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Books of Magic (2018)
Books of Magic, Vol. 3: Dwelling in Possibility
Destined to become the most powerful magician in the universe, will Tim Hunter end up the greatest sorcerer the world has ever known? Or the greatest evil that the universe will need to stop?
In the wake of October's The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer #1, John Constantine is loose in our world again--and unfortunately for Tim Hunter, he's convinced the only way for the human race to survive is if Tim is taken off the board. But from where Tim's standing, he's the only one with the power to save us all. Who's right? Who's wrong? And is there room in London for the both of them? The scribes of Books of Magic and John Constantine Hellblazer square off to tell both sides of the tale!
The Sandman Universe is a new series of books curated by Neil Gaiman for DC Vertigo. Conjuring epic storytelling and immersing readers in the evolving world of the Dreaming, the Sandman Universe begins anew with four new ongoing series, existing in a shared universe, building upon Gaiman's New York Times bestselling series that lyrically weaved together stories of dreams and magic.
From acclaimed author Kat Howard (Roses and Rot, An Unkindness of Magicians) and artist Tom Fowler (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Hulk: Season One, Rick and Morty), Books of Magic picks up right where Neil Gaiman left off in 1991!
Collects Books of Magic #14-23.
In the wake of October's The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer #1, John Constantine is loose in our world again--and unfortunately for Tim Hunter, he's convinced the only way for the human race to survive is if Tim is taken off the board. But from where Tim's standing, he's the only one with the power to save us all. Who's right? Who's wrong? And is there room in London for the both of them? The scribes of Books of Magic and John Constantine Hellblazer square off to tell both sides of the tale!
The Sandman Universe is a new series of books curated by Neil Gaiman for DC Vertigo. Conjuring epic storytelling and immersing readers in the evolving world of the Dreaming, the Sandman Universe begins anew with four new ongoing series, existing in a shared universe, building upon Gaiman's New York Times bestselling series that lyrically weaved together stories of dreams and magic.
From acclaimed author Kat Howard (Roses and Rot, An Unkindness of Magicians) and artist Tom Fowler (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Hulk: Season One, Rick and Morty), Books of Magic picks up right where Neil Gaiman left off in 1991!
Collects Books of Magic #14-23.
248 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2020
35 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Kat Howard
114 books811 followersKat Howard is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror who lives and writes in Minnesota.
Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR's best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics' Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor.
You can find her @KatwithSword on Twitter and on Instagram. She talks about books at Epigraph to Epilogue.
Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR's best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics' Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor.
You can find her @KatwithSword on Twitter and on Instagram. She talks about books at Epigraph to Epilogue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 9, 2021
Kat Howard closes out her time on the book by having Tim face an evil version of himself for the umpteenth time. The series gets remarkably better when David Barnett comes onboard for the last 5 issues. He brings in a new punk magic girlfriend for Tim in Izzy. They head to a magical Glastonbury festival before the final arc with the Cold Flame. Barnett does a bang-up job of closing all the dangling plot threads as things come to a head with the Cold Flame and it's a brilliant move. I love how it all dovetails together. It was so good that I was upset the series ended just as it was finally getting good.
February 12, 2021
Tim Hunter's world is turned upside down by the arrival of, in no particular order, John Constantine, his own evil doppleganger, a magical festival, and Destiny Of The Endless! Plus, the truth about the Cult Of The Cold Flame stands revealed, and one decision could change Tim's life forever...
The first half of this volume, collecting the end of Kat Howard's run on the book, feels very reminiscent of the original Books Of Magic series, which saw Tim facing off against an evil future version of himself. I don't know if this story has much more to say on that matter than before, but it's a different twist on things which I appreciated. If you're going to revisit a story, at least present it slightly differently like this.
When David Barnett takes over for the final five issues, he seems to be doing a short one-off story to start with as Tim fights Magical Glastonbury (Trademark, me), but it's the final three issues of the volume and the series that show how good he really is - he manages to tie up literally all the plot threads that have been going on in the past 20 issues and resolve it all despite the fact he didn't write any of them, and it feels immensely satisfying. It's an open ending of course, because Tim's story was never meant to end while he was still a kid, but it's an impressive bit of storytelling (and anyone who can use Destiny and use him properly is good in my book).
Tom Fowler remains constant throughout the book however. He and inker/assistant Craig Taillefer pencil every issue, so there's artistic consistency across the writer change. His characters are still a little on the spindly side, but I appreciate that he's been on the book for 23 issues straight without a break.
Books Of Magic took a while to get going, like fellow Sandman Universe title House Of Whispers. But like that book, it built a good head of steam and managed to do something a little different with Tim Hunter and friends along the way. Of all the Sandman Universe series, I think I'm surprised by just how much this one improved, and I'm a little sad to see it go.
The first half of this volume, collecting the end of Kat Howard's run on the book, feels very reminiscent of the original Books Of Magic series, which saw Tim facing off against an evil future version of himself. I don't know if this story has much more to say on that matter than before, but it's a different twist on things which I appreciated. If you're going to revisit a story, at least present it slightly differently like this.
When David Barnett takes over for the final five issues, he seems to be doing a short one-off story to start with as Tim fights Magical Glastonbury (Trademark, me), but it's the final three issues of the volume and the series that show how good he really is - he manages to tie up literally all the plot threads that have been going on in the past 20 issues and resolve it all despite the fact he didn't write any of them, and it feels immensely satisfying. It's an open ending of course, because Tim's story was never meant to end while he was still a kid, but it's an impressive bit of storytelling (and anyone who can use Destiny and use him properly is good in my book).
Tom Fowler remains constant throughout the book however. He and inker/assistant Craig Taillefer pencil every issue, so there's artistic consistency across the writer change. His characters are still a little on the spindly side, but I appreciate that he's been on the book for 23 issues straight without a break.
Books Of Magic took a while to get going, like fellow Sandman Universe title House Of Whispers. But like that book, it built a good head of steam and managed to do something a little different with Tim Hunter and friends along the way. Of all the Sandman Universe series, I think I'm surprised by just how much this one improved, and I'm a little sad to see it go.
June 17, 2021
Sadly, this appears to be the last volume of the new Books of Magic, as the new Sandman Universe seems to be putting up the chairs and turning out the lights.
The book opens with a single issue featuring John Constantine and Tim. I don't understand how we're getting old-universe John here, and it highlights the problem of this being a new-universe Tim, without actually offering an explanation. But beyond that, this is a nice, very classic story about choosing between right and wrong, even when there's no choice. It's very Tim Hunter [5/5].
After that, Kat Howard ends her run with a long story about future/dream Tim trying to manipulate young Tim. It feels like we've seen this all before, in the original Books of Magic, and it's mostly a big fight/chase, which just isn't that interesting. A shame [3/5].
The best thing about new author Barnett coming aboard is that he doesn't seem content just retreading the same ground, so in "Field of Dreams", we get a new realm and a new female character of interest, Izzy, who's definitely not Molly. The story beyond that is kind of slow, though, as Barnett finds his feet [3+/5].
The book ends with "Dwelling in Possibility", a fair story that nicely picks up tropes from The Sandman, which have been carefully locked in a cupboard since Gaiman ended the original run. The reveal of the big bad unfortunately is that they're some of the most annoying supporting characters in the book, but otherwise this is a fair enough story with good closure [3+/5].
Overall, though, it feels like this new Books of Magic never had enough reason to exist. It was just too repetitive of the original, yet never had its feel of joy.
The book opens with a single issue featuring John Constantine and Tim. I don't understand how we're getting old-universe John here, and it highlights the problem of this being a new-universe Tim, without actually offering an explanation. But beyond that, this is a nice, very classic story about choosing between right and wrong, even when there's no choice. It's very Tim Hunter [5/5].
After that, Kat Howard ends her run with a long story about future/dream Tim trying to manipulate young Tim. It feels like we've seen this all before, in the original Books of Magic, and it's mostly a big fight/chase, which just isn't that interesting. A shame [3/5].
The best thing about new author Barnett coming aboard is that he doesn't seem content just retreading the same ground, so in "Field of Dreams", we get a new realm and a new female character of interest, Izzy, who's definitely not Molly. The story beyond that is kind of slow, though, as Barnett finds his feet [3+/5].
The book ends with "Dwelling in Possibility", a fair story that nicely picks up tropes from The Sandman, which have been carefully locked in a cupboard since Gaiman ended the original run. The reveal of the big bad unfortunately is that they're some of the most annoying supporting characters in the book, but otherwise this is a fair enough story with good closure [3+/5].
Overall, though, it feels like this new Books of Magic never had enough reason to exist. It was just too repetitive of the original, yet never had its feel of joy.
December 23, 2025
Très bonne fin même si un peu prévisible
November 19, 2020
Basic Plot: Tim helps his father to remember before he confronts his dream self in another realm.
This story is strangely disjointed, but still compelling enough to keep me intrigued. The characters all have secrets and depth. This plot was relatively straightforward, yet jumped around enough to make me wonder if I was missing something. The art really reflects the eerie, sinister mood.
This story is strangely disjointed, but still compelling enough to keep me intrigued. The characters all have secrets and depth. This plot was relatively straightforward, yet jumped around enough to make me wonder if I was missing something. The art really reflects the eerie, sinister mood.
June 24, 2021
Tercer y (al menos en apariencia) último arco de las nuevas aventuras de Tim Hunter, aunque esto la verdad es que es una teoría mía por como concluye la historia de este "Viviendo en la Posibilidad". Este volumen reúne varios arcos de la historia de Tim, empezando por la llegada a este Universo Sandman de John Constantine, que además de demostrar que sigue siendo el mismo de siempre, nos aclara en parte por qué Tim Hunter sigue siendo un crío después de tantos años (recordad que Constantine formaba parte de la famosa "Brigada de la Gabardina", los cuatro magos que revelaron la existencia de la Magia a Tim, y donde junto al propio Constantine estaban El Fantasma Desconocido, el Doctor Occult y Myster E)
Así que después de que Tim se encuentre con John, tendrá que hacer frente a un nuevo arco en el que conoceremos a su "lado oscuro", un Tim Hunter onírico y malvado que va a hacer que Tim tenga que volver al reino de Sueño y sus aledaños, mientras la Señorita Rose y una policía hechicera intentan que Tim no quede atrapado en el Sueño. Después, Tim y una nueva amiga mágica, Izzy, se verán arrastrados a Festival, un mundo donde se vive una fiesta medieval fantástica perpetua en el que se verán en problemas cuando una de las historias clásicas de The Sandman, Calíope, se adapte al siglo XXI y nos traiga a un personaje que decide convertir en su esclava a la musa Tepsícore para convertir Festival en su fiesta perpetua. Y por último, en el arco que da nombre al volumen, Viviendo en la Posibilidad, vamos a rastrear el origen de la Secta de la Llama Fría, y lo vamos a hacer en otro de los reinos de los Eternos, el laberinto de Destino, que vuelve así a formar parte de esta nueva encarnación de los mitos de Neil Gaiman.
Como veis, un volumen bastante completo con numerosas historias, que mantienen la unidad visual aunque en los últimos números ya no esté al frente Kat Howard, y que resultan bastante entretenidos aunque probablemente también olvidables. Si realmente la serie acaba aquí, la historia de Tim se me ha quedado un poco corta, los personajes secundarios a medio presentar, y creo que quizá haya un rollo demasiado Netflix en el entorno de la pandilla (cuotas raciales y de género más o menos cubiertas a pegote, pero sin profundizar demasiado en ninguno de los amigos/o no de Tim), así que la sensación final es un poco de ... lectura de medio pelo, por decirlo de alguna manera.
Espero que la historia de Tim Hunter continúe y siga creciendo...
Así que después de que Tim se encuentre con John, tendrá que hacer frente a un nuevo arco en el que conoceremos a su "lado oscuro", un Tim Hunter onírico y malvado que va a hacer que Tim tenga que volver al reino de Sueño y sus aledaños, mientras la Señorita Rose y una policía hechicera intentan que Tim no quede atrapado en el Sueño. Después, Tim y una nueva amiga mágica, Izzy, se verán arrastrados a Festival, un mundo donde se vive una fiesta medieval fantástica perpetua en el que se verán en problemas cuando una de las historias clásicas de The Sandman, Calíope, se adapte al siglo XXI y nos traiga a un personaje que decide convertir en su esclava a la musa Tepsícore para convertir Festival en su fiesta perpetua. Y por último, en el arco que da nombre al volumen, Viviendo en la Posibilidad, vamos a rastrear el origen de la Secta de la Llama Fría, y lo vamos a hacer en otro de los reinos de los Eternos, el laberinto de Destino, que vuelve así a formar parte de esta nueva encarnación de los mitos de Neil Gaiman.
