The Unwritten, Volume 6: Tommy Taylor and the War of Words Review

The Unwritten, Volume 6: Tommy Taylor and the War of Words  

Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross

Publisher: Vertigo

American release date: October 23, 2012

Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/200 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer

Tom, Richie and Lizzie hole up in an abandoned ice station in Antarctica as Tom lays his plans, utilizing his magic—and the power of the Internet. Tom uses a finding spell to locate a member of the cabal, a spell which unfortunately doesn’t seem to work on Pullman, seeking their location. All bets are off and full speed ahead is his motto, even while his friends caution him to go slow.

Synopsis:

When Lizzie and Richie realize Tom’s in trouble, they have to find him, and it’s touch or go whether they can keep him alive, even as Pullman breaks into the meeting of the leadership of the cabal and tries to explain how to rescue the current situation, if they’ll only listen to him. As Tom hovers between life and death, they appeal to his readers to help him the only way they can—through the chanting of the spells from the Tommy Taylor books.

When the trio locate the cabal, Pullman is waiting for them. Well, waiting for Tom. He has something to share with him. Time for a little show and tell…

 Commentary:

This volume is threaded with other stories that are interwoven into the fabric of the main event, as we learn much more about the past than we’ve been shown before, especially about the man known as Pullman. And Leviathan. Each volume is more fascinating than the one before. I believe the author is telling us that no one piece of a story is insignificant, it all has relevance, and so it is with people too. Everyone’s lives touches on everyone else’s in some way, whether the touch is felt and registered or not.

In this series, Mike Carey displays the same brilliance that made Lucifer so wonderful, combined with Peter Gross’ beautiful artwork. This is a not-to-be-missed series that I would recommend to anyone’s book shelf. I can’t even imagine what the climax will be, but I am looking forward to it.

The Unwritten Vol 5: On to Genesis Review

The Unwritten, Volume 5: On to Genesis  

Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross

Publisher: Vertigo

American release date: January 17, 2012

Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/144 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer

With Tom Taylor presumed dead and Wilson’s estate up for auction, what else can Lizzie and Savoy do but try to steal what they need from it? Specifically Lot 57. Lizzie provides a diversion so that Savoy can surreptitiously photograph the layout of the auction house where everything is on display for inspection. And while they are mulling everything over in the safety of a small diner, the wayward wanderer himself unexpectedly returns after his absence of three months, bursting on the scene from inside a glass of water!

Synopsis:

Repairing to another location, Tom tells them his whale of a story. When Savoy asks if he’s found “the Source”, Tom says he has, and that he thinks that it’s people. People who read a story and get something out of it. Maybe even give it back.

Lizzie and Savoy convince Tom, who wishes nothing to do with his father’s estate, why they need Lot 57, and he reluctantly concurs. They break into the auction house, where everything is waiting to be auctioned off the following evening, and quite an interesting haul there is, including a sensory deprivation tank and a stuffed rabbit. But the best laid plans go awry, as they often do, and when the auction begins, there is a valuable new addition to the collection—Tom Taylor himself. With Lizzie and Savoy close at hand, as collateral evidence that Tom is the real deal.

Afterward, with the journals in hand, Tom has to do some serious reading, in order to glean anything from them. The trouble is, there are thirty damn volumes. And his father’s writing isn’t necessarily linear, and he doesn’t always get to the point. An accidental discovery while in the public library, gives them a potentially useful tool to use for those areas of the journals that are sparse in details, a firsthand glimpse into what was.

Tom is convinced that a comic book character from long ago by the name of Tinker holds some clue to what they seek, so he insists on pursuing the lead because he feels his father’s mention of it means something. Meanwhile, Pullman’s employer is unhappy with the results of the auction. But not for long.

Tom, Lizzie and Savoy travel into the past in order to arrive at answers in the present; they make a new friend, and reconnect with an old one.

 Commentary:

The deeper we get into the heart of the story, the more exciting this series gets. The premise of the power in the written word is an intoxicating one, dizzyingly brought to life by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, for that is the magic behind everything. And the power that everyone wants to control.

In this volume, we see a lot more of Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, than ever before, all linked with the superhero Tinker, as Tom seeks to learn the truth of his parentage, of his birth. But time is running out, as the bad guys seem to be closing in, and people who have ever been a part of the story are being snuffed out.

