The Unwritten #17 – Review

by Mike Carey (writer), Peter Gross (layouts), Ryan Kelly (finishes), Chris Chuckry & Jeanne McGee (colors), and Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: Lizzie/Jane’s past is revealed and Savoy and Tom make a daring rescue effort in a special “pick-a-story” issue.

What’s Good: Is have to give props to Carey and Gross for having the balls to even attempt a “choose-your-own-adventure” issue.  The experience of reading this comic is quite unlike anything I’ve experienced reading comics, the layouts are unique, and it’s all clearly the result of an extremely labor intensive creative effort.

Format aside, the story that Carey tells here is a good one, equally divided between exploring some of the series’ early moments in greater detail while also surprisingly trucking the plot forward.   The scenes detailing Lizzie’s past do a fantastic job of illuminating events from the Unwritten’s first issues that were clouded in mystery and completely puzzling at the time.  Now, Carey clarifies them, while also showing how much sense it all makes knowing what we know now, something that’s quite pleasant when recalling how mystifying these happenings were back when we read them.

Meanwhile, the present day events deliver a satisfying feel of the gang “coming together” as character relationships are stronger than ever.  Tom and Lizzie’s relationship has never felt more meaningful, even if it ends up being solidified by a fiction, while Savoy and Tom’s banter livens it all up.  An interesting parallel between these scenes and those from a Tommy Taylor novel also give everything a heavier and more significant tone.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batman and Robin #14 – Batman and Robin #14 is psychologically rich and filled with unhinged personalities at the thin edge of functionality. You want whack-job villains trying to do horrible things to possibly innocent people, with flawed heroes trying to save the day? Look no further. Batman and Robin #14 is one of the more sophisticated pure superhero books I’ve read in a while.

Most Anticipated: Brightest Day #10 – I am not yet willing to give up on this series. Despite an overall slowness to the development of the action, we’ve got to remember two things: (a) Johns strives for epic scope and (b) 10 issues only represents 5 months, so it only seems longer than it really has been. Come on, Johns! I’m betting on you and papa needs a new pair of shoes!

Other Top Picks: Other Top Picks: Birds of Prey #5, Tiny Titans #32, Thor: For Asgard #2, Thunderbolts #148

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Daytripper #10 – Reviewing final issues is different because they end up being a review of the entire series.  Handle the final issue wrong and you can screw up everything that you accomplished in the rest of the series.  Fortunately that didn’t happen with this touching ending to this miniseries about life, home and family.  This was simply a wonderful series that I will really miss.

Most Anticipated: Morning Glories #2 – Nick Spencer had about 7 “hooks” in his first issue of Morning Glories and I really cannot wait to see how this series progresses in issue #2.  I can’t even decide which of the weird mysteries of the Morning Glories Academy I would like to know more about first.

Other Top Picks: Unwritten #17, Bulletproof Coffin #4, Hack/Slash: My First Maniac #4, Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher #4, New Mutants #17

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Thor #614 – Kieron Gillen’s final issue on Thor is also his best.  Clever, epic, and with a fantastically written Mephisto.  It’s also brimming with almost too much story, as though Gillen could’ve used another issue.  Instead, we get this beast.

Most Anticipated: Morning Glories #2 – Could it be anything else?  Morning Glories #1 felt fun and fresh and posed a bevy of questions, not least of which was one helluva a bizarre cliffhanger.  I can’t wait to see where this series goes and if it can keep up the quality.

Other Picks: The Unwritten #17, DMZ #57, Birds of Prey #5, Brightest Day #10

Joe’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week – X-Force: Sex and Violence #3 – In yet another of week of underwhelming releases, Kyle and Yost deliver a title that is just pure unadulterated popcorn fun.  Wolverine and Domino claw and shoot everything that moves and their teammates show up to join in the fun.  The fun the creators must have had on this project is infectious and was well worth the purchase.  I’ll miss their names in the credits.

Most Anticipated – X-23 #1 – From one Kyle and Yost creation to another one that owes much to them.  I’m more excited about the character than the creative team on this new series, due to the stellar work K & Y did on her during their previous runs on X-Force and New X-Men.  Despite my reservations, I am still eager for my monthly fix of the Wolverine clone and will be hoping wholeheartedly that she works as a lead character as well as she did a supporting one.

Other Picks: Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #2, Hack/Slash: My First Maniac #4, Morning Glories #2, Amazing Spider-Man #643, Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #3, New Mutants #17, Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #3, Thunderbolts #148, X-Factor #209, CBGB #3, Pale Horse #4