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The Unwritten
The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice
This exciting, original graphic novel explores the world of the Tommy Taylor novels in a visceral and direct way and is a great entry point for new readers.
Twenty-five years ago Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, devised his subversive literary masterpiece. Now the blueprint of how a father gave his son vast power in order to accomplish a greater scheme is revealed. Partly told through Wilson’s own journal entries, juxtaposed with Tommy’s swashbuckling deep sea adventures with his trusty companions Peter and Sue, the story is at once a prequel and a parallel story to the ongoing series.
Twenty-five years ago Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, devised his subversive literary masterpiece. Now the blueprint of how a father gave his son vast power in order to accomplish a greater scheme is revealed. Partly told through Wilson’s own journal entries, juxtaposed with Tommy’s swashbuckling deep sea adventures with his trusty companions Peter and Sue, the story is at once a prequel and a parallel story to the ongoing series.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2013
12 people are currently reading
1040 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,267 books2,971 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 209 reviews
May 14, 2017
I almost didn't read this.
Because who cares about the origin story of a fictious character another fictious character is named after, right?
Ok, but that's not what this is. I mean, it is, but there's waaaay more to it!
This is Tom's origin story, told alongside the story of the boy wizard Tommy that Wilson Taylor was writing at the time.
AND IT IS SO FREAKING COOL!
Wilson is working his voodoo, spinning his web tighter around Tom while he's still in Sue's womb so that by the time he's born the lines between fantasy and reality are irrevocably blurred. Wilson's diary entries don't endear him to the reader, but I can't help wondering if he's not as horrible as it appears on the surface. Yes, he's undoubtedly a narcissistic douchebag, but there's this underlying feeling that he truly thinks he's doing this for some Greater Good.
Honestly, I was only reading it to find out how Wilson 'created' Tom, but I ended up getting totally sucked into Tommy Taylor's story, as well. It was actually a pretty fantastic tale that I secretly wish was a real book so I could pretend to check it out for my kids. Just sayin'...
If you're thinking about skipping this and going straight to volume 8, you can absolutely do that. It's not strictly a necessity.
But.
This is a really cool story that I wouldn't recommend you pass up.
Because who cares about the origin story of a fictious character another fictious character is named after, right?
Ok, but that's not what this is. I mean, it is, but there's waaaay more to it!
This is Tom's origin story, told alongside the story of the boy wizard Tommy that Wilson Taylor was writing at the time.
AND IT IS SO FREAKING COOL!
Wilson is working his voodoo, spinning his web tighter around Tom while he's still in Sue's womb so that by the time he's born the lines between fantasy and reality are irrevocably blurred. Wilson's diary entries don't endear him to the reader, but I can't help wondering if he's not as horrible as it appears on the surface. Yes, he's undoubtedly a narcissistic douchebag, but there's this underlying feeling that he truly thinks he's doing this for some Greater Good.
Honestly, I was only reading it to find out how Wilson 'created' Tom, but I ended up getting totally sucked into Tommy Taylor's story, as well. It was actually a pretty fantastic tale that I secretly wish was a real book so I could pretend to check it out for my kids. Just sayin'...
If you're thinking about skipping this and going straight to volume 8, you can absolutely do that. It's not strictly a necessity.
But.
This is a really cool story that I wouldn't recommend you pass up.
June 25, 2023
The true origin of Tom Taylor, the origin of the marketing plan and the first Tommy Taylor book in its entirety. Really rather good, one of the best volumes of the series and it doesn't use comic book graphics to tell Tom's story, but actual paragraphs of text alongside illustrations . This is what The Unwritten does well, breaking comic book writing boundaries, this is to all intent and purposes a conventional book, and what an awesome origin story! 9 out of 12, Four Star read.
2017 and 2015 read
2017 and 2015 read
October 1, 2019
The Unwritten is either the world’s most pleasurable sneeze or its worst orgasm. It’s right on the edge of being amazing, but just doesn’t quite push you over the edge.
Still, if the worst part of your day is either of the aforementioned things happening, that’s a pretty good day.
