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Title | The Books of Magic
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Author | Neil Gaiman
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Illustrator | John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson
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Publisher | Vertigo - 2013
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First Printing | DC Comics - 1993
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Title | Book One
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Author | John Ney Rieber
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Illustrator | Peter Gross, Gary Amaro, Peter Snejbjerg
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Publisher | Vertigo - 2017
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First Printing | DC Comics - 1996
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Title | Book Two
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Author | John Ney Rieber
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Illustrator | Peter Gross, Sherilyn van Valkenburgh
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Publisher | ---
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First Printing | ---
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Title | Book Three
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Author | Dylan Horrocks
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Illustrator | Si Spencer, Richard Case, Dean Ormston
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Publisher | ---
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First Printing | ---
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Title | Moveable Type
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Author | Kat Howard, Neil Gaiman
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Illustrator | Tom Fowler, Bilquis Evely
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Publisher | Vertigo - 2019
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First Printing | Vertigo - 2019
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Title | Second Quarto
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Author | Kat Howard, Neil Gaiman
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Illustrator | Tom Fowelr, Brian Churilla, Craig Taillefer
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Publisher | Vertigo - 2020
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First Printing | Vertigo - 2020
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Title | Dwelling in Possibility
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Illustrator | Kat Howard, David Barnett
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Cover Art | Tom Fowelr, Craig Taillefer
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Publisher | Vertigo - 2021
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First Printing | Vertigo - 2021
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Category | Graphic Novel
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Main Characters | Timothy Hunter, Doctor Rose, Constantine, Yo-yo, Marya, Daniel, Titania, Auberon
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Main Elements | Gods, demons, wizards, faeries
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Website | ---
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 The Books of Magic
From Neil Gaiman, the bestselling novelist and creator of the world-renowned comics title The Sandman, comes a mesmerizing tale of the dangers and opportunities of youth, and its endless possibilities. Illustrated by four of comics' most accomplished artists, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnson, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC collects all four issues of the original
miniseries that introduced the character of Timothy Hunter and set the stage for his continuing adventures.
Timothy Hunter could be the most powerful magician in the world, but does he really want to be? Guided through the magical world starting at the begining of time by a group of DC Universe magicians, often refered to as the Trenchcoat Brigade (John Constantine, Phantom Stranger, Mister E, and Doctor Occult), they attempt to aid Timothy in his decision whether or not to embrace his gift. However, by the time Timothy makes a choice, it may have already been made for him.
The Books of Magic, Book One
Continuing from celebrated author Neil Gaiman’s iconic graphic novel, the complete chronicles of Tim Hunter are finally brought together in a definitive new trade paperback.
Once, Timothy Hunter was just an ordinary 13-year-old boy living in suburban London. Then four legendary sorcerers took him on a journey beyond time and space, and his life changed forever. Traveling through realms long consigned to myth and legend, he also discovered an unsettling truth about his future: like it or not, fate has decreed that young Tim is destined to become the world’s greatest magician!
Unfortunately for him, this innocence smells intoxicatingly like weakness to the hungry predators that haunt the shadows of existence, and the extraordinary power they sense within his frail human form is too enticing to resist.
Written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by Peter Gross, Gary Amaro and Peter Snejbjerg, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC BOOK ONE collects issues #1-13 of the classic VERTIGO series as well as the pivotal introductory tale from ARCANA ANNUAL #1.
Moveable Type
Timothy Hunter may be destined to become the most powerful magician in the universe, but he's still a London teenager, and having magical abilities is about to turn his world upside down...
From award-winning writer Kat Howard, the Books of Magic series will captivate your interest from the start!
Timothy Hunter is destined to be the world's most powerful magician--at least, that's what he's been told. In the meantime, though, he's just a regular teenager trying to deal with distant parents, school bullies, and adolescent crushes--and magic isn't helping with any of it.
The forces of the supernatural seem to have it in for him. There are more than a few shadowy figures who will stop at nothing to eliminate what they see as a deadly threat to the balance of power--and those are the good guys. In order for Tim to survive long enough to fulfill his destiny, he'll have to learn how to control his burgeoning abilities as well as figure out whom he can trust--and who wants him dead.
This journey of discovery begins with a new teacher named Ms. Rose, a homeless woman named Mad Hettie, and an owl named Yo-Yo--and it will lead him from suburban London straight to the heart of the Dreaming.
Collects Books of Magic #1-6 and The Sandman Universe #1.
Second Quarto
Not all fairy tales have happy ending. Classes. Quizzes. Crushes. Classmates going missing. Cults dedicated to your destruciton. School is rough on everybody, but it's especially hard on kids like Tim Hunter - a teenage magician destined to change the world.
