My rating:

add to my books

The Books of Magic (The Books of Magic (Graphic Novels) 0)

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author), John Bolton (Illustrator), Scott Hampton (Illustrator), Charles Vess (Illustrator), Paul Johnson (Illustrator), Roger Zelazny (Introduction)

3.99 · rating details · 3,457 ratings · 150 reviews

A quartet of fallen mystics dubbed the "TrenchCoat Brigade "is introduced in this first collection of the adventures of Timothy Hunter. John Constanine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult and Mister E take Hunter on a tour of the magical realms. Along the way he's introduced to Vertigo's greatest practitioners of magic and must choose whether or not to join their r...more

Paperback, 196 pages

Published April 14th 1993 by Vertigo (first published March 1st 1993)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Best Graphic Novels

145th out of 1,190 books — 1,992 voters

Best of Neil Gaiman

18th out of 34 books — 157 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 4,874)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 01, 2012

mark monday rated it

Shelves: graphikon

the artwork in The Books of Magic is splendid, a real treat. John Bolton, Scott Hampton, and Paul Johnson create shadowy, smearily impressionistic, layered, slowly shifting, ambiguously dream-like imagery that throws everything into question, including the narrative itself. classic fairy tale illustrator Charles Vess brings his own unique and enchanting style to his piece; the results are quite different (reminscent of the stylized, now-retro illustrations in old children's books like The Wizard...morethe artwork in The Books of Magic is splendid, a real treat. John Bolton, Scott Hampton, and Paul Johnson create shadowy, smearily impressionistic, layered, slowly shifting, ambiguously dream-like imagery that throws everything into question, including the narrative itself. classic fairy tale illustrator Charles Vess brings his own unique and enchanting style to his piece; the results are quite different (reminscent of the stylized, now-retro illustrations in old children's books like The Wizard of Oz), but are also suberb - Vess is a perfect artist for the third book's journey into Faerie.

sadly enough, the art was the most arresting thing about this first volume (initially a 4-part miniseries) of The Books of Magic. the series is all about young Tim Hunter's introduction to and adventures in The Dread World of Magick. Tim himself is a surprisingly unappealing protagonist - not only drawn as a homely, weaselly lad, but given dialogue that is often wearyingly ignorant or snarky. Tim Hunter is not really the big issue i have with this collection (although he is a small part of it - he's just not an enjoyable traveling companion)... it is the narrative itself. the writing is fine, Gaiman is a masterful writer and so, page by page, it is as polished as one would expect. but the story pretty much amounts to a guidebook to DC's magical realms and wide range of magically-powered folks. for a comic book nerd like myself, reading what is essentially a beautifully illustrated List of People & Things is a fun time. it certainly had me combing my memory and wikipedia to figure out the backstories and eventual fates of all the characters. but coming from the mind of the guy who wrote Sandman (an all-time favorite and the one long-running comic book series that i would recommend to anyone), i can't help but feel really disappointed. The Books of Magic is lacking in both resonance and imagination. fun but forgettable.

along the way, Tim meets Baba Yaga and Titania and members of Gaiman's own pantheon, The Endless. he sees glimpses of the Beginning of Time, Faerie Land, Skartaris, Gemworld (an odd choice), the 30th century future of the Legion of Super-heroes and Sorceror's World, the various Ends of Time. he is guided by The Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult (and his other half, Rose Psychic), John Constantine, Mister E, and Zatanna (who makes the extremely dippy blunder of taking Tim to a Halloween gathering of Magic Super Villains - oh, Zatanna, how typical), and he encounters Zatanna's father Zatara and Sargon the Sorcerer (both killed off by Alan Moore during Crisis on Infinite Earths), Jim Corrigon/ The Spectre, Jason Blood/ The Demon, Boston Brand/ Deadman, Kent Nelson/ Doctor Fate (who we find has a rather appalling fate in store for himself at the end of time), Madame Xanadu, Baron Winter, Tala, The Wizard, Tannarak, Felix Faust, and the ever-annoying Doctor 13 (happily killed off by Grant Morrison during Seven Soldiers of Victory). best of all - for me at least - was a glimpse into the possible far-future and a tiny little bit in the corner of one panel there, showing Klarion the Witchboy kicking The Spectre's ass in a magic battle. i always knew Klarion could take down Spectre if he put his mind to it!(less)

like 15 likes

· see review

Mar 02, 2010

Phoebe rated it

Shelves: loved-it

My wonderful husband bought me all of the many volumes of this series for Valentines Day--with a note inside that said that the best things about my writing remind him of The Books of Magic.