Carey and Gross as a team are greater than the sum of their individual parts, and their combined talents elevate this prequel/origin story original graphic novel to entertaining heights.
It’s billed as a good entry point for new readers, but I feel that’s a little bit like saying candy corn mix is a good choice for someone who’s never had sugar before. I’d start with The Unwritten Vol. 1 rather than this if you’re new to the world of Tommy Taylor (whether you shove mellowcreme pumpkins down your cramhole until you puke while you read is entirely up to you, however).
Still, if the worst part of your day is either of the aforementioned things happening, that’s a pretty good day.
Carey and Gross as a team are greater than the sum of their individual parts, and their combined talents elevate this prequel/origin story original graphic novel to entertaining heights.
It’s billed as a good entry point for new readers, but I feel that’s a little bit like saying candy corn mix is a good choice for someone who’s never had sugar before. I’d start with The Unwritten Vol. 1 rather than this if you’re new to the world of Tommy Taylor (whether you shove mellowcreme pumpkins down your cramhole until you puke while you read is entirely up to you, however).
January 14, 2016
I am so unbelievably glad that this particular volume of this series exists. Like, it wasn't necessary that Carey and Gross write it, and you don't HAVE to read it if you're making your way through the series, but oh man, you're missing out if you don't!
So this graphic novel--which, unlike the rest of The Unwritten, was released as one trade paperback, no individual issues--is two things.
First, it's the story of how Wilson Taylor came to create both his son and his first novel, Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, which you'll notice has the same title as this lovely piece of work I'm reviewing. Those two things, Tom/Tommy and the Tommy Taylor series, are inextricably related because of what Wilson Taylor did. The insight into the themes and actions of the main series is not only fun, but helpful in unraveling what's already passed there, and what's to come. This book isn't in the main chronology of the series, presumably because it's such a side trip, but if so, it's one worth taking.
And second, it's the actual full first story of Tommy Taylor, the one published in-universe in novel form. The first of fourteen books in the Tommy Taylor series. Except, we get it in graphic novel form, sandwiched in between flashbacks to Wilson Taylor's life as he's writing it, and dealing with new fatherhood.
What's genius about this is that it works on multiple levels. I'm always saying how much I love stories within stories, and often find myself wishing that in-universe fiction was available for me to actually read (i.e. the Misery books in Misery, the Simon Snow books from Fangirl). So that we actually get to do that is super awesome (the Tommy Taylor excerpts from previous issues were always highlights for me). Also, reading the story, it becomes clear how and why Wilson Taylor designed the series very purposefully to tap into certain things in the reading public's Jungian subconscious (i.e. Leviathan). The story is an extremely familiar one, very much on purpose, but originality was never the point. Events from past issues make a lot more sense in the light of this story. And finally, reading just this first story makes it clear how tightly our hero Tom is tied to his fictional counterpart, Tommy, which definitely has implications for the series going forward.
The art is gorgeous, as per the usual for this series, but they really stepped it up a notch for this one. The Tommy Taylor parts were much dreamier, and had a softer look to them, a little bit more of a duller color palette. The whole time I was reading, I was simultaneously happy to be reading, and wishing very hard that they would write the rest of the thirteen books as well, so I could read the whole story. It's very sad that this will never happen. I'll have to settle for the ending of the main series, and hope we also get clued in to Tommy's fate as well.
I can't believe I'm almost done with this series!
So this graphic novel--which, unlike the rest of The Unwritten, was released as one trade paperback, no individual issues--is two things.
First, it's the story of how Wilson Taylor came to create both his son and his first novel, Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, which you'll notice has the same title as this lovely piece of work I'm reviewing. Those two things, Tom/Tommy and the Tommy Taylor series, are inextricably related because of what Wilson Taylor did. The insight into the themes and actions of the main series is not only fun, but helpful in unraveling what's already passed there, and what's to come. This book isn't in the main chronology of the series, presumably because it's such a side trip, but if so, it's one worth taking.