So when Tim's mentor, Dr. Rose, whisks him away from London on an important mission to a magical realm beyond space and time, it seems like just the break that the boy wizard needs. In fact, the land of Faerie is such a trip that Tim quickly starts to forget why he came there...or why he would ever want to leave. But he'd better remember soon. Besides the questionable motives that Titania, the queen of Faerie, has for wanting to keep him around, back in the mortal world the cult of the Cold Flame is poised to erase Ellie--the lost classmate Tim's been searching for--from the pages of existence. Young Tim is about to learn that even the most noble magic comes at a cost. Is he willing to pay the price?
Find out in Books of Magic Vol. 2: Second Quarto, as award-winning writer Kat Howard (Roses and Rot, An Unkindness of Magicians) and acclaimed artist Tom Fowler (Doom Patrol) continue their spellbinding tale of one of New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman's greatest creations!
Collects Books of Magic #7-13.
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.
Ok, I'll admit my first reaction was a slightly more hardcore Harry Potter. British high school kid with glasses learns magic and even has a *cough* wand (screwdriver). Though the screwdriver made me think Dr. Who of course. But I didn't mind, after all Rowlings wasn't the only person who every came up with a boy wizard, and after reading up on it a bit more, the authors all seemed to agree they were all inspired by similar things, but its just a genre, not one author ripping off the other. I didn't check dates, but The Books of Magic came first actually.
Now...talking about that "came first" bit. As I was reading this trilogy I kept feeling like there were references being made to things I was supposed to know but somehow missed reading. Hence the research, and indeed, the books from the 2020's are NOT the first books where these characters appear. There's another earlier collection of The Books of Magic, and also something called the Trenchcoat Brigade that seems relevant. Reading these D.C. graphic novels is like untangling a hair ball, you start reading something and there's like 20 others you were supposed to read before it. Often the books can be written such that you don't notice, but this one, I really noticed and it actually bugged me.
Other than that though, it was enjoyable. Kid is supposed to become the most powerful sorcerer ever, which scares the crud out of most people and even the kid is unsure whether he'll be a good wizard or a dark lord intent on taking over the world. He's trying, but its hard, and sometimes if you run around telling someone they are going to be a bad apple...well, self fulfilling prophecy no? If all your friends are scared of you, who is left to support and help you? And hence we get a visit from Destiny, a a trip to faery, one nasty nightmare (no not The Corinthian), and an encounter with a familiar librarian (Cain and Abel show up in square, still murdering each other). I'd been trying to read the recent Sandman world books in order, but they were published more or less simultaneously so there's lots of overlap, but that's been fun actually, noticing the different characters showing up in each series.
Anyway, I'll loave some room here to track down those earlier Books of Magic...
July 2025
Found what I believe is the first one. Gaiman's goal was the unite all the magical beings in the D.C. universe so while I'm not familiar with any of them except for the Doctor Fate guy with the helmet (only because I saw the Black Adam movie) it was still an interesting tour of the universe, from the past all the way till the end of time where we get a maybe not surprising visit from some Sandman characters, after all who would be the last out of everyone, even the gods?
The artwork was interesting, changing media from what looked like pastels to watercolours and so on. I enjoyed and I do recommend reading it before picking up the newer issues because it explains a lot. And I think there is just this difference in storytelling when its actuall Gaiman doing the writing, and not other authors playing with his sandbox (*cough* Sandman...Sandbox...)
August 2025
Found the first of three collections of the serials. You really have to read a little of everything to really understand what is going on. You need to read the Sandman books of course, they set up Titania and Auberon (wonder what Auberon things of being the comic relief while at the same time being a scary lord of the fae...though come to think of it, its a little bit his role in A Midsummer Night's Dream). You have to read the books about the Free Country, I read it since it starts the Dead Boy Detective series, but it overlaps a lot with Tim Hunter, and it introduces the characters of Marya and Daniel who play a huge role in this book.
Trying to read all the Vertigo books is like trying to unravel a plate of spaghetti...but its delicious too. Some of the series like Constantine are really really dark, definitely horror. Others like Lucifer are somewhere in the middle. And then there's the Books of Magic, but don't think this series is for the readers of Harry Potter, at least not the younger ones, Vertigo are the adult comics and there's some heavy stuff in here as well.
But I haven't put in the effort I have in tracking down all these books, and attempting to more or less do them in some semblance of sequential order, if I wasn't enjoying them immensely. Here's hoping I can find more of these books.
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