The Books of Magic

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The Books of Magic is the title of four-issue comic book miniseries written by Neil Gaiman, and later an ongoing series, published by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, it has also been published in a single-volume collection with an introduction by author Roger Zelazny. In The Books of Magic, a teenager is visited by four mysterious strangers, who tell him that he has the potential to become the world's greatest magician, and offer him a guided tour of the mystical parts of the DC Universe.

Contents

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Synopsis

In part one, "The Invisible Labyrinth", Timothy Hunter is approached by four of the DC Universe's mystical heroes, and, after agreeing to the tour, is shown the DC Universe's past by the Phantom Stranger. In part two, "The Shadow World", Tim is shown around the DC Universe's present by John Constantine. In part three, "The Land of Summer's Twilight", Doctor Occult shows Tim the Land of Faerie, with brief stopovers in a number of other otherworlds (including the Dreaming). In part four, "The Road to Nowhere", Mister E shows Tim the DC Universe's future (or, at least, one of its possible futures), and Tim faces a decision about whether to try and fulfill his potential, or to live out his life as a normal person.

Each issue was illustrated by a different artist: "The Invisible Labyrinth" by John Bolton, "The Shadow World" by Scott Hampton, "The Land of Summer's Twilight" by Charles Vess, and "The Road to Nowhere" by Paul Johnson.

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Ongoing Comic Book Series

After the miniseries (also referred to as the prequel), Tim Hunter came back in Arcana Annual, the sixth part of the Children's Crusade series. The Arcana name was changed back to Books of Magic in an ongoing comic book series about the further adventures of Timothy Hunter. This series was written by John Ney Rieber (issues #1-50) and Peter Gross (issues #51-75), it ran from May 1994 to August 2000.

The depiction of Tim Hunter's life continued in a five-issue mini-series called The Names of Magic, in which Tim learnt his true name (Tamar) and was accepted into the school of magic, known simply as White School, which exists across the Multiverse of Worlds in DC. Another ongoing called Hunter: The Age of Magic (25 issues) followed shortly after this series ended. It ran from September 2001 to September 2003, and told of his graduation and what happened to him afterwards.

Another series, Books of Magick: Life During Wartime began in July 2004 and lasted fifteen issues. This series depicts two Earths, both of which have a strong connection to an alternate version of Tim Hunter. On one of these worlds a war is going on between humans (known as the Bred) and the races of the Faerie (known as the Born). The world is ruled by the Born, but there is a resistance made up of both Born and Bred that features versions of Zatanna and John Constantine among others. The second world is one made by Tim Hunter as a place of safety where he can hide from his enemies.

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Movies

IMDB lists a movie called Books of Magic as announced for 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411185/

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Spin-Off

There were also several spin-off mini-series set in the Faerie realm, entitled The Books of Faerie. One series documents the misadventures of Molly, Tim's sometimes girlfriend, when she accidentally becomes trapped in Faerie. Another documents Auberon's rise to power while yet another documents Titania's.

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Awards

The original mini-series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Limited Series in 1990 and 1991. The second series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite New Continuing Series in 1993 and 1994, and the letter column was nominated for the Award for Favorite Letter Column in 1994. Issue 4 of the continuing series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Single Issue of a Series in 1994. The trade paperback collection of the first mini-series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Reprint Volume or Collection in 1993.

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Similarities with Harry Potter

Many people have noticed similarities between Timothy Hunter — a bespectacled English teenager with family troubles who has a magical owl as a pet — and the later and more famous Harry Potter. Neil Gaiman has been quoted as saying that while there are similarities between the two they are largely superficial and most likely reflect the fact that both draw on common archetypes.

The original mini series was published long before the Harry Potter series.

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Graphic novels

  • Ongoing Comic Book Series
  1. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: BINDINGS (Issues #1-4)
    1. Bindings: Prologue
    2. Bindings: Parts 1-3
  2. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: SUMMONINGS (Issues #5-13)
    1. The Hidden School
    2. Sacrifices: Parts 1-3
    3. The Artificial Heart: Parts 1-3
    4. Small Glass Worlds: Parts 1&2
  3. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: RECKONINGS (Issues #14-20)
    1. What Fire Leaves Us
    2. Playgrounds: Parts 1-6
  4. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: TRANSFORMATIONS (Issues #21-25)
    1. Heavy Petting
    2. Needlepoint
    3. And Sure in Language Strange She Said
    4. Used to Bes
  5. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: GIRL IN THE BOX (Issues #26-32)
    1. Rites of Passage: Prologue
    2. Rites of Passage: Parts 1-6
  6. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: THE BURNING GIRL (Issues #33-41)
    1. Rites of Passage: Parts 7-11
    2. Rites of Passage: Conclusion
    3. Solitaire
    4. The Motherless
    5. Nothing Up My Sleeve
  7. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC: DEATH AFTER DEATH (Issues #42-50)
    1. The Bridge
    2. King of This
    3. Slave of Heavens: Prologue
    4. Slave of Heavens: Parts 1-4
    5. Slave of Heavens: Conclusion
    6. The Box
  8. THE BOOKS OF MAGIC (Issues #50-75)


  1. THE BOOKS OF MAGICK: LIFE DURING WARTIME (Issues #1-5)
    1. Have You Seen the Stars Tonight
    2. Storm Warning
    3. War Babies
    4. The Diplomacy of Monsters
    5. Passing in a River

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