And second, it's the actual full first story of Tommy Taylor, the one published in-universe in novel form. The first of fourteen books in the Tommy Taylor series. Except, we get it in graphic novel form, sandwiched in between flashbacks to Wilson Taylor's life as he's writing it, and dealing with new fatherhood.
What's genius about this is that it works on multiple levels. I'm always saying how much I love stories within stories, and often find myself wishing that in-universe fiction was available for me to actually read (i.e. the Misery books in Misery, the Simon Snow books from Fangirl). So that we actually get to do that is super awesome (the Tommy Taylor excerpts from previous issues were always highlights for me). Also, reading the story, it becomes clear how and why Wilson Taylor designed the series very purposefully to tap into certain things in the reading public's Jungian subconscious (i.e. Leviathan). The story is an extremely familiar one, very much on purpose, but originality was never the point. Events from past issues make a lot more sense in the light of this story. And finally, reading just this first story makes it clear how tightly our hero Tom is tied to his fictional counterpart, Tommy, which definitely has implications for the series going forward.
The art is gorgeous, as per the usual for this series, but they really stepped it up a notch for this one. The Tommy Taylor parts were much dreamier, and had a softer look to them, a little bit more of a duller color palette. The whole time I was reading, I was simultaneously happy to be reading, and wishing very hard that they would write the rest of the thirteen books as well, so I could read the whole story. It's very sad that this will never happen. I'll have to settle for the ending of the main series, and hope we also get clued in to Tommy's fate as well.
I can't believe I'm almost done with this series!
April 10, 2014
Basically two stories in one. On one hand, Wilson Taylor's process as he started the process of molding his son into a fictional character. And while it's interesting to see his actual thought processes, and see that he really was every bit as cold as he had seemed, it isn't really new information. The Wilson Taylor scenes alternate with what's basically a compressed version of the first Tommy Taylor book. Which is a really fun read, actually. This would be a really good children's fantasy, and it was nice to finally get some background on the characters that have had such an impact on the readers.
December 7, 2013
Interesting and fun (especially in the beginning) for those reading "The Unwritten" series, as it sets out the origins of the Tommy Taylor story as Owen Taylor is writing it, his reason being that the "boy wizard character" is a powerful archetype right now -- so powerful this series never has to name its inspiration. I especially liked the references to other iconic fantasy worlds, such as Narnia and Middle-earth, as Owen tries to find his way to the beginning of his own fictional world. The fun dissipated a little bit for me near the end with the intentional too-many analogies to the Harry Potter phenomenon, but really it was fine, as that's part of the point.
The two different styles of illustration for the two stories in this volume are extremely well done.
The two different styles of illustration for the two stories in this volume are extremely well done.
September 17, 2013
This is a difficult story to review. Like the comic book series that it has spun off from, Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice is in part about the acts of writing and creating. In this stand alone tale we get to know the origins of both Tom Taylor and Tommy Taylor. Biological origins in one case and literary origins in the other.
And I'm guessing that those of you who haven't read any of The Unwritten really won't have the faintest idea what I'm talking about by this stage.
Suffice to say there are two intertwined stories in this book. One is a Harry Potteresque story of a young Tommy Taylor and his earliest years. The other is the story of an author's carefully planned and staged campaign to write the book and release it on the day his son Tom Taylor is born. And the reason for doing this cannot really be understood without having read the comics that proceed this graphic novel. Though I think it's safe to say that if you went on from reading this to the first volume of the comics everything would fall into place nicely.
The author and artist team from the comics handle graphic novel so it's very much a continuation and expansion of what they have already created. Visually its wonderfully done with two different styles presenting the two stories and their radically different tones.
While Tommy Taylor's story is quite openly a pastiche of Harry Potter and similar works, it also has enough depth to it to stand on its own as an enjoyable tale the second story of the creation of that tale gives even greater richness to the whole thing.
I'd call this one a must read. The only question is whether you should read volume 1 of The Unwritten first.
And I'm guessing that those of you who haven't read any of The Unwritten really won't have the faintest idea what I'm talking about by this stage.
