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The Unwritten
The Unwritten, Vol. 5: On to Genesis
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2012)A New York Times bestseller!
Before his mysterious disappearance and untimely death, the world-famous fantasy author Wilson Taylor helped bring two enduring creations into the world: Tommy Taylor, the fictional boy wizard who starred in his best selling book...and Tom Taylor, his real-life son.
Armed with his father's journals, Tom Taylor begins a journey to uncover the truth behind how he came into this world. Was he born of flesh and blood, or written into existence by sheer storytelling magic?
His quest will take him across the United States and even into the past - to the Golden Age of comic books and the birth of a new type of hero.
Collecting: The Unwritten 25-30
Before his mysterious disappearance and untimely death, the world-famous fantasy author Wilson Taylor helped bring two enduring creations into the world: Tommy Taylor, the fictional boy wizard who starred in his best selling book...and Tom Taylor, his real-life son.
Armed with his father's journals, Tom Taylor begins a journey to uncover the truth behind how he came into this world. Was he born of flesh and blood, or written into existence by sheer storytelling magic?
His quest will take him across the United States and even into the past - to the Golden Age of comic books and the birth of a new type of hero.
Collecting: The Unwritten 25-30
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 2012
13 people are currently reading
1476 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,261 books2,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
February 24, 2023
Now in possession of writer William Taylor's journals, Tom seeks to find out the truth about his own origin which sees him and his allies travel across America in the present, and into the past(!) to the Golden Age of comics. Not satisfied with all the literary meta fiction they intersperse this reality with, this creative team actively brings superhero comics into the series mythos, and do it pretty well! 8.5 out of 12 Four Star read. Collecting The Unwritten #25 to #30.
2017 and 2013 read
2017 and 2013 read
May 3, 2017
Good news! Tom's found his way out of the whale stories!
Ok, this volume has some of the forward motion that was missing for me in the last volume. Finally, finally, some of the mystery behind the what/who/how of Tom's origins are starting to be revealed. Well, his father's origins are starting to be revealed, at any rate. And since his father's past holds the clues toTommy's Tom's creation, it feels like we're getting somewhere. Maybe. Ish.
So.
Tommy discovers how to use a new power, and he and Lizzie start on a journey through his past.
But before they can do that there's a whole spoilery Ocean's Eleven thing that happens with the Evil Book Cabal (not their real name, but hell if I can remember what they call themselves) and a bunch of rich collectors (<--of rare stuff).
The creepy Puppet Lady makes an appearance that made me sorta love her, Richie is dealing with his vampirism plus running an underground YouTube channel, and the Evil Book Guys try to take out anyone that Tom's ever known...with a pretty decent success rate.
Also?
This dude!
Definitely enjoyed this volume, and looking forward to grabbing the next one!
Ok, this volume has some of the forward motion that was missing for me in the last volume. Finally, finally, some of the mystery behind the what/who/how of Tom's origins are starting to be revealed. Well, his father's origins are starting to be revealed, at any rate. And since his father's past holds the clues to
So.
Tommy discovers how to use a new power, and he and Lizzie start on a journey through his past.
But before they can do that there's a whole spoilery Ocean's Eleven thing that happens with the Evil Book Cabal (not their real name, but hell if I can remember what they call themselves) and a bunch of rich collectors (<--of rare stuff).
The creepy Puppet Lady makes an appearance that made me sorta love her, Richie is dealing with his vampirism plus running an underground YouTube channel, and the Evil Book Guys try to take out anyone that Tom's ever known...with a pretty decent success rate.
Also?
This dude!
Definitely enjoyed this volume, and looking forward to grabbing the next one!
March 30, 2015
We'll call it 3.5 stars.
This series continues to perplex and frustrate me, but only because the first volume was so unbelievably fantastic--when I read volume 1, I thought to myself, "Self--at last, we've found one! A worthy successor to Preacher/Transmetropolitan/Fables/etc. in the grand scheme of epic and imaginative graphic novels that I will devour repeatedly in perpetuity!" Alas, each subsequent volume has been up and down, and none have approached the peak of vol. 1, though I'd say vol. 5 is the strongest since vol. 2, so perhaps we're on an upswing. Here's hoping...
