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The Wizerd Vol. 1: And the Potion of Dreams!

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Nerdist Best Comics of 2020

The Wizerd and the Potion of Dreams packs humor, heart, and heaps of distractions into a fantasy adventure sure to please any adventurer out there!

Adventure awaits! A quest is coming! Excitement envelopes all! ...And it’s disturbing a reclusive young wizerd’s peace and quiet!

A garden-tending wizerd is dragged into the adventuring life by a small warrior princess, as they seek the ingredients of a wish-granting potion. (The warrior princesses wish? To get big and strong — and hunky! — really hunky!) Thanks to ransacking goblins, a too-noble knight, an evil wych, and the warrior’s endless appetite, securing the potion ingredients won’t be as quick or as simple as the wizerd had hoped!

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2020

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108 people want to read

About the author

Michael Sweater

19 books18 followers

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5 stars
50 (21%)
4 stars
74 (32%)
3 stars
83 (36%)
2 stars
15 (6%)
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6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Alexander Peterhans.
Author 2 books298 followers
June 29, 2020


The Wizerd is a non-binary wizard, who is approached by a boisterous barbarian princess called Wallace. Wallace wants to be bigger and stronger, as she's the smallest member of her family, and so she asks the Wizerd to create a wish potion. She can then simply wish to be stronger, bigger, etc.



The Wizerd begrudgingly agrees to create the potion, and off they go to the city to procure the various ingredients needed, falling headfirst into adventure.



I will be the millionth person who mentions Adventure Time to describe the book's art style, but that undersells it - the art is energetic and mobile, with a lot of focus on humour. A great feature of the book is that every twelve pages or so, there'll be a large, two-page illustration, which instantly reminds me of picture books, in that they are filled to the brim with tiny little details.



The story itself works up to about two thirds, when everything gets funneled into a confrontation with an antagonist who is introduced much too late, has little personality and basically behaves like a maniac. It's a bit disappointing. The ending isn't great either - let's say, I certainly hope there will be more volumes, otherwise the ending will fall quite flat.



Overall, a fun romp that falls just short of greatness.

(Kindly received an ARC from Oni Press through NetGalley)
Profile Image for Maia.
Author 32 books3,637 followers
July 31, 2022
I've been looking forward to this whimsical fantasy comic for ages, and it did not disappoint! A wizerd's peaceful existence is disrupted by the arrival of a tiny, feisty warrior princess. She wants to be a hulk, and isn't willing to wait and see if she'll just grow up into one. She badgers the wizerd into going on a quest with her to get the ingredients to a Wishing Potion. The wizerd agrees, only because they think they can get everything they need from a nearby all-stop loot shop in town. On the way they pick up an errant archer, even though, as the wizerd warns, once you pick up an archer you're only one step away from dungeon-crawling with a full crew of misfits... naturally nothing goes as smoothly as they expect! The art in this book is so fun, full of silly and delightful details, perfectly matched by the humorous and genre-aware dialogue. I really hope the creative team behind this one get to continue the series.
Profile Image for Radwa.
Author 1 book2,310 followers
August 28, 2021
This unlikely group of a reclusive wizard who wants to take care of his flowers in peace, a knight who wants his help to become stronger, and an archer they save and insists on tagging along with them is one of the cutest things I've read, and I'm anxiously waiting for a second volume, I also loved the cute and adorable art style and humorous writing. It reminded me a lot of the graphic novel "Nimona".

I thank Netgalley for the digital ARC
Profile Image for Juan Manuel Sarmiento.
802 reviews156 followers
June 11, 2020
So a wizerd, a warrior and an archer walk into a bar... Wait that's not it.

If you're looking for adventure, you're about a hundred years late. That's what a former wizerd told a warrior who assaulted them demanding to make a wish-granting potion for her so she could be "the strongest warrior in the north". Both will embark on a quest to gather the ingredients, with lots of adventure, odd characters and humouristic situations.

