the actual world contained.

I didn't dislike this. I also... feel like I need about ten more reads to fully sink in and understand what I just experienced. The plot slowly unfurls in a horrific manner that honestly turned my stomach multiple times (and I'm fairly good with gore), but the capability of this artist and illustrator to connect me emotionally to Mage and the small cast is WONDERFUL. I found myself flipping to the next page hoping (stupidly) that the worst was over for these characters and they would be able to rest in the pretty field and never have to face anything horrible ever again.

My only gripe with this novel is that it's for a very specific reader-set. I think the reader-set exists in the YA space, but a lot of teens who I feel would enjoy this will need someone in their life to push it into their hands. This is clearly the type of graphic novel for fans of manga, anime, and the teens who don't normally pick up anything lighthearted. I do feel like the journey of self, the ouroboros concept, and the limited dialogue will hopefully draw in this audience naturally!

Overall, this is wonderfully weird. It's a beautiful art piece, but also contains layers about sense of self and sacrifice. I enjoyed it! I think. Once my nausea fades from some of the panels, I'll probably have clearer feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley, Letter Better Publishing Services, and Iron Circus Comics for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Content warnings: body horror/gore, death

CONTENT NOTE: MAJOR warning for body horror! Death, gore, blood, chasing and abducting, violence, loss of limbs and organs, surreal environment, body doubles. Seriously, if these topics make you queasy at all, this may not be the book for you.

Mage and the Endless Unknown is a fantastic black and white comic exploring themes of love, disability, renewal, and endurance as well as the absolute horror of existence, the unknown, and the inevitable while hardly uttering a word.

What Worked for Me:
Gods, this book was amazing! I'm sure it won't be for everyone, but damn, it was right for me!

✦ I am a huge fan of wordless comics, and this was no exception! I love that this comic takes its time to explore the art of visual storytelling-- the limits and the possibilities of it-- without using many words at all. I think going wordless was an excellent approach for this comic that explored so many things that we just don't have words for, whether it be delightfully terrifying creatures or the heavy complex emotions that arise when dealing with the subjects that arise in the book.

I especially appreciated this as an autistic person whose mind works visually. I don't think in words; my mind thinks in visuals, textures, sensations, feelings, and more. Words are a kind of second language for me that I have to actively translate, so reading this kind of story felt comforting and deeply familiar. I connected with this story very much.
✦ I also connected with the story on its disability themes, too-- while I haven't experienced the type of disabling events that occur in the book (trying not to spoil anything!), I have dealt with my mobility and body losing so much of its functioning that I become a different person entirely. So to see this kind of thing represented in a comic means a great deal to me.
✦ I loved the illustration style of this comic-- I love the contrast of the simple to the gory, the soft features to the bristling thorns. It was remarkably effective in getting me to immediately feel attached to the characters and to immediately feel absorbed into the fear of the story's other creatures.
✦ Speaking of creatures-- those designs? Fantastical! Mesmerizing! Horrifying! I loved them! SJ Miller has an incredible touch with finding ways to tap into the baseline survival instinct and poke it with a stick, and I love that lol. They reminded me a lot of some yokai I've seen in manga and anime, but they didn't feel
✦ I love the message of holding onto kindness and hope even-- or perhaps especially-- during difficult times. The idea of maintaining hope through generations, even, and recognizing that not all of our work is accomplished in our age alone was especially poignant.
✦ The story was very clear most of the time, which I think is a testament to SJ Miller's illustration skills and the thought they put into the plot. There were a couple of moments that I thought could use a little more clarification, but I don't think that's due to the comic being wordless since I find these kinds of moments in many comics that I read with or without words.
✦ The relationships between the characters were very strong, and I really enjoyed them. There were some gut wrenching moments in the story, and I think that says a lot about how quickly SJ Miller is able to establish a connection with these characters who largely don't speak.
✦ I enjoyed the black and white palette, too! It's so fun to see comics that utilize this style, and I think it worked really well here, too, for forcing the focus onto certain elements and themes in the story.
✦ I greatly enjoyed seeing a character in there that called to mind the Mari Lwyd of Welsh folklore! It's clearly not a horse, given that it had fangs, but it was a delightful connection for me nonetheless.
✦ I really liked the way SJ Miller drew the few speech bubbles that did appear throughout. Their lovely, loose forms fit so well with the rest of the imaginative setting, and the lettering was easy to read, which I always appreciate.

What Didn't Work for Me:
✦ I think the ending could have used a little more clarity. While I think I understood the message for the most part, I felt like there were a few things I didn't quite get and would have loved some more information about. But who knows, maybe we'll get a sequel that answers some of these new questions!
✦ While the story fairly quickly went in a more hopeful direction, there was a shock moment in the comic with the darker skinned character that I felt... was possibly more graphic and shocking than necessary. I don't want to spoil anything since it does end up being a pretty big part of the story, but I did wonder how readers who are darker skinned would feel about that moment, regardless of what happens afterward.

I think SJ Miller overall made sure that horrific things don't discriminate in who they attack, but I did feel uncomfortable with the fact that one of the more horrifying incidents in the story happens to the character with darker skin to serve the story of the lighter skinned character, and I could see how that might could be triggering for some readers.

Overall
I give Mage and the Endless Unknown 4.5 out of 5 speech bubbles: While this book certainly isn't for everyone, it's definitely an amazing read! Exemplary of the strengths of visual storytelling and filled with imaginative landscapes and creatures, it will delight and horrify you in equal measures. I highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself!

How to Read It
Interested in checking it out for yourself? Here are a few ways you can get your hands on a copy!

Local Options
Your Local Library!
Your Local Comic Book Shop!
Your Local Book Store!

Small + Indie Options
Iron Circus Comics upon release in July
Bookshop
Loyalty Bookstores

Big + Boxy Options
Barnes & Noble
Kinokuniya
Target

Hardcovers provide higher royalties for writers and illustrators, but a royalty is a royalty, so go forth knowing your purchase will support them either way!

Read This Next
If you liked this, check out Shades of Fear Horror Comics Anthology, Neighbors, Squad, and The Nice House on the Lake.

If you enjoyed this review, I have a monthly comic review series called More Comics Please! on my website with interior page excerpts and additional information not shared here on Storygraph. You can sign up to receive them in your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter Into the Bramble.