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The Unwritten
The Unwritten, Vol. 11: Apocalypse
In these final The Unwritten tales the three immortals – Wilson, Rausch and Pullman – are moving toward their respective endgames. But when was the last time they were all in the same room together? Answer: half a century ago, in Oxford, England. And the reasons for what they’re doing now can be found in what they said to each other back then...
Collecting: The Unwritten: Apocalypse 6-12
Collecting: The Unwritten: Apocalypse 6-12
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2015
3 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,273 books2,972 followersLibrarian 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 storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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 storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
November 9, 2023
As each of the forces seek out their goals, we get to see some mind boggling back stories of the main immortal protagonists, which alongside the present unravels and reveals all. Yep, and ties up the story with The meta (and dare I say, fitting) conclusion of an almost masterpiece meta-story. :)
8 out of 12, Four Stars
2017 and 2015 read
8 out of 12, Four Stars
2017 and 2015 read
May 31, 2017
Hmmm. Ok?
I really wanted to like this final volume more that I actually did.
Warning: Beware the Spoilers!
I (because I'm ridiculous) thought that by the end of this thing all the concepts that were turning my brain to mush would suddenly make sense.
Not so.
You need to have a higher level of intelligence and a higher tolerance for existential nonsense than I currently possess. Which, in all honesty, isn't some unachievable goal. You can pretty much have the IQ of a potato and you've got me beat.
And, well, I just didn't like the ending. I know, I know! It wasn't a surprise or anything, but I still felt deflated.
Like...Awww, man! Really? After all that shit?! This? THIS?!
I honestly thought that since everything had always pointed to Tom as some sort of sacrificial Messiah, Carey would pull a switcheroo and somehow change it up.
But no.
sighs deeply
Of course, you have to take into consideration that I wouldn't even read Charlotte's Web with my 9 year old because of the ending.
PS - My kid was teary-eyed and quite upset because Charlotte died alone.
Alone, Mommy! *sniffle* Having babies KILLED her and she was all alone when she died! It just made me so sad that after everything she did for Wilbur, nobody was with her. *sniffle*
Sorry, baby. I told you not to get attached to the spider, though. Oh, and if you're anything like me, you'll want to stay away from Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows.
What kind of a fucking asshole teacher gives that book out to little kids, anyway?
*glares*
To me, (and I know this opinion isn't shared by very many people) a story isn't worth reading if the main character dies at the end. It just kind of ruins the idea of ever wanting to reread the book, makes me feel depressed, and leaves me feeling extremely unsatisfied and/or very pissed off.
Luckily, I didn't like this title enough to get angry, so it was only with a vague sense of dissatisfaction that I closed the last page.
But. I did finish it! So, yay me! That's one less title on my bucket list.
The writing wasn't bad at all, and since it's only my personal preferences that made this unpalatable for me, I don't feel right giving it less than 3 stars.
Personal enjoyment, though? 1 star
I really wanted to like this final volume more that I actually did.
Warning: Beware the Spoilers!
I (because I'm ridiculous) thought that by the end of this thing all the concepts that were turning my brain to mush would suddenly make sense.
Not so.
You need to have a higher level of intelligence and a higher tolerance for existential nonsense than I currently possess. Which, in all honesty, isn't some unachievable goal. You can pretty much have the IQ of a potato and you've got me beat.
And, well, I just didn't like the ending. I know, I know! It wasn't a surprise or anything, but I still felt deflated.
Like...Awww, man! Really? After all that shit?! This? THIS?!
I honestly thought that since everything had always pointed to Tom as some sort of sacrificial Messiah, Carey would pull a switcheroo and somehow change it up.
But no.
sighs deeply
Of course, you have to take into consideration that I wouldn't even read Charlotte's Web with my 9 year old because of the ending.
PS - My kid was teary-eyed and quite upset because Charlotte died alone.
Alone, Mommy! *sniffle* Having babies KILLED her and she was all alone when she died! It just made me so sad that after everything she did for Wilbur, nobody was with her. *sniffle*
Sorry, baby. I told you not to get attached to the spider, though. Oh, and if you're anything like me, you'll want to stay away from Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows.
What kind of a fucking asshole teacher gives that book out to little kids, anyway?
*glares*
To me, (and I know this opinion isn't shared by very many people) a story isn't worth reading if the main character dies at the end. It just kind of ruins the idea of ever wanting to reread the book, makes me feel depressed, and leaves me feeling extremely unsatisfied and/or very pissed off.
Luckily, I didn't like this title enough to get angry, so it was only with a vague sense of dissatisfaction that I closed the last page.
But. I did finish it! So, yay me! That's one less title on my bucket list.
The writing wasn't bad at all, and since it's only my personal preferences that made this unpalatable for me, I don't feel right giving it less than 3 stars.
Personal enjoyment, though? 1 star
August 4, 2015
Heads-up, spoiler detesters: that which you detest is detestably present.
4 Stars seems about right—both for this volume and for the series as a whole (maybe 4.3ish for the series).
The Unwritten is a story about stories, and often a story about stories about stories, and even, sometimes, a story about stories about stories about stories being told as a story by someone in a story.
Brain hurt yet? Good. Because mine did for all 11 volumes, and I really hate to suffer alone (which is why I often kick people in the thorax when my own thorax hurts…at least, I THINK that’s my thorax…maybe…but, hey—I’m no anatomy expert (as the ladies can attest)).
I’m going to make a wild leap here and assume that if you’re reading this, you have some familiarity with The Unwritten. If you don’t, none of this will make sense (not that it will anyway, given whose writing it), though I suspect that will hardly diminish your lack of enjoyment in reading it.
In the end, it happened as it had to. It was apparent from the get-go that Tom/Tommy would have die to save the world. It was why he existed and why he was created. And, it was what every character template he was based on had to do (even Mr. Potter himself). Just because that was the inevitable end didn’t make the journey any less compelling, however, and even if the twisted story logic Messrs. Carey and Gross used to get to that point seemed a bit too easy for a last-ditch effort, it didn’t diminish Tom’s sacrifice in any way (and, hey—as writer and artist, they get to take advantage of creating a world where the only narrative rules are every rule ever created, which gives you a bit of flexibility when it comes to defeating your Big Bads). Tom fulfilled his purpose, and he did it on his own terms, which didn’t seem possible at points throughout the story, thanks to his Daddy Dearest.
Speaking of Wilson Taylor, interminable douche bag, master manipulator, and jowl-haver-extraordinaire, even he managed to take steps—literally and metaphorically—towards redemption at story’s end. I’m not entirely sure I buy it, but I want to—I’m a sucker for redemption, and if anyone needs redeeming, it’s Wilson (even though, to be fair, he did kinda-sorta save the world, albeit by basically test-tube brainwashing his own kid and doing a whole host of unspeakable other things).
The Unwritten is another worthy epic in the Vertigo family—in comparing it to some of my favorites, it may not have the consistent excellence of Transmetropolitan, throw a visceral punch like Preacher, or build as fully realized – and characterized – a world as Fables, but it’s in the same conversation as those exemplary yarns. It can be forgiven, I think, for sometimes collapsing—or nearly collapsing—under the weight of its own intertextual meta narrative because what Carey and Gross set out to do was so big, so massive, so grand that there’s no possible way they could have pulled it off without a hitch.
Because, if they had, The Unwritten would have been literally the greatest story ever told. And, there’s no shame in falling a bit shy of that benchmark.
Recommended, but be prepared for brain pretzeling (which is much less delicious than it sounds—there’s very little salt and butter, sadly, and forget about fake cheese sauce or chocolate or…wait, what was I talking about?).
4 Stars seems about right—both for this volume and for the series as a whole (maybe 4.3ish for the series).
The Unwritten is a story about stories, and often a story about stories about stories, and even, sometimes, a story about stories about stories about stories being told as a story by someone in a story.
Brain hurt yet? Good. Because mine did for all 11 volumes, and I really hate to suffer alone (which is why I often kick people in the thorax when my own thorax hurts…at least, I THINK that’s my thorax…maybe…but, hey—I’m no anatomy expert (as the ladies can attest)).
I’m going to make a wild leap here and assume that if you’re reading this, you have some familiarity with The Unwritten. If you don’t, none of this will make sense (not that it will anyway, given whose writing it), though I suspect that will hardly diminish your lack of enjoyment in reading it.
