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42nd out of 87 books
—
44 voters
The Unwritten, Vol. 5: On to Genesis (The Unwritten #5)
by
Mike Carey (Goodreads Author) ,
Peter Gross, Vince Locke
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
Before his mysterious disappearance and untimely death, the world-famous fantasy author Wilson Taylor helped bring two enduring creations into the world: Tommy Taylor, the fictional boy wizard who starred in his best selling book...and Tom Taylor, his real-life son
Armed with his father's journals, Tom Taylor begins a journey to uncover the truth...more
Before his mysterious disappearance and untimely death, the world-famous fantasy author Wilson Taylor helped bring two enduring creations into the world: Tommy Taylor, the fictional boy wizard who starred in his best selling book...and Tom Taylor, his real-life son
Armed with his father's journals, Tom Taylor begins a journey to uncover the truth...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
January 17th 2012
by Vertigo (DC Comics)
(first published July 2011)
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When I was a kid, I read the occasional super-hero comic book -- I have 4 brothers, so those kinds of comics were around -- but I've never considered myself a fan of the genre. Even so, I enjoyed the super-hero connection and twist to this installment as we are taken back to Depression-era Brooklyn.
The auction, the journals and the return of the Tommy Taylor websites were fun too. The plot thickens!
The auction, the journals and the return of the Tommy Taylor websites were fun too. The plot thickens!
I'm having a hard time writing reviews for Unwritten. Is it sufficient enough for me to say that by now this is one of my favorite series and that you should high-tail it to your local comic shop to grab it right now? I hope so. :)
Why, oh why do I continue to read this saga? I keep expecting that it will make sense at some point, but Carey's reach far exceeds his grasp, at least in this series. We're still following Tom Taylor, the boy upon whom the best-selling (in this fictional universe) Tommy Taylor novels are based. Alluding to Harry Potter, exploring a stolen and fictionalized childhood (think child celebrity), and playing with Big Ideas like the power of fiction and the relationship of magic to the collective uncon...more
With Tom Taylor presumed dead and Wilson’s estate up for auction, what else can Lizzie and Savoy do but try to steal what they need from it? Specifically Lot 57. Lizzie provides a diversion so that Savoy can surreptitiously photograph the layout of the auction house where everything is on display for inspection. And while they are mulling everything over in the safety of a small diner, the wayward wanderer himself unexpectedly returns after his absence of three months, bursting on the scene fro...more
I have actually been working my way through these, starting with volume 1, over the past two months. I hope to finish this last one up tonight or tomorrow. These are quickly becoming my favorite, even over Lucifer. The sad thing is that I'm not sure I am well-read enough to fully enjoy them. They are simply so ... full... of literature.
The theme The Unwritten explores is the possibility that significant literature does not merely reflect the culture of its time, but can actually shape it. The st...more
The theme The Unwritten explores is the possibility that significant literature does not merely reflect the culture of its time, but can actually shape it. The st...more
Tom and co. investigate Wilson Taylor's past, which leads them into the history of comic books. The most interesting thing about this volume is probably the way the idea of a comic book character, who can be written and drawn by dozens of different people over his or her lifespan, fits in with and expands on all the ideas about the power of story already explored throughout the series, as well as the collective unconscious concept Tom discovered in volume 4, Leviathan. At least, I found that to...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Carey and co. continue to provide top notch comic entertainment in the fifth volume of The Unwritten, On To Genesis. The title is, of course, a play on words referring both to the stories pointing toward a new beginning (by the end Tommy seems truly ready to take an active rather than reactive posture toward Pullman and the Cabal) and ontogenesis--a word referring to the entire cycle of growth and development of an organism from birth to death--a reference to the stories further clues about Wins...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Carey and Gross once again do everything but disappoint. This collection starts with two-parter that is sort of an epilogue to the last collection's Leviathan story as well as a springboard for On to Genesis.
In the title four-parter, Tom Taylor and company delve into Wilson Taylor's connection to the early days of superhero comic books during the Depression. The insights into the real appeal of the superhero genre (and the story-manipulating Cabal's interests in it) are fascinating to say the le...more
In the title four-parter, Tom Taylor and company delve into Wilson Taylor's connection to the early days of superhero comic books during the Depression. The insights into the real appeal of the superhero genre (and the story-manipulating Cabal's interests in it) are fascinating to say the le...more
The Unwritten continues to impress, from the breathtaking cover art to the convention-defying (and embracing) nature of the storytelling. At this point, I'm forcing myself to wait for six or so issues to come out to full embrace and revel in the story--reading just one issue at a time won't cut it.
