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HUNTER: THE AGE OF MAGIC #9
"The Evil Gene Part Two: The Divine Fire of Love"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Dylan Horrocks
Pencils: Richard Case
Inks: Steve Bird
Colors: Sherilyn van Valkenburgh & Jamison
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Heidi MacDonald
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
With their
second arc, Horrocks and Case have brought Tim back from the fantasy realms of
the White School and into London, although now he's older and wiser. To my
surprise, it works really well, and is in fact my favorite story of this older
version of Tim Hunter so far. Case's portrait of modern London is every bit as
engaging as his view of Gemworld or Skartaris, and Horrocks captures the idea of
a magical world existing just below our own in a way similar to that of Neil
Gaiman or J.K. Rowling. In addition, there's a nice bit of growth for Tim, as he
confronts both the enormous question of his destiny of power and the smaller
question of relationships and romance.
I love that Horrocks is
addressing how the worlds of science and magic interact. The idea that evil
exists in the genetic code may be dodgy, in terms of real science, but it's
perfectly believable in Tim's world, and it makes for all kinds of interesting
philosophical questions. Tim's determination to find out whether he has the gene
is interesting, of course, but more intriguing is Yoyo's take on the test,
assuring him that he is the Merlin, and not bound by such laws of science. In
essence, Horrocks is looking at the nature vs. nurture debate, but with a
magical twist and much higher stakes.
Alongside the question of
evil and good, there's a wonderful little romance shaping up for Tim. Though
there are sinister implications, given Lily's involvement, the burgeoning
infatuation between Eden and Tim is quite sweet. I have no desire to see Tim
become a secondary player, as he did when Molly was his girlfriend, but I
certainly wouldn't mind seeing a normal girlfriend again, one who has to deal
with all the weirdness that is Tim's life.
There's a lot happening in Hunter right now, actually, with Tim juggling a variety
of allies, friends and enemies, and that comes through in this issue, just as it
did in the first issue of "The Evil Gene" story. What pleases me most, though,
is the return of Richard Case to pencilling duties. His angular, clear style
perfectly captures the various characters and grounds the book in reality, with
well-designed clothes and backgrounds. However, his work with shadows and
ability to draw the unusual helps to maintain a feeling of magic as well.
If your recollection of Books of Magic was a story filled with Tim's
questionable parentage, overly heavy ties to Faerie and a focus on Molly over
the lead character, it's time to take a second look. Horrocks, Case and the rest
of the creative team have breathed new life into Gaiman's creation, and the
story seems to be moving forward on the interesting notions raised in his origin
story, seeing whether Tim will be a powerful force for good and evil.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