Despite his fears of what may be revealed, Tom pushes on. He has grown a great deal, as a character, since we first met him, with the help of Lizzie and Savoy. He’s stronger, and more mature, coming into his own as a man, something that was lacking from his life before. It isn’t easy to examine one’s own life in such detail, perhaps to learn unpleasant truths about his father, and maybe himself. But this is the stuff that makes heroes, and Tom has definitely become the hero in his own story, at last.

This is a fascinating read which only gets better and better, and is wonderfully illustrated by the talented Peter Gross, whose artwork drew me, as much as the writing, to Mike Carey’s Lucifer series. This is one seriously imaginative series. It ranks among my all-time favorites, and is a definite keeper.

Can’t wait to read the next volume, which comes out October 23.

The Unwritten Volume 4 Review

 The Unwritten, Volume 4: Leviathan  

Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross

Publisher: Vertigo

American release date: October 25, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/144 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer

Tommy and Lizzie and Savoy find themselves on a tour bus labeled White Whale Tours in Pittsfield. Tommy is insistent that they need to be there. Part of the tour includes the house where Herman Melville wrote his magnus opus. Savoy isn’t doing so good—his skin is crawling like he’s got ants, and the light hurts his eyes; he thinks it’s an allergic reaction to the sun, because he’s British.

Synopsis:

According to the map, the Arrowhead Farm is “the source”, whatever that means. But Tommy won’t move on until he finds it. Searching for a place to stay, Tommy chooses The Spouter Inn, as it has the same name as the inn Ishmael stayed at in Chapter Three of Moby Dick. Meanwhile Mr. Pullman is recruiting the services of an old dollmaker, and tempting her to shed her neutrality by offering her the chance to get the Maanim.

Lizzie remembers something Wilson once said to her about symbols, as she and Tommy sit in his room. Lizzie doesn’t want to be alone, so Tommy tells her to read the book to him, but one thing leads to another… Meanwhile, Savoy’s got his own issues, and things are getting strange. Or stranger, depending on one’s perspective.

While Lizzie’s in the shower, Tommy glimpses a great white whale from the window of the inn. He leaves Lizzie a terse note and off he goes after it. Lizzie grabs Savoy and chases after him, but they’re just a little too late, and Tommy finds himself aboard the Pequod, facing its too familiar and obsessive master. The Toymaker is alerted to the presence of the trio in Pittsfield, and Savoy tells Lizzie about the new development in his situation, as well as his theory as to how the heck this happened

At the end of this volume is Stairway to Heaven, in which we meet our friend Pauly again.

 Commentary:

The fourth volume of the Unwritten series takes us deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast—in more ways than one. This one is no less gripping than its predecessors as Tommy and his friends continue their literary journey to find the truth. We run into old friends in the form of Frankenstein’s monster and Mingus, as Tommy works his way through understanding what is going on, especially once he finds himself in the belly of the whale. Can Savoy be what he really thinks he’s becoming? And from a fictional character such as Count Ambrosio? Or is the written word more powerful than anyone suspects?

I can’t say enough about this series. The artwork is fabulous, the writing amazing.  Mike Carey and Peter Gross must be great guys to hang out with; I love how their minds work. Just when you think you have things figured out, something else happens and you realize you don’t know shit. Can’t wait to read volume five.

The Unwritten Volume 3: Dead Man's Knock Review

 The Unwritten, Volume 3: Dead Man’s Knock  

Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross

Publisher: Vertigo

American release date: March 29, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/160 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer

Only two days until the long awaited 14^th Tommy Taylor novel is released! Callendar and his group meet, while the world speculates as to the contents of the newest tome from the pen of the missing writer, Wilson Taylor. Tom is taking a huge risk even being in London, which Lizzie keeps trying to tell him, but he’s convinced that his father is going to show up at the book launch, and there’s a lot of things he would like to discuss with dear old dad. What has Lizzie yanked off a street post, that’s got her white as a sheet, and why is she keeping it hidden from Tom and Savoy?

Synopsis:

Tom can’t get hold of Swope—is his agent avoiding him? Leaving Lizzie a note, he goes out for a drink and runs into the Creature again. Savoy has problems of his own in the form of Count Ambrosio/Chadron, and Lizzie is trying to contact Wilson with questions about Jane Waxman—who is she and why does she look like Lizzie? Her actions raise an alarm; they know that someone is touching the grid. Now they just need to find her. The answers to her questions may just lie in Our Mutual Friend.