Aw.

He did warn me, though, that this first volume is closer to standard Gaiman fare than the rest of the series--where Tim's story transforms into the sort of YA fantasy that he knows I love.

He was right--which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy this first volume regardless. ...moreMy wonderful husband bought me all of the many volumes of this series for Valentines Day--with a note inside that said that the best things about my writing remind him of The Books of Magic.

Aw.

He did warn me, though, that this first volume is closer to standard Gaiman fare than the rest of the series--where Tim's story transforms into the sort of YA fantasy that he knows I love.

He was right--which isn't to say that I didn't enjoy this first volume regardless. Tim Hunter's first excursion through time and space was well-written and lovingly illustrated. Although I have little familiarity with the DC canon, characters like John Constantine and Doctor Occult still seemed likable, or at the very least intriguing. And the section most redolent of Gaiman's later work--for me, Tim's foray into Faerie--taps the same deep sense of myth and awe that he later exploits to haunting effect in Stardust.

But Tim himself remains an enigma. We know nothing of him--not his personality or background--from the outset, and even by the volume's conclusion are left mostly in the dark. This was problematic for me, and I think it may have been what my husband was talking about when he said this Book of Magic was not YA.

I've been thinking lately, thanks to some comments by teen writer Steph Bowe on Catcher in the Rye, about what makes a given work YA. I've come to believe that a work needs to have two things in order for the YA label to really fit comfortably: first, the author needs to intentionally be writing for an adolescent audience, taking the entertainment and educational needs into account (or at least consideration) during the process of drafting a work. Secondly, the author needs to create a protagonist with which the reader can identify. This is sometimes done by drafting a blank-slate or Everyman teen character (think: Bella from Twilight or Harry Potter), which is, in broad strokes, what Gaiman was doing here. Unfortunately, Tim Hunter is, so far, so blank as to be inscrutable. There is a brief sequence near the end of the final book in this volume where we're given a glimpse of Tim's home life. For me, this was also the most resonant and effective sequence--and it occupied all of three pages! Concluding, rather than beginning, with Tim's real life, was an unorthodox choice for Gaiman, and I'm not sure it was an entirely effective one--particularly if you evaluate this against other YA works, an almost inevitable comparison thanks to Tim's surface similarities to Harry Potter.

But I'm not sure this is a fair comparison, for this volume, at least, because it's also clear that Gaiman wasn't writing specifically for teenagers here--he doesn't intend the Books of Magic to be a series primarily for teenagers. It fails my YA litmus test, even if it largely succeeds on its own.

Still, I'm excited to read the rest of the series, where (I've read) later author John Rey Nieber made turning Tim into an identifiable and well-actualized teenager one of his primary goals.(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 11, 2007

Josh rated it

NOTE: This is best read AFTER you've read the Sandman series.

A great tale from my favorite part of the DCU - the magic, generally undead world (the one I lump Sandman, Swamp Thing, Spectre, Deadman, Constantine, the Demon Etrigan, etc), with some great characters that don't get a lot of facetime in other books. The art is phenomenal, and I got that great magical feeling I got reading books 3 & 4 of Sandman (my 2 faves). So if you liked that series, and want a little more, check t...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Mar 15, 2007

Nigel rated it

This whistle-stop tour through a subset of the DC Comics universe is where Neil Gaiman is in his element, where he can be interpreted by a visual artist. I greatly enjoyed the movie Mirrormask but I'm not a fan of Gaiman's novels. This work shines partly because the artwork is so excellent. Perhaps he writes in a cinematic way, perhaps his writing lends itself to the storyboard/comic strip format. I guess I'll never know because I've never seen the scripts he puts together before they reach the ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Nov 01, 2011

Scott Lee rated it

Despite being a constant comic and fantasy reader for most of the past three decades I am a newcomer to Neil Gaiman's work. This is a very intriguing comic, and certainly punches harder beyond plot than one generally expects from comics set in one of the two mainstream universes.

This exploration of magic in the world of the DCU is fascinating, and I encountered any number of characters I'd only brushed up against in the mainstream books. Being a fan of fantasy and comics I do love whe...more

· see review

Oct 20, 2011

Michael Poteet rated it

A little disappointing, having heard so much hype about it from longer-term comic fans (not to mention grumblings about J.K. Rowling having ripped it off -- bogus claims, for sure). I did enjoy what I grasped of it. This is my recurring frustration with Gaiman's work: I start off really getting it and enjoying it, and then, about 3/4ths of the way through, it goes off into a weird place I just can't follow. Same here.

I really loved the tour of human storytelling that Timothy takes in t...moreA little disappointing, having heard so much hype about it from longer-term comic fans (not to mention grumblings about J.K. Rowling having ripped it off -- bogus claims, for sure). I did enjoy what I grasped of it. This is my recurring frustration with Gaiman's work: I start off really getting it and enjoying it, and then, about 3/4ths of the way through, it goes off into a weird place I just can't follow. Same here.

I really loved the tour of human storytelling that Timothy takes in the first issue; I also thoroughly enjoyed the trip into Fairyland in the third issue (illustrated by Vess, who also illustrated "Instructions" and, it appears, is a frequent Gaiman collaborator). (Do you think the Warden of the market is meant to look so much like Isaac Asimov, by the way?) My favorite page in the whole book is when the Queen tells Timothy, "For there are only two worlds--your world, which is the real world, and other worlds, the fantasy. Worlds like this are worlds of the human imagination: their reality, or lack of reality, is not important. What is important is that they are there. These worlds provide an alternative. Provide an escape. Provide a threat. Provide a dream, and power, provide refuge, and pain. They give your world meaning. They do not exist, and thus they are all that matters." That's a wonderful philosophy of story, well worth reading several times.

But the fourth issue, with Mister E turning on Timothy as Jack and the magic apocalypse and the Heirophant (is that a dig at religion? it seems to me religion has much in common with Gaiman's story lore -- maybe he only has a problem when its institutionalized?) all happening at once... I didn't follow all that. Plus, I was surprised at how much this book intersects with the "regular" DCU, although with characters (Constantine, Zatanna) I don't have much knowledge of.

I would read it again, maybe taking some bits more slowly; but I'm not sure I'm enchanted by it. Still and all, I'm going to start giving "The Sandman" a try next. All these folks who love Gaiman can't be wrong!(less)

· see review

May 29, 2011

English rated it

Shelves: trade-paperback, comics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was an interesting collection. Some of the story felt a little old, but that could be due to the fact that I have read much of Neil Gaiman's work, just not in publication order. The Books of Magic is a fun, quick read, safe for most anyone who is open to the idea of magic. Not necessarily written for kids, I would comfortably hand a copy to 12(ish)-year-old. There are spoilers.

I really loved that the Trenchcoat Brigade let Tim make his own choice, and that Time immediately regrett...more

· see review

Apr 30, 2011

Ea Solinas rated it

Shelves: favorites, science-fiction-fantasy, fantasy, graphic-novels

Long before J.K. Rowling ever wrote about Harry Potter, there was another owl-toting, bespectacled young wizard with a destiny.

And somehow it doesn't surprise me that Neil Gaiman was responsible for that wizard's creation in "The Books of Magic." This brilliant four-part graphic novel is full of shadowy art, strange happenings and wild magic -- and while it was intended to be a story highlighting the more magical DC characters, it ended up taking a life of its own.
...moreLong before J.K. Rowling ever wrote about Harry Potter, there was another owl-toting, bespectacled young wizard with a destiny.

And somehow it doesn't surprise me that Neil Gaiman was responsible for that wizard's creation in "The Books of Magic." This brilliant four-part graphic novel is full of shadowy art, strange happenings and wild magic -- and while it was intended to be a story highlighting the more magical DC characters, it ended up taking a life of its own.

Timothy Hunter is playing alone in the street when he's approached by four men who ask him a simple question: "Do you believe in magic?" Obviously he says no, but after a brief demonstration of it, he reluctantly agrees to be taught in the ways of magic.