The drawing style is peculiar, with lots of smoke and cloudy elements as the author's signature and overall it reminds of Adventure Time. This classic RPG adventure also reminds of Terry Pratchett's The colour of magic for its peculiar sense of humor and chaotic disputes.
The comic is so easy to read and funny to go through its six chapters (plus an epilogue) and leaves wanting for more of this absurbdly entertaining quest starring a bunch of underdogs.
Profile Image for I'mogén.
1,308 reviews44 followers
August 15, 2020
Actual rating: 2.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc. All opinions remain my own.

The art style is fun and the colours are vivid. I can imagine this being a show on cartoon network.
I like how busy the pages are. It feels like a Where's Wally book.
Unfortunately it just generally lacked entertainment for me, which is weird cause a lot is happening (it's very action heavy), but it was pretty basic, with things I've seen done many a time before.
What kept me reading was that I'm pretty much incapable of dnf'ing and it was visually chaotically pleasing to the eye.
I know I am not the target audience, so perhaps a different, more suitable reader will enjoy this more.

Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
Profile Image for Jill.
1,314 reviews26 followers
October 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for a free review copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. We follow the Wizerd, who has been dragged back into adventuring by a small warrior princess who needs their help to find the ingredients for a wish granting potion. Along the way they encounter an archer who joins their team. Once they arrive in the big city, a lot happens and the trio get separated with the Wizerd ending up in jail! No spoilers about the ending but I really hope that there are more volumes of this because I really enjoyed it! The art style was really fun and the big two-page spreads reminded me a lot of a Where's Waldo type of page. The pages were colorful with lots of detail so your eyes really got a treat.
Profile Image for Jess Smiley.
Author 24 books42 followers
July 8, 2020
PLEASE tell me there will be a thousand-hundred more Wizerd books? Because this is basically the best! The story is a freaking visual feast, the characters are weird and hilarious, and the book is packed with magic, birds, and funny faces. Did I mention there’s a library/prison with “I hate book” spray painted on the walls? I mean, come on! What I’m saying is: read this book, okay? OKAY??
Profile Image for Bill Cass.
296 reviews4 followers
Read
August 1, 2020
I received this book as an Advanced Reading Copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wizerd! And The Potion of Dreams by Michael Sweater and Rachel Dukes is about The Wizerd who's a recluse and is very happy to stay at home not going on adventures. One day the brash and foolhardy Princess Wallace attacks the Wizeard out of nowhere and tries to convince them to help them make a wishing potion. The Wizeard agrees and the two start an adventure. Along the way they meet an archer who they help get out of a sticky situation and together the group goes on their quest.

This is at least a YA graphic novel if not even a middle grade.. I think it's very important to keep that in mind. when you read because it's not a very challenging story. What it is, is cute. It's perfect if you just want a fun and enjoyable story or you want something to read along with your kids.

This is a very positive, very innocent, and very pure story. There may be swords, explosions, and fighting, but never once did I think anyone was actually going to get hurt. So if you're reading this to a very young child, maybe just do the good parent thing of reminding them that hitting their friends with swords is a no no. But other than that, there's no reason that even very young kids could enjoy this.

If you have read any other reviews for this graphic novel, you have have seen others compare the art style to Adventure Time. I too will add that comparison but also add in some inspiration from Dr. Seuss. The art isn't bad or lazy. It's very purposeful in it's whimsical cartoon style.

If you're looking for a quick and fun read. This is your book. If you're looking for something to read with your children or as a gift for a young relative, this is your book. If you're looking for something that's boundary pushing and progressive, then look elsewhere. But for just plain enjoyability, this is for you.
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.1k reviews454 followers
April 8, 2024
An annoying warrior princess and a wizerd and oh yes an archer are on a quest (or to a town) to find ingredients for a potion.

This sounded really great, I like that Wizard was misspelled to Wizerd, the art looked great. But sadly this was a disappointment.