Tom thinks he’s figured out where his dad will be, and he and Savoy go there, but there is a very weird turn of events. Callendar reveals himself as the actual author of the soon-to-be released Tommy Taylor novel, and Pullman goes to see the publisher. While Lizzie negotiates the truths of her existence, Tommy is brought face-to-face with his own mortality, trying to make sense of what he hears.

The long-awaited novel is here at last, Lizzie is lost inside herself, and only Tommy possesses the power to bring her back—can he do it without being caught in the process? And what are Savoy and Lizzie to him—really?

 Commentary:

The third volume of the series continues in the same strong vein as the first two. I find myself intensely involved in the story and the characters, anxiously turning pages to see what will happen next, because I have no clue. The action is fast and furious and impossible to second-guess. I especially love the literary references, and the parallels between Tommy Taylor and Tom Taylor, their lives and stories intertwining more than Tom Taylor might wish. Much is revealed in the third volume, but also more questions remain unanswered, for future books. The artwork is spot on, the writing is impeccable. I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about this series. It’s incredibly awesome and a definite keeper with your favorite graphic novels. If you haven’t read the Unwritten yet (in which case, why are you reading a review of the third book, go back to the first), do so, it’s a must read series.

The Unwritten: Inside Man

The Unwritten, Volume 2: The Inside Man  

Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross

Publisher: Vertigo

American release date: August 17, 2010

Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/168 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers

Overall Personal Rating: A+

Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer

The internet is rife with rumors and accusations regarding Tom Taylor. Is he the rather boring son who lives in the shadow of his famous late father, living off of his memories? Or is he even Wilson Taylor’s son at all? Is Tom Taylor responsible for the slaughter at the Villa Diodati? Is he the incarnation of Tommy Taylor, boy wizard? And what about the stories of a flying cat—where do those fit in? The Inside Man wants to know.

While being taken by train to the prison Donostia at Maison d’Arrêt de Roncevaux, where the fictional Childe Roland was once taken, he meets a fellow prisoner, Savoy, who becomes his roommate. Tom is greeted by the warden, a family man named Chadron, who warns him not to expect special treatment because of his so-called celebrity status. Not that Tom does, it’s not like he’s ever asked for or wanted that. People just naturally seem to take it upon themselves to assume.

 Meanwhile, Lizzie Hexam is trying to figure out how to make up for her screw-up at the villa, and when she learns what she must do… well, let’s just say she isn’t exactly thrilled.

While cooling their heels in their cell, Tom tells Savoy the story of Childe Roland, and the infamy associated with this place they’ve been brought to, not because of the battle which was fought there but because of the story told about it. What’s really weird, though, is that Tom’s tattoo is back. Now if that isn’t crazy—a tattoo that can disappear and reappear at will?

Tom isn’t having an easy time of it. No one seems to hold to the idea that he’s innocent until proven guilty, and his so-called celebrity status isn’t helping any; he finds himself having to be more assertive than usual. Next door, in the warden’s home, are the warden’s wife and their two young children, Leon and Cosi, both of whom are devotees of Tommy Taylor the boy wizard. Their father has always fostered their fantasies, to the point where the children pretend to place wards, practice spells, and pretend to be students in the same magic conservatory that Tommy attends. Their mother finds this obsession rather unhealthy, and thinks that they need to see a professional, especially after a brutal incident at their school, but the warden sees nothing wrong with encouraging their imaginations to soar. Of course he hasn’t told them that he has Tom Taylor himself locked up in his prison.

In a curious twist of events, Tom wakens in the night to find his cell door open, so he wanders into the corridors, wondering what’s up. He confronts a figure which he is sure is a part of his imagination, but why does this creature insist that Tom called him into being? And what does that even mean? When the guards “discover” Tom out of his cell, it’s clear that they mean business, but their intent is thwarted by the arrival of Mingus. Kind of hard for Tom to deny the flying cat’s existence now.

The warden is involved up to his eyeballs, and things come to a head as he, Tom, Savoy, Lizzie, Mingus, Roland, and the warden’s kids have their moment with destiny—a moment which will end tragically for someone! Afterwards, Tom and Lizzie and Savoy find themselves in 1940 Stuttgart, in what appears to be a scene from Jud Süss—a novel written by a Jewish author which was turned into Nazi propaganda by Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Things are starting to make sense in a very warped and twisted way. Will they figure it all out before or after they cause irreparable harm?