First, the Phantom Stranger takes him back on a first-class history tour -- the birth of the universe, the fall of Atlantis, the teenage life of the great wizard Merlin, the rise of magic in many different lands and its eventual wane. Then Tim takes a trip to to America with John Constantine to get acquainted with some of the more mystical creatures there... and ends up up to his neck in trouble

After that, Dr. Occult takes Tim into the world of Faerie, where he comes across a great sleeping king, gets caught by Baba Yaga, and shown Gemworld, Skartaris, Pytharia, a tiny glimpse of Hell, and a brief trip into the Dreamworld. He also counters Queen Titania, who seems to have a connection to him. And finally, Mr. E takes Tim into the future and shows him great wars, the return of magic, and the possible death of the world -- as well as his own future fate...

"The Books of Magic" isn't a comic book as you know it -- it's a journey across worlds and time, where an ordinary preteen boy discovers that he has the potential to be the greatest magician in the world. And though it was apparently meant to highlight various magical characters, Gaiman's story is more Joseph Campbell than comic book hero.

And Gaiman weaves a truly spellbinding, deceptively simple story -- he takes us into rivers of blood, goblin markets, a dying Earth, skull-faced kids, and even the childhood of a teenage Merlin. His dialogue is exquisite and rich ("Arthur sleeps in Avalon, and he sleeps here, as they all do. And perhaps he sleeps in your world too. Sometimes I suspect he sleeps inside a waking mind, waiting for the day to rise and free his ancient kingdom... Perhaps he sleeps inside thee, boy?").

I'm a little more split on the artwork -- somehow I just can't warm up to Paul Johnson's artwork, which makes Tim look very odd; and Scott Hampton's is of good quality but confusing to read. But John Bolton's artwork is absolutely exquisite (especially when he depicts the grandeur of a newborn universe, the towering angels and the ancient magics), and Charles Vess's tour of Faerie is some of the best work he has EVER done.

"The Books of Magic" is far more than it was intended to be -- a brilliant hero's journey through the worlds of magic. A deserving classic.
(less)

· see review

Jan 02, 2011

Kellee rated it

Shelves: adult, fantasy, graphic-novels, ya-teen, wt-jan-march-2011-challenge

Just like the first book of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, I was utterly confused during some parts of this graphic novel which probably means it is truly brilliant. Of course it was well written, it is Gaiman, and beautifully illustrated (very Sandmand-esque as well). The book takes you on an adventure through time, space and different worlds, even taking us to the dream land where most of Sandman takes place. I did find, though, that this graphic novel lacked in characterization. I hardly kno...more

· see review

Dec 31, 2010

Raj rated it

Shelves: graphic-novel, fantasy

Four mysterious men argue amongst themselves on what to do about Timothy Hunter, a young boy who has the potential to become the greatest magician of his age. They eventually decide to show him the realms of magic and let him choose his own future.

At first glance this graphic novel of a young boy with glasses being introduced to a world of magic (even with his own owl) might look a bit familiar, but The Books of Magic was published many years before J. K. Rowling's bespectacled wi...more

· see review

May 23, 2010

Lauren rated it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, graphic-novels

WOW.

This is the first work I have read by Neil Gaiman, and I was completely impressed. The graphic novel was published in 1993 and stars a young British boy who is told that he can be the most powerful magician in the world. Four older men who are fully involved in the magic world take him through the past, present, future, and other worlds to show him the power of magic. The boy Tim ultimately has the option to choose a life of magic or lead a completely normal existence.

...moreWOW.

This is the first work I have read by Neil Gaiman, and I was completely impressed. The graphic novel was published in 1993 and stars a young British boy who is told that he can be the most powerful magician in the world. Four older men who are fully involved in the magic world take him through the past, present, future, and other worlds to show him the power of magic. The boy Tim ultimately has the option to choose a life of magic or lead a completely normal existence.

Tim immediately set off a bell in my head. He is about 13, brown hair, big glasses and has a pet owl. J.R. Rowling must have been very inspired after reading Books of Magic. The men who act as Tim's guides are recognizable characters such as John Constantine, Mister E, and Doctor Occult. Other DC characters included are Dr. Fate, Spectre, Zatanna, and Zatara. Mythical character cameos are made by Merlin, King Arthur, Baba Yaga, and various faeries, ghouls, goblins, demons and angels. As Tim travels from the beginning of time/magic to the very end, he is able to see the world and magic evolve.

There are 4 books in total: I The Invisible Labyrinth, II The Shadow World, III The Land of Summer's Twilight, IV The Road to Nowhere. My books were bound into one novel. I enjoyed reading it in this way as opposed to 4 separate novels.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy and magic aspects. Because it incorporates characters from a variety of stories, people who are unfamiliar with the genre may not like it as much. Then again, it could also be a nice introduction to the genre.

