Tim’s getting deeper but is starting to get a clue.
Creative Staff:
Story: Kat Howard
Art: Tom Fowler, Craig Taillefer
Colors: Jordan Boyd
Letterer: Todd Klein
What They Say:
Tim’s burgeoning magical abilities got onto the radar of the London police, but he was able to keep them at bay…until Detective Celia Culpepper of the Other Side took his case. She’s a sorcerer herself-quite a powerful one, it seems-and now there’s no place Tim can hide! But should he hide? Or does Celia have much grander plans for Tim than locking him away? He’d better decide what side she’s on soon…because Tim’s evil doppelgänger is on the loose, and Tim can’t stop him on his own!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Books of Magic have definitely been a bit more interesting since Tim has started using his magic a bit more as it feels like we’re starting to capitalize not just on what this book is about but the character since introduced in the 90s. Kat Howard has given us some good tension and has slowly done a couple of little expansions that helps to stabilize it more and add a little more intrigue as well. And as we’ve had since the beginning, Tom Flower has some great pages throughout here and Craig Taillefer finishes them beautifully to give it all a distinctive feeling. The team producing this book are firing on all cylinders as things ramp up more and more with each page.
With all that Tim has gotten up to recently, it’s caught the attention of others, which is why we get Celia showing up in Rose’s office at the school. She knows that Tim has been off to places elsewhere like the Dreaming because that was permissible. But it’s here that Celia reveals to her that he’s been getting to places where he’s not supposed to be and that’s causing a lot of concern. Enough so that the pair, upon finding Tim not at school once again, head down to see Hettie about it. Hettie’s always been more than just a homeless woman on the street as we’ve seen some of what she’s capable of before. But I love that they come to her as they do with respect and respect for the pigeons as well to get some clues and answers to what’s been happening. It helps set them on the right path but it’s a wonderful little tease.
For Tim, he’s really struggling with the Other-Tim that he’s been spending time with. The push and encouragement for using magic more and going to other places outside the norm are growing but Tim is still feeling very well tied to home. For Other-Tim, this is the way in which he views Tim as trapped, unable to leave because of his father and the way the others have gotten their claws into him. Tim’s wanting to do more and is enjoying what he’s doing but he’s still see-sawing in some ways with his power and the kind of good that he wants to be. Seeing how Other-Tim manipulates him is kind of basic and blunt but Tim himself is pretty oblivious to a lot of things and he’s pretty easy to take advantage of, which is why so many people are watching over him.
In Summary:
Books of Magic continues to move forward with what the Other-Tim is doing in order to change Tim’s path and the level of frustration is growing pretty quickly. There’s no patience here to do what’s needed which is why those who have watched over him for as long as they have are as successful as they have been so far. I like what Kat Howard is doing here even if it’s taking a touch long to get there because it has to unfold at a certain pace. And I continue to love Fowler’s approach to presenting this world, making it worth spending the time on all the details and the layouts themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next still.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 22nd, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