Suffice to say there are two intertwined stories in this book. One is a Harry Potteresque story of a young Tommy Taylor and his earliest years. The other is the story of an author's carefully planned and staged campaign to write the book and release it on the day his son Tom Taylor is born. And the reason for doing this cannot really be understood without having read the comics that proceed this graphic novel. Though I think it's safe to say that if you went on from reading this to the first volume of the comics everything would fall into place nicely.
The author and artist team from the comics handle graphic novel so it's very much a continuation and expansion of what they have already created. Visually its wonderfully done with two different styles presenting the two stories and their radically different tones.
While Tommy Taylor's story is quite openly a pastiche of Harry Potter and similar works, it also has enough depth to it to stand on its own as an enjoyable tale the second story of the creation of that tale gives even greater richness to the whole thing.
I'd call this one a must read. The only question is whether you should read volume 1 of The Unwritten first.
May 6, 2017
4.5
Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.
The graphic novel falls outside of the main Unwritten storyline, filling in some of the backstory on Wilson Taylor's initial creation of Tommy, as well as the plot of the first Tommy Taylor novel. This is a standalone story, but I think that aspects of it would be difficult to understand without having read the previous volumes of The Unwritten. A new reader might find themselves rather lost, while fans of the comic will most likely enjoy this volume just as much as those in the normal continuity.
The writing here is wonderful as always. Carey switches back and forth between the origin stories of the fictional and the not quite as fictional Tommy Taylors, giving us a more cohesive view of how this all began. It's also fun to finally see more of the novels that form such a central part of The Unwritten. The art in this volume is absolutely beautiful, and would make the volume well worth looking at even if the story were not as engaging. Luckily, both story and art are strong. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed The Unwritten so far.
Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.
The graphic novel falls outside of the main Unwritten storyline, filling in some of the backstory on Wilson Taylor's initial creation of Tommy, as well as the plot of the first Tommy Taylor novel. This is a standalone story, but I think that aspects of it would be difficult to understand without having read the previous volumes of The Unwritten. A new reader might find themselves rather lost, while fans of the comic will most likely enjoy this volume just as much as those in the normal continuity.
The writing here is wonderful as always. Carey switches back and forth between the origin stories of the fictional and the not quite as fictional Tommy Taylors, giving us a more cohesive view of how this all began. It's also fun to finally see more of the novels that form such a central part of The Unwritten. The art in this volume is absolutely beautiful, and would make the volume well worth looking at even if the story were not as engaging. Luckily, both story and art are strong. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed The Unwritten so far.
January 18, 2018
2.5? Meh? I’ve been excited about this series for a while. The artwork is really pretty, and I like the idea that it’s based on HP kind of, but for me it was like a strange extra-magicky rip-off of HP ideas. I’ll try another one in the series since this was a “prologue” story.
November 28, 2025
I liked it.
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scene ⭐⭐⭐
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scene ⭐⭐⭐
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
August 13, 2016
This was really boring and I could not continue it
March 22, 2018
Why on earth is THIS the side story, but that stupid Fables crap made it into the 'main' storyline somehow??? Anyway, this was pretty interesting, actually more interesting than a lot of the later volumes of the main series, but whatever it's not like I'm bitter or anything -_-; The stuff from Tom's early life and Wilson's journals was really great and WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT IN THE MAIN SERIES. [ahem] Sorry. The part that was Tommy's origin story was interesting but honestly I could have done with a little bit less of that and a bit more of the 'real' world. But it was still a very interesting read and actually filled in a few things that they never got to in the main series so I'm glad I ended up reading it.
January 29, 2018
Excellent storytelling with a deft handling of reality merging with a fantasy world. This is the first book I’ve read of the series, and I plan to read more - but I sincerely hope the other volumes have more confident artists. The art here looks half formed and sloppy, it’s a shame that it does not match the strength of the writing.
April 22, 2018
Fun graphic novel with hints of old favourites like Harry Potter to satisfy a craving for story.
