The Unwritten: Volume 06 (2012)

Tommy Taylor and the War of Words (2012)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Michael William Kaluta / Rick Geary / Bryan Talbot / Gary Erskine / Gabriel Hernandez Walta | Page Count: 240

'The snows came. Closing the roads, and deadening all sounds. Pushing us back on each other's company. And that was when the horrors began.'

Tired of running and hiding, Tom uses what he's learned thus far to take the fight to the enemy on his terms.

Containing ten issues, War of Words is the largest volume in the entire collected series. The numbering of each is a little odd, though. After each natural number (31-35) is a half number (31∙5-35∙5). The former continues the Tom Taylor story. Whereas the latter reveals the origins of some key members of the Cabal.

The half-numbered issues were my favourite part of the work; a few of them felt like they could've taken place in the Lucifer universe, which is a previous Vertigo title by the same creative duo. Personally, I much prefer Lucifer to The Unwritten, so that was a real treat for me.

While Peter Gross remains the primary illustrator on the series, a number of guest artists help out this time, bringing a uniqueness to each of the secret histories. And while I'm on the subject of artists, it's time I gave some much-deserved kudos to Yuko Shimizu for her amazing covers. I haven't liked all of them so far, but I especially love what she did with most of the half-numbered issues.

Inside, there's another full chapter/issue with captions rendered in a stylised handwritten font that's irritatingly difficult to read. I'm of the opinion that letterer Todd Klein is the best in the business, but I really dislike when a comic has that kind of hurdle. (Okay, hissy-fit over.)

If we don't include the series relaunch (Vols 10 and 11) and the standalone Tommy Taylor and the Ship that Sank Twice (2013) book, then the first full arc of The Unwritten is collected complete in nine volumes. That means with War of Words we're just two-thirds of the way through. The events that take place within it are the kind typically seen much closer to a story's endgame, so it'll be interesting to see where Carey and Gross take things hereafter. Personally, I feel that the map has been underused thus far, so I'm hoping it makes a timely reappearance.

The book collects together The Unwritten, issues 31-35 and 31∙5-35∙5.

Individual covers. Click for FULL size: