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I can't believe I'd never read the original miniseries before. (Although I've certainly enjoyed the ongoing series).
Despite the age, The Books of Magic doesn't feel dated at all and maintains the uniquely bittersweet, fairy tale tone that is characteristic of Gaiman at his best.
This looks like it was a lot of fun for the artists as well, who were each very well-chosen.
I certainly wouldn't mind an annotated copy - especially for the final chapter. Despite being familiar with most of the DC and Sandman mythos, there were still bits that went completely over my head, and names that merely rung bells, when I suspect that they needed to have more meaning.
Despite that, there's a lot in here than even a newcomer to comics could appreciate - this would be a terrific gateway comic to lure your friends into the world of colourful geekery.
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Neil Gaiman has been quoted as saying that adults deserve good fairy tales, good fantasy, and good comic books as much as children. Fortunately, he has come to the rescue by trying to fill this need. Although it was for a more traditional fantasy novel that Gaiman won the 2002 Hugo and Nebula awards (American Gods), one of his best known works remains "The Sandman," (1987-1996), regarded by Norman Mailer as "a comic strip for intellectuals." Like the aforementioned work, "The Books of Magic" (1989) is a graphical novel. It features Timothy Hunter, a 12-year-old destined to be the greatest magician of his time, and who is introduced to the world of magic by the "trenchcoat brigade" of four men. In the four-part mini-series, the trenchcoat brigade of the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult, John Constantine, and Mister E take turns to journey with Timothy to explore the realities and possibilities offered by mythology and magic, by travelling to the past, present, and possible future of the DC Universe. The mini-series spawned an ongoing series by John Ney Reiber under the same title, detailing the further adventures of Timothy.
Gaiman's "The Books of Magic" is less important as a story than as an introduction to the world of magic. Not strongly plot-driven, it's not the most accessible for newcomers to the genre. In one respect it is a coming-of-age story, as Timothy undertakes a quest and comes to understand his destiny. But for the reader it is more about the discovery of the world of fantasy and magic that Timothy will choose to embrace. As a result, the narrative and minimal action takes a background seat to the philosophical and magical world, its characters and concepts, many of which will be new to those unfamiliar with the DC Universe. Those unacquainted with DC's occultic characters should be forewarned that they will miss many of the subtle allusions and references Gaiman has included.
The concept of a graphic novel is very interesting, and this is a particularly fine introduction to the genre, at least with respect to the artwork. The way the text was incorporated along with the images was very cleverly done - the concept works well for a fantasy story, and clearly demonstrates the potential of the graphic novel as a legitimate genre.
But don't let the comic book form make you think that this is a light-hearted children's story - it's anything but. Beneath the window dressing of a graphic novel is a very serious and at times dark fantasy world. The blend of influences that have shaped Gaiman's work is very fascinating. With a Jewish background and a Church of England education, Gaiman was well grounded in a Christian worldview, and frequently draws on theological motifs in his work, as is evident from explicit references to Biblical texts and a more general background conflict between good and bad angels.
But there are also clear influences of eastern philosophy, in particular the yin-yang concept as expressed by Taoists and others. The constant reference to the balance and conflict between male-female, good-evil, light-darkness, order-chaos balance is typical of Eastern philosophy, and seems to be a stronger influence on Gaiman's fantasy world than the Biblical imagery. These Taoistic influences I found somewhat troubling, not just because of their presence (they are equally evident in other fantasy works like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series), but because they are expressed in a serious manner that suggests some form of validation of this worldview. "The Books of Magic" comes across as a much more serious form of fantasy, and in this respect reminded me a great deal of Ursula Le Guin's famous "Earthsea Trilogy". Just as with Le Guin, the magical fantasy of Gaiman's world has rather dark and occultic elements that could be considered somewhat disturbing to some. This is no innocent fantasy world like that of Harry Potter (which post-dates Gaiman's work, and thus cannot be the source of his ideas), but is more mature and adult, and it's precisely this which makes me somewhat alarmed by it. I can't conclude too much from one book, but despite the fact that there are clear instances of Biblical imagery, on the whole "The Books of Magic" seems to reject the world of science and rationalism in favour of an eastern philosophical worldview closely related to paganism and witchcraft. Is this typical of the graphic fantasy novel in general, is it typical of Gaiman, or is it neither of the above? I'm intrigued to know.
Of course, there are many more influences at work here - there are several references to the legends of Atlantis, and of King Arthur, so there's a multitude of things going on in Timothy Hunter's world. Even if the worldview here is somewhat concerning, it cannot be disputed that this is a thought-provoking and ground-breaking work. The story isn't as gripping as the artwork, and it's not really for children, but what we have here is certainly a taste of the possibilities that the graphical novel can offer, even if it's not the ideal place to begin one's exploration of the genre. GODLY GADFLY (2007)
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I used to collect these years ago, along with The Doom Patrol, The Crow (older series), and Sandman. If you're into such surreal and darker fare, you will definitely enjoy The Books of Magic. It's dark and surreal, and the artwork is great too -- what's there not to love about that? I don't collect comics anymore, but I'd still read these if I had one around.
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Neil Gaiman is one of those authors who just draws you into the worlds he creates. Best known in the comic world for his work on the Sandman this is another series of his that just has to be experienced and enjoyed.
Welcome to the world of Tim Hunter. Tim is nothing special at very first glance. He is just a boy trying to make his way in the world but he doesn't know what his future holds for him. Enter "The Trenchcoat Brigade" - The Phantom Stranger, Mister E, John Constantine, and Dr. Occult. These four members of the world of Magic in DC take Tim on a tour throughout the DC Universe. Tim will travel with his various guides from the beginning of time to the end meeting some of the most powerful and important characters of magic and mystery. Before all is said and done Tim will even spend some time with Death from the Sandman series.
I hate reading reviews that tell you everything so I won't do it here. Just remember when you enter a world by Gaiman as soon as you say yes you are have given yourself over to the world he has created for you. If you read and enjoy this book there are other graphic novels from the series that was launched from this book. If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman it is just something you have to have. Enjoy.
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This volume is my very first experience of Gaiman's graphic novel writing, and I gotta say I was not disappointed. I thought the story was very interesting and well written, and the artwork was amazing visually. The complicated world of fantastic characters was easily understandable, and the Tim, the protagonist, was easy to identify with. All in all, this one made a very good read.