The writing is simple, yet tells the intended story. The graphics, however, steal the show. Each illustrator worked on a different book: John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, and Paul Johnson. The visuals tell the story perfectly. In Book I, Tim travels back in time. The graphics range from dark, minimal images to more historic picturing as Tim travels to towards the present. In the faery world, the images are very light with more of an anime feel. Each section is effectively paired with illustrations that allow the reader to feel as if s/he is traveling right along with Tim.

I would recommend this graphic novel to my students as an independent read, but I do not think I could use this as a teaching tool. The novel touches on universal themes of growing up, making choices, and, at the very basic level, of choosing right versus wrong.

Books of Magic incorporates DC Comic characters with mythical stoylines and characters. (less)

· see review

Mar 26, 2011

D.M. rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: young fantasy fans

I first read this series with some excitement when it came out in prestige format issues way back when. The combination of a favourite authour with favourite artists Scott Hampton & John Bolton would have been enough to get me going, but the addition of the remarkable Charles Vess and surprising Paul Johnson showed considerable promise as well. Having said all that, Books of Magic always disappoints me.
I'm not sure if it's the utterly lame final panel that lets me down, or maybe it's the s...more

· see review

Aug 31, 2010

Skipper Ritchotte rated it

A totally biased five-star. I'll never get to read The Sandman for the first time again, but I was thrilled to find so much Sandman-type flavor here, yet it's really more American Gods meets the DC universe meets Harry Potter (mind, this came out BEFORE Harry Potter), and it equals awesome. This first volume is apparently the only part of the series penned by Gaiman, sadly, and I haven't yet read the rest. Each of the four parts was drawn by a different artist, which makes the experience that mu...more

· see review

Jan 10, 2012

aidan rated it

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, graphic-novels, magic, young-adult

It was because of this work that I came to hear about Neil Gaiman, but not because I read it at the time. It was the early oughties and Harry Potter was BIG. A friend of mine raged against this fad, claiming it was simply a (deficient) rip off of The Books of Magic. Then he lent me the whole Sandman series and (seeing how AWESOME that was), I vowed to never, ever read Harry Potter given such a grave injustice The Best Fantasy Writer Ever, Neil Gaiman.

Well, eventually I broke down and r...moreIt was because of this work that I came to hear about Neil Gaiman, but not because I read it at the time. It was the early oughties and Harry Potter was BIG. A friend of mine raged against this fad, claiming it was simply a (deficient) rip off of The Books of Magic. Then he lent me the whole Sandman series and (seeing how AWESOME that was), I vowed to never, ever read Harry Potter given such a grave injustice The Best Fantasy Writer Ever, Neil Gaiman.

Well, eventually I broke down and read Harry Potter (more like I was cajoled by a different friend-- a very ~~obsessed~~ dedicated HP fan) ---and, in fact, have read the series more than once (and liked it!). Good thing, because my HP-hating-friend was quite wrong in his assessment of its flagrant plagiarism. There are similarities: a tale of a young boy with unkempt hair and nerdy glasses is whisked away from the mundane world into a magical one, with promise of great danger alongside personal gain. They both have owls! And hey, they're both British too! But the similarities stop there and are just overly broad to matter anyway. Timothy Hunter does not, far as this book tells it, have a lightning scar on his forehead. His owl is an entirely different hue and came into being by totally different circumstances...

With such (personal) history regarding this book, I can't help but compare the two series anyway. I realize that The Books of Magic is a starting place, but I ended these first four books disappointed. J.K. Rowling took the same elements and made an overall more interesting story. The Books do start and continue in a much more ominous tone than Harry Potter, but all its engagements are superficial and left a feeling of lack. Sure, this is where more stories could be explored, but I can't help but notice that Gaiman did not continue to follow out those stories. It seems he knew his talents would be better put to use elsewhere. And I would rather appreciate them elsewhere, anyway.