The warrior princess was just so annoying and aggravating. I was not a fan of her at all. I get that she wants to be big and strong... but attacking someone in their home is just not the way to go. Then breaking into their home, eating all their food. Just a no. But later on it just gets worse with this character and at times I just wished a dragon would eat her.

The wizerd was a fun and interesting person, but I was disappointed that they barely did any magic (if they did at all, I kind of lost focus at points). Later on we do find out they quit wizerding... so does that still make him a wizerd then? Or just a person who loves magic and making potions?

Before we can even get into getting to know the Wizerd there is the warrior before we even get to know the warrior (not that I wanted to) there is the archer (who btw forgot all her stuff).

The story itself felt chaotic and at times I just had to scroll back to make sure I read things right.

Plus, you know I came here for a quest. A journey! Not pages of prison and jails and easily gotten ingredients. Plus, I found it quite strange that no one (not Wallace nor the archer) helped out their Wizerd friend, at least immediately. I mean the wizerd has been sent to an out of town prison... yet no one cared to help him? Wth?

I did like the art. It was fun, fluid, and creative with tons of little details to find.

The next volume seems to promise a quest.. But frankly I am just not going to read that. Wallace is annoying (has been throughout the book), the story is chaotic.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Profile Image for Jordan.
42 reviews3 followers
September 22, 2020
*I received an e-arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

Overall, my reaction is summed up by, "OMG! This is so cute!" From the start, I loved the cover art and knew that I'd enjoy the story just because the art work is so cute, simple yet detailed at the same time. There are a lot of full page scenes that have so many little details in them that make the scenes shine, and yet the art work isn't complicated. There's so much to see and enjoy in each panel, and the panel arrangements change from page to page, which help keep the story interesting and visibly stunning.

The actual story and plot are very simple, which made this whole graphic novel easy to enjoy. The authors play on clichés in the work, which made me laugh numerous times at the hidden jokes. I was worried before I began that this story might come across as a big ~young~ for me, but that was not the case. It was very cute and suitable for all ages, and was a relaxing read for me as a college student. I could appreciate the art in the story without having to think deeply about it.

Also, shouts to the authors for their diverse cast of characters! Very quickly you could tell that the authors are very inclusive, with the idea of "boy or lady problems" mention when Princess Wallace wanted a wishing potion. It's inclusive of sexualities and doesn't assume things about sexuality or gender from what I've gathered, which is really refreshing and appreciated.

I hope there are more volumes coming, and I'll read them if I see them! I enjoyed relaxing and reading this novel. Only reason this didn't receive 5 stars is because it was a bit simple, but that's one of the reasons I enjoyed it.

Rating: 4 stars
Profile Image for Oliver.
81 reviews3 followers
August 31, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 3.5/5–why does goodreads still not give the option of half-star ratings?!

The good stuff:
—The artwork was brilliant: colorful, movement-filled, easy to follow, and fascinating to look at. I get the impression that someone could read this book over and over and find new details in the artwork every time.
—The actual plot was fun: the wizerd having to leave the comfort of their home and go out to to face the real world, if you will, against their better judgement, and then having a bunch of adventures along the way is my cup of tea.
—I liked the relationship between the wizerd, the barbarian child (Princess Wallace), and the archer.
—I loved that socially-normalized gender expectations were thrown out the window and everything just went on without it being a big deal. Side note: can we do that in real life, please?

The stuff that bothered me:
—Some things seemed to be rushed. For instance, there was no indication that the archer was insecure about their archery skills until, mid-fight, they were unsure if they’d be able to make a shot. The story about the the wizerd’s father’s wand came up a couple of times in a way that seemed like it would be significant, but then it that story line seemed to be resolved, no big deal.
—It got pretty chaotic toward the end, and the story resolution was a little unsatisfying.
—Some of the jokes fell flat to me, but then I’m probably not the target audience.