In Willowbank Tales, we meet a rabbit named Mr. Bun. Or is it Pauly Bruckner? He says it’s Pauly, but everyone else calls him Mr. Bun. Hmmmm. As he sets off for the edge of the wood, he snarls and snipes at every woodland creature he meets in language most foul. All he wants is to get out of this place, and be himself again. Is that so much to ask? He goes to see a squirrel called Nutshell, who has information that he needs. Even if he has gone native. Mr. Bun/Pauly wants to know about the house where Eliza Mae Hertford lived, author of Willowbank Tales. He’s sure he will find the answers he needs there.

Be careful what you wish for, ‘cause you might surely get it.

The second volume of Unwritten is even more fascinating than the first, as we dive deeper into the mystery surrounding Tom Taylor. Pieces are starting to fit together, and things are starting to make sense, and nothing is necessarily what it appears to be. The artwork is first rate, and very well done.  I’m thoroughly enjoying the series and can’t wait to read the next volume.

The Unwritten, Volume 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity Review

Tom Taylor has lived in Tommy Taylor’s shadow all of his life. Everyone thinks it must be   great to be the living inspiration for his father’s best selling character, but Tom hates it, he’d rather be himself. He’s sick to death of Tommy and his two faithful companions, Sue and Peter, and their arch nemesis Count Ambrosio. Maybe now that his dad is dead, and there will be no more Tommy Taylor stories, now Tom can live his own life.

Ha, foolish mortal!

As Volume 1 of The Unwritten begins, Tom Taylor’s life is on a downward spiral. Forced to make a living the best he can, he attends comic conventions and signs autographs, and speaks about his namesake, Tommy Taylor. This isn’t his choice, but it’s the best his agent Swope can do for him, and he is forced to endure the condescension of the other writers, who accuse him of living off of his late father’s coat tails. During one of his panels, a weirdo who dresses and acts like Count Ambrosio pops up—seems he’s been stalking Tom for a while. Then there’s the girl, Lizzie Hexam, with the burning question—who is Tom Taylor and is it true he isn’t who he says he is?

Things go from bad to worse, as information surfaces that Wilson Taylor never had a son, that he bought Tom from a Bosnian family. So now he’s being accused of being a gold digger and a fraud!

Crowd sentiment has definitely turned against Tom. He can’t even do his next gig because of threats against the book shop where he is supposed to have a signing.  As he and Swope walk around London, Tom points out all the literary landmarks—it’s the only real legacy his dad left to him, this encyclopedic knowledge of literary geography, useless though that is.  The internet is filled with stories about Tom Taylor and his heritage, running the gamut from hatred for him to proclaiming him to be the Messiah.  Things are definitely getting weird.  What’s a guy to do?  Before he has a chance to sort that through, though, Tom finds himself kidnapped by the wannabe Count Ambrosio, who tells him he’s going to cut him up with his homemade nail bomb.  Okay, this is not a good day, not at all.

After he leaves the hospital, Tom decides he needs to search for the truth, figure out who he really is, starting with Lizzie Hexam, who opened up this Pandora’s box. But when he goes to the college where she claims to have been a student, he learns that the only Lizzie Hexam there is in the library—in Charles Dicken’s Our Mutual Friends.  Meanwhile, at the publishing house which is the home of the Tommy Taylor series, a mysterious package arrives containing the missing 14^th volume of the series, signed by the author himself!

Tom begins a pilgrimage through his life, searching for answers, unaware that someone else is one step behind him, and is in fact manipulating him—the mysterious sinister Pullman. Tom decides to go to his father’s old gothic castle, the Villa Diodati, near Geneva, Switzerland, where not only Tommy Taylor but Frankenstein and Satan (Paradise Lost) were born. There’s a literary weekend going on, but he is vouched for by someone he hasn’t expected to be there. Memories come flooding back to Tom, and he begins to put some of the pieces together. There are forces that are fighting against him, but why?

The second story in the volume is How the Whale Became, in which we meet Rudyard Kipling and Samuel Clemens, as Kipling tells Clemens an extraordinary tale and during the course of which we also meet Oscar Wilde.

You can read my complete review at Anime Radius and Yaoi Radius!