Description
From Neil Gaiman, the best-selling novelist and creator of the world-renowned comics title The Sandman, comes a mesmerizing tale of the dangers and opportunities of youth, and its endless possibilities. Illustrated by four of comics' most accomplished artists, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnson, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC collects all four issues of the original miniseries that introduced the character of Timothy Hunter and set the stage for his continuing adventures. Timothy Hunter could be the most powerful magician in the world, but does he really want to be? Guided through the magical world starting at the beginning of time by a group of DC Universe magicians, often referred to as the Trenchcoat Brigade (John Constantine, Phantom Stranger, Mister E, and Doctor Occult), they attempt to aid Timothy in his decision whether or not to embrace his gift. However, by the time Timothy makes a choice, it may have already been made for him.… (more)
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993-04-14
1990-11-16 (Issue #1)
1990-12-04 (Issue #2)
1991-01-08 (Issue #3)
1991-02-26 (Issue #4)
Physical description
208 p.; 6.7 inches
Publication
Vertigo (2014), Edition: First Edition, 208 pages
Pages
208
ISBN
1401246869 / 9781401246860
UPC
784497404915
Library's review
A great walk through all of DC Comic's major (and many minor) supernatural characters, captivatingly told and illustrated (though I personally am not too crazy about the style of the artist for the final of the four issues).
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User reviews
LibraryThing member jnwelch
Being interested in all things Gaiman, and a big time fan of his Sandman series, I'd been wanting to read The Books of Magic by Gaiman (and various illustrators) for some time. It doesn't reach the level of the Sandman series, but it is continuously interesting and an entertaining read.
Apparently
Before being collected in one volume, the story was told in four comics, with a different artist to draw each issue. Charles Vess (Stardust) is probably the most generally known of them. In Book 1 Timothy learns about the history of the DC magical universe, accompanied by "The Phantom Stranger", in Book II the present day, accompanied by John Constantine, who some will remember from the Keanu Reeves movie or the Hellblazer comics, in Book III Faerie, Camelot, and other mystical worlds with Doctor Occult, and in Book IV a possible future universe with Mister E.
A series based on this foundation, with other authors, continues to be published.
Gaiman gets to capitalize on his extensive knowledge of mythology and fantasy worlds, and as usual tells a good story. This one would probably be most appealing to Gaiman enthusiasts, those who enjoyed the storytelling in the Sandman series, and those who enjoy well done fantasy graphic novels.
Apparently
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DC Comics initiated the project because they wanted to feature some of their "magic" characters in an ongoing series. Gaiman created the story of twelve-year-old Timothy Hunter, a potential modern day Merlin who could instead choose to live normally, without magic. He tours various magical areas, accompanied by magically-powered DC characters to help him decide.Before being collected in one volume, the story was told in four comics, with a different artist to draw each issue. Charles Vess (Stardust) is probably the most generally known of them. In Book 1 Timothy learns about the history of the DC magical universe, accompanied by "The Phantom Stranger", in Book II the present day, accompanied by John Constantine, who some will remember from the Keanu Reeves movie or the Hellblazer comics, in Book III Faerie, Camelot, and other mystical worlds with Doctor Occult, and in Book IV a possible future universe with Mister E.
A series based on this foundation, with other authors, continues to be published.
Gaiman gets to capitalize on his extensive knowledge of mythology and fantasy worlds, and as usual tells a good story. This one would probably be most appealing to Gaiman enthusiasts, those who enjoyed the storytelling in the Sandman series, and those who enjoy well done fantasy graphic novels.