I think my middle-grade library patrons will get a huge kick out of this book. Overall, I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Profile Image for Hayley F.
145 reviews20 followers
July 24, 2020
The Wizerd is a whimsical adventure story set in a magical world. It’s about three misfits on a quest; the smart and introverted Wizerd, an illiterate princess who dreams of being a fierce hunky warrior like the rest of her family and a rogue archer that the pair rescued from some mean goblins. Although it’s probably better suited to a middle grade/pre-teen audience, I did enjoy this wonderful tale of adventure and friendship.

One of the biggest highlights for me was its worldbuilding. The vibrant artwork oozed all things magical and mystical to bring this magical world to life. There’s a constant stream of magical creatures and landscapes and of course, a castle-like library that’s been converted into a prison to house all of the queen’s many prisoners.

Speaking of the queen, here’s a truly devious villain. The queen is brash, vehemently unlikeable and the perfect depiction of a tyrannical leader who seems to enjoy inflicting pain and misery upon their citizens. This made it easy to root for our protagonists and want them to succeed in their quest.

Many thanks to ONI Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Wayne McCoy.
4,291 reviews33 followers
October 19, 2020
'The Wizerd Vol. 1: And the Potion of Dreams!' by Michael Sweater with art by Rachel Dukes is a graphic novel about a reclusive wizerd (that's how it is spelled in this story) who gets dragged into an adventure.

A wizerd is quietly tending a garden when a young fighter comes with a request. The fighter is undersized and wants a potion that will help him get bigger, so they take a trip to the city. Along the way, they rescue an archer who wants to join them against the wizerd's wishes. This is the story of what happens next.

I really liked this charming story of adventure and I especially loved the wizerd who is reluctant to have adventure, but generous in spirit. The illustrations are amazing! I loved all the details (so many details) on the pages and the fun character designs. I think younger readers would really enjoy reading this one.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Profile Image for Lauren.
112 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2020
I considered giving The Wizerd 3 stars, but decided to go for 4 because I think the target audience will really enjoy it. Kids, especially those who like D&D or RPGs, will probably find this book really funny, and if I look at it through the lens of the target age (late elementary/middle school) it deserves 4 stars.

The story is fairly basic, and at times nonsensical. There's an anti-cop, anti-egomaniac leader message that seems pretty strong to me as an adult (and I'm here for it) but may seem less pointed to kids (ie they may not see the relation to the real world). The art isn't my favorite style, but I think it will appeal to a lot of readers. I definitely enjoyed the story in the first half better than the second - I think it got a little too chaotic and messy - but I like that it implies future adventures to come.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Alex.
23 reviews3 followers
September 19, 2020
An absolute delight and a fantastic start to what I'm sure will be a fun series!! My RPG loving heart was so at home in this beautiful work!!

We follow a ragtag group on a quest to find all the ingredients for a wishing potion. You have the young nonbinary wizard who is retired from all things magic and adventuring. They would very much prefer to stay at home in the garden that they have worked so hard on. But Enter Wallace, a barbarian that is rather small and weak compared to all her sibblings. So she desperately needs a wishing potion so she can be big and strong like them!! So off they go on what should be a simple walk to town to gather the things they need. But as with any quest the simple things are never simple, so prepare for the querky funny rollercoster story that their quest turns into.The story was so fun, though fell slightly flat as it was rather predictable. The predictability of the story kept it from a five star for me, though I do feel like it did what a first volume in a series should do and set the ground work for the following volumes. I strongly feel that later installments in this series could get a five star from me. I would be remissed if I did not also touch on the fantastic artwork this comic has, its so detailed and every few pages you get a double page full artwork sperad that is so captivating that you cant help but stop reading and spend a few taking in all the little things in the scenes. Overall I absolutely enjoyed every page of this work!! I will be purchasing a physical copy once its released and will be keeping my eyes peeled for future volumes!

(I was kindly provided an advanced copy for my honest review from the publisher via netgally)
Profile Image for Isosto.
8 reviews
August 14, 2020
What happens when an introverted wizerd leaves his (her?) castle behind and gets carried away by a catastrophic warrior princess that seeks a wish-granting potion? Obviously, a total mess.

