DC COMICS – @DCComics
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Kat Howard
ART: Tom Fowler
COLORS: Jordan Boyd
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: Kai Carpenter
VARIANT COVERS: Josh Middleton
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2018)
“Suggested for Mature Readers”
Timothy Hunter and The Books of Magic created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton
“What's Past is Prologue”
The Books of Magic was a four-issue comic book miniseries written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by four artists, one for each issue, beginning with John Bolton. This series was published by DC Comics from 1990 to 1991. The Books of Magic told the story of a boy, Timothy Hunter, who had the potential to become the world's greatest magician. DC Comics later published The Books of Magic as an ongoing series that ran for 75 issues from 1994 to 2000.
Books of Magic returns as an ongoing comic book series as part of “The Sandman Universe.” This line of comic books is related to Neil Gamain's work for DC Comics, specifically The Books of Magic and the beloved series, The Sandman. Books of Magic 2018 is written by novelist Kat Howard (Roses and Rot); drawn by Tom Fowler; colored by Jordan Boyd; and lettered by Todd Klein.
Books of Magic #1 (“What's Past is Prologue”) finds Tim Hunter ready to embrace his destiny to become the world's greatest magician. Thus far, however, he seems to be little more than an awkward teenage boy with the talent for being the world's best at embarrassing himself.
So it is fortunate for Tim that one of his high school teacher's knows of his destiny. She informs Tim that he actually has to learn magic from books, but the first book she gives Tim has blank pages. Now, he has to discover a way to read it, even if some books of magic should not be read...
Books of Magic #1 2018 is a good example of how the members of a creative team can come together as one to create high quality comic books. Kat Howard writes a script that has the enchantment of making the readers keep turning pages. Tom Fowler's illustrations deliver a graphical story with intriguing shifts in tone and also in environment, and every environment – from memory to magic and from real world to magical realms – seems equally tangible and real.
Jordan's Boyd's color completes Fowler's illustrations, making them evocative, suggesting atmosphere and especially emotion. Boyd really captures the sense of both frustration and anger that hangs over much of this first issue. And of course, there is letterer Todd Klein. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. Todd Klein is good? His name is like magic to me.
Books of Magic #1 is quite intriguing. I want more, and I actually scoffed at the idea of this book when I first heard about it. Now, I am scoffing at the idea of waiting a month between issues.
8 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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