I love the .5's they're doing right now too--a story within the story, outside of the story, furthering the story. It's a clever bit of working that does rely on the success they've had with these fiv...more
I love the .5's they're doing right now too--a story within the story, outside of the story, furthering the story. It's a clever bit of working that does rely on the success they've had with these fiv...more
This series is finally living up to its potential and I'm happy I stuck around. We find out exactly how Tom's powers work and how the Cabal shapes the world through words and stories. The characters make so much more progress in this story and what Tom, Lizzie and Richie discover about Wilson's past through his journals help propel them forward and deliver the next blow the mysterious conspiracy. As the last couple of volumes focused on the power of literature - Thomas Hobbes "Leviathan", "Moby...more
With this volume the series delves deeper into how stories affect and influence reality and how reality sometimes alters itself to be more like the stories that have depth and meaning and resonance for all those that love and cherish those stories. Carey explores how pulps and comics and newspaper strips burrowed down into the psyche of the working-class and those who had little time for "literature" and became the driving influence of their hopes and dreams and inspirations. It's why the story...more
The Unwritten has been justly compared to Bill Willingham's wonderful twist on Fables, and this equitable finding is just. Scripter Mike Carey has continued to build upon a wide knowledge of literary, popular, and mythic themes undertaken in his approach on the often underrated run of Lucifer for Vertigo, extending into the epic saga deftly unfolded in The Unwritten. The fifth collection subtitled "On to Genesis" continues to reveal more of the purpose of Tom-Tommy-Taylor, wherein various artist...more
Volume 5 of The Unwritten and the story is really picking up now. In fact, it's almost picking up too fast, because that would mean the story ending sooner rather than later. And this is a story that I hope will last a long, long time.
Tom and his friends get hold of his fathers journals, and we finally start to see some of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle come together. Along the way, there is a lovely homage to Superman and pulp heroes, a moving love story, and a bit of a deux ex machina in the...more
Tom and his friends get hold of his fathers journals, and we finally start to see some of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle come together. Along the way, there is a lovely homage to Superman and pulp heroes, a moving love story, and a bit of a deux ex machina in the...more
I started reading this today, and blitzed through it. This series, thus far, has been absolutely awesome, and I simply cannot wait for volume 6.
That said, I can't help but have one minor little quibble. The Cabal Of Arbitrary Evil - if they already all but rule the world, what purpose do they have in trying to quash humanity's will (which has clearly been their goal since volume 2)?
Wouldn't it be less expensive, in the long run, to more gently shape humanity's will to fit their purposes, then to...more
That said, I can't help but have one minor little quibble. The Cabal Of Arbitrary Evil - if they already all but rule the world, what purpose do they have in trying to quash humanity's will (which has clearly been their goal since volume 2)?
Wouldn't it be less expensive, in the long run, to more gently shape humanity's will to fit their purposes, then to...more
Comencé leyendo el nro 1 de The Unwritten y me cautivo por la mezcla de conceptos, medios narrativos y abundante información que contenía. Luego fui comprando los tpbs hasta que hoy termine de leerlos de corrido.
Hay que decir que la serie parte despacio, detallando las características de los protagonistas, dándose tiempo para explicar sus motivaciones e ir presentando personajes secundarios y villanos paso a paso. A medida que pasan las historias la vida de Tommy Taylor (el protagonista) comien...more
I saw this on the new shelf at the library and picked it up, not realizing it was Vol 5. (I can see my graphic novel loving friends rolling their eyes at me for this neophyte mistake.) Even though I didn't know what the heck was going on it kept my interest. I watched Heroes, after all, so I can hang with not really knowing what's going on in a story. In fact, it was the issue of story creation, and stories & characters that come to life that piqued my interest and keep me reading. I'll have...more
So, The Unwritten.
It’s really hard to describe why I love this series so much. In fact, it’s really hard to describe this series, period. It is fantastically complex, but not in a confusing way, and not in that way that “smart” things tend to be, where you just know there’s something you should be getting, but you just . . . aren’t. It’s the kind of story that has layers, and if you want to read it as a straight-up adventure, you can certainly do that, but past the surface thriller stuff, this s...more
It’s really hard to describe why I love this series so much. In fact, it’s really hard to describe this series, period. It is fantastically complex, but not in a confusing way, and not in that way that “smart” things tend to be, where you just know there’s something you should be getting, but you just . . . aren’t. It’s the kind of story that has layers, and if you want to read it as a straight-up adventure, you can certainly do that, but past the surface thriller stuff, this s...more
I loved the comic book within a comic book that then spills out in to reality. It's like meta-meta-meta. Lots of interesting stuff in this volume, as always. I love all the references in this series. I enjoy the ones I get, I like looking the ones up that I don't get and learning new things. I think my 'to read' list is going to grow based on this series. I've been meaning to read Frankenstein for a while anyway, this just gives it another bump, and I guess it's time I finally read Moby Dick too...more
I've found this to be kind of a hit-and-miss series overall, but when it's hitting, it's pretty darn good, as in this particular volume, which sort of gives us a bit of an origin story for Tom Taylor (or at least I think it does--time will tell). I love the whole "jumping into and out of stories" idea and it has really worked well at times. The art could be a bit better, but it does what it needs to (I just wish it weren't quite so perfunctory). Looking forward to the next collection.
