The Backstagers Vol. 2

by James Tynion IV

Rian Sygh (Illustrator)

All the world's a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic—literally!

Jory and the rest of the Backstagers have one goal this semester: to put on the best show their town’s ever seen. But best laid plans aren’t easy to achieve when there’s an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain! When one of the actors suddenly goes missing, the Backstagers must band together to save their comrade and maintain the natural balance of . . . theater. 

James Tynion IV (Detective Comics, The Woods) and artist Rian Sygh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest) explore what it means to be an outcast looking to find one’s place in an earnest story of friendship and self-expression.

• ISBN10: 1684150574
• ISBN13: 9781684150571
• Publish Date: 5 April 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Boom! Studios
• Imprint: BOOM! Box
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 112
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I feel like I’ve been waiting ages for the second volume to release! I can’t get over how wonderful this series is. It’s so sweet and accepting, yet has oddly creepy moments to round out the feels. It’s fantastic, and rapidly becoming one of my favorite series. Keep it coming!
This wonderful world comes from the minds of James Tynion IV (Batman’s Night of the Owls, Detective Comics, Talon, The Woods, and much, much more), and Rian Singh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest). I’ve read some but not all of their works, and I feel like I’m going to have to start keeping my eyes open for more of their works.



I think what I love the most about this series is the odd blend of warmth and eeriness that set the tone. Considering how happy and crazy the plot is at times, when the series gets dark (and it can seriously get dark at times) it’s quite a shock to your system. The end result is an interesting mixture of emotions.
I’ll confess that I honestly wasn’t ready for nor expecting the twist that occurred in this volume. Actually, on second thought there are two twists in the plot here, and I was so not prepared for either of them. I understand why the first one occurred (it moved the main plot forward), but it really had me stressing about the long term effects of it all.
The second twist? I’m not ashamed to say it made me cry a little. I didn’t expect a plot that was giving me literal chills up my spine to hit me so hard emotionally (sure, I was expecting a scare or to get creeped out, but to feel really upset and miserable about it? Didn’t see that coming).
Focusing on the happier parts of the story (trust me, you don’t want me ruining the heavier points, it’s worth the read), all of our favorite characters get to make an appearance. Jory is still more or less our introductory perspective for the series; being that he knows the least (with few exceptions) about the world they’re in.
The rally at the end was really beautiful and striking – I didn’t realize until I finished reading it just how badly they needed to end this plot off on a high note (especially after what they did to our emotions). I was surprised by the characters involved in it, and the acceptance granted at the end. I believe this was only a plot conclusion, not a series conclusion, and I’m sincerely hoping that’s correct (I’m not sure I could handle losing this series right now).
I’m curious to see where the Backstagers go next. It appears that they’ve tied up most (but not all) of their loose ends, leaving them pretty free to pick up new plots as they please. That also means I don’t really have any idea about what’s going to happen next, which is a bit refreshing.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks