The Unwritten

[I, Cosh]

The comic by Mike Carey (formerly of this parish) and some artist guy, not the Natasha Bedingfield song. Anyone else reading it? When I first heard about another Vertigo series about the power and influence of stories I was a bit reluctant but their current policy of $1 first issues encouraged me to pick it up and the first storyline finished up last week. It's been pretty decent so far. Part of the point seems to be how obviously it wears its influences and theres a lot of potenital so I think I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and stick with it for another story or two to see if it manages to make something original out of its parts or just becomes a wearing series of pastiches. In my limited experience (this and Th13teen, but not Carver Hale) Mr Carey is pretty good at making an essentially unpleasant character somewhat likeable.

So far the interior art's been functional if unspectaculat, but the covers have had a very interesting sensibility to them too.

[Paul faplad Finch]

I will be getting this in the inevitable trade as I am a big fan of Careys stuff (what I've read anyway)  Lucifer in particular is superb. Art on that was mainly by Peter Gross and I think I read somewhere he was doing Unwritten too. I could be wrong on that.

Oh, and I liked the Natasha Bedingfield song as well.

[Dan Kelly]

Quick necropost here 

Picked up the unwritten trade yesterday - looks like it's going to be a keeper dammit.

[TordelBack]

Just caught up on Unwritten (to No. 9), after being underwhelmed by issue 1 and leaving it to to marinate for a while. It's much better than I thought it would be, managing to escape its Sandman Presents: Harry Potter, Fable of the Dreaming appearance, and boasts an insanely cute flying cat.  Yes, that's right, I'm escaping useless-husband Valentine's Day guilt by reading comics.


I liked Carey's heartfelt meditations on the Horror genre(s), but damn it I also liked [spoiler]those Charbon kids and object to their plot-device slaughter[/spoiler].  The faux Web 2.0 pieces are brilliantly pitched and the revelations are nicely paced, but in my head I can't quite warm to the clash between the cute fantasy and horrific reality threads which forms the core of the book.  Tom himself is a pretty dull unlikable fellow in the mould of doubting put-upon fantasy heroes like Thomas Covenant, and other than [spoiler]the Monster and the aforementioned doomed kids[/spoiler], the supporting cast is pretty watery too - so far.

It's quite a testament to Carey's growing skill as a writer that I enjoy the Harry Potter pastiche so much that I'm actually annoyed when the rest of the story intrudes with all its horribleness.  

[Professor Bear]

The best recommendation I've read for this was "Unwritten is Sandman without its head up its ass."

High praise indeed.

[I, Cosh]

The faux Web 2.0 pieces are brilliantly pitched and the revelations are nicely paced, but in my head I can't quite warm to the clash between the cute fantasy and horrific reality threads which forms the core of the book.

I agree about the web stuff, that's very well done. It's held my interest so far and, overall, I think I'm enjoying it a bit more than you are. I quite like Lizzie but I find the Potter bits a necessary irritant.

The story that started this week looks like it's going to explain how the real and fictional worlds fit together a bit more and the introduction of (v minor spoiler) [spoiler]Josef Goebbels[/spoiler] as the next historical "storyteller" was unexpected and clever.

[TordelBack]

Didn't mean to imply I wasn't enjoying it... I am, it's very good stuff, I'm just having problems enjoying all of it equally. 

For example I really liked the Kipling  (I don't know, I've never kippled) issue (although Mark Twain also lost a daughter IIRC, so maybe there was a missed chance there...), but am have trouble believing that people get deported from Lake Geneva to what appears to be Le Shawshank, let alone being convinced that it's in southern France.  In short I buy the historical, internet and fantasy stuff, but I'm having more trouble with the 'real life' segments. 

[Emperor]

A good review:

http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/the-unwritten-its-all-about-the-story-all-about-the-fictions/

[The Monarch]

I love this series so much

[I, Cosh]

To my annoyance I find I am intrigued enough by this to still be buying it. Maybe I'll be able to let it go once the current storyline finishes. If not, it'll be the only Yankee comic I'm buying once The Boys finally grinds to a halt later this year.

Anyway, the main reason for resurrecting this thread was to point out that that Rufus guy you lot all love is doing something in a forthcoming issue: http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/comics/?cm=21500

[PreacherCain]

I'm buying it in trades and really love it. The Moby Dick issues in particular were spectacular. The Unwritten is a great example of a story that fits comics perfectly and does it better than any other medium.

I believe the next trade collects ten issues so I'm most definitely looking forward to that!

[Link Prime]

It's a great comic alright, though has been a bit hard on the wallet lately shipping two issues per month. Don't publishers know we're in the middle of a bloody recession???
The day I actually work out how much I spend on comics every month will be the day I go psycho- futsie, running up the stairs screaming, pulling what's left of my hair out Homer Simpson style...

[TordelBack]

The day I actually work out how much I spend on comics every month will be the day I go psycho- futsie, running up the stairs screaming, pulling what's left of my hair out Homer Simpson style...

Never do it, unless you really have to.  That, and calculating my annual spend on coffee, were the two most depressing and lifestyle-affecting bits of thinking I ever turned my noggin to.   Put it this way: both numbers are currently about 10% of their 2008 levels.

[Roger Godpleton]

Your mom certainly isn't currently 10% of her 2008 levels.

[Link Prime]

Your mom certainly isn't currently 10% of her 2008 levels.

Wow.


Anyway...just thought I outta mention that anyone who digs The Unwritten would no doubt also be a fan of Carey & Gross' previous Vertigo series; 'Lucifer'. The best Yankee comic of the early noughties I reckon!