The first time I read this issue, it sort of shocked me. I mean, Carey spends the issue rewriting history; or something close to it, anyway. He spends the issue looking at how the way writing and writers work in The Unwritten has effected other writers, not just the characters in the main story.
It seems like this issue will be the first aside of many and it concerns itself with Rudyard Kipling and his experiences with the malevolent shadow organization of reading enthusiasts.
But the issue doesn’t just showcase Carey’s abilities to write this story–which, in itself, is a fantastic achievement, because Kipling isn’t exactly the most sympathetic character throughout and we don’t get the context of his narration until the last page–but also Gross.
Whereas the regular issues do offer Gross some range, it’s basically in the same visual context. Here, he’s all over–and brilliant.
It is SO good to see Vertigo having a chunk of aesthetically pleasing books on the racks again. The impact Unwritten is having on both sales as well as a piece of my regular comics customers weekly pulls cannot be underestimated. In having a comic that appeals to both non and pro mainstream readers gives this old fart of a comic dealer hope for tomorrow. I had the pleasure to met Peter Gross and acquire a page of his art years back, and I can say with assurance that he is very deserving of the success. It is one of the few books here that I’m reordering both the first trade and back issues of simultaneously. Touche!