Como veis, un volumen bastante completo con numerosas historias, que mantienen la unidad visual aunque en los últimos números ya no esté al frente Kat Howard, y que resultan bastante entretenidos aunque probablemente también olvidables. Si realmente la serie acaba aquí, la historia de Tim se me ha quedado un poco corta, los personajes secundarios a medio presentar, y creo que quizá haya un rollo demasiado Netflix en el entorno de la pandilla (cuotas raciales y de género más o menos cubiertas a pegote, pero sin profundizar demasiado en ninguno de los amigos/o no de Tim), así que la sensación final es un poco de ... lectura de medio pelo, por decirlo de alguna manera.
Espero que la historia de Tim Hunter continúe y siga creciendo...
April 3, 2021
AKA Morals and Cameos.
That's pretty much all this oversized volume has - cameos from Constantine, one of the Endless, and deep cuts from the Sandman all make their way into Tim's life, and almost always for the express purpose of providing morals that feel like a 'very special episode' of TV. While some of the story and characters manage to be interesting in and amongst that cage, this series has continued to be the least interesting of the Sandman Universe for me.
The Constantine issue has an interesting presentation trick but is otherwise forgettable. Neither character gets much to do, and their interactions are surprisingly limited. Then Tim has to come to terms with his dream self, which ends in a heavy-handed moral. Then Tim meets Izzie, who is the best thing to happen to the series, and has some experiences at a Festival in the story I liked best in the collection. It's creative, and uses characters both old and new in ways that actually help define the characters.
The final story appears to be a wrap-up for the series, providing answers about the Cold Flame that are honestly pretty underwhelming, before using cameo characters completely out of form to have a courtroom drama. All so the moral can be driven home by repetition a number of times. It doesn't really earn its resolution and manages to feel hurried and drawn out at the same time.
Ultimately, I don't know what to say about this series. Basing it around Tim Hunter, but then constraining his magic abilities seems to devalue the very concept of the character, even as it wears its intent on its sleeve. In this last volume, Tim doesn't do much (or maybe it's what he does isn't very flashy), his father is reduced to a bumbling parent who is trying to be supportive without understanding anything, Rose at least gets to express her other side, and everyone else exists and makes decisions solely to push the story forward, whether it appears to be in their character or not. Considering the massive plots, characters, and visuals that exist in the other Sandman Universe books, this series has always been much... smaller. And that continues through its end. It's worth reading if you're following the Sandman Universe, but doesn't compare particularly well to the rest.
That's pretty much all this oversized volume has - cameos from Constantine, one of the Endless, and deep cuts from the Sandman all make their way into Tim's life, and almost always for the express purpose of providing morals that feel like a 'very special episode' of TV. While some of the story and characters manage to be interesting in and amongst that cage, this series has continued to be the least interesting of the Sandman Universe for me.
The Constantine issue has an interesting presentation trick but is otherwise forgettable. Neither character gets much to do, and their interactions are surprisingly limited. Then Tim has to come to terms with his dream self, which ends in a heavy-handed moral. Then Tim meets Izzie, who is the best thing to happen to the series, and has some experiences at a Festival in the story I liked best in the collection. It's creative, and uses characters both old and new in ways that actually help define the characters.
The final story appears to be a wrap-up for the series, providing answers about the Cold Flame that are honestly pretty underwhelming, before using cameo characters completely out of form to have a courtroom drama. All so the moral can be driven home by repetition a number of times. It doesn't really earn its resolution and manages to feel hurried and drawn out at the same time.
Ultimately, I don't know what to say about this series. Basing it around Tim Hunter, but then constraining his magic abilities seems to devalue the very concept of the character, even as it wears its intent on its sleeve. In this last volume, Tim doesn't do much (or maybe it's what he does isn't very flashy), his father is reduced to a bumbling parent who is trying to be supportive without understanding anything, Rose at least gets to express her other side, and everyone else exists and makes decisions solely to push the story forward, whether it appears to be in their character or not. Considering the massive plots, characters, and visuals that exist in the other Sandman Universe books, this series has always been much... smaller. And that continues through its end. It's worth reading if you're following the Sandman Universe, but doesn't compare particularly well to the rest.
April 20, 2021
Since the relaunch of the Sandman Universe books, Books of Magic has been phenomenal. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Tim and the others from his world, as well as the way he has intersected with other parts of the Universe (including visiting The Dreaming, etc) Overall, it has been my favorite of the Sandman titles. (Please give us a book only about The Endless!!!)