December 24, 2022
Glad I read it last. It was sh** and completely unneeded.
November 18, 2018
Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this. As is the case for all Tommy Taylor stories I've read. This is especially brilliant for it tells the origin stort of Tommy, both Wilson's son and the eponymous wizard boy character. What's surprisingly good about the Tommy Taylor books is there's that hint of the familiar, but it's written so expertly that you don't dwell on your own contempt. You go with he flow. For that's all there's to these books, the flow...
June 11, 2015
To what extant does fiction influence reality? In the world of the graphic novel series The Unwritten, created by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, the magic of fiction is quite real, and there are people determined to tap into it. Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice is a prequel to the main series, which has been on my list of series to get around to for years. As such, I only know the basic premise; Tom Taylor is the adult son of an author who based his most famous work on young Tom. This has somehow given Tom the ability to travel to fictional worlds. This volume explores the lengths that Wilson Taylor went to in order to set up these events.
The story of the volume is told in journal entries written by Wilson during Tom’s gestation and the first year of his life interspersed with scenes from the first book of the Tommy Taylor series that will make both Wilson and Tom household names. The two narratives are readily distinguished from each other by the differences in the coloring and inking style, which both helps readers shift between the two interweaving stories with ease and communicates the differences in tone between the two beautifully. The Tommy Taylor scenes will feel achingly familiar to fantasy fans, which is, of course, the point. Wilson is trying to create something that will hook into current cultural trends and draw power from them. The journals are the real story. As a newcomer to The Unwritten, I don’t know what Wilson’s goal is in creating a real child and a fictional character at the same time and welding the identities of the two so closely together, but it is fascinating to witness the obsessive attention to detail it requires, as well as the cold-heartedness. The question of “Why?” hangs over everything. Readers of the main series may already know the answer, but newcomers are pulled forward by it.
Presumably, the volume had two goals: to answer questions fans of the series had about Wilson Taylor and to act as an entry-point for people who are on the fence about picking up the main series. Reporting from the latter camp, I can say that The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice has certainly intrigued me to find out more while still being a satisfying read all on its own. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the nature of fiction or fantasy fans willing to try out a self-aware examination of the genre.
The story of the volume is told in journal entries written by Wilson during Tom’s gestation and the first year of his life interspersed with scenes from the first book of the Tommy Taylor series that will make both Wilson and Tom household names. The two narratives are readily distinguished from each other by the differences in the coloring and inking style, which both helps readers shift between the two interweaving stories with ease and communicates the differences in tone between the two beautifully. The Tommy Taylor scenes will feel achingly familiar to fantasy fans, which is, of course, the point. Wilson is trying to create something that will hook into current cultural trends and draw power from them. The journals are the real story. As a newcomer to The Unwritten, I don’t know what Wilson’s goal is in creating a real child and a fictional character at the same time and welding the identities of the two so closely together, but it is fascinating to witness the obsessive attention to detail it requires, as well as the cold-heartedness. The question of “Why?” hangs over everything. Readers of the main series may already know the answer, but newcomers are pulled forward by it.
Presumably, the volume had two goals: to answer questions fans of the series had about Wilson Taylor and to act as an entry-point for people who are on the fence about picking up the main series. Reporting from the latter camp, I can say that The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice has certainly intrigued me to find out more while still being a satisfying read all on its own. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the nature of fiction or fantasy fans willing to try out a self-aware examination of the genre.
August 11, 2015
Outstanding! This Unwritten original graphic novel (OGN) has exactly what I expect from Carey's superb Vertigo series following my lacklustre experience with the ninth volume, Untold Fables. In brief, this is an origin story for Tom Taylor as seen through his father's journal juxtaposed with the entirety of the first "book" in the Tommy Taylor series.
While that may sound ludicrous to anyone not familiar with the series, anyone who has been following the series up to this point (released between volumes 6 and 7 if I am not mistaken) will delight in the revelations this book provides. What's more, the novel presented in this OGN, which exists in the same universe as the Unwritten series (a meta-book perhaps?) is stellar! Though the riffs on Harry Potter are quite obvious, the story manages to build its own wholly contained universe that has been hinted at in the main series. In fact, the story is so compelling that I would gladly buy self-contained OGNs detailing the other Tommy Taylor books.