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LibraryThing member soniaandree
The first book of the 'Books of Magic' series is not easy to read - the drawings and colours are very different, from one chapter to another, because there are different artists who participated in the narrative. The first chapter has strong colours, pastel-like, with splatters of colours as if
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done with an airbrush; the second chapter is definitely made with watercolour; the third chapter I like most, because it really reads like a more traditional comic - primary colours and mixed techniques, watercolour and inks; the final chapter has strong colours and strong contrasts between the light and darkness. The plot sets the first encounter of Tim Hunter with Constantine, Mister E, Doctor Occult and other characters that will be encountered in the series afterwards. The plot is nice, although the pace is different from one chapter to another. The philosophical discussions about the history of magic is well illustrated, but I prefer when Tim learns from experience, as he does in the third chapter. This is well worth a read if you want to know the origin of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Twelve-year-old Timothy Hunter, potentially the world's greatest magician, is given a tour of the (DC) magical universe by Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, and Mister E to show him the possibilities and the cost of wielding magic. This is one of my all-time favorite comics, one
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that I reread ever so often when I want to be transported to a world where magic is a real possibility, even for an inner-city boy like Timothy. Of course, if you know his guides beforehand from their own DC series, it adds another layer of meaning, but it's not a necessity - their characters and personalities are very well presented in just a few lines of dialog or drawings. The one I know the best is John Constantine and he is flawlessly true to character, so I have to trust that the others are thus as well. And if not, it doesn't really matter since they fulfill their roles in this story-line perfectly. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Young Timothy is special-- unknown to him, he has the potential to become the greatest magician the earth has seen. One day he is approached by four strangers who introduce him to the world of magic. One shows him the past, one the present, one the alternate and parallel worlds, and one the
This graphic novel has gorgeous illustrations and a wonderful story, including appearances from some of Neil Gaiman's "other" worlds.
Experiments in Reading
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possible future. Then he must choose. He must choose between a stable, predictable world and the much more exciting, albeit dangerous, world of magic.This graphic novel has gorgeous illustrations and a wonderful story, including appearances from some of Neil Gaiman's "other" worlds.
Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member ForeverMasterless
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite things about him is his unabashed, genuine, passionate love of story and myth. The Sandman is his greatest work because it allowed him to delve deep into this love and while I love or at least enjoy almost all of his other work, The
In typical Sandman fashion this story is low on conflict but high on powerful themes. Basically, a group of DC characters with magical leanings decide that it's time to teach a boy about magic, because he could be the greatest magician of his age, and because others are eyeing the boy with envy and they want to make sure he knows all the choices laid out before him (obviously hoping that he will choose to use his magic for good).
What follows is, quite simply, magic. Pardon the pun, but really, it is. Between the illustrations, the themes, and Gaiman's beautiful prose this book made me feel like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole.
They show the boy how the universe was born, and how it ends. They show him the various planes of existence that exist beside our own: Faerie, Hell, The Dreaming, etc. Dream, Death, Destiny, Cain, and Abel from The Sandman all make an appearance. Many other DC characters I wasn't familiar with do as well.
My favorite line from the book was from Titania, queen of faerie, and perfectly shows off Gaiman's masterful prose which washes over you like a waterfall and smashes into you like a tsunami:
"You wish to see the distant realms? Very well. But know this first: the places you will visit, the places that you will see, do not exist. For there are only two worlds--your world, which is the real world, and other worlds, the fantasy...These worlds provide an alternative. Provide an escape. Provide a threat. Provide a dream, and power, provide refuge, and pain. They give your world meaning. They do not exist; and thus they are all that matters."
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Books of Magic is really the only thing I've read that captures that same magical enthusiasm that made The Sandman so captivating and thought-provoking so long ago. In typical Sandman fashion this story is low on conflict but high on powerful themes. Basically, a group of DC characters with magical leanings decide that it's time to teach a boy about magic, because he could be the greatest magician of his age, and because others are eyeing the boy with envy and they want to make sure he knows all the choices laid out before him (obviously hoping that he will choose to use his magic for good).
What follows is, quite simply, magic. Pardon the pun, but really, it is. Between the illustrations, the themes, and Gaiman's beautiful prose this book made me feel like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole.
They show the boy how the universe was born, and how it ends. They show him the various planes of existence that exist beside our own: Faerie, Hell, The Dreaming, etc. Dream, Death, Destiny, Cain, and Abel from The Sandman all make an appearance. Many other DC characters I wasn't familiar with do as well.
