OneMetal.com book REVIEW:
The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity

Gifts won’t be the only things exchanged in the final days of 2009. Resolutions are the primary commodity of every new year, and they come and go with whims and that vulnerable platter of cookies your aunt just set out on the kitchen table. Everyone makes game-changing plans, sacrificing the little moments that become lost in the shuffle. This winter, instead of quaking boots and shattering earths, why not sit down with an equally breathtaking graphic novel? Sounds good, right? You bet your red and green-colored socks it is.

DC’s Vertigo division is essentially the dirty closet of the comics world. And while their books won’t make you lift an eyebrow at scandalous art, they will fulfill the expectations of readers looking for comics with a little more substance and mature themes. In comic shops on January 6 (or January 12 for book store browsers), writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross’ collaboration, The Unwritten, will arrive in paperback form. The volume binds the first five issues of the series, and before you let out that sigh of disappointment, keep in mind that these issues are particularly meaty. You know, in that wholesome good way.

There’s something undeniably fascinating about The Unwritten, and all that wonder simmers down to the author’s true knack for storytelling. Carey plays with our modern day Harry Potter-obsessed culture, blurring truth and fiction into something painstakingly obvious: What if Harry Potter—or in this case, Tommy Taylor—were a real live boy? Take that idea and you’ve just read the pages of Tom Taylor’s life. Left to deal with the remnants of his father’s fiction-writing glory and fame, Tom plasters on a smile and manages the wave of an automaton just to appease Wilson Taylor’s pining fans and suckle off the only retirement fund he can ever hope to put his hands on. Tom’s entire world changed when his father vanished, shackling him to an existence submerged in fantasy. Yet “Tommy” never expected that his wish to escape from under his father’s shadow would ever come true; when a young woman interrupts an ordinary Tommy-Con panel and accuses Tom of having an undocumented and make believe past, the media spins their love for Tommy into something monstrous. But as Tom investigates his origins for himself, he soon finds more to worry about than a Bosnian couple claiming to be his real parents and bloodthirsty fans watching his every move. The fictional story of Tommy Taylor starts leaking into reality, which leaves Tom facing the possibility that he and his word-bound counterpart may not be so different after all.

Like every good story, there’s no crack to be spotted in the foundations of The Unwritten. Carey’s writing is absolutely beautiful in its simplicity, even managing a few spine-tingling moments here and there. Carey harnesses the true power of words and transforms them into a masterpiece that’ll take your imagination for a ride. Few comics achieve the sheer momentum and unbridled creative force that The Unwritten builds in a mere five issues, and the end will leave you begging for more.

Bottom Line

The Unwritten will do more than warm your soul this holiday season. It'll nestle its way down in every inch, nook, and cranny and demand your attention with gripping plot and an intimate understanding of language and character. Once you finally put it down, you'll be anxious to start all over again.