The adventure starts off very promising, with a very simplistic (yet full of interesting details) art style that evokes Lewis Trondheim’s Dungeon and an, again, very basic premise to get the adventure running. But the authors seem to pile up more absurd jokes and chaotic narrative that they can handle, and the story quickly declines, turning into a n’importe quoi coronated by a flat ending.

Don’t get me wrong: the art is beautiful and the story has potential, but it lacks a bit of consistency and character development (that hysterical antagonist is utterly disastrous.) Nothing that can’t be fixed in a #2 volume...
Profile Image for Eva.
386 reviews13 followers
January 17, 2021
⁹It took me a few pages to get into it; it seemed too simple to be engaging. But I found the terse dialogue of the Wizerd to be gently subversive of typical 'group adventuring' tales. Having played some DnD with all the choice and distractions available, increased my perception of the chiding nature of the story. The Wizerd initially refuses to quest, "perfectly happy in my tower tending to my flowers". But Princess Wallace is so irritating (representing the yearning for adventure without any forethought), the Wizerd finally agrees. I liked how every challenge they come across is met with the Wizerd saying variations on, "Don't get distracted."
The art is also really fun. Some of the pages contained so much detail, I lingered for a minute or longer inspecting all the little monsters, treasures, plants, and bookshelves.
I hope they make another one.
228 reviews8 followers
July 15, 2024
En humoristiskt fantasyserie som riktar sig mot en lite yngre målgrupp.

Det första som slår mig är illustrationerna som är enormt detaljerade och för tankarna till äventyrsdags och det är också de som höjer den här serien till en ganska stark 4:a.

Storyn är att den lite melankoliska trollkarlen får besök av en barbarprinessa som vill ha en brygd som uppfyller hennes önskan att bli allmänt biffig.Snart befriar dem en bågskytt och den ganska uppenbart Dungeons and Dragons inspirerade storyn är egentligen en ganska typisk Quest vilket dom också skämtar om i historien.

Karaktärerna är förvånadsvärt bra och konsekventa bortsett från den onda antagonisten som var lite sisådär.

Det är världen och humorn som gör det bästa intrycket, och illustrationerna.

Det verkar som det blir fler äventyr vilket känns kul, det är definitivt en serie som kommer att bli uppskattad av dess målgrupp.
Profile Image for Steff.
372 reviews11 followers
July 17, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the artstyle of this a lot more than the actual story - the Wizerd would have been an interesting character if there had been a little more backstory. I found Wallace and Rabia to both be a little annoying, and the story felt a little disjointed in general and not easy to follow.

The quest itself just felt haphazard and more about throwing the characters into as much chaos as possible.I do think that there were some good parts about the story though, like when Wallace says 'you miss every shot you don't shoot'. As this is aimed at children, I think it's good to include things like this.