Gaiman has such better works in Sandman and novels like American Gods that I would only recommend reading The Books of Magic if you are really invested in having a holistic appreciation for Gaiman's work. The story is alright, having its share of insightful/soulful Gaiman-writing, but as a whole it really pales in comparison with his other works.(less)

· see review

Dec 29, 2008

Laura rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels

I once read a breathless and poorly written article about how this book totally ripped off Harry Potter. I mean, PLEASE: bespectacled English kid who can do magic? DUH. (That was the general gist of the article; it also pointed the plagiarism finger at Diana Wynne Jones for her Chrestomanci series. It's just a shame that online articles can't be physically ripped into tiny pieces and stomped upon.) Clearly, anything about bespectacled English kids who can do magic has to be stolen from Harr...more

like 3 likes

· see review

May 20, 2011

Kris rated it

Shelves: own-it

I didn't even know this book existed until I saw it on the shelf at my local comic book shop. Having fallen in love with Gaiman's writing and devouring everything of his I could find, it was quite surprising to see it there!

Alas, this book didn't seem to me to quite live up to his usual brilliance. It may be that many of the characters were from other comic books and I wasn't familiar with them, so I didn't get the depth some who was familiar with them might have.

Don't get m...more

· see review

Sep 26, 2010

Mevlud Cukovic rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

· see review

Apr 24, 2009

Purplycookie rated it

Shelves: books-of-magic, graphic-novel, faerie, fantasy

I gave a laugh at this disclaimer: "This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real people (living, dead, or stolen by fairies), or to any real animals, gods, witches, countries and events (magical or otherwise), is just blind luck, or so we hope"

The heart of the story, which served to launch the ongoing "The Books of Magic" series and its various mini-series spinoffs, is the realization by the mightiest of the occult powers that Timothy Hunter is destined ...more

· see review

Jun 15, 2010

Mike Ehlers rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels

I was a bit disappointed with this collection. The art was fine, and generally contributed to the tale. And Gaiman has a good way of telling a story. But Gaiman has done better. And the story of the young hero's call has been done better. Still, it's fun to follow Gaiman into his fantasy worlds.

I had trouble deciding what to rate this. On one hand, there was Gaiman's fascinating worlds and the intriguing guides. On the other, there was an almost endless parade of comic book oc...more

· see review

May 14, 2009

Sarah Sammis rated it

Shelves: borrowed, read-in-2009

Despite my geekiness, I'm a relatively new reader of graphic novels and manga. This means I missed most of Neil Gaiman's early works and I'm only now catching up. I've read a few reviews of The Books of Magic that suggest reading the Sandman series first but I didn't and that choice didn't seem to inhibit my enjoyment of this four part miniseries.

The Books of Magic is a four part miniseries all written by Neil Gaiman with each volume illustrated by a different artist. They are a tour...more

· see review

Aug 01, 2011

Amy Strickland rated it

I'm finding a common theme in Neil Gaiman books. Aside from the fact that I think this ties Stardust, Interworld, and Sandman into the same canon, I'm finding that Anansi Boys, American Gods, etc, all tie in to the idea that Dumbledore expresses in Deathly Hallows-- who cares if it's all in your head? Does that make it less real? Gaiman believes-- and I agree-- that myth and fantasy, despite not being concrete, are real because of the power they hold over the human mind. Zeus may not have been a...more

· see review

Dec 31, 2011

Sue rated it

It makes me sad to only give this book 3 stars, but really, I had higher hopes. The dude at the comic book store said that this character was the one that Harry Potter was based on, which was what made me pick it up - how fabulous! One of the great contemporary stories by one of the best contemporary storytellers! Couldn't get invested in the main character though, and I think that there was an expectation of a fair amount of prior knowledge of the characters. So many things happened in the book...more

· see review

Aug 07, 2011

Emily rated it

This is the first in a short series, the rest of which I haven't read yet, which probably explains why this graphic novel felt very much like a background introduction more than an engaging story in its own right. I love much of Gaiman's writing but this wasn't anything to compare tithe Sandman graphic novels. The main character spends the entire time just being led around by the other characters and never really expresses a personality, and most of the book seems like a tribute tour through oth...more

· see review

Feb 11, 2011

Sam rated it

More Neil Gaiman magic! Another reviewer recommends reading The Sandman series first, and I would have to agree. Certain characters from that series appear in this that give you the kind of goose bumps that only a true nerd can feel.