This series continues to perplex and frustrate me, but only because the first volume was so unbelievably fantastic--when I read volume 1, I thought to myself, "Self--at last, we've found one! A worthy successor to Preacher/Transmetropolitan/Fables/etc. in the grand scheme of epic and imaginative graphic novels that I will devour repeatedly in perpetuity!" Alas, each subsequent volume has been up and down, and none have approached the peak of vol. 1, though I'd say vol. 5 is the strongest since vol. 2, so perhaps we're on an upswing. Here's hoping...
April 1, 2014
Not sold on the On to Genesis storyline. For a forbidden love affair that Wilson was willing to risk everything to maintain, there's a distinct lack of passion between him and Mari. I was dissatisfied with the aftermath, too: There's a bit of handwaving, but I wasn't satisfied with Carey's explanation. Still good enough to keep going with the series, but a bit of a letdown.
February 9, 2017
December 2015: This one didn't work for me as well this time around, but it's still pretty great. Not every book in a series is going to be five stars. It's not even that I can necessarily point to anything in particular as a reason for my reluctance to give out that five stars like I did the first time I read it, it's just it didn't seem as good as the previous four volumes. Each of those left me going YES YES YES and this one, while still excellent, merely left me going "yes". You know, singular, no capslock kind of excitement. I think maybe the first time I read this I was just so happy to be reading this series again, after not having any new volumes for almost a year. That's a long time!
ANYWAY. Now that Tom has discovered the Source (and within the first few pages rejoined the real world, and Savoy and Lizzie) it's time for him to figure out how to harness it. Lizzie and Savoy were already thinking the same thing, and while he's been missing in Moby-Dick and wherever else, they've been planning a heist, but it's okay, because it's all stuff that should have been Tom's anyway. His dad's estate is being auctioned off, and the trio want to get to it, specifically his dad's journals, before that happens. Of course things go pear-shaped, and they have another run-in with corpse-face (whose name is Mme Rausche), who actually HELPS them this time, so she seems to be more of an opportunistic player who's out to help herself, and isn't afraid to play both sides. She's still creepy as hell, though.
So they get the journals, and Tom discovers a new ability. Reading aloud from them, he can actually delve into the past, a sort of time-travel, to see the events his father was writing about. And it turns out Wilson Taylor had a lot more going on than previously thought. For one thing, he's a whole lot older than he should be. And for another, he used to work for the Cabal.
Aside from the final issue, which features the return of the foul-mouthed rabbit Pauly Bruckner and a perpetually ascending staircase, the rest of the trade focuses on Wilson Taylor (who was going by Will Tallis at the time) being sent on an errand by the cabal and failing to complete his mission in an unusual way. It's strongly implied that this event in his life is the reason for his eventual turn away from them to actively writing stories to undermine their efforts (which seem to center on manipulating stories to control global politics and economics, i.e. their use of Rudyard Kipling way back in Vol. 1 to stoke nationalism and promote colonization for the British Empire).
It does all hang together, and there are parallel echoes in every story that resonate with all the other stuff the comic is doing (the Orpheus and Eurydice story I know will come back pretty soon). It's just, none of it SPOKE to me the way stuff in the previous four did. YMMV.
March 2012: So, The Unwritten.
It’s really hard to describe why I love this series so much. In fact, it’s really hard to describe this series, period. It is fantastically complex, but not in a confusing way, and not in that way that “smart” things tend to be, where you just know there’s something you should be getting, but you just . . . aren’t. It’s the kind of story that has layers, and if you want to read it as a straight-up adventure, you can certainly do that, but past the surface thriller stuff, this series has meat, ya’ll.
Here, let me steal from the Amazon.com description:
But even that description doesn’t do it justice. And yes, Harry Potter is obviously the connection to make here, but I think it’s worth noting that what Mike Carey actually had in mind was the life of A.A. Milne’s son, who was the inspiration for Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh. In an interview with SciFiPulse.net, Carey noted that:
If you’re looking for a new graphic novel series to become obsessed with, check out The Unwritten first, but don’t tell me if you don’t like it because then I’ll have to go away and cry in a corner.
ANYWAY. Now that Tom has discovered the Source (and within the first few pages rejoined the real world, and Savoy and Lizzie) it's time for him to figure out how to harness it. Lizzie and Savoy were already thinking the same thing, and while he's been missing in Moby-Dick and wherever else, they've been planning a heist, but it's okay, because it's all stuff that should have been Tom's anyway. His dad's estate is being auctioned off, and the trio want to get to it, specifically his dad's journals, before that happens. Of course things go pear-shaped, and they have another run-in with corpse-face (whose name is Mme Rausche), who actually HELPS them this time, so she seems to be more of an opportunistic player who's out to help herself, and isn't afraid to play both sides. She's still creepy as hell, though.