Though it is not a necessary read for those who are following Unwritten, "Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice" is an enjoyable diversion from the main series that enriches the story that preceded it. As I binge through the final two volumes over the next few days, this serves as a highly welcome return to form for the series. I am filled with both anticipation for the story to follow and apprehensive that I will see the conclusion to a series I have followed for so long.
While that may sound ludicrous to anyone not familiar with the series, anyone who has been following the series up to this point (released between volumes 6 and 7 if I am not mistaken) will delight in the revelations this book provides. What's more, the novel presented in this OGN, which exists in the same universe as the Unwritten series (a meta-book perhaps?) is stellar! Though the riffs on Harry Potter are quite obvious, the story manages to build its own wholly contained universe that has been hinted at in the main series. In fact, the story is so compelling that I would gladly buy self-contained OGNs detailing the other Tommy Taylor books.
Though it is not a necessary read for those who are following Unwritten, "Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice" is an enjoyable diversion from the main series that enriches the story that preceded it. As I binge through the final two volumes over the next few days, this serves as a highly welcome return to form for the series. I am filled with both anticipation for the story to follow and apprehensive that I will see the conclusion to a series I have followed for so long.
September 16, 2013
Standalone graphic novel companion to the series. Here, we get two stories intertwined: that of the "real" Tommy's early days, through his father, Wilson's, diary entries, and the first Tommy Taylor novel, the title story about the ship that sank twice. Even though the Taylor books, as we've come to know them in the comics so far are little more than a pastiche of the Harry Potter books, the story is still a good story, covering all the bases: young protagonist comes into his own with the help of an older, wiser mentor, while battling a grave and terrible danger (the first appearance of Count Ambrosio, the vampire). The artwork differs in the two threads, with that in the "ship" story almost looking like stills from an animated cartoon, while the artwork in the Wilson Taylor diary entries is a bit more "realistic," if that makes any sense. It's a complex story and fills in a lot of the gaps that have been left open ever since this series began. I think that releasing it now makes a lot of sense, now that we're invested in these characters and we've seen the story take shape from the outside. A lot of what's included here are things we already knew, in passing, yet it works to lay it out in more detail and to intermingle the two stories as the "fictional" Tommy Taylor and the "real" Tommy Taylor grow up together.
This is an outstanding series and only gets richer as it goes on. **ARC provided by NetGalley
This is an outstanding series and only gets richer as it goes on. **ARC provided by NetGalley
February 27, 2014
In Mike Carey’s The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, Tommy appears in an unfamiliar form: first as unborn, and then as a baby. The mystery of Tommy’s real mother is solved (a name change is involved), as well as the depths of his father’s manipulation.
In Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, we learn the origin of both Tommy Taylor the boy and Tommy Taylor the character. Both are published/born at the same time, and both are subject to restrictions of their father, who seeks to create a tale for the general public to buy, both literally and figuratively. Taking his time to figure out the plot which will best capture the imagination and attention of the public, Taylor chooses to tell a children’s story, specifically about a boy who had wizard parents, but who seems to have been denied the spark, as the gift of magic is called in his community. Instead, he acts as a friend to Peter and Sue, who are in wizard school, and helps them to earn their spells. Both tales are engaging, even independent of the previous Unwritten volumes.
Mike Carey and Peter Gross have produced another phenomenal batch of comics, with an engrossing plot and engagingly dark illustrations.
In Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice, we learn the origin of both Tommy Taylor the boy and Tommy Taylor the character. Both are published/born at the same time, and both are subject to restrictions of their father, who seeks to create a tale for the general public to buy, both literally and figuratively. Taking his time to figure out the plot which will best capture the imagination and attention of the public, Taylor chooses to tell a children’s story, specifically about a boy who had wizard parents, but who seems to have been denied the spark, as the gift of magic is called in his community. Instead, he acts as a friend to Peter and Sue, who are in wizard school, and helps them to earn their spells. Both tales are engaging, even independent of the previous Unwritten volumes.
