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Just looking at the cover of Sam Bosma’s FANTASY SPORTS NO. 1 gives a sense of nostalgia, delivering you back to the animation style of childhood cartoons. Bosma gives a refreshing take on the fantasy genre, entwining it with basketball, magical artifacts and a young wizard who doesn’t hold back from a good fight. FANTASY SPORTS NO. 1 is a fast read, but is also able to showcase the growing friendship between a quick-minded girl and her burly friend with a brutish nature.

Wiz-Kid, a young female wizard, is an intern seeking to be reassigned within the Mages Guild --- but first, she has to prove herself to the Archemage. Things do not go as planned when Mug, a lumbering raider who uses his strength rather than magic, is forced to team up with Wiz-Kid to retrieve some magical artifacts. As they come upon a tomb, and encounter a talking skeleton and some puzzles, they reach a stadium filled with cheering skeletons. There, Mug challenges an ancient mummy to give up his treasure. He accepts --- but only if Mug can beat him in a game of basketball. When the going gets tough for Mug, it’s up to Wiz-Kid to help her friend out and win the game he started.

While there were some parts that were a bit confusing in the beginning as to what exactly the main characters were doing or who they were, the narrative balanced with the illustrations propels the reader forward. The characters themselves are interesting to read, with their own unique personalities and abilities that stand them apart from the others. Even though Wiz-Kid isn’t as physically strong as Mug, she is not afraid of a fight and proves just so. On the other hand, Mug uses his muscular strength to get through each problem. This is helpful in certain parts of their journey, but nonetheless leaves Wiz-Kid picking up the pieces when it doesn’t work out.

FANTASY SPORTS NO.1 is littered with action and fast-paced scenes, during which Bosma uses little to no dialogue, which helps readers track the flow from one panel to the next. Even with Bosma’s kid-friendly illustrations, the book is filled with details on each passing page. While the targeted demographic is teens, FANTASY SPORTS’s action packed scenes and occasional mature humor makes this a book for all ages.

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