It’s quite amazing to see the direction that comic series can take and how quickly that change affects the person reading it. Any piece of literature looks to make an impact when changing the story’s direction without losing their readers. Such an accomplishment is made in Books of Magic #6. It’s not rare for this to happen, but what’s fascinating is the way that it’s done.
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Books of Magic #6 is published by DC Vertigo, written by Kat Howard, illustrated by Tom Fowler, with lettering by Todd Klein, and the colors by Jordan Boyd. In the previous issue, Tim traveled to The Dreaming, the setting of another comic within the Sandman Universe of the same name. He was given advice from the people he met there and a book that will be important to him down the line. In this issue, he returns home but discovers that his best friend Ellie has been kidnapped. Rose offers her help in looking for her, but also gives him news that he’ll certainly want to reflect on.
This is where Tim’s hero’s journey starts to gain momentum. For those not familiar with what a hero’s journey is, it’s a term popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces. It describes a hero who enters an unknown world, ready to face any obstacle and returns home having changed from his experiences. It’s often the case in a hero’s journey to be included in literature for the hero to save a person or a group of people from harm. Tim has embarked on this journey and will do anything to see it succeed.
However, this comic does an incredible job at displaying that Tim is, after all, a high school student. No matter how much training he receives, he’s still young. In this particular issue, he sees the dangers of the world of magic and how it affects everyone around him. He’s forced to make difficult choices and figure out what kind plan he and Rose and put in action. This is shaping up to be quite an incredible coming-of-age story with a lot more at stake.
Normally, I’d be upset that the relationship between Tim and his father isn’t given enough focus in the series. However, their simple interactions are enough to tell their family dynamic. His father is drawn sitting on that couch any time Tim passes next to him. The way he’s drawn shows just how lost his dad is and his unwillingness to care for his son. It could be interpreted different, but nothing that he has said or done could possibly back that up.
I have been enjoying all the issues of this series that have been released. It’s found its place in a shared universe and found ways to provide a memorable story. The next few issues look to be the most intense of this revival series. I’m counting down the days until the next installment.
Books of Magic #6 is available now wherever comic books are sold.
Books of Magic #6
TL;DR
I have been enjoying all the issues of this series that have been released.