Highlights:
- Evil Clone - A large portion of the first half of this book deals with Tim fighting against his evil doppelganger from the future. A very creepy and chaotic test from Constantine, losing his friends, and a kick ass snow battle in dreams make this story very fast paced and enjoyable.
- Festival - Glastonbury Music Festival is coming up and Tim's new friend Izzy wants to go. She is a minor dabbler in magic and also very persuasive. So... when Tim goes to take her there, magically, he ends up in a realm called Festival. Think about a music festival, but all monsters and magical things. There they meet Twig, a human bass player who came to Festival with his friend Geoff decades ago and got stranded. Soon after, Geoff returns to Festival and takes control of it, having sacrificed his life and fortune to find a way back to his friend. Obviously the story takes a bad turn, but it's a good tale about the power of friendship and how magic can affect even the smallest things. Which is a great reminder for...
- The Book of Possibilities - We return to fighting against The Cold Flame, and this time, Tim's old (now jilted and angered) friends take a major role in the tale. Given the Book of Possibilities by 3 members of the Cold Flame, they are instructed to give the book to Tim. Instead, it takes them to meet Destiny of The Endless (YAY! ENDLESS!) and there begins an adventure that takes time travel into account... and wraps everything up nicely for all characters.
Will the series continue? I don't think it will, but maybe. I'd certainly pick it back up.
In all seriousness, if you enjoyed the original Gaiman Sandman books, Books of Magic is the one to read.
Recommend.
Highlights:
- Evil Clone - A large portion of the first half of this book deals with Tim fighting against his evil doppelganger from the future. A very creepy and chaotic test from Constantine, losing his friends, and a kick ass snow battle in dreams make this story very fast paced and enjoyable.
- Festival - Glastonbury Music Festival is coming up and Tim's new friend Izzy wants to go. She is a minor dabbler in magic and also very persuasive. So... when Tim goes to take her there, magically, he ends up in a realm called Festival. Think about a music festival, but all monsters and magical things. There they meet Twig, a human bass player who came to Festival with his friend Geoff decades ago and got stranded. Soon after, Geoff returns to Festival and takes control of it, having sacrificed his life and fortune to find a way back to his friend. Obviously the story takes a bad turn, but it's a good tale about the power of friendship and how magic can affect even the smallest things. Which is a great reminder for...
- The Book of Possibilities - We return to fighting against The Cold Flame, and this time, Tim's old (now jilted and angered) friends take a major role in the tale. Given the Book of Possibilities by 3 members of the Cold Flame, they are instructed to give the book to Tim. Instead, it takes them to meet Destiny of The Endless (YAY! ENDLESS!) and there begins an adventure that takes time travel into account... and wraps everything up nicely for all characters.
Will the series continue? I don't think it will, but maybe. I'd certainly pick it back up.
In all seriousness, if you enjoyed the original Gaiman Sandman books, Books of Magic is the one to read.
Recommend.
January 9, 2023
The Sandman Universe Books of Magic series concludes with Dwelling in Possibility. I enjoyed my ride and felt that the third collected volume capped off all the storylines to my satisfaction; with some tonal inconsistencies. This is predominantly written by Kat Howard, who wrote the previous volumes. It is obvious when her story ends, and the final issues by David Barnett and Simon Spurrier begin.
The connection to dreams and the Dreaming was always a bit tenuous in this series, and that shows in the evil dream doppelganger that Tim Hunter must confront. It is not the most inspired choice to have the hero fight an evil version of himself. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has received that criticism for years, and it is tired as a trope. The choice to have the supporting cast go to Destiny’s realm was a great bit of storytelling. I’ve always loved how simultaneously defined and undefined the Endless are. We get a lot of contemplation of Endless definition in Brief Lives (The Sandman, Volume 7), and we see it here. The Book of Destiny has some blank pages, and some space in the margins it seems.
After the defeat of the Doppel-Tim, Kat Howard ends her time with the book, and Barnett and Spurrier bring everything to a close. They quickly introduce a new character, who shines more than the previous cast while having only 25% of the page time. We also get a neat resolution between Tim, the new character, and the old supporting cast. Finally, we get the classic not-an-ending-but-a-beginning closer to the book. Tim Hunter learned some stuff that makes for a satisfying conclusion, but the door is left open for another writer/artist to take up the pen/pencils.