So they get the journals, and Tom discovers a new ability. Reading aloud from them, he can actually delve into the past, a sort of time-travel, to see the events his father was writing about. And it turns out Wilson Taylor had a lot more going on than previously thought. For one thing, he's a whole lot older than he should be. And for another, he used to work for the Cabal.
Aside from the final issue, which features the return of the foul-mouthed rabbit Pauly Bruckner and a perpetually ascending staircase, the rest of the trade focuses on Wilson Taylor (who was going by Will Tallis at the time) being sent on an errand by the cabal and failing to complete his mission in an unusual way. It's strongly implied that this event in his life is the reason for his eventual turn away from them to actively writing stories to undermine their efforts (which seem to center on manipulating stories to control global politics and economics, i.e. their use of Rudyard Kipling way back in Vol. 1 to stoke nationalism and promote colonization for the British Empire).
It does all hang together, and there are parallel echoes in every story that resonate with all the other stuff the comic is doing (the Orpheus and Eurydice story I know will come back pretty soon). It's just, none of it SPOKE to me the way stuff in the previous four did. YMMV.
March 2012: So, The Unwritten.
It’s really hard to describe why I love this series so much. In fact, it’s really hard to describe this series, period. It is fantastically complex, but not in a confusing way, and not in that way that “smart” things tend to be, where you just know there’s something you should be getting, but you just . . . aren’t. It’s the kind of story that has layers, and if you want to read it as a straight-up adventure, you can certainly do that, but past the surface thriller stuff, this series has meat, ya’ll.
Here, let me steal from the Amazon.com description:
“Tom Taylor’s life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom’s real life that fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it’s even implied that the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans more excuses to harass Tom.
When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very mysterious, very deadly group that’s secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very special map — one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of fiction.”
But even that description doesn’t do it justice. And yes, Harry Potter is obviously the connection to make here, but I think it’s worth noting that what Mike Carey actually had in mind was the life of A.A. Milne’s son, who was the inspiration for Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh. In an interview with SciFiPulse.net, Carey noted that:
“Milne grew up feeling that his father had stolen his childhood from him, turned a profit from it and then given it back to him in a form he couldn’t use. Our Tom is very much in that situation when we first meet him, although we take his identity crisis a fair bit further than that.”What The Unwritten does is explore the lines between fiction and reality, and it does so in really creative ways, with absolutely gorgeous artwork to boot. Volume 5, “On to Genesis,” in particular takes that concept one step further, as we get justhismuch closer to learning how Tom Taylor came to be, through the backstory of an anonymous comic writer Wilson Taylor — Tom’s father and creator of Tommy Taylor — fell in love with back in the 20′s. He met her at the behest of the mysterious collective he was working for at the time — the same collective that would later murder him in an attempt to control his stories, which in turn control the world (it sounds complicated, but trust me, it’s awesome) — but he fell in love with her instead of co-opting her story for the nefarioius purposes he was supposed to.
If you’re looking for a new graphic novel series to become obsessed with, check out The Unwritten first, but don’t tell me if you don’t like it because then I’ll have to go away and cry in a corner.
September 17, 2022
probably the most interesting meta construction about the collective unconscious and “story” continues. It’s breadcrumb storytelling like in all comics, but it sure is coming together. I had forgotten some of this, and the foreshadowing is honestly exquisite. Very fun as a re reading experience.
And good that I have the single issues, since ComiXology nuked their browser support and that’s how I read all my digital catalogue.
And good that I have the single issues, since ComiXology nuked their browser support and that’s how I read all my digital catalogue.
September 20, 2015
The 'source' of power is not in the actual books or the words written - but in the people that the story affects.
Soooo...crowd sourced super powers?
That's pretty f'ing cool!
And that is what this series is. Really, really, fucking cool!
You know what I love most about The Unwritten? I'm sitting there reading the actual comics and enjoying myself and all is great. I finish the comic and go on with whatever else the day has in store for me. Throughout the day, it's like my brain is absorbing the story and little by little things start to sink in and clarify.
It's like there is a story within the story within the story.
It's a god damned inception is what it is!
There is a lot going on in this volume. I'm not even going to try and relay through this simple review what the hell just happened. I can tell you, however, that once again I am pretty confident in saying that this is one of my absolute favourite comics in the history of ever!
Onto the next volume. STAT!!