Otherwise, this is kind of like a darker Harry Potter (pardon the oversimplification). A boy learns from a group of four mystics that he is destined to become the most powerful magician of his age and is shown the "basics" of the world of mag...more

· see review

Jul 16, 2011

Nithin rated it

Recommends it for: DC Vertigo Comics readers

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy, dark, self-discovery

A sparkling introduction to a magical universe, where 3 famed characters (I could only recognize John Constantine - from the movies - I havn't read Hellblazer yet) introduce 12 year old Timothy Hunter into a world of magic. Have to say, I loved it - but not extremely, but that's because I wasn't familiar with the famed characters. I'm sure this book might have been a favorite, had I known any of the characters shown beforehand, as I loved the way it proceeded. Since I didn't know anyone, I could...more

· see review

Nov 30, 2011

Jacquel Chrissy Pattinson rated it

Shelves: all-out-enjoyable-fantasy, awesomely-good-books

Long before we had the dreaded "~~Harry Potter~~", there was one boy who was destined to become the greatest magician who ever existed on the face of the earth...

This is the story about a young boy named Tim Hunter, and he is taken by the "Trenchcoat Brigade" (a.k.a. John Constanine, the Phantom Stranger, Dr. Occult and Mister E) and they take him through history and different realms in an attempt to educate him about the magical world and his place in it. He meets m...more

· see review

Nov 25, 2010

Mara rated it

Shelves: magic, graphic

I was absolutely taken w/the artwork in this series, although as far as I can tell, they did not give the illustrators credit for their specific volumes, which is frustrating to me. In the story, Gaiman revisits his traditional themes: the intersection of worlds, in particular the magical and the mundane, the blurring of good and evil, and mythical imageries. Although I was not particularly charmed by any of the main characters, I was very intrigued by all of them; they work well as an ensemble ...more

· see review

May 22, 2010

Jean-Pierre Vidrine rated it

· review of another edition

Meet Timothy Hunter, a young boy with great potential for magical abilities who has no idea about it. Enter: the Trenchcoat Brigade, four scary guys in raincoats who know too much about different areas of DC Comics magical worlds. In each chapter, young Timothy is given a dangerous tour of these realms and repeatedly told that he has a choice. He can choose a life of magic; exciting yet potentially dangerous and even deadly. Or, he can choose the life he's known all along; mundane but relat...more

· see review

Jun 14, 2008

Jean Grace rated it

I have picked up a few unsatisfying comics lately. This was one. While I generally love Gaiman, this book (4 comics collected in one volume) is a tough read. The plot is an excuse to bring together magical characters from DC Comics, ostensibly to launch the education of Timothy Hunter, a bespectacled 12-year-old English boy who is under appreciated in his daily life and destined for great magical achievement. If a reader is really familiar with the DC Comics universe, reading this book might...more

· see review

Jul 30, 2007

Tita rated it

Shelves: comics-graphicnovel

(written Dec 9th, 2004)

Akhirnya, keluar juga The Books of Magic versi paperback. Gambar pada cover depannya: seorang anak laki2 biasa, berkacamata, sedang bermain skateboard, ditemani seekor burung hantu yg terbang di dekatnya - akan langsung mengingatkan pada tokoh utama sebuah novel yg belakangan ini terkenal lewat film2nya. Benar: Harry Potter.
Tunggu dulu. Harry Potter jilid pertama keluar sekitar th 1998(?), sedangkan seri pertama dari The Books of Magic ini terbit th 1990....more

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 162 163 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Sequential Art > Graphic Novels

220 users

Sequential Art > Comics

176 users

Fantasy

161 users

Fantasy > Magic

17 users

Comics > Comic Book

16 users

Young Adult

15 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

11 users

Graphic Novels Comics

11 users

Fantasy > Dark Fantasy

7 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

7 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Neil Gaiman

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Books of Magic

3 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Books of Magic

“There are only two worlds - your world, which is the real world, and other worlds, the fantasy. Worlds like this are worlds of the human imagination: their reality, or lack of reality, is not important. What is important is that they are there. these worlds provide an alternative. Provide an escape. Provide a threat. Provide a dream, and power; provide refuge, and pain. They give your world meaning. They do not exist; and thus they are all that matters. ” — 344 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Books of Magic

500 Essential Graphic Novels

209 members

last activity Jan 22, 2012 09:41am

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Books of Magic
avg rating	preview: The Books of Magic Goodreads rating: 3.99 (3457 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727.The_Books_of_Magic?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166853457m/17727.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727.The_Books_of_Magic?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman[/url]

The Books of Magic (The Books of Magic (Graphic Novels) 0)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website