Trapped In Wizard Beach #2
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Hex goes to a fortune teller to tell him how to get off Wizard Beach. He’s told that he can’t, and, after asking who did this to him, the fortune teller tells Hex that it is the fault of Uncle Salazar. Hex goes to Salazar, and Salazar tells Hex he will undo the curse keeping Hex on the beach when he learns to relax. Hex ignores this advice, and he goes hunting for a new wand. During his search, he finds a reason to like the beach: a girl.
Wizard Beach #2 finds Hex further chafing in the confines of the beach, and it introduces an interesting potential moral for the story.
It’s not often you read a story where the lesson to be learned is that a character needs to work and worry less. There are exceptions of course, but it’s still a rare occurrence. Bear in mind, that might shift somewhat before the story’s over, but that seems to be the direction Wizard Beach is going towards.
There is certainly something going on in the background of the narrative; Barry Wonder’s wand going wandering and leaving its master dead is focused upon long enough that it will certainly be a conflict later on.
The humor isn’t awful or offensive, but it is a little weaker than one would hope from a setup like this. Wizard Beach isn’t just a comedy, but, without some laughs, the scenes can drag a bit. The funniest parts are easily the ads, and those do get some genuine chuckles.
The artwork, by Conor Nolan with the ad pages by George Schall, is really charming. Wizard Beach mixes some classic fantasy visual elements with sunshine beach bum aesthetic with ease. Also, Uncle Salazar looks strangely like Master Roshi from Dragonball Z. Meg Casey’s color work is vibrant and appealing, and the inkwork of Chad Lewis is spot-on.
Wizard Beach #2 adds some fun and charm to the already-charismatic series. While the comedy elements aren’t as strong as they could be, there’s no denying the creativity on display. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly and light-hearted fantasy read, Wizard Beach is definitely up your alley. Feel free to check it out.
Wizard Beach comes to us from writer Shaun Simon, artists Conor Nolan and George Schall, inker Chad Lewis, color artist Meg Nolan, letterer Mike Fiorentino, and cover artist Conor Nolan.