Mike Carey and Peter Gross have produced another phenomenal batch of comics, with an engrossing plot and engagingly dark illustrations.
February 3, 2014
I loved how this book started- a typical writer's problem, how to write a story that is appealing to your audience, but also is new and not a copy of something else written before. The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship that Sank Twice is the story of a writer who decides to craft a story and develop his son to essentially be the main character of the fantasy world.
The real Tommy Taylor's life is briefly described from infancy through the beginnings of toddlerhood. The fantasy Tommy Taylor's life is described from his beginning through adventures that for the sake of this review I will not go into detail about. The ethics of the writer sculpting his real son into a fantasy character is briefly touched upon and provides a very intersting point of discussion and contemptation.
I was very interested by this story. The storyline is intriguing and the artwork is beautiful. Mike Carey does a great job of creating different voices for different characters. The only point of contention I have is that the cursive during the writer's discussion, while pretty, is difficult to read.
The real Tommy Taylor's life is briefly described from infancy through the beginnings of toddlerhood. The fantasy Tommy Taylor's life is described from his beginning through adventures that for the sake of this review I will not go into detail about. The ethics of the writer sculpting his real son into a fantasy character is briefly touched upon and provides a very intersting point of discussion and contemptation.
I was very interested by this story. The storyline is intriguing and the artwork is beautiful. Mike Carey does a great job of creating different voices for different characters. The only point of contention I have is that the cursive during the writer's discussion, while pretty, is difficult to read.
November 4, 2013
Essencialmente uma história longa para manter aceso o interesse dos leitores durante o hiato anunciado entre a primeira e segunda séries de The Unwritten. Esta graphic novel vive de duas histórias paralelas, o início da experiência genético-literária do pai de Tommy e aquela que poderia ser a primeira aventura dos livros ficcionais do jovem feiticeiro Tommy Taylor. O livro vive mais desta segunda linha que funciona como caricatura do género, com um toque de wizard of earthsea misturado com o formalismo de harry potter. O melhor do livro está no seu início, com Carey em modo reflexivo a mostrar-nos a profundidade da teia de influências que sustenta o género fantástico. O conto de origem vai buscar influências aos comics do Superhomem, à grande literaratura de Melville, à iconografia fantástica de Tolkien e à mitologia clássica. A lição é óbvia e repetida de forma elegante: por detrás do mais inócuo dos textos espreitam arquétipos que influenciam o escritor.
December 20, 2016
This volume is an addition (to this series) of perfection and artistic beauty. For reals.
5 stars each for story and art. (All the stars!) The art is beyond beautiful. Really, above and beyond for this volume.
For some incredibly stupid reason I can't explain (maybe based on the snippets of Tommy stories throughout The Unwritten?) I was hesitant to read this. I was afraid a stand-alone Tommy Taylor story would be boring & stiff. Like I said, stupid.
Not only was this as smart (if not sharper & more purposefully done) as the rest of the series, it was a great stand alone children's fantasy story! The fantasy tropes were all there, along with Carey's brilliant writing & great character development. Wilson Taylor is such an asshat, who you kind of root for (feel bad for?) anyway.
(Only thing I will ever complain about it the dairy script that appears in every graphic novel. Wish it was easier to read.)
5 stars each for story and art. (All the stars!) The art is beyond beautiful. Really, above and beyond for this volume.
For some incredibly stupid reason I can't explain (maybe based on the snippets of Tommy stories throughout The Unwritten?) I was hesitant to read this. I was afraid a stand-alone Tommy Taylor story would be boring & stiff. Like I said, stupid.
Not only was this as smart (if not sharper & more purposefully done) as the rest of the series, it was a great stand alone children's fantasy story! The fantasy tropes were all there, along with Carey's brilliant writing & great character development. Wilson Taylor is such an asshat, who you kind of root for (feel bad for?) anyway.
