Review: BOOKS OF MAGIC #10
[Editor’s Note: This Review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Kat Howard
Artist: Tom Fowler and Brian Churilla
Colors: Marissa Louise
Letters: Todd Klein
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
Books of Magic begins this month by actually going back. As you may recall, last month the book was not about Tim at all. Well now, we catch back up to him and his escapades. You will not be surprised to learn that not much is going well in Tim’s life.
First, his dad was arrested when Tim and Ellie had gone missing. Now that he and Rose are back from Faerie, and now that Ellie is safe, the police are not really sure what to do. Of course, Tim put a spell on his dad so all he can say is a variation of “everything is fine.” Everything is not fine.
Meanwhile, Rose goes to visit Hettie to try to retrieve Yo-yo. They don’t like each other so, surprise, surprise, Rose leaves without Yo-yo, but Hettie shows us a few possible futures. Everything could be fine.
Finally, with his dad safe at home, Tim goes to find Ellie and tells her he is a magician and that does not end well either. So, he heads to school, has a terse talk with Rose and goes home to find…Not telling.
Positives
Kat Howard has her story telling on lock. I mean, last month the lead was not even in Books of Magic, yet there were LITERAL Books Of Magic in last month’s issue. Then, this month, she brings it all back, gives everyone the perfect amount of page time and makes the reader feel 100 percent anxious for next month’s issue. I just can not express enough how well written this book is.
Cover artist Kai Carpenter is simply doing brilliant work. Think back to those original Sandman covers and how beautiful they were. These are that beautiful. While Carpenter’s style is different, the effect is the same. Just stunning.
Finally, the art team of Churilla, Fowler and Louise are making Books of Magic so stunning. Every page is vibrant. Every pencil stroke or splash of color is perfectly placed. There is a scene where Rose and Hettie are having it out and yet the art team spends tons of detail on Yo-yo and Hettie’s birds goofing around. Because the end result of that conversation is that Yo-yo has to make up his own mind, the art team lest us see that he has the ability to make up his own mind even though he is just an owl. Such perfect storytelling.
Negatives
I feel like I am not being overly repetitive to say that there is nothing to report. This book is just flawless. Month after month, it performs.
Verdict
Look, if you are not reading Books of Magic each month you are totally missing out on an amazing book. The final page of this month is so good that I am firing up the DeLorean so I can get next month’s issue. See you there.