There are different artists along the way, so the art is not consistent throughout, but I enjoyed the diversity of styles presented. I must again point to Destiny’s Garden as a highlight, which may be my massive Sandman bias coming through, but so be it. Otherwise, the other-dimensional Festival gets a superlative for great designs and a fun style.
While the first two volumes felt like Acts I and II, Dwelling in Possibility has the benefit of being Act III and an epilogue, so we finally have a feeling of completion with a volume in this series. I’m sure the format makes it hard to do. While the first two were good but left me longing for more, the final volume ends the primary arc and ties up loose ends in a satisfying manner.
This was a fun diversion, that did not take up too much time. It ended a bit too neatly for my tastes, but that is comics for you. Satisfying or unsatisfying, messy, or tidy, endings are only temporary. I don’t know if I will immediately jump on Tim Hunter’s next adventure, but I can confidently say that I enjoyed my time with this one. 4/5.
The connection to dreams and the Dreaming was always a bit tenuous in this series, and that shows in the evil dream doppelganger that Tim Hunter must confront. It is not the most inspired choice to have the hero fight an evil version of himself. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has received that criticism for years, and it is tired as a trope. The choice to have the supporting cast go to Destiny’s realm was a great bit of storytelling. I’ve always loved how simultaneously defined and undefined the Endless are. We get a lot of contemplation of Endless definition in Brief Lives (The Sandman, Volume 7), and we see it here. The Book of Destiny has some blank pages, and some space in the margins it seems.
After the defeat of the Doppel-Tim, Kat Howard ends her time with the book, and Barnett and Spurrier bring everything to a close. They quickly introduce a new character, who shines more than the previous cast while having only 25% of the page time. We also get a neat resolution between Tim, the new character, and the old supporting cast. Finally, we get the classic not-an-ending-but-a-beginning closer to the book. Tim Hunter learned some stuff that makes for a satisfying conclusion, but the door is left open for another writer/artist to take up the pen/pencils.
There are different artists along the way, so the art is not consistent throughout, but I enjoyed the diversity of styles presented. I must again point to Destiny’s Garden as a highlight, which may be my massive Sandman bias coming through, but so be it. Otherwise, the other-dimensional Festival gets a superlative for great designs and a fun style.
While the first two volumes felt like Acts I and II, Dwelling in Possibility has the benefit of being Act III and an epilogue, so we finally have a feeling of completion with a volume in this series. I’m sure the format makes it hard to do. While the first two were good but left me longing for more, the final volume ends the primary arc and ties up loose ends in a satisfying manner.
This was a fun diversion, that did not take up too much time. It ended a bit too neatly for my tastes, but that is comics for you. Satisfying or unsatisfying, messy, or tidy, endings are only temporary. I don’t know if I will immediately jump on Tim Hunter’s next adventure, but I can confidently say that I enjoyed my time with this one. 4/5.
Read
May 3, 20223 and a half stars. collects the last ten comics in this series, which is part of the new Sandman Universe project. Kat Howard's story uses John Constantine and pits two different versions of Tim Hunter, one young and untested, the other older and destructive, against one another to further the main storyline (in which practically everyone assumes that using magic will necessarily result in an evil will to power). when writer David Barnett takes over mid-way through to write the end of the series, things become more lively but also more random (with a rather pat ending following a trial), so we get all kinds of distraction (including an appearance by Dream's brother Destiny of The Endless) in wrapping things up. in the larger story of Sandman, there's not much there there, so it doesn't further The Dreaming in the larger picture. i'd call it entertaining but not very significant, headed towards a 4/5 rating but not quite there.
March 29, 2023
The final volume and the most satisfying of the three. We get a conclusion to the "Is Tim Hunter evil?" question, have run-ins with Destiny of the Endless, John Constantine, and the ghost boy detectives, get an Erasmus Fry/Greek Muse reference, and do a reboot of the alternate timeline evil Tim (except this time, evil Tim is a dream version of our protagonist). I wish that evil Tim had been introduced earlier so we could have done more with him. Instead, we get the introduction of a Molly/Leah mashup named Izzy, who is exists solely to be Tim's crush and accompany him on magical hijinks. Despite her plot service-y nature, the book that she costars in is one of the most fun parts of the entire series. The ending is poignant, but also wrapped up too quickly. All in all, it was a pleasant read- but the lack of depth made me remember how much I actually liked about the original. Guess it's time for a reread!