In the end, it happened as it had to. It was apparent from the get-go that Tom/Tommy would have die to save the world. It was why he existed and why he was created. And, it was what every character template he was based on had to do (even Mr. Potter himself). Just because that was the inevitable end didn’t make the journey any less compelling, however, and even if the twisted story logic Messrs. Carey and Gross used to get to that point seemed a bit too easy for a last-ditch effort, it didn’t diminish Tom’s sacrifice in any way (and, hey—as writer and artist, they get to take advantage of creating a world where the only narrative rules are every rule ever created, which gives you a bit of flexibility when it comes to defeating your Big Bads). Tom fulfilled his purpose, and he did it on his own terms, which didn’t seem possible at points throughout the story, thanks to his Daddy Dearest.
Speaking of Wilson Taylor, interminable douche bag, master manipulator, and jowl-haver-extraordinaire, even he managed to take steps—literally and metaphorically—towards redemption at story’s end. I’m not entirely sure I buy it, but I want to—I’m a sucker for redemption, and if anyone needs redeeming, it’s Wilson (even though, to be fair, he did kinda-sorta save the world, albeit by basically test-tube brainwashing his own kid and doing a whole host of unspeakable other things).
The Unwritten is another worthy epic in the Vertigo family—in comparing it to some of my favorites, it may not have the consistent excellence of Transmetropolitan, throw a visceral punch like Preacher, or build as fully realized – and characterized – a world as Fables, but it’s in the same conversation as those exemplary yarns. It can be forgiven, I think, for sometimes collapsing—or nearly collapsing—under the weight of its own intertextual meta narrative because what Carey and Gross set out to do was so big, so massive, so grand that there’s no possible way they could have pulled it off without a hitch.
Because, if they had, The Unwritten would have been literally the greatest story ever told. And, there’s no shame in falling a bit shy of that benchmark.
Recommended, but be prepared for brain pretzeling (which is much less delicious than it sounds—there’s very little salt and butter, sadly, and forget about fake cheese sauce or chocolate or…wait, what was I talking about?).
January 20, 2020
I know I read this and I know it had to be in 2016. But I just now (Jan. 19, 2020) realized I don't have a review of it, or even have it logged in. I remember the ending, and its illustrations, perfectly, which could mean it was either really good or really bad; and I know it wasn't bad.
If my review did disappear, it's fitting for what I remember of this book.
If my review did disappear, it's fitting for what I remember of this book.
March 20, 2018
This is probably more of a 2.5 but I'll round up to 3 I guess, probably in part because I don't actually care WHAT the ending is at this point just that it's OVER. What happened here, Carey? Your comics are usually so good. I think I would have enjoyed this volume more if I wasn't so exhausted from the awful volumes that came directly before it. Looking back this series really peaked with volume 6 and it just never recovered the same pace again. I feel like the entirely of volumes 7-10 could have been condensed down into a single volume if you only kept the things that were plot relevant [and get rid of that Fables shit entirely] and then volume 11 could have been left mostly the same but I think it would have read better without so much convoluted crap coming right before it.
There was some interesting stuff here, but I feel like it never really came together and then it just abruptly ended. And THEN they literally had Wilson write The Unwritten like ...in the story and his editor was like 'this ending is shit' and he's just like [shrugs]. Just because you know your ending is kind of shit and make some meta joke about it doesn't suddenly make it a good ending okay??? Also did they ever tell us how/why Wilson was immortal??? Because I missed it if they did, although I think it's probably just one more thing to put on top of a pile of unanswered questions. I feel like they never really used Pullman to his full potential either, especially after they revealed his true identity. Bleh.
Anyway, great series at the beginning, then Carey started doing all the things he doesn't usually do [copious filler, convoluted plotlines that go nowhere, volumes that don't make sense as a whole] and it went entirely downhill. Unfortunate. I'll leave you with a panel that i found amusing, the whole 'flickering in and out of the story' thing was probably the best part of this volume overall.
