Books of Magick: Life During Wartime #1

July 13, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?

Tim Hunter has given up on magic… but magic hasn’t given up on Tim Hunter.

Writer: Si Spencer
Story By: Neil Gaiman & Si Spencer
Art:Dean Ormston
Colors: Fiona Stephenson
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Shelly Bond
Cover Art: Frank Quitely
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

Review: I am an unabashed fan of Tim Hunter. I loved the original Books of Magic series about his childhood and the subsequent Hunter: The Age of Magic about his teenage years. Right from the outset, from the addition of that “k” to the word “Magick” in the title, it is clear that this will be a very different Tim than we have seen in the past.

It seems about four years have passed since we last saw Tim. He has turned away from his destiny to become the greatest sorcerer of them all, denied his place as the Merlin. He has settled down with the love of his life, Molly, and he is happy in a world without magic.

Cue the cataclysm.

Something is very wrong with this universe. Magical creatures are dying… being slaughtered. People seem to be forgetting all about gods and faith. Hell seems to be coming to Earth and, as always, John Constantine is going to have to get Tim back on track if the world is going to be saved.

I’ll be honest here, this is not a very accessible issue. As big a fan of this series as I am, I had to read this issue twice and I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on. Now some of that, of course, is because this is the first issue of the series and a lot will be filled in as the story progresses, but new readers won’t grasp who Tim is or why he’s so important or why Constantine is thinking about him. Having read the earlier books is almost a prerequisite for this one.

Dean Ormston’s artwork is spot-on. He has a fantastic quality that is still quite dark and dirty, reminding us of the subtitle of this new series, Life During Wartime. This is not a bright, happy tale. This is likely to be a hellish, brutal story. War is Hell, and Ormston’s artwork, even in the early, jollier scenes, conveys a sense of foreboding. You can look at the panels, at the serenity in Tim’s face, and you know that in a matter of issues, it’s all going to be shattered.

This is a very new direction for Tim Hunter, and while it may be a bit confusing, it’s one I like. I’ve already hitched myself to this title. I’ve got to see where it goes.

Rating: 8/10

Hellblazer #192

January 27, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Staring at the Wall Part Four

Constantine sets up a last stand.

Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Marcelo Frusin
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis
Cover Art: Tim Bradstreet
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

With only one issue left in this story arc, Mike Carey has set things up for a really epic climax. As a demon has found a way to invade and take over the collective unconscious of the human race, John Constantine has found a way to shield himself from the insanity, making him humanity’s last hope. Outside mob rule has taken over, riots rip apart the cities, fires burn and things are plunged into chaos.

I must say, however, my favorite thing about this issue is that we are reminded that several of the Vertigo titles do take place in the DC universe proper, and as such, the fact that it’s a shared universe is recognized and used to the story’s advantage in this issue. Aside from Constantine’s own battle, we see how other mystic creatures are dealing with the insanity about them with cameos by Lucifer, Swamp Thing and one of my personal favorites, Tim Hunter (the new Books of Magic series cannot begin soon enough).

In fact, if one didn’t like the shared universe concept, that could be the biggest complaint they have about this issue, that it reads a bit too much like a superhero comic and not the horror/dark fantasy title it is purported to be. But why can’t it be both? If the book reads well — and it does — what’s wrong with that sort of thing?

Marcelo Frusin wouldn’t be one of my favorite artists on other projects, but his talents are very well-suited to this book. He and colorist Lee Loughridge craft a very good dark, dismal world, reflecting the horrors that Constantine’s enemy is inflicting on the planet Earth. Frusin also does a very good Swamp Thing, and with rumors floating around about that book being resurrected later this year, editors would do well to look in his direction.

Although I’ve always enjoyed Constantine’s guest appearances in other titles, I’ve never bothered to read his own book until this storyline. I think I found a good one to come in on. Dark, funny and horrifying sometimes, this is a good comic book, and with only eight months to go, one can’t help but wonder what Carey has in the works for the big issue #200.

Rating: 7/10