Soooo...crowd sourced super powers?
That's pretty f'ing cool!
And that is what this series is. Really, really, fucking cool!
You know what I love most about The Unwritten? I'm sitting there reading the actual comics and enjoying myself and all is great. I finish the comic and go on with whatever else the day has in store for me. Throughout the day, it's like my brain is absorbing the story and little by little things start to sink in and clarify.
It's like there is a story within the story within the story.
It's a god damned inception is what it is!
There is a lot going on in this volume. I'm not even going to try and relay through this simple review what the hell just happened. I can tell you, however, that once again I am pretty confident in saying that this is one of my absolute favourite comics in the history of ever!
Onto the next volume. STAT!!
June 23, 2012
When I was a kid, I read the occasional super-hero comic book -- I have 4 brothers, so those kinds of comics were around -- but I've never considered myself a fan of the genre. Even so, I enjoyed the super-hero connection and twist to this installment as we are taken back to Depression-era Brooklyn.
The auction, the journals and the return of the Tommy Taylor websites were fun too. The plot thickens!
The auction, the journals and the return of the Tommy Taylor websites were fun too. The plot thickens!
May 8, 2013
I'm having a hard time writing reviews for Unwritten. Is it sufficient enough for me to say that by now this is one of my favorite series and that you should high-tail it to your local comic shop to grab it right now? I hope so. :)
March 25, 2015
More of Wilson's history is revealed, and there is a blessed absence of the disturbing sub-story with the horrific realm of the poor talking animals.
December 11, 2015
The further I get into this series, the more I love it. The concept is so smart, and layered, and unlike anything I've ever read before. For the first couple books, I felt like I was getting my bearings--trying to simply understand the contours of the world Carey was building--but now everything feels fully formed and realized, and I'm simply able to enjoy an incredibly clever, erudite story.
And the deeper I go in this series, the more I appreciate that quality--the refusal to talk down to readers with clunky explanations; it's clear Carey trusted that folks would be intrigued enough to follow the story through (or maybe he just didn't give a fuck, and wrote the story he wanted to write, who cares if people aren't 100% sure what's happening right away).
It permeates the entire story. Literary references run the gamut, from 19th-century children's literature to Golden-Age comics to canonized "great works." Portions of the story are in French or German, without translation. Whole pages are taken up with meta-fictional internet commentary.
Such a great series. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves interesting, boundaries-testing comics/graphic novels, or to a thus-far-exclusively-literary reader who isn't sure how to find a comic/graphic novel that gets them.
And the deeper I go in this series, the more I appreciate that quality--the refusal to talk down to readers with clunky explanations; it's clear Carey trusted that folks would be intrigued enough to follow the story through (or maybe he just didn't give a fuck, and wrote the story he wanted to write, who cares if people aren't 100% sure what's happening right away).
It permeates the entire story. Literary references run the gamut, from 19th-century children's literature to Golden-Age comics to canonized "great works." Portions of the story are in French or German, without translation. Whole pages are taken up with meta-fictional internet commentary.
Such a great series. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves interesting, boundaries-testing comics/graphic novels, or to a thus-far-exclusively-literary reader who isn't sure how to find a comic/graphic novel that gets them.
November 12, 2012
Tom Taylor and his partners, Lizzie and Richie are trying to learn more about Wilson's life and his purpose in creating Tom. They're lured into a trap when Wilson's estate goes up for auction, but manage to escape with their lives and the writer's journals. Reading them allows Tom to bring to life the events that took place and he learns that Wilson was part of a secret cabal that exists to control the world and its events through words and stories. The cabal tries to draw Tom out by killing everyone he knows, but instead of being defeated by this, it pushes Tom into action.
Tommy Taylor knows where his wand is, and he's no longer afraid to use it. Awesome. It's great to see him taking control of his life - such as it is - and going after the bastards who have been screwing with the world. (I wonder though, if there's no one in control, does the world naturally pick up the slack, or do things get crazy?) Exciting installment. Interesting ideas about censorship.
Tommy Taylor knows where his wand is, and he's no longer afraid to use it. Awesome. It's great to see him taking control of his life - such as it is - and going after the bastards who have been screwing with the world. (I wonder though, if there's no one in control, does the world naturally pick up the slack, or do things get crazy?) Exciting installment. Interesting ideas about censorship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 15, 2014
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. It was good, it built on the revelations from the previous volumes, and it explored the potential of media which academics and ivory tower types refuse to take seriously... But it felt a bit patchwork, and there was a trifle too much exposition this time around. I suspect the author recognized this, because he included this marvelous exchange in the final chapter:
LIZZIE: "Th-thank you, Tom. Uh...is this really--?"