There was some interesting stuff here, but I feel like it never really came together and then it just abruptly ended. And THEN they literally had Wilson write The Unwritten like ...in the story and his editor was like 'this ending is shit' and he's just like [shrugs]. Just because you know your ending is kind of shit and make some meta joke about it doesn't suddenly make it a good ending okay??? Also did they ever tell us how/why Wilson was immortal??? Because I missed it if they did, although I think it's probably just one more thing to put on top of a pile of unanswered questions. I feel like they never really used Pullman to his full potential either, especially after they revealed his true identity. Bleh.
Anyway, great series at the beginning, then Carey started doing all the things he doesn't usually do [copious filler, convoluted plotlines that go nowhere, volumes that don't make sense as a whole] and it went entirely downhill. Unfortunate. I'll leave you with a panel that i found amusing, the whole 'flickering in and out of the story' thing was probably the best part of this volume overall.
May 23, 2016
One of the best volumes in awhile, and a great ending to the series. In some ways, it was inevitable. I never really thought that Tom would get to live happily ever after. The last issue was dragging a bit in a few places, but I think it tied up the majority of the loose ends in a satisfactory way.
Read
January 18, 2016It's been days since I finished this, and I still don't know what I think about it. I don't even know if I liked it or if I hated it or if it was a good ending or a bad ending, or if it was even an ending. Like, yes, OBVIOUSLY it was an ending literally because the series is over, but good endings FEEL like endings, you know? Does that answer my question as to whether this is good or not? I have no idea. Seriously, I've been thinking and thinking about this and I don't even know what to think about while I'm thinking about trying to think about it!
S0 I guess for now I'm going to leave it at no rating. I'll probably re-read the last six volumes sometime, just because I've read the first six twice and they have to match. But I think I also need to re-process here.
For now, here are some scattered thoughts:
-The first part featured our heroes going into an Arthurian romance to find the Holy Grail, and while it was sort of fun, it didn't feel like finale-worthy stuff. I don't know.
-It definitely all feels less mysterious than it did at the beginning, when it all felt like discovering this magical puzzle. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you trade the mystery in for enlightenment. I'm just not sure that we did?
-I wish Richie and Lizzie had played a bigger role and mattered a little bit more for their own sakes and not for Tom's.
-I do think that the ending was fitting and poetical, but I'm not sure I felt it?
Everything I write feels like it needs a question mark after it.
I do think this wasn't *bad*, now that I'm forcing myself to process it, but I'm just not sure it was right? Or maybe I just don't get it right now, and will in the future. Maybe my brain will be able to rate it in the future as well.
S0 I guess for now I'm going to leave it at no rating. I'll probably re-read the last six volumes sometime, just because I've read the first six twice and they have to match. But I think I also need to re-process here.
For now, here are some scattered thoughts:
-The first part featured our heroes going into an Arthurian romance to find the Holy Grail, and while it was sort of fun, it didn't feel like finale-worthy stuff. I don't know.
-It definitely all feels less mysterious than it did at the beginning, when it all felt like discovering this magical puzzle. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you trade the mystery in for enlightenment. I'm just not sure that we did?
-I wish Richie and Lizzie had played a bigger role and mattered a little bit more for their own sakes and not for Tom's.
-I do think that the ending was fitting and poetical, but I'm not sure I felt it?
Everything I write feels like it needs a question mark after it.
I do think this wasn't *bad*, now that I'm forcing myself to process it, but I'm just not sure it was right? Or maybe I just don't get it right now, and will in the future. Maybe my brain will be able to rate it in the future as well.
June 18, 2015
You know, I was skeptical from the very first pages of Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity, but I stuck with it. For the duration I've thought that the art was lacking. Its just not that great, and nowhere near consistent. The story is an interesting idea and throughout the run it's had some shining, clever moments, but for the most part its felt like a balloon that's constantly deflating but never totally running out of air.
This last book did very little for me. I wasn't moved by the ending, it felt totally expected and after 11 books, I just don't feel any connection to these characters. And again, the art's weak and inconsistent, but consistent in that at least.
Blah to The Unwritten.
This last book did very little for me. I wasn't moved by the ending, it felt totally expected and after 11 books, I just don't feel any connection to these characters. And again, the art's weak and inconsistent, but consistent in that at least.
Blah to The Unwritten.
October 4, 2022
Tight and elegant ending; more than I had expected for such a convoluted story after so many issues, actually.
