By: Mike Carey & Peter Gross (presumably writing & drawing respectively, but they don’t say), Vince Locke (inks on flashback sequences), Chris Chuckry (colors), Todd Klein (letters), Joe Hughes (assistant editor) & Karen Berger (editor)
The Story: Tom Taylor learns more about his father’s 1930’s relationship with a cartoonist (who also happens to be a very pretty lady).
What’s Good: This is another of those “good but not great” issues of The Unwritten. Almost the entire issue is consumed with Tom going through his father’s old journals. We’ve learned that at one point in time, Wilson Taylor worked for this mysterious and ominous organization that was attempting to rule the world through story. This story arc is detailing Wilson’s dilemma as he has been sent by Pullman (the enemy throughout most of the series) to kill a cartoonist who is upsetting the organization’s plans.
The budding romance between Wilson and this Miriam Walzer is entertaining to read, especially when you know that Wilson either has to shoot her OR alienate the organization. To the creators’ credit, there is some mystery around this decision, but you get the sense that however it turns out, this will be the event that ruptures Wilson’s relationship with the organization.
It’s also fun watching Wilson have his eyes opened by Miriam as to the power of storytelling. My ‘history of Unwritten” is a little jumbled, but in this time, Wilson seems to be more of a heavy than a writer and it’s possible that Miriam inspired Wilson to become the writer that he was later in life and helped him to develop the skill that allowed him to create Tom/Tommy.
Peter Gross continues to use an effective “less is more” for the art. It just shows a lot of maturity and confidence as an artist to know when to stop fiddling with a panel and move on. I especially appreciate the way he addresses some facial features like Miriam’s nose. Most artists spend a lot of time shading and doing fine-line detail around the bridge of the nose, but Gross shows that it isn’t really necessary. On the first page, he has a tight panel where Miriam is facing outwards and he just draws a squiggle line at the bottom of her nose; he doesn’t even attempt to fill in the bridge of the nose. And it works great. The human brain knows what faces look like and is capable of filling in blanks when given minor visual cues. Further, the without Miriam’s nose being fussed over, the reader’s eyes are more drawn to her eyes and mouth (which are much more expressive) than focusing on the weird shading of her nose (and noses aren’t expressive at all). Great flat coloring too!
What’s Not So Good: The biggest problem it is that this issue doesn’t have any “Bang!” to it. As I’ve said increasingly, we’re getting to the point where Unwritten needs to start paying off some of these stories and any issue that is just kinda circling feels a little like a downer even if it is telling a quality story.
I also had occasion over the past weekend to revisit the early issues of Unwritten and I was struck by how electric and powerful the art and coloring was in those early issues. Granted I’ve just praised the art above and the art has been generally strong in this series, but that early art was pretty hot too. It wouldn’t hurt this comic to mix it up a little bit by incorporating some of that original bolder style.
Conclusion: A good issue, but this series has been carrying these mysteries for a long time. It may be unfair, but it is easy to feel shorted by any issue that isn’t paying off some of the mysteries. I’m sure it will read wonderfully in collected editions, but it wouldn’t hurt to put a little more consideration into making the single issues a meatier read.
Grade: B-
-Dean Stell
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