TOM: "If we start in with the exposition, we'll never stop. Let's get some air, shall we?"
LIZZIE: "Th-thank you, Tom. Uh...is this really--?"
TOM: "If we start in with the exposition, we'll never stop. Let's get some air, shall we?"
December 10, 2018
If you're a writer or someone who likes to think more deeply than just the immediate text, you may really like this series. I can't remember who recommended this to me, but it's an amazing read on a number of levels.
This series keeps getting stronger and stronger...and it's now at a point where I may break my habit of waiting for trade paperback collections and go hunt up any issues after this one just so I don't have to wait to read more.....
This series keeps getting stronger and stronger...and it's now at a point where I may break my habit of waiting for trade paperback collections and go hunt up any issues after this one just so I don't have to wait to read more.....
October 2, 2022
Tohle je hodně dobrý díl. U předchozích knih jsem si říkal, jak chce Mike Carey pokračovat a jestli se nebude opakovat. Zapomněl jsem, že vždycky se dá jít i do minulosti. Zde to Carey udělal velmi chytře. V téměř detektivním pátrání se vypravil do minulosti, která toho hodně prozrazuje o okolnostech Tomova zrození a také se dotýká alternativní historie vzniku komiksových superhrdinů. Hodně mě baví, jak si Carey se všemi těmi příběhy pohrává. Základní zákonitosti celé série jsou už více méně jasné a teď jen stačí sledovat příběh, postupně s hrdiny odhalovat záhady a tajemství minulosti, a s napětím sledovat, jak to celé dopadne.
January 11, 2018
These graphic novels are great. Quick to read, lots going on, plenty of action and excitement...I'd definitely recommend them.
As the title suggests, we learn more about who Tommy Taylor is, and how and why he was created. We also learn that his father was once an active member of the cabal and how they began to discover that the power of books and stories could be harnessed. Tommy isn't the first son that Wilson Taylor has used to power beliefs, and as Tom and Liz investigate Wilson's past, the cabal starts eliminating people who were close to Tom.
As the title suggests, we learn more about who Tommy Taylor is, and how and why he was created. We also learn that his father was once an active member of the cabal and how they began to discover that the power of books and stories could be harnessed. Tommy isn't the first son that Wilson Taylor has used to power beliefs, and as Tom and Liz investigate Wilson's past, the cabal starts eliminating people who were close to Tom.
March 14, 2018
Really enjoyed this volume, I feel like we're getting some more answers, although really more about Tom's father than Tom himself. Still, it was a fun volume and I feel like things are really starting to build up now. I don't really want to say more because ~spoilers~ but we're definitely picking up steam at this point.
December 9, 2022
Starting to get to the heart of things here. I like this comic as a whole even if it is slow at times. The Cabal as an entity is something that I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to find out is real.
September 23, 2012
With Tom Taylor presumed dead and Wilson’s estate up for auction, what else can Lizzie and Savoy do but try to steal what they need from it? Specifically Lot 57. Lizzie provides a diversion so that Savoy can surreptitiously photograph the layout of the auction house where everything is on display for inspection. And while they are mulling everything over in the safety of a small diner, the wayward wanderer himself unexpectedly returns after his absence of three months, bursting on the scene from inside a glass of water!
Repairing to another location, Tom tells them his whale of a story. When Savoy asks if he’s found “the Source”, Tom says he has, and that he thinks that it’s people. People who read a story and get something out of it. Maybe even give it back.
Lizzie and Savoy convince Tom, who wishes nothing to do with his father’s estate, why they need Lot 57, and he reluctantly concurs. They break into the auction house, where everything is waiting to be auctioned off the following evening, and quite an interesting haul there is, including a sensory deprivation tank and a stuffed rabbit. But the best laid plans go awry, as they often do, and when the auction begins, there is a valuable new addition to the collection—Tom Taylor himself. With Lizzie and Savoy close at hand, as collateral evidence that Tom is the real deal.
Afterward, with the journals in hand, Tom has to do some serious reading, in order to glean anything from them. The trouble is, there are thirty damn volumes. And his father’s writing isn’t necessarily linear, and he doesn’t always get to the point. An accidental discovery while in the public library, gives them a potentially useful tool to use for those areas of the journals that are sparse in details, a firsthand glimpse into what was.
