Neil Fein's Blog

The Books of Magic
Written by Neil Gaiman; Illustrated by John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnson

What would happen if a child lucked into world-shaking magical power? How would the world react? This isn't a new idea, of course. Some have claimed that the Harry Potter books stole the idea from Neil Gaiman, but this is silly. The child learning how to use vast amounts of power is a staple of fantasy literature.

Tim Hunter, a London kid, is confronted by four mysterious figures: John Constantine, Mister E., Dr. Occult, and the Stranger, also known to some as the Phantom Stranger. After asking him if he believes in magic, they take him on a tour of the occult world, past and future, Earth and elsewhere.

Much of the narrative is exposition. Gaiman is good enough to not let that stop him, though. There is some faltering in the first chapter, where he and artist John Bolton go overboard on visual metaphors (although Gaiman would continue to use such imagery to good effect in The Sandman, at the time less than halfway complete). As the Stranger took him through the past, John Constantine shows him the state of magic in the world today. In a jaunt through America invisibly painted by Scott Hampton, young master Hunter has it made quite clear by circumstance that the price of magic is often severe.

The narrative switches gears as we go with Dr. Occult and Tim into the land of Faerie. Much of this is obviously a setup for the series proper, but Charles Vess's lush graphics keep us awestruck. And finally, the paranoid, intense Mister E walks with Tim into the future of the universe, as he sees it. Ultimately, there is a price for everything, including glimpses of the future.

Again, the price of magic is not a new theme. (See The Price by Jim Starlin if you can find it. It's an excellent treatment of the theme.) Gaiman wrings out new nuances, to a story that will never grow old.

Seventy-five issues written by John Ney Reiber would follow this miniseries, and another two series. Tim's character is only lightly sketched in the original graphic novel, as it's really a story about a situation. Magic itself is the lead character, with Tim and the four would-be teachers merely supporting characters. However, it's a wonderful story for all its weaknesses. Recommended to fans of imaginative fiction and wonderful art.