My favorite line from the book was from Titania, queen of faerie, and perfectly shows off Gaiman's masterful prose which washes over you like a waterfall and smashes into you like a tsunami:
"You wish to see the distant realms? Very well. But know this first: the places you will visit, the places that you will see, do not exist. For there are only two worlds--your world, which is the real world, and other worlds, the fantasy...These worlds provide an alternative. Provide an escape. Provide a threat. Provide a dream, and power, provide refuge, and pain. They give your world meaning. They do not exist; and thus they are all that matters."
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
Art was really cool, fairly satisfying ending (beginning?) considering the subject. Cool end of time. Bad guest appearances. I would rather it wasn't linked to other comic book stuff because that makes it seem less serious.
LibraryThing member halcyondays
Neil Gaiman should have continued this series himself, though others have made respectable attempts.
LibraryThing member JonathanGorman
Not a bad book but much of it hints and shows aspects of the magical parts of the DC world. Never having followed the DC world, I'm sure there's a lot of references I didn't get. I liked the fairyland part of this collection the best, undoubtedly because of the references to Dunsany and also just
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to other fairytale icons. Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
I have had this book on my shelf to read for a while. I finally got around to reading it. It was a very very good read. It ties into the story of some of the top magic users in super hero history, has cameos from the Endless, and discusses the repercussions of using magic.
Timothy Hunter has been
This graphic novel takes an interesting look at the history of magic (both in general and in the DC universe), the future of magic, and realms of magic. Each magic practitioner takes Tim on a different journey and each journey emcompasses one of four “books of magic”.
We meet a wide variety of magical characters throughout this story from more classical magical characters (Baba Yaga, Titania) to a number of magical characters that pepper DC comic history (including Gaiman’s own Endless).
The books of magic get more abstract as they continue, with the final book (the one looking at the future of magic) being the most abstract. The illustration throughout follows this trend. Each book has a very distinctive artistic style. Charles Vess (my favoorite illustrator of the bunch) illustrates the fairy land journey and this was a perfect match for his style. The final book which journeys into the future had a very abstract style that was my least favorite of the bunch, but still matched the story very well.
I will be honest in saying that a lot of the DC comic references were lost on me since I haven’t read a ton in this universe. I still really enjoyed the story of Timothy exploring all these different avenues of magic and learning about them. The story is written in a way that even comic ignorant people like me will really enjoy it.
There is a fun twist at the end of the novel as well that had me chuckling. I love how the whole thing was wrapped up.
Overall I really really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was well written and provided a good story about the dangers of power and magic. It should be appropriate for YA and older. I also enjoyed all the wonderfully different illustration styles as well. Highly recommended to fans of fantasy graphic novels and to fans of the magical side of the DC universe.
Timothy Hunter has been
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identified as having a great capacity for magic should he choose to use it. He is identified by the Trenchcoat Brigade (consisting of John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult and Mister E) and offered a choice to explore magic or not. Each of these practitioners of magic takes on him on a different type of tour. Timothy visits the past, the present, and the future and also the fairylands.This graphic novel takes an interesting look at the history of magic (both in general and in the DC universe), the future of magic, and realms of magic. Each magic practitioner takes Tim on a different journey and each journey emcompasses one of four “books of magic”.
We meet a wide variety of magical characters throughout this story from more classical magical characters (Baba Yaga, Titania) to a number of magical characters that pepper DC comic history (including Gaiman’s own Endless).
The books of magic get more abstract as they continue, with the final book (the one looking at the future of magic) being the most abstract. The illustration throughout follows this trend. Each book has a very distinctive artistic style. Charles Vess (my favoorite illustrator of the bunch) illustrates the fairy land journey and this was a perfect match for his style. The final book which journeys into the future had a very abstract style that was my least favorite of the bunch, but still matched the story very well.