Tom is convinced that a comic book character from long ago by the name of Tinker holds some clue to what they seek, so he insists on pursuing the lead because he feels his father’s mention of it means something. Meanwhile, Pullman’s employer is unhappy with the results of the auction. But not for long.
Tom, Lizzie and Savoy travel into the past in order to arrive at answers in the present; they make a new friend, and reconnect with an old one.
The deeper we get into the heart of the story, the more exciting this series gets. The premise of the power in the written word is an intoxicating one, dizzyingly brought to life by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, for that is the magic behind everything. And the power that everyone wants to control.
In this volume, we see a lot more of Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, than ever before, all linked with the superhero Tinker, as Tom seeks to learn the truth of his parentage, of his birth. But time is running out, as the bad guys seem to be closing in, and people who have ever been a part of the story are being snuffed out.
Despite his fears of what may be revealed, Tom pushes on. He has grown a great deal, as a character, since we first met him, with the help of Lizzie and Savoy. He’s stronger, and more mature, coming into his own as a man, something that was lacking from his life before. It isn’t easy to examine one’s own life in such detail, perhaps to learn unpleasant truths about his father, and maybe himself. But this is the stuff that makes heroes, and Tom has definitely become the hero in his own story, at last.
This is a fascinating read which only gets better and better, and is wonderfully illustrated by the talented Peter Gross, whose artwork drew me, as much as the writing, to Mike Carey’s Lucifer series. This is one seriously imaginative series. It ranks among my all-time favorites, and is a definite keeper.
Can’t wait to read the next volume, which comes out October 23.
March 10, 2017
Brilliant backstory of Wilson Taylor, comics, and the cabal. The tragic and tightly told backstory is what lifted this series from four to five stars for me.
February 28, 2014
I'm continually going back and forth on this book, and it makes me wish that I used four stars as sparingly as I use five, because the Unwritten is so close to classic and not just there.
The art by Peter Gross is competent without being amazing -- the best way to describe it is "Average Vertigo art." I can always tell what's going on, which is very nice, but for me, a great comic needs a page or a panel every five or six pages that makes you gasp in awe. Not every shot can be, or should be, classic, but no classic shots is a problem. The great covers make up for it some, but I want the great art to be part of the story too.
This book sort of crystalizes my issues with the story, which is a truly great story. This is a truly good and important story that they have embarked on. But sometimes, as in this volume, it turns into Planetary. We meet all these wacky/fascinating characters who are a hundred years old, and what have they done with their lives? Nothing. There's a character in this book who has had super-powers for seventy-three years, and has been cornered by the story into literally never doing anything with them ever.
What's more, his mother and the Evil Father of the series are meant to have had some crazy affair, but there's no warmth or sexuality between them whatsoever. Their love affair, for which they risked all and lost all, is as staid and straight-laced as a dull Victorian novel.
They had the opportunity in this volume to slow down and tell a truly remarkable and extremely sexy story, and instead they rushed through it as fast as possible to get back to the main story, which is also notably lacking in sexy. That's not a problem in all books, but when you consider this volume is about two love affairs it's a problem here.
I would not at all object to them withdrawing this volume, adding several scenes where these people actually seem like they are willing to risk their lives for their forbidden love affairs and the seventy-year-old superhero does SOMETHING in the years between 1940 and 2013, and then releasing it again. Don't retcon it with another volume and make me puzzle them together, just fix this volume.
The title is very, very clever.
The art by Peter Gross is competent without being amazing -- the best way to describe it is "Average Vertigo art." I can always tell what's going on, which is very nice, but for me, a great comic needs a page or a panel every five or six pages that makes you gasp in awe. Not every shot can be, or should be, classic, but no classic shots is a problem. The great covers make up for it some, but I want the great art to be part of the story too.
This book sort of crystalizes my issues with the story, which is a truly great story. This is a truly good and important story that they have embarked on. But sometimes, as in this volume, it turns into Planetary. We meet all these wacky/fascinating characters who are a hundred years old, and what have they done with their lives? Nothing. There's a character in this book who has had super-powers for seventy-three years, and has been cornered by the story into literally never doing anything with them ever.
What's more, his mother and the Evil Father of the series are meant to have had some crazy affair, but there's no warmth or sexuality between them whatsoever. Their love affair, for which they risked all and lost all, is as staid and straight-laced as a dull Victorian novel.