October 18, 2022
In the end, The Unwritten is a set of stories set up in the shape of Russian nesting dolls. This has allowed the series to be both terribly consistent and inconsistent at the same time with its narrative, worldbuilding and characters. It allows Mike Carey to do whatever he wants. Now the story is following the rules of the second nesting doll, now fifth, now first, now tenth, now eighth As the series continued Carey has been moving faster and faster with which doll he's been using. And plainly said it's obnoxious. It's like that popular children's show, Doctor Who. The reader asks "Why did that happen." The author answers "I'm the writer and this is for kids. That's two reasons why. How many do you want? Thirteen... more? It's fictional, so I can make up as many as you want."
I'm just exhausted at this point.
Anyways this story is over. Thank goodness for that.
I'm just exhausted at this point.
Anyways this story is over. Thank goodness for that.
August 14, 2015
With flash and flare, Mike Carey and Peter Gross bring a resounding close to their Vertigo epic. Drawing on much of the material that has come before, this final volume of The Unwritten also has the cumulative emotional punch to make it an entirely satisfying conclusion. This volume follows on what has gone before, but also addresses some lingering questions before exiting stage left. As to the ending itself? If you've followed The Unwritten this far, you should know to expect a mind-bending twist that has to be the most meta turn of events I've ever read. I've followed The Unwritten since its first year of publication and it is with a heavy heart that I leave behind all of the memorable characters that lay within its pages. If you are a fan of comics and literature (or either of those categories independently), then The Unwritten deserves your attention. It was a comic that was intellectually satisfying and refused to spoon feed the audience. The Unwritten is yet another feather in Vertigo's long line of successful fantasy comics, and finds itself in the esteemed company of such classics as Sandman and Fables. Check this one out, you won't regret it.
May 8, 2016
The last Unwritten! I have to say that this entire series has been amazing and I'll remember it as one of my favourite comics ever. That said, I liked the comics from the beginning more. They were less meta (though still very meta) and more literary, less fantasy more magical realism. I started to get lost the more I read, and the feeling was that anything could happen because the rules were being made up as they went. I still loved it, a lot. I find the ending sad, but very well done--which I was not expecting, seeing how convoluted things had gotten.
I plan on re-reading this every x-years, and I'm definitely gonna miss it! If I wrote comics, that's the sort of thing I'd like to do.
I plan on re-reading this every x-years, and I'm definitely gonna miss it! If I wrote comics, that's the sort of thing I'd like to do.
July 13, 2015
Satisfying end. Not my favorite Mike Carey series (Lucifer) or even second (the sadly cancelled Crossing Midnight) but still good. More uneven. I also get lost a little in the meta textual world and rules. I think the last two volumes were the strongest. I wanted to read more in a world effected by Leviathan spawn.
November 10, 2020
Unfortunately botches the landing. Very disappointing.
It feels like the plot grew too big on the writers and they got confused by their own internal rules and laws.
Did enjoy a pictorial reference to Corum (by Michael Moorcock) immensely.
Sad really.
(also never got an explanation of why Pullman was named Pullman, which I always felt had to be significant, but I guess I was wrong)
It feels like the plot grew too big on the writers and they got confused by their own internal rules and laws.
Did enjoy a pictorial reference to Corum (by Michael Moorcock) immensely.
Sad really.
(also never got an explanation of why Pullman was named Pullman, which I always felt had to be significant, but I guess I was wrong)
March 11, 2020
Excuse me while I try to figure out how to articulate how furious I am with how badly this series drove itself into a ditch and never recovered.
September 25, 2018
THE UNWRITTEN - FINAL SUMMARY: Okay...so overall, wildly inventive and generally well-drawn (a lot of different artists worked on different stories with varying success) - but ultimately just confusing as hell and, as with so many multi-volume "graphic novels" (e.g., Y: The Last Man), the last couple of entries were an exercise in diminishing returns.
The Unwritten started off with what sounded like a pretty lame concept, but then got pretty good in the middle volumes before going all "WTF?" towards the end. And also as with some other graphic novel series (e.g., The Walking Dead) the bad guy (Pullman/Negan) is much more complex and interesting than the nominal hero (Tom/Rick).
Oh well...