Overall, it was a quick read, but I wouldn't continue on with the series.
Profile Image for Michela C..
94 reviews7 followers
July 22, 2020
I was supposed to read just of couple of pages of this and go to study, but I ended up reading the whole book at once. It's really catchy and funny and I had a great time reading it.
The characters are well-built and they show their true personalities all the time. I really appreciated that. The main character is a lone and sarcastic wizard who doesn't really want to go on an adventure, but he's been found in his tower by a messy and clingy warrior who really wants him to help her. And so it begins... an adventure.
The plot developing is quite quick, but I didn't mind that while reading. I loved the humour.
I also really appreciated the drawings and the colours: they really match the story mood. Great job!
Profile Image for Heather Freeman.
163 reviews12 followers
July 26, 2020
I hope there are more volumes in this series, as I could read about these characters all day! This very cute and kind comic is reminiscent of Adventure Time, but if AT was progressive about gender representation from the start.
The art is grotesque-cutesy, and I didn't think I'd love it, but it definitely works for this story, and the level of detail in many of the larger panels is striking and makes it fun to linger over the pages, taking in every little detail. (That's not something I was expecting based on the cover.) It's also surprisingly politically engaged, but never didactic, and it deals at the beginning with melancholy, nostalgia, and depression before the big, zany adventure takes over. Loved it, highly recommended!
Profile Image for Litwithlove.
346 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2023
It is pretty obvious from the beginning that Michael Sweater worked for Cartoon Network, because this book wreaks of Adventure Time. Don't get me wrong, Adventure Time is a beloved classic for me, and I know that it has become the archetype for many artists and writers, which is probably why I found this so lackluster. You get the Adventure Time art, abrupt jokes, and hidden gems from other franchises thrown in to the scenery. And this is all fine and fun but also very formulaic. I would only read any subsequent volumes if they happened to cross my path, and even then it would only be out of curiosity whether or not the series feels like it is improving.
* Side Note. Almost everyone identifies as a girl (or woman) And a lot of neutral pronouns are used, I did really enjoy that.
Profile Image for Andrea Johnston.
213 reviews9 followers
June 18, 2020
What a mess.

I haven't read something that disjointed, rushed, and chaotic in a long, long time. This work felt messy. There was little to no context so you couldn't immerse yourself into the story at all. The characters are barely introduced before they're rushing out and crashing into another character that you barely get to know before something explodes and a sad attempt at a joke is thrown in to try and endear you to what little story there is. And let me tell you: there isn't much.

This is not a book I would recommend to anyone as it barely passes for a skeleton of a story. The description sounded epic and awesome. Unfortunately, there was no follow through.
Profile Image for Key West Library.
61 reviews14 followers
October 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. We follow the Wizerd, who has been dragged back into adventuring by a small warrior princess who needs their help to find the ingredients for a wish granting potion. Along the way they encounter an archer who joins their team. Once they arrive in the big city, a lot happens and the trio get separated with the Wizerd ending up in jail! No spoilers about the ending but I really hope that there are more volumes of this because I really enjoyed it! The art style was really fun and the big two-page spreads reminded me a lot of a Where's Waldo type of page. The pages were colorful with lots of detail so your eyes really got a treat.
Profile Image for Heather.
570 reviews147 followers
August 21, 2020
A reclusive wizerd is dragged on a request by an annoying princess who longs to be a “hunky” warrior, I’m in!

We follow our intrepid pair as they look for the ingredients to help the princess achieve her goals, of course this being a kind of quest, nothing goes to plan but its good fun reading about it.

This was so colourful, it actually reminded me a little of Where’s Wally, the double spreads especially as there was so much detail going on, you really need to take your time to examine all the details.

I’m looking forward to reading volume 2 to see our how our intrepid team get on.

Thanks to NetGalley/Oni Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Hal.
745 reviews55 followers
June 24, 2020
arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This graphic novel was super fun. It was full of fun banter, a ton of action scenes and explosions and the characters were hilarious together.

The art style really kept my attention and I adored how colourful every panel was!

I really think younger readers are going to devour this series and love every second of it.

4/5 ⭐️
Profile Image for Stephanie.
188 reviews36 followers
August 12, 2020
“‘You keep fireworks in your underpants?’ ‘Yes.’” I’m still giggling at this line, even hours after reading the comic.
This comic is ridiculous, ridiculously fantastic. It’s your traditional fantasy quest story and gives off Adventure Time and I Hate Fairyland vibes. I loved the art, there is so much happening in every scene.
3.5 stars. 4.5 stars for the art. 2.5 stars for the story.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Amanda.
3,883 reviews43 followers
September 14, 2021
Not your usual adventure graphic novel! You can spend a long time looking at the spreads, at all the details and humor hidden in the pictures. And as this is Vol. 1 there should be more magic and mayhem and mischief to come. Who knows how long it will take to make this potion? While the Wizerd seems mostly adept and very focused, the Archer and the Princess seem destined to bring all sorts of distractions to the Quest.
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