They had the opportunity in this volume to slow down and tell a truly remarkable and extremely sexy story, and instead they rushed through it as fast as possible to get back to the main story, which is also notably lacking in sexy. That's not a problem in all books, but when you consider this volume is about two love affairs it's a problem here.
I would not at all object to them withdrawing this volume, adding several scenes where these people actually seem like they are willing to risk their lives for their forbidden love affairs and the seventy-year-old superhero does SOMETHING in the years between 1940 and 2013, and then releasing it again. Don't retcon it with another volume and make me puzzle them together, just fix this volume.
The title is very, very clever.
October 26, 2012
Carey and co. continue to provide top notch comic entertainment in the fifth volume of The Unwritten, On To Genesis. The title is, of course, a play on words referring both to the stories pointing toward a new beginning (by the end Tommy seems truly ready to take an active rather than reactive posture toward Pullman and the Cabal) and ontogenesis--a word referring to the entire cycle of growth and development of an organism from birth to death--a reference to the stories further clues about Winston's past and Tommy's origin. While any narrative ABOUT narrative like this one can't help becoming meta (it is in fact one of the appeals of the book for me; I love that kind of stuff when it's well handled, and Carey handles it brilliantly), this volume becomes increasingly so as the story investigated (last volume it was Moby Dick, along with short portions of Sinbad the Sailor from the 1001 Arabian Nights) is a comic book that Wilson became involved with tangentially. There is much revealed here, not shocking things really, but satisfying things detailing Wilson's connections to and combat with the Cabal (come on, you didn't think they were always and entirely separate did you?), Tom's origins (although all implicit) and sufficient furtherance of the primary plotline to satisfy at least this reader. This is a story that has to go to dark places and then stay there if it is to work, and Carey proves willing once again to go the necessary distance. Recommended.
P.S. Up till last volume my least favorite part of the series were the Pauly the Sweary White Rabbit issues. However, last volume's final issue (featuring Pauly, duh!) was sufficiently interesting (sufficiently removed from the "oooh look, cute animals using adult language and acting violent!" humor of the first few) that I actually missed having him show up here.
P.S. Up till last volume my least favorite part of the series were the Pauly the Sweary White Rabbit issues. However, last volume's final issue (featuring Pauly, duh!) was sufficiently interesting (sufficiently removed from the "oooh look, cute animals using adult language and acting violent!" humor of the first few) that I actually missed having him show up here.
January 2, 2020
It may be that the novelty of the story is starting to wear off, but I found this volume to be pretty weak. There were several lines and plot twists where I thought, oh yeah, this is a comic book. The early issues didn't really feel like that to me. In the earlier issues, it seemed like the fascinating storyline transcended the commonly weak writing of comics. In this volume, however, it seems like the creators had lost some of the passion they had for it or something.
Some of the methods they use to show background information seem unbelievable here. When Tom reads his father's journals in the right location, he is transported there or something? This was never even close to explained. Also, Tom's transformation from begrudging messiah to Badass Protagonist seemed abrupt and silly. "Well, even though I've resented my connection with this character my entire life, I guess I'll identify with him now, because, you know... I want to blow shit up."
Oh, and of course Lizzie, Tom's bookish friend who hasn't used a gun ever, is suddenly a crack shot.
Okay, one more complaint: the final page of the volume is so lame that I would probably stop reading if I didn't already have book 6.
It just seemed like they phoned this one in, and it wasn't nearly as chock-full of fun conceptual stuff as the earlier volumes.
Some of the methods they use to show background information seem unbelievable here. When Tom reads his father's journals in the right location, he is transported there or something? This was never even close to explained. Also, Tom's transformation from begrudging messiah to Badass Protagonist seemed abrupt and silly. "Well, even though I've resented my connection with this character my entire life, I guess I'll identify with him now, because, you know... I want to blow shit up."
Oh, and of course Lizzie, Tom's bookish friend who hasn't used a gun ever, is suddenly a crack shot.
Okay, one more complaint: the final page of the volume is so lame that I would probably stop reading if I didn't already have book 6.
It just seemed like they phoned this one in, and it wasn't nearly as chock-full of fun conceptual stuff as the earlier volumes.
January 21, 2021
The story is snowballing and becoming more cohesive, and with that more interesting. Things are making a lot more sense, now that Leviathan concept and the source of Tommy's powers.