If you haven't listened to my urgent commands to read this series about the power of stories then you probably won't start now--though you have missed a bloody lot of fun, getting stuck in Moby Dick, the foul-mouthed crook imprisoned in a children's picture book, and the choose-your-own adventure that explained one of the character's history. Here, we travel back in time, to the golden age of comics to see what Tommy's father was up to and, again, all fabulous.
Mar 27, 2012
Steven
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
bibliophiles, Harry Potter fans, Sandman/Gaiman fans
If you're a writer or someone who likes to think more deeply than just the immediate text, you may really like this series. I can't remember who recommended this to me, but it's an amazing read on a number of levels.
This series keeps getting stronger and stronger...and it's now at a point where I may break my habit of waiting for trade paperback collections and go hunt up any issues after this one just so I don't have to wait to read more.....
This series keeps getting stronger and stronger...and it's now at a point where I may break my habit of waiting for trade paperback collections and go hunt up any issues after this one just so I don't have to wait to read more.....
Vol. 5 kicks the story back into high gear with Tom & Co reigniting their quest for "what's going on." The characters really get to shine in this book in all their heroic and villianous glory.
I really liked that the Cabal is taking a backseat and the trio's investigating is taking centerstage. Wilson's history is peeked into and even tho there are still a lot of questions, at the end of the book I was very satistied.
I really liked that the Cabal is taking a backseat and the trio's investigating is taking centerstage. Wilson's history is peeked into and even tho there are still a lot of questions, at the end of the book I was very satistied.
This is the best graphic series I've read in a long time. I can't believe Volume 6 isn't out until October! I'd follow the single issues, but it'd be pure torture, because I never want the story to end. I can't imagine only have some 13 pages a month to read!
I can't imagine a person that this wouldn't be an amazing read for. Yes, even non-comics fans. Basically, if you like stories, you'll love this.
I can't imagine a person that this wouldn't be an amazing read for. Yes, even non-comics fans. Basically, if you like stories, you'll love this.
Volume 5 continues Tommy Taylor's search for the answers to his father's mysteries and Tommy's origins. This time Tommy uses his father's journals to travel back to the 1930s in New York and the rise of comic books.
I continue to love these stories. I love how the authors mingle real life with fiction and the theme that the stories that you read become a part of you and shape the person that you are.
I continue to love these stories. I love how the authors mingle real life with fiction and the theme that the stories that you read become a part of you and shape the person that you are.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. It was good, it built on the revelations from the previous volumes, and it explored the potential of media which academics and ivory tower types refuse to take seriously... But it felt a bit patchwork, and there was a trifle too much exposition this time around. I suspect the author recognized this, because he included this marvelous exchange in the final chapter:
LIZZIE: "Th-thank you, Tom. Uh...is this really--?"
TOM: "If we start in with the expo...more
LIZZIE: "Th-thank you, Tom. Uh...is this really--?"
TOM: "If we start in with the expo...more
The series remains excellent. I love the way it changes styles and incorporates different storytelling methods into one series. This volume starts revealing information (bit by bit) about Wilson Taylor and where things come from, but I think it asks more questions than it answers. There's some very profound stuff about storytelling in here and why we love the stories we do.
This series has slowed down from the full-throttle it started with, but for some reason I'm not bothered. In this volume we get an "origin story" of sorts for Tom's grim and mysterious father, which raises just as many questions as it answers. While this story goes far in establishing the kind of person Wilson Taylor was, I'm personally a lot more interested in the present day storyline (which doesn't stop completely here, but does take a backseat). The past two volumes have spent a lot of time...more
I'm sorry, but I just don't like the art for these books. I love the cover. I envy the story, but the art just bothers me for whatever reason.
Still, the Unwritten continues to be one of my favorite series. This volume felt a little lackluster--as origin/backstories often tend to be--but it's still worth your time. Really, there's no reason to STOP reading these things, as I'm sure volume six will be nothing short of amazing, as I will say, that this one does set up some new dominoes that I can't...more
Still, the Unwritten continues to be one of my favorite series. This volume felt a little lackluster--as origin/backstories often tend to be--but it's still worth your time. Really, there's no reason to STOP reading these things, as I'm sure volume six will be nothing short of amazing, as I will say, that this one does set up some new dominoes that I can't...more
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storyli...more
More about Mike Carey...
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storyli...more
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“You know what pulp is, Mr. Tallis? It's the flesh of a luscious fruit, mashed down into an incredible, half liquid richness. so saturated with flavor that it fills your whole body, not just your mouth.”
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