The Unwritten started off with what sounded like a pretty lame concept, but then got pretty good in the middle volumes before going all "WTF?" towards the end. And also as with some other graphic novel series (e.g., The Walking Dead) the bad guy (Pullman/Negan) is much more complex and interesting than the nominal hero (Tom/Rick).
Oh well...
December 20, 2022
Yeah, I was pretty disappointed by the ending. It just felt like a big cop out to a more well thought out ending. It’s happened so many times with these creator owned comics. A wonderful concept that starts with a blaze, settles a little in the middle then picks up again only to be a letdown at the conclusion.
Overall the volume was good but the further into it I got and the fewer pages that were left, the more I could feel the endgame being a letdown. There should have maybe been one more volume.
Overall the volume was good but the further into it I got and the fewer pages that were left, the more I could feel the endgame being a letdown. There should have maybe been one more volume.
May 23, 2018
I have enjoyed this series, but it was a lot of work to keep track of everything. I have to admit I'm just ready to see how it all ends. Would I read a spin-off, if Carey decided to pick up one of the small storylines and run with it? Yes. But I'm glad that this is the last book of this series. The ending does have a bit of a "Dallas" season 10 flavor to it, but I think Carey had painted himself a bit into a corner on that one. It's a very strong series....weird, but amazingly well researched, lots of interlocking parts, and an amazing cast of characters. I would recommend it, but I'm also glad to move on to other books.
March 6, 2022
Velmi důstojný konec série. Málokdy je konec nejsilnějším bodem série a tady mám pocit, že se to podařilo.
March 6, 2023
4.5
I have mixed feelings about the series in general, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a little at the ending.
I have mixed feelings about the series in general, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a little at the ending.
January 9, 2026
The ending of this was so incredibly meta that I couldn't entirely keep track of what was actually happening. All told, I did enjoy the series though.
December 4, 2023
Is it really metafiction if its just a lampshade?
October 23, 2020
In Unwritten: Apocalypse Mike Carey takes us to the end of the line with Tom Taylor. All of the bad guys are closing in and it looks like the world just might end.
It has been several years since I read a volume of Unwritten, but I was a fan since I picked up volume 1 from Politics and Prose in D.C.—back when you could still go into stores. I loved the meta fiction of Tom Taylor and Tommy Taylor, the Harry Potter-like imaginary character that was based on Tom. I loved the mystery and trying to figure out who was in charge.
Apocalypse does not maintain the same kind of mystery, but it does give a satisfying ending to the intricate plots that Carey had woven. Using the word satisfying does not imply agreeing with or liking the ending, just that Carey managed to answer questions and tie off each plot.
It has been several years since I read a volume of Unwritten, but I was a fan since I picked up volume 1 from Politics and Prose in D.C.—back when you could still go into stores. I loved the meta fiction of Tom Taylor and Tommy Taylor, the Harry Potter-like imaginary character that was based on Tom. I loved the mystery and trying to figure out who was in charge.
Apocalypse does not maintain the same kind of mystery, but it does give a satisfying ending to the intricate plots that Carey had woven. Using the word satisfying does not imply agreeing with or liking the ending, just that Carey managed to answer questions and tie off each plot.
July 2, 2015
I'm glad to reach the ending, not because I want it to be over, but because endings help you synthesize and understand what you've read. Graphic novels, with their endless delay of the pay-off and endless baiting you with more action out of the blue, I think are not the right format for me. So this is what I mean when I say I'm grateful for the ending. Now that I know what it's all supposed to "mean," I could go back and read all the volumes and try to put it together into some coherent whole that's larger than the individually entertaining moments here and there and the impressive illustrations and creativity. I suspect that a coherent whole does exist. But I have to say, I'm not willing to spend the time to try to find it.
I'm glad I read this series because it was put together by people who are obviously extremely talented. And the general concept that we and our stories are inextricably linked is a compelling one. It just got so convoluted, I couldn't always follow all the twists.
I'm glad I read this series because it was put together by people who are obviously extremely talented. And the general concept that we and our stories are inextricably linked is a compelling one. It just got so convoluted, I couldn't always follow all the twists.