January 10, 2023
This third volume of the new Books of Magic run actually featured more magical books but a lot of back and forth. With Tim first facing his own dream-self as an antagonist and later dealing more directly with the Cold Flame cult, there's a lot going on in this lengthier volume.
I appreciate that they've remained focused on the core premise of Tim's story since he started - trying to teach him how to be a responsible user of magic and try to steer him on the path of right. But of course, he's far from perfect and doesn't even have the naive charm of Harry Potter. He's a lot more headstrong and impatient and eager to make a difference. And this volume really tries to address his character development more.
The ending wasn't what I expected but it totally works. Definitely a smart way to approach things and resolve multiple plot threads that have been lying around for some time.
I appreciate that they've remained focused on the core premise of Tim's story since he started - trying to teach him how to be a responsible user of magic and try to steer him on the path of right. But of course, he's far from perfect and doesn't even have the naive charm of Harry Potter. He's a lot more headstrong and impatient and eager to make a difference. And this volume really tries to address his character development more.
The ending wasn't what I expected but it totally works. Definitely a smart way to approach things and resolve multiple plot threads that have been lying around for some time.
February 25, 2021
Things improve again in this final part of the trilogy, as the story loses some of the slow and meandering tone it had had up to this point. The focus here is very much on all the bad things that Tim could grow up to be, and how they might be averted. There's an interlude in a magical music festival that has less to do with the larger plot (apart from introducing a new character), but it works better than the scenes in Faerie earlier on, keeping a tighter rein on events. The way that the antagonists are eventually dealt with is perhaps a little obvious - and a little too easily achieved - but I found that I enjoyed this volume and its themes of a teenager trying to figure out where they are headed. There are also a number of guest stars from other stories in the universe...
September 7, 2022
De novo, falta.
Gêmeo malvado, viagem no tempo, é tudo um sonho, discussões sobre o Destino, quem é mais monstro? O monstro ou o caçador de monstro?
São clichês que quando bem feitos, num feijão com arroz bem temperadinho, fica bom, mas, feito meio na correria, não funciona direito. E aqui não funciona direito, é meio chato, em parte porque não conseguiram construir um Tim Hunter interessante, ele é só um moleque chorão e metido a besta, besta do apocalipse, no caso.
Por exemplo, na última história, os Dead Boys Detectives e a Rose Walker - da dupla Doutor Oculto - são muito mais interessantes que o Tim. Aliás, um pedaço de pizza dentro da geladeira é mais interessante que o Tim também.
Gêmeo malvado, viagem no tempo, é tudo um sonho, discussões sobre o Destino, quem é mais monstro? O monstro ou o caçador de monstro?
São clichês que quando bem feitos, num feijão com arroz bem temperadinho, fica bom, mas, feito meio na correria, não funciona direito. E aqui não funciona direito, é meio chato, em parte porque não conseguiram construir um Tim Hunter interessante, ele é só um moleque chorão e metido a besta, besta do apocalipse, no caso.
Por exemplo, na última história, os Dead Boys Detectives e a Rose Walker - da dupla Doutor Oculto - são muito mais interessantes que o Tim. Aliás, um pedaço de pizza dentro da geladeira é mais interessante que o Tim também.
September 23, 2025
And thus ends the story of Tim Hunter. I wish the whole saa had more chapters like the Fields of Dreams one - overall quite inconsequential, but just a bit of fluff and background for this world and a way for Tim to just have FUN for once without having to worry about how his descisions will influence the fate of the world. I quite enjoyed that one.
After that, we went towards the finale in big steps, and while I was afraid it would feel very hurried and incomplete, Howard somehow managed to finish everything off with a nice bow things ended up making sense. Still, I just felt like something was missing over all and would have like a couple more issues to round things off.
After that, we went towards the finale in big steps, and while I was afraid it would feel very hurried and incomplete, Howard somehow managed to finish everything off with a nice bow things ended up making sense. Still, I just felt like something was missing over all and would have like a couple more issues to round things off.
October 6, 2022
Ending wasn't great
I thought that series was going to be a satire of Harry Potter. It's not. But it does reclaim the English schoolboy nerd look, which shouldn't be a single author's trademark, anyways. But the ending was disappointing. Although, even Hamlet has a poor ending, so I can't be too harsh. But really the whole series is kind of rushed, and the artwork should have been better. There weren't pages I wanted to linger on, to catch every detail. It's not as good as the original Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but that's a high bar. Still good.