There's a bit of fuzziness on whether it's a two-way street; a bit of a chicken or egg argument brewing, however, in terms of reality vs. meaning. But the story doesn't seem to want to drown in that philosophical conundrum, which I'm thankful for. But it leaves things rather confusing in terms of Tommy, and nearly incomprehensible in terms of other characters in the gap like Lizzie or the Tinkerer. (Frankenstein's creature, actually, makes the most sense.)
Loved the storyline with the Tinkerer's creator but wish the part with the Tinkerer himself had taken up more ground - that's a SUPER INTERESTING CHARACTER THERE! Also, if this has been done before Tommy, with the Tinkerer, why hasn't the cabal figured it out? Why has NO ONE ever figured this out really? Seems like it happened by accident in that instance, and no one noticed a boy with super powers? Why doesn't Tommy see that probably every artifact from books and mythology is a weapon he could use? Ugh.
I guess I'll keep reading and see.
There's a bit of fuzziness on whether it's a two-way street; a bit of a chicken or egg argument brewing, however, in terms of reality vs. meaning. But the story doesn't seem to want to drown in that philosophical conundrum, which I'm thankful for. But it leaves things rather confusing in terms of Tommy, and nearly incomprehensible in terms of other characters in the gap like Lizzie or the Tinkerer. (Frankenstein's creature, actually, makes the most sense.)
Loved the storyline with the Tinkerer's creator but wish the part with the Tinkerer himself had taken up more ground - that's a SUPER INTERESTING CHARACTER THERE! Also, if this has been done before Tommy, with the Tinkerer, why hasn't the cabal figured it out? Why has NO ONE ever figured this out really? Seems like it happened by accident in that instance, and no one noticed a boy with super powers? Why doesn't Tommy see that probably every artifact from books and mythology is a weapon he could use? Ugh.
I guess I'll keep reading and see.
November 6, 2012
I'm sorry, but I just don't like the art for these books. I love the cover. I envy the story, but the art just bothers me for whatever reason.
Still, the Unwritten continues to be one of my favorite series. This volume felt a little lackluster--as origin/backstories often tend to be--but it's still worth your time. Really, there's no reason to STOP reading these things, as I'm sure volume six will be nothing short of amazing, as I will say, that this one does set up some new dominoes that I can't wait to see fall.
Still, the Unwritten continues to be one of my favorite series. This volume felt a little lackluster--as origin/backstories often tend to be--but it's still worth your time. Really, there's no reason to STOP reading these things, as I'm sure volume six will be nothing short of amazing, as I will say, that this one does set up some new dominoes that I can't wait to see fall.
April 14, 2015
The thing is I want to really like this series. I think the premise is great (sound bite description take Harry Potter and mash it up with Thursday Next). But Mike Carey's execution just seems off. Mind you, I think this is an improvement over the previous volume, but it still falls short of my hopes and expectations.
Carey's flashback to a story about Wilson Taylor, Tommy Taylor's father, is decent. What stands out there is how other characters begin to point out to Wilson where popular culture and reading is headed despite the conspiracy Wilson serves.
Carey's flashback to a story about Wilson Taylor, Tommy Taylor's father, is decent. What stands out there is how other characters begin to point out to Wilson where popular culture and reading is headed despite the conspiracy Wilson serves.
March 26, 2012
I've found this to be kind of a hit-and-miss series overall, but when it's hitting, it's pretty darn good, as in this particular volume, which sort of gives us a bit of an origin story for Tom Taylor (or at least I think it does--time will tell). I love the whole "jumping into and out of stories" idea and it has really worked well at times. The art could be a bit better, but it does what it needs to (I just wish it weren't quite so perfunctory). Looking forward to the next collection.
May 4, 2013
This volume was MUCH better than the previous one, and restored my hope in the series. I still feel like it is taking the characters too long to figure out what the reader already knows. I feel like this is becoming all set up and no action, how long does it take to set the stage!?
I think that the author is trying to get deep and express BIG concepts but I feel like we are going in circles sometimes.
That being said I really enjoyed the 1930's flashbacks and Pulp fiction feel!
I think that the author is trying to get deep and express BIG concepts but I feel like we are going in circles sometimes.
That being said I really enjoyed the 1930's flashbacks and Pulp fiction feel!
November 4, 2012
“Citizen Taylor” is a somewhat shallow heist story that makes up for it with the complex backstory and characters that make up this series [7/10]. The complex interwoven stories of “On to Genesis” are more typical of the book’s strengths [9/10].
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