December 6, 2020
I was leary of how things were going to be wrapped up in this volume. Carey repeatedly introduced new sets of characters that he then seemingly abandoned as he moved on to the next major story arc. Then he would bring characters you imagined he had finished with back into the story. I was concerned this would play havoc with the series climax.
It did not.
This was a near perfect ending, for me. There is one section of the book where the characters are trapped in a story, and the pacing feels very odd as characters who are usually very thoughtful react rashly and out of character. Carey explains this later in the book, but it felt sloppy as it happened, and I'm still not sure I believe that the explanations for the characters' behaviors jibe with the world Carey has set down earlier in the series.
Still, a solid ending to a great meta-story about storytelling meta stories. I imagine I'll read through this series a couple of more times in the future.
It did not.
This was a near perfect ending, for me. There is one section of the book where the characters are trapped in a story, and the pacing feels very odd as characters who are usually very thoughtful react rashly and out of character. Carey explains this later in the book, but it felt sloppy as it happened, and I'm still not sure I believe that the explanations for the characters' behaviors jibe with the world Carey has set down earlier in the series.
Still, a solid ending to a great meta-story about storytelling meta stories. I imagine I'll read through this series a couple of more times in the future.
December 18, 2015
It was a satisfying end to a series that was very nearly brilliant at times. I'm so glad Carey and Gross had a chance to do this from beginning to end. (If it had been cancelled in the middle it would have been hair-pullingly upsetting.) It's so big, so complicated, there was so much to juggle. As it went along it felt like some parts worked better than others. But it all came around full circle in the end in many ways. It's one of the few series I would read again, I think I'd get a lot out of it the second time too, and be better at seeing how all of the pieces fit together. It's a journey I'm really glad I took and would absolutely recommend to others. It's clever and interesting, some of the art was just gorgeous, many of the ideas were captivating, and it was fun. Try it.
February 3, 2016
This is difficult to review, not because I finished it ages ago, but rather, I finished it ages ago because it is difficult to review.
The whole series was both epic and meta, and I really enjoyed it
BUT
my biggest criticism would be what I consider to have been "pacing problems."
Which could have resulted from editorial meddling, or from the author not being 100% sure where the direction of the story was going, or perhaps a combination of the two....
And perhaps some amount of lack of satisfaction may have been the result of not wishing for the series to end.... sad but true.
So my feelings are still a little unresolved, but I have tried to express them.
The whole series was both epic and meta, and I really enjoyed it
BUT
my biggest criticism would be what I consider to have been "pacing problems."
Which could have resulted from editorial meddling, or from the author not being 100% sure where the direction of the story was going, or perhaps a combination of the two....
And perhaps some amount of lack of satisfaction may have been the result of not wishing for the series to end.... sad but true.
So my feelings are still a little unresolved, but I have tried to express them.
June 9, 2015
A good conclusion to The Unwritten. Though I love the Arthurian Mythos, the Grail story that leads off the book showed that the idea of Tom going through literary lands was getting a little threadbare. Fortunately the one-off "Inklings" that explains some of the underpinnings of the world was brilliant, and the ending after that was good (with a great last couple of pages).
I think the height of The Unwritten was in the first couple of volumes, when everything was still strange and mysterious, but it was generally a book that I enjoyed reading through its entire run.
I think the height of The Unwritten was in the first couple of volumes, when everything was still strange and mysterious, but it was generally a book that I enjoyed reading through its entire run.
February 2, 2016
And so it ends, for the most part in a satisfying manner. The highs of this series have been spectacular but as time moved on the threads started unravelling a little. The misguided crossover really soured it for me but this final volume redeems things. It's satisfying, emotional, somewhat inevitable but ultimately ties things up nicely without leaving us feeling short changed.
A great series and despite the occasional weak point, well worth reading. I would be tempted to pick this up in an Omnibus edition if they ever release one.
A great series and despite the occasional weak point, well worth reading. I would be tempted to pick this up in an Omnibus edition if they ever release one.
March 6, 2016
My feelings about this final volume, and the series as a whole, are complex and not entirely positive. Again, however, I feel like this volume delivers on the promises this series has been making from the very beginning. The buildup to the finale in which so many texts are mixing was wonderful, and the structure of the final meta-confrontation itself was at the very least appropriate for the story.
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