13-15.13: Leviathan, On to Genesis, and Tommy Taylor and the War of Words (The Unwritten Volumes 4, 5, and 6), by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Vince Locke (2011, 2012, and 2012 trade paperbacks)

Vertigo is one of my favorite comic publishers, so I often check out their booth at Comic Con or scan the spines of trades at comic book stores in search of their logo. They generally publish smart comics with excellent stories and art work, and The Unwritten is a good example of what I can expect from their label. I started reading this series early in its inception, but I fell a bit behind after volume three. It was nice to have the time to get caught up again by immersing myself in trades four through six over the winter break.

I've written reviews of trades two (click here for link) and three (here) in earlier years: my review of trade two is pretty brief, but trade three does a pretty good job filling in the premise, so it's worth reading before continuing. As the saga continues, Tom Taylor and his friends Lizzie and Ricki continue their quest to escape the Cabal--an organization set on controlling and gaining power from the written word--and understand the ways in which Tom is able to tap into that power to enter and create stories himself. Volume four brings an interesting cross-section of stories featuring whales, providing the opportunity for Ahab, Job, Sinbad, and others to meet an interact. Volume five delves into the golden age of comic books to answers to Tom's past--making use of several pulp genres to tell individual tales in single issues. And, in volume six, Tom uncovers enough of his past to take the fight directly to the cabal. What he'll do with what he learns remains to be seen.

All in all, The Unwritten is a great comic for lovers of story and myth and believers in the power of words. If you haven't yet started the series, I highly encourage you to do so.