(Only thing I will ever complain about it the dairy script that appears in every graphic novel. Wish it was easier to read.)
April 4, 2014
This has been the best book since the series started. The author parallels the origins of both Tommys by giving us the 1st Tommy Taylor novel and the birth of the Tom we have been following. Unfortunately one of those stories is much more interesting that the other. The fictional Tommy Taylor's origin was so much fun, a great parody of Harry Potter with a few other famous fantasies thrown in. This is what I was expecting when I picked up the series when it began, I was treated to only a few sprinklings of Tommy Taylor but this was more or less the plot of his first book in its entirety. The bits with Tom's birth felt like things we have already seen or could deduce for ourselves.
If you were thinking of giving up on the series like I was I highly encourage the reading of this installment. It was fantastic and fun, really well done!
If you were thinking of giving up on the series like I was I highly encourage the reading of this installment. It was fantastic and fun, really well done!
July 12, 2014
This graphic novel is definitely a story arc of the Vertigo imprint's The Unwritten comic book series. It's a complete story, but it requires the context and foundation of The Unwritten. Best to read after all the issues in The Unwritten, and before the issues of The Unwriten: Apocalypse.
If you read The Unwritten, this is good supplemental material. It's the origin of Tommy Taylor as told by his father, Wilson. It shows not only Wilson's idea and efforts to create a bridge between the real world and the world of fiction, but it tells the story of the first Tommy Taylor book that bridged the gap. There are lots of callbacks and references to the comic series, and lovely layers of meta-commentary for those who like going down the strange art-births-life-births-art rabbit hole.
If you read The Unwritten, this is good supplemental material. It's the origin of Tommy Taylor as told by his father, Wilson. It shows not only Wilson's idea and efforts to create a bridge between the real world and the world of fiction, but it tells the story of the first Tommy Taylor book that bridged the gap. There are lots of callbacks and references to the comic series, and lovely layers of meta-commentary for those who like going down the strange art-births-life-births-art rabbit hole.
November 22, 2023
As far as affectionate parodies of Harry Potter goes, this one wasn't half bad.
Dare I say, it might even have improved on several things the HP books felt kinda lacking in (no not that!).
By far my favorite thing about this though is the in-universe author realizing just how insane his creation has sunk into the pop culture of the world; he writes a letter listing all he's seen so far, going from fanfics, merch, cosplayers, cameoing in the Simpsons, and capped off with, of course, TEH ABUNDANCE OF PR0N!
Dare I say, it might even have improved on several things the HP books felt kinda lacking in (no not that!).
By far my favorite thing about this though is the in-universe author realizing just how insane his creation has sunk into the pop culture of the world; he writes a letter listing all he's seen so far, going from fanfics, merch, cosplayers, cameoing in the Simpsons, and capped off with, of course, TEH ABUNDANCE OF PR0N!
December 25, 2013
I enjoyed this so much more than the last actual Unwritten volume. Fun to read the actual Tommy Taylor book we had heard so much about in previous volumes. Beautiful art. There are a few references that seem anachronistic, and I don't know that we learned anything new from the framing device, but otherwise, a nice fleshing out of the story.
December 1, 2020
I'm not entirely sure who this is for. There's too much "inside baseball" for new readers, but too much "been there done that" (at least where Wilson is concerned) for old ones. While it's fun to read the first Tommy story, it's far from necessary, and I think I could've done without (though I'd be curious to see why Wilson chose to include Leviathan as an actual character).
March 8, 2014
A beautifully illustrated stand-alone volume that, besides telling the story of the first Tommy Taylor novel, clarifies a number of things about just what Wilson Taylor was up to. I must-have for all Unwritten fans!
April 14, 2021
The series in general, but this book especially, brings back fond memories of immersing myself in Narnia as a kid. Mike Carey is some kind of genius, and Peter Gross is quite talented too. I’m liking this almost as much as I liked Lucifer, which is really saying something. I hope they’ve collaborated more so I have something to read after these next few books.
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