The Books of Magic #10 – Kat Howard, Writer; Tom Fowler, Brian Churilla, Artists; Marissa Louise, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Tim Hunter and his friend Ellie are back from their cosmic adventures in the world of magic, and credit goes to author Kat Howard for not skipping out on the consequences of their often terrifying quests. While Tim was seeking the answers to his own magical heritage, Ellie was kidnapped and trapped in a mysterious prison of stories. Neither came back exactly okay, and Tim is finding out that the decisions he made will have long-lasting fallout. Despite Books of Magic #10 being one of the more low-key issues of the series, it’s also one of the most intense – and it starts right from the start, when Tim finds out that in his absence his father has been arrested over his and Ellie’s disappearances. Tim is able to talk his way out of this fix and get his father released, but he soon finds out that the spell he cast on his father to make it easier to slip away has left his father a hollowed out husk – and Tim has no idea how to reverse it.
Rose, who pulled Tim into this adventure, has her own fallout to deal with as she pursues Old Hettie to try to get Tim’s owl back. Old Hettie makes clear that only Tim is going to be able to get the bird back, and the two exchange harsh words.
The most dramatic, and best, segment of the issue is when Tim reunites with Ellie and she shares what happened to her. In a perfect ill-advised moment that a teenage boy would make, he reveals his magic powers to her to try to show her that she’ll be protected – and she reacts with horror, rejecting him and telling him to stay away.
From the beginning of this series, Howard has been showing how a young boy with magic could quite easily rip his life apart just by acting impulsively, and this is one of the better issues showing that theme. But before it’s over, there’s one more surprise cliffhanger that threatens to upend the concept of the series again. Another strong book in the Sandman Universe line.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
