Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor & The Bogus Identity

Carey, Mike & Peter Gross. The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor & The Bogus Identity
DC Comics 2010 unp 9.99
978-1-4012-2565-0 hs/adult Graphic novel E
Tom, the son of a fantasy writer, is a media celebrity since his father disappeared. Tom wonders if he is really his father’s son. And, who is the villain capturing the minds and pens of famous writers? What a teaser to the rest of the series! Rated R for language.
Outstanding art work mirrors the questions raised in this first book of five episodes about Tommy Taylor, a fictional character in a fantasy novel. The fictional character is said to be based on Tom Wilson, the son of the author who has disappeared. Tom’s real life celebrity status is starting to wane and he is concerned for the future. A villain appears at a writer’s conference housed in the mansion where Shelley received inspiration and where Tom’s father kept a secret room. This villain appears to control the minds and pens of famous writers as far back as Milton, Kipling,and Shelley. Could Tom be the one to resolve his father’s suspicions about stories written around the world having a connection? Fiction and reality collide and interweave elements of fantasy (unicorns and a winged cat who is a familiar to Tom) and literary allusions. The details in the drawings offer insight beyond mere words. Sometimes there is quirky humor attached as in the news ticker that runs at the bottom of the DNN headline news. Also included are web pages, newspaper stories, maps, blogs, and other visuals that make the reader turn into a sleuth finding clues in words as well as pictures. Outstanding visuals and writing will make the reader clamor for more. A caution for school libraries - pervasive crude language. For grades 10+.
Recommended for public libraries as this book contains a mystery story coupled with literary references and philosophical statements. A thinking person’s first choice for a graphic novel. Outstanding art work that goes beyond the written word. Grades 10+. McNicol(3),Lois
Mystery

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