I will be honest in saying that a lot of the DC comic references were lost on me since I haven’t read a ton in this universe. I still really enjoyed the story of Timothy exploring all these different avenues of magic and learning about them. The story is written in a way that even comic ignorant people like me will really enjoy it.
There is a fun twist at the end of the novel as well that had me chuckling. I love how the whole thing was wrapped up.
Overall I really really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was well written and provided a good story about the dangers of power and magic. It should be appropriate for YA and older. I also enjoyed all the wonderfully different illustration styles as well. Highly recommended to fans of fantasy graphic novels and to fans of the magical side of the DC universe.
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LibraryThing member StaceyHH
Very Sandman-esque. It's no surprise I liked chapter III best, with Charles Vess' beautiful and fanciful artworks. Section IV had me just a wee bit lost at points, and I suspect a re-reading of parts of Sandman would clear up some of the confusion... or not.
LibraryThing member ARQuay
One of Neil Gaiman’s lesser-known titles, The Books of Magic, is a compilation of several comic books and has recently received a deluxe reprinting, which includes the tale in its entirety and well as original panel sketches and information on the story’s creation. Some familiar characters from
The Books of Magic begins with four mysterious men observing a young boy named Tim Hunter. These men, known as the Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult and Mister E., know that Tim has the potential not only to perform magic but to become one of the most powerful wizards of his time. In the four chapters of the story (illustrated by four different artists), each of the men takes Tim on a journey to understand the world of magic by showing him its many facets: its past; its present and the magical folk that currently inhabit the world; the adjoining worlds of magic; and its future.
Gaiman’s tale features many of the themes that recur throughout his work (multicultural folktales and creation myths, questionable good versus questionable evil, ideas on power) which will be comforting to fans of his. Anyone new to the author, however, may need to take some time to wade through this dense, intense story. The protagonist is a bit younger than the potential audience, which may be off-putting for some readers, but one can only imagine the most advanced 12 year olds tackling this story and coming to the other side unscathed. On the other hand, anyone that says comic books and graphic novels are fluff should try reading this without needing to review pages and dialogue for clarity. It’s not easy, but for the right reader, it’s worth it.
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his beloved Sandman series are featured, as well as many others from mythology, fantasy and the DC Comic universe. The Books of Magic begins with four mysterious men observing a young boy named Tim Hunter. These men, known as the Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult and Mister E., know that Tim has the potential not only to perform magic but to become one of the most powerful wizards of his time. In the four chapters of the story (illustrated by four different artists), each of the men takes Tim on a journey to understand the world of magic by showing him its many facets: its past; its present and the magical folk that currently inhabit the world; the adjoining worlds of magic; and its future.
Gaiman’s tale features many of the themes that recur throughout his work (multicultural folktales and creation myths, questionable good versus questionable evil, ideas on power) which will be comforting to fans of his. Anyone new to the author, however, may need to take some time to wade through this dense, intense story. The protagonist is a bit younger than the potential audience, which may be off-putting for some readers, but one can only imagine the most advanced 12 year olds tackling this story and coming to the other side unscathed. On the other hand, anyone that says comic books and graphic novels are fluff should try reading this without needing to review pages and dialogue for clarity. It’s not easy, but for the right reader, it’s worth it.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Tim Hunter, a neglected kid from a working class family, discovers he can do magic. Great story, memorable characters, and beautiful art.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Neil Gaiman and illustrators John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson, and Roger Zelazny take readers on a journey through the magical realm of the DC Universe in The Books of Magic. When twelve-year-old Timothy Hunter shows signs of becoming the most powerful magician in the DC
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Universe, John Constantine, the Stranger, Dr. Occult, and Mr. E. show him the past, present, alternate worlds, and future of magic, with appearances from Etrigan, Zatanna, Titania of Faerie, and three of the Endless: Dream, Destiny, and Death. The story shows both the beauty and price of magic, as Timothy faces the choice between being a part of the magical world or rejecting it. This story is Gaiman at his best, with a sense of the mythic and beautiful that also has an underlying current of danger, which only makes the world more enticing. Show Less
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
*Book source ~ Library
From Goodreads:
A quartet of fallen mystics dubbed the "TrenchCoat Brigade" is introduced in this first collection of the adventures of Timothy Hunter. John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult, and Mister E take Hunter on a tour of the magical realms. Along the way
The artwork is decent and the story is pretty good. Though I’m not sure I understood parts of it. Anyway, ever since I read about Constantine in The Sandman, he’s been a favorite character of mine. I’d love to read more about him. The other three guys are freaky weird. I’m not sure Timothy got what they were trying to tell him. He may be blinded by the new shiny…magic. I know he’s only 12, but I hope he uses his head. If I can find the rest of the graphic novels at the library then I’ll continue on. If not, oh well.
