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A review by crookedtreehouse
The Books of Magic, Volume 1: Bindings by John Ney Rieber
2.0
Over the two decades I've been collecting comics, I've amassed most to all of the collected Books Of Magic trades. I've only read one or two, but imagined I'd get around to reading them all eventually. And since the first volume was by [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg] , I imagined there would be at least one volume I enjoyed.
So far, not so much.
There's a potentially interesting story here about the difference between heredity and family, and the use of Death is fun, and in-line with Neil Gaiman's use of her in Sandman, but overall the story is underwhelming. It's the same problem with the Gaiman volume, in that the story is more concerned with mythology and the wider-universe than in telling a succinct story or having three-dimensional characters.
When there's barely-to-no depth to characters, their dialogue becomes exposition, be it plot exposition or character exposition. It plays all the notes on the piano, but it hammers the keys instead of allowing crescendos, decrescendos, and tempo changes. Technically, all the elements of the story is there, but there's no grace, joy, or emotion to it.
Like volume one, I finished the volume not caring what happens to Timothy Hunter.
If you love stories about Faerie, or you absolutely must read all of the books that touch upon Gaiman's [b:Preludes & Nocturnes|23754|Preludes & Nocturnes (The Sandman, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411609637l/23754._SY75_.jpg|1228437], then this might appeal to you. But it in no way reaches the potential one might imagine if you'd seen an outline for this story.
So far, not so much.
There's a potentially interesting story here about the difference between heredity and family, and the use of Death is fun, and in-line with Neil Gaiman's use of her in Sandman, but overall the story is underwhelming. It's the same problem with the Gaiman volume, in that the story is more concerned with mythology and the wider-universe than in telling a succinct story or having three-dimensional characters.
When there's barely-to-no depth to characters, their dialogue becomes exposition, be it plot exposition or character exposition. It plays all the notes on the piano, but it hammers the keys instead of allowing crescendos, decrescendos, and tempo changes. Technically, all the elements of the story is there, but there's no grace, joy, or emotion to it.
Like volume one, I finished the volume not caring what happens to Timothy Hunter.
If you love stories about Faerie, or you absolutely must read all of the books that touch upon Gaiman's [b:Preludes & Nocturnes|23754|Preludes & Nocturnes (The Sandman, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411609637l/23754._SY75_.jpg|1228437], then this might appeal to you. But it in no way reaches the potential one might imagine if you'd seen an outline for this story.