I thought that series was going to be a satire of Harry Potter. It's not. But it does reclaim the English schoolboy nerd look, which shouldn't be a single author's trademark, anyways. But the ending was disappointing. Although, even Hamlet has a poor ending, so I can't be too harsh. But really the whole series is kind of rushed, and the artwork should have been better. There weren't pages I wanted to linger on, to catch every detail. It's not as good as the original Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but that's a high bar. Still good.
Read
October 10, 2023Even the arrival of David 'Not That One' Barnett as the new writer isn't enough altogether to dig this series out of the sense that, as against the expansiveness of the original run and this volume's title, it's been a weirdly cramped little thing. Still, he does bring a couple of good jokes, as when Tim Hunter's dad, having accepted that his son isn't on drugs, starts reeling off other alarming options as to why he might have been behaving so strangely lately, like having become a Conservative, or a YouTuber.
July 6, 2021
This volume was like reading two very different books. The first half felt fragmented, and I was constantly needing to infers and fill in the gaps to work out what I hadn’t been told. The second half was fluid and told the story in an engaging way, completing the story arc neatly. Only on looking back did I realise there were two different authors across the two halves.
I’m glad I persisted to the end.
I’m glad I persisted to the end.
September 10, 2023
Para ser un final, no es ninguno, si bien al cambiar de escritor la historia repunta, todo queda en que podría o no haber ocurrido y la historia de Tim en el universo sandman sería igual que en la serie original, parte mucho sobre los libros para que estos tengan un rol no tan importante en la historia que lleva ese título.
Había leído The Dream y este esta mucho más bajito que la continuación de Sandman
Había leído The Dream y este esta mucho más bajito que la continuación de Sandman
August 2, 2021
A spectacular and somewhat metaphysical timey-wimey end to the Books of Magic, with an appearance by Destiny no less, with the book of books, which I guess I should have seen coming. I've really enjoyed this trinity of volumes and wouldn't have minded another, but all good things are too much of an ending, or something like that.
January 20, 2023
I usually don’t get too hyped for spin-offs, as they usually fail to capture the magic of the original series.
Books of Magic is a rare exception. The story is fantastic, it usually makes sense, and it wraps up very nicely.
A beautiful addition to the Sandman universe, and one of my favorite trilogies I’ve read in a long time.
Books of Magic is a rare exception. The story is fantastic, it usually makes sense, and it wraps up very nicely.
A beautiful addition to the Sandman universe, and one of my favorite trilogies I’ve read in a long time.
April 5, 2021
The adventures of Tim Hunter continue. While dealing with the threat of the Cold Flame, the potential threat of his ally John Constantine, and the introduction of a new friend Izzy, Tim's life is in turmoil. Will his "friends" be there for him?
January 29, 2022
Terminé el Vol.3 y desde el primero mejoró bastante este cómic, historia y dibujo, las referencias a Hellblazer me gustaron....el pero...la historia no está terminada y falta completar el Vol.4.🤦🏻♀️
June 6, 2022
Good, and it at least came to *an* ending (even if I was starting to get a bit worried that there weren't enough pages left to wrap things up). Interesting concept for the ending, as well.
Good storytelling.
Good storytelling.
October 9, 2022
There is a nice two-parter about a realm called festival that lives up to the Sandman name, and the Constantine story isn't bad, but the rest is the same timey-wimey mess that has plagued this attempt at a retcon.
November 28, 2022
Fine enough read, but it really bugged me how the whole premise of the series is that choices and magic in general have consequences...and then at the end of the book, there are none? I guess spoiler alert, but not really. Who cares. :/
May 3, 2023
Really enjoyed this final installment of the series mostly because we got to hang out in different realms, with an Endless, and Emily Dickinson even made an appearance. Overall, very enjoyable with some vibrant artwork and an unexpected twist.
September 4, 2024
There were some interesting ideas in this volume, but they fell frustratingly short by being incomplete (and underdeveloped?) as this volume was cancelled. Some of the characters and plot deserved further room to grow and develop, while I found the art fine without being particularly memorable.
March 14, 2025
Tim Hunter, destined to be the greatest magician of all time, struggles with the moral implications of magic, while his classmates face complex choices of their own.
A nice ending (?) to this mini-series of graphic novels.
A nice ending (?) to this mini-series of graphic novels.
May 28, 2021
Tim gets a kiss and is put on trial for murder before learning of a lead to his mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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