From Goodreads:
A quartet of fallen mystics dubbed the "TrenchCoat Brigade" is introduced in this first collection of the adventures of Timothy Hunter. John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult, and Mister E take Hunter on a tour of the magical realms. Along the way
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he's introduced to Vertigo's greatest practitioners of magic and must choose whether or not to join their ranks. The artwork is decent and the story is pretty good. Though I’m not sure I understood parts of it. Anyway, ever since I read about Constantine in The Sandman, he’s been a favorite character of mine. I’d love to read more about him. The other three guys are freaky weird. I’m not sure Timothy got what they were trying to tell him. He may be blinded by the new shiny…magic. I know he’s only 12, but I hope he uses his head. If I can find the rest of the graphic novels at the library then I’ll continue on. If not, oh well.
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LibraryThing member nonesuch42
This was really interesting. I picked it up because the cover was REALLY familiar, but I didn't remember ever reading a Neil Gaiman graphic novel before. I hadn't. However, this had been turned into a non-graphic novel by Carla Jablonski. I don't really remember reading that either, but this goes
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to show the power of a cover. I feel like it would have been better if I were more well-versed in DC Comics lore, but the story itself was interesting enough to hold my attention. All the name-dropping of other DC characters was a little rough for me, and I'm thankful for wikipedia. The art was also quite good. I thought Tim's (the main character) glasses were a little hilarious, but that's the early 90s. The concept behind this is actually quite wonderful, and I wish I had more background so I could have appreciated it a little more. Basically, TIm is approached by some trenchcoated dudes who ask him if he believes in magic. They take him on a grand tour of all the magic stuff in the DC world. Pretty neat. Show Less
LibraryThing member shaunesay
Just have too much going on right now so returned to the library. I'll try again some other time. :)
LibraryThing member PhoebeReading
My wonderful husband bought me all of the many volumes of this series for Valentines Day--with a note inside that said that the best things about my writing remind him of The Books of Magic.Aw.He did warn me, though, that this first volume is closer to standard Gaiman fare than the rest of the
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series--where Tim's story transforms into the sort of YA fantasy that he knows I love.He was right--which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy this first volume regardless. Tim Hunter's first excursion through time and space was well-written and lovingly illustrated. Although I have little familiarity with the DC canon, characters like John Constantine and Doctor Occult still seemed likable, or at the very least intriguing. And the section most redolent of Gaiman's later work--for me, Tim's foray into Faerie--taps the same deep sense of myth and awe that he later exploits to haunting effect in Stardust.But Tim himself remains an enigma. We know nothing of him--not his personality or background--from the outset, and even by the volume's conclusion are left mostly in the dark. This was problematic for me, and I think it may have been what my husband was talking about when he said this Book of Magic was not YA.I've been thinking lately, thanks to some comments by teen writer Steph Bowe on Catcher in the Rye, about what makes a given work YA. I've come to believe that a work needs to have two things in order for the YA label to really fit comfortably: first, the author needs to intentionally be writing for an adolescent audience, taking the entertainment and educational needs into account (or at least consideration) during the process of drafting a work. Secondly, the author needs to create a protagonist with which the reader can identify. This is sometimes done by drafting a blank-slate or Everyman teen character (think: Bella from Twilight or Harry Potter), which is, in broad strokes, what Gaiman was doing here. Unfortunately, Tim Hunter is, so far, so blank as to be inscrutable. There is a brief sequence near the end of the final book in this volume where we're given a glimpse of Tim's home life. For me, this was also the most resonant and effective sequence--and it occupied all of three pages! Concluding, rather than beginning, with Tim's real life, was an unorthodox choice for Gaiman, and I'm not sure it was an entirely effective one--particularly if you evaluate this against other YA works, an almost inevitable comparison thanks to Tim's surface similarities to Harry Potter.But I'm not sure this is a fair comparison, for this volume, at least, because it's also clear that Gaiman wasn't writing specifically for teenagers here--he doesn't intend the Books of Magic to be a series primarily for teenagers. It fails my YA litmus test, even if it largely succeeds on its own.Still, I'm excited to read the rest of the series, where (I've read) later author John Rey Nieber made turning Tim into an identifiable and well-actualized teenager one of his primary goals. Show Less
LibraryThing member grandpahobo
I have never read a graphic novel before, but decided to give it a try. Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, so something by him seemed like a good choice.
