Unwritten is the best book on the shelves right now

Hyperbole, exaggeration, unfound praise be damned – I mean it. Through 17 issues, Mike Carey and Peter Gross took a concept that seemed loose and silly at first and have turned it into the highest quality series over the past year and a half.

In the short time I have been a true comic fan (obsessive?), I’ve discovered that I don’t particularly like stories and arcs that meander here and there. If I’m reading something strictly in trade, I’ll be ok with some side stories, I’m taking everything as a whole – but if I’m going for every single issue, just give me the story and make it good, ok?

Unwritten doesn’t do this – in fact it seems many people on various comics forums, podcasts and the like strictly read this book in trade because of how dense it is. It was Eisner nominated for an issue that at the time made absolutely no sense in the grand scheme of things, but Carey has since revealed the purpose of such issues and has rewarded us spectacularly for sticking with him as readers and has proven he is among the very best creative storytellers in the entire comics world.

#17 – the Lizzie Hexam “Pick-Your-Own” story had a bit of hype leading up to it’s release, hype that this series doesn’t quite get in the same levels of many of the other current Vertigo titles.

I didn’t pay much attention to reports about what this issue would be, little enough in fact that when I bought the issue and brough it home, I was actually surprised at the reminder that this was going to be a “different” reading experience for the ususal Unwritten mind-bend.

It could have failed: a secondary character, a novel concept – it might alienate those fringe readers. But here’s the truth – every thread that you follow on this journey of a comic works beautifully. The shorter endings are shocking and upsetting, playing through to the long and more successful ending in various ways is rewarding and as the story builds, no matter the path you take – you finish the comic with a fist-pump at the experience you just took part in.

Masterful work, masterful art and congratulations on one of the truly great comics of 2010.