It has come to my attention that not everyone is reading Mike Carey and Peter Gross’s Vertigo series The Unwritten. Don’t worry, I’m not judging you too hard – I am a little bit, though. In either the occasional review or Comics Should Be Cheap!, you’ve probably read my thoughts, extolling what is no doubt my favorite ongoing that is currently being published. But what makes it so great? Follow the cut, and I’ll tell you.
I don’t just read comics. I suppose that’s a snobby way to start this off, because very few of us comic fans do. And even then, that implies that there’s something inherently wrong with sticking to comics as your medium of choice – and there isn’t. Still, I’m an avid reader of literature, whether you’re talking the Shelleys, Vonnegut, or Tolstoy. If you, like me, love both comics and classic literature, you’re in luck. The Unwritten is a comic about literature, and the role it plays in the world. It’s not just a matter of allusion – writer Mike Carey was both an English major and teacher, and, as such, has a more than passing familiarity with literary theory. In The Unwritten, many ideas that are present in Marxist Theory, modern philosophy, and other areas are given shape in terms of concrete character, organizations, and so on and so forth. The methods through which we decode the metaphors and hidden meanings of literature are themselves metaphorized. Brilliant.
Okay, I’ve probably lost a few of you already. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to memorize all the classics in the Western canon to appreciate The Unwritten – and, of course, let me take this moment to iterate that being well-read does not imply intelligence, and vice-versa. Instead, let me draw this comparison: DC Marvel has decades of continuity that its writers have to respect. There are plenty of writers that have written stories that, while great, require a bit of 616-familiarity to follow and understand. A great writer, though, can tell their story in a way that is completely approachable by new readers, yet rewarding to longtime fans, all while not seeming “dumbed down.” This is what Carey does. It isn’t necessary to read all of the stories referenced in The Unwritten to “get” it – I know I haven’t. All that you have to know and believe in is the power of ideas.
I’ve talked a lot about Carey, but let’s not forget co-creator Peter Gross. Gross is the main artist of the series, and now part of the writing team as well, and it’s readily apparent how important his art is to the series. As a series that deals with stories as a whole, The Unwritten touches on various styles and genres. Through minor stylistic changes, and the occasional new inker, Gross has perfected a “look” that is universal, without being bland in any way, shape, or form – something that is incredibly necessary for this kind of comic. Now, it might be “easier” to accomplish this same sort of thing with alternating artists, but by keeping one penciler, there’s no visual disruption throughout the course of the comic. Plus, if you’ll excuse my language, Gross’s art is fucking awesome.
Maybe you’ve heard someone blow off The Unwritten as “What if Harry Potter was real?” There are, of course, elements of the boy wizard series in this – the Tommy Taylor books, namely – but as Carey and Gross have stretched, Tom Taylor is more like Christopher Milne (a.k.a. Christopher Robin) than anyone else. Even then, though, this is a gross oversimplification of what The Unwritten is about. The Unwritten, as stated before, centers on ideas, how they control the world, and who controls the ideas, demonstrated through a tale involving magic, secret societies, and celebrity worship. Literature isn’t all that’s brought to the table, here; mediums such as comics and film are just as important in the minds of Carey and Gross. How apt. Issue #29 is out in a few weeks, and three paperbacks are out so far. Give it a try.