It was ok. I found the illustrations to be distracting, and the story choppy. I have a feeling that is just the nature of the graphic
It was ok. I found the illustrations to be distracting, and the story choppy. I have a feeling that is just the nature of the graphic
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novel form. If you like graphic novels, this is probably a great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member moonlit.shelves
I enjoyed the art in this graphic novel and liked seeing Baba Yaga and some of the Endless show up, but I wasn't very invested in the story. Timothy Hunter wasn't an interesting character and there really wasn't much depth to him.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Neil Gaiman and illustrators John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson, and Roger Zelazny take readers on a journey through the magical realm of the DC Universe in The Books of Magic. When twelve-year-old Timothy Hunter shows signs of becoming the most powerful magician in the DC
This 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition comes in a lovely hardcover and includes excerpts from Neil Gaiman’s script notes, pencil work, and thumbnails from Books III and IV. Since DC retired its Vertigo imprint, the book features the DC Black Label imprint and The Sandman Universe Classics banner on its cover livery.
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Universe, John Constantine, the Stranger, Dr. Occult, and Mr. E. show him the past, present, alternate worlds, and future of magic, with appearances from Etrigan, Zatanna, Titania of Faerie, and three of the Endless: Dream, Destiny, and Death. The story shows both the beauty and price of magic, as Timothy faces the choice between being a part of the magical world or rejecting it. This story is Gaiman at his best, with a sense of the mythic and beautiful that also has an underlying current of danger, which only makes the world more enticing.This 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition comes in a lovely hardcover and includes excerpts from Neil Gaiman’s script notes, pencil work, and thumbnails from Books III and IV. Since DC retired its Vertigo imprint, the book features the DC Black Label imprint and The Sandman Universe Classics banner on its cover livery.
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LibraryThing member Linyarai
I found this one a bit confusing and abstract, I would have liked a clearer journey with each of the teachers.
LibraryThing member ritaer
Timothy Hunter is destined to be the greatest mage of his age--but for good or evi? Four masters must show him what magic is and leave him to chose: Mr. E, Dr. Occult, the Stranger and John Constanine.
LibraryThing member zot79
This would be interesting to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of the magical characters in the DC Universe or fans of Neil Gaiman. I'm in the latter camp and made it through to the end, just barely. The story, such as it is, is just as random and unresolved as any Sandman book written by
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Neil. Each adventure is well done, a recurring minor character adds some cheekiness, but the framing story doesn't really hang together. Mostly interesting for a young potential magician and his owl that predates Harry Potter. Show Less
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
Timothy Hunter, a young British boy, has the potential to become a great wizard -- perhaps the greatest the Earth has ever known. But will he accept his magic? And will he lead the side of good, or of evil? This is a re-read, but I enjoyed it even more this time around, because last time I wasn't
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familiar with John Constantine or the other magic users who act as Tim's guide. Show Less