Books of Magic #4
Ron Jarrell
happen until it gets retconned, then it will never have been going to
happen" and the "might happen" was rather interesting, especially seeing
some of the walk-ons. Amazing how much like her mother Tefe' is, and
how unlike Constantine.
Spoiler Discussions:
The Tarot Fool at the Castle at the End of Everything, who looked
like Constantine. One wonders if this means that constantine could
cheat death and become one of those universal constants, or if
constantine *IS* a universal constant; the current incarnation of the
fool..
Subtly disquieting artwork; took a few moments to realize that they
were drawn in seperate pieces, each face actually a montage of
similar faces.. Makes sense if they're the distilled essences of
eternity.
Anyone catch the closed loop in E's life?
About page 22 (no damn page numbers...) with the green men.
Bottom left panel:
E: "I have ... never come this far forward. I have only heard
rumors. I met a great man in my youth.. Blind, like myself,
who claimed to have walked back from the far future, seeking something--
but even he no longer remembered what. It was he who taught me the art
of walking forward."
About 38, with Destiny and Death: (middle panel, on left.)
E: "We're too far forward--we can't go back."
Death: "Don't be silly. Of course you can. But you are going to have
to do it the hard way. Weren't you listening? You're going to have to
walk back. Step by step across a hundred billion years."
And talk about them being a bunch of bastars.. Couple of pages from the
end: Constantine: "And people accuse ME of being manipulative."
Tim made his choice when he agreed to make a choice? Brrr. Lets hope
that by the time of Mr. E's miniseries, 15 years from now (coming
shortly from DC, home of time travel :-)) Tim will remember the trip and
make the right choices. (Whatever RIGHT turns out to be; maybe being
on the side of evil will turn out to be the best thing..)
Also, Death's closing lines as the universe dies echoed wonderfully
her talk with the Elemental Girl in sandman (Gee, wonder why?)..
"It's my job to put it all in order now, and lock the place behind
me as I leave."
Ron Jarrell
Further spoilers:
Abracadabra? Why do I remember that name as being a problem?
And why do I think Gaiman just reintroduced a world of trouble?
--
Ron Jarrell
Virginia Tech Computing Center
jar...@vtserf.cc.vt.edu
Dani Zweig
DC continuity, though it's hard to tell. In particular, the magic/computer
complex decided that the twentieth century was the perfect place to send
one of their problem children. Will we soon be seeing a new villain
called Abracadabra?
According to Mr. E's telling, Amethyst is now walking around as a
thirtieth-century mortal. I take it this is Gaiman's idea, and not
something that was supposed to be implicit in LSH? (I know! She's Bounty...)
-----
Dani Zweig
da...@netcom.com
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endless traine -- Edmund Spenser
Michael S. Schiffer
>A few of the events that we see in Books of Magic #4 may be hooks into
>DC continuity, though it's hard to tell. In particular, the magic/computer
>complex decided that the twentieth century was the perfect place to send
>one of their problem children. Will we soon be seeing a new villain
>called Abracadabra?
I have a vague memory that Abracadabra is an old (Barry Allen) Flash
villain, who was indeed supposed to be a magician from the sixtieth
century. However, my Who's Who issues are all far from here, and
it's finals week, so I may be making it up. Still, if so, that's
_got_ to be the shortest origin story that anyone, hero or villain,
ever got. :-)
>According to Mr. E's telling, Amethyst is now walking around as a
>thirtieth-century mortal. I take it this is Gaiman's idea, and not
>something that was supposed to be implicit in LSH? (I know! She's Bounty...)
Or perhaps it was implicit in LSH last year but isn't any more. Or
maybe it's something the Bierbaums let Gaiman refer to even though it
hasn't yet been revealed. Given the fact that Legion continuity
changes on a weekly basis (I was going to say "with the phases of the
moon", but... And speaking of which, it's clear that no one mentioned
that particular gem of plotting to Gaiman or Johnson, as there's
clearly a moon in the sky in the far future, across from the reddened
sun. Then again, maybe someone replaced it.) it's pretty obvious why
Gaiman was deliberately vague about the 30th century. Odd not to see
any mention of the Great Darkness Saga except the view of Darkseid in
the magic villains' montage. Nor any shot of Glorith at all-- though
that may just reflect the fact that she didn't exist in her current
role when they plotted BoM out.
By the way, no one's mentioned it yet (perhaps because it's too obvious)
but it seems clear that Mister E is the one who taught the green
humanoids English, as well as (as has been mentioned) being the "great man"
who taught him as a boy.
Moderate spoiler for Mister E miniseries (though nothing that's not
already public):
Also, from what I've read of the Mister E miniseries, that's where we'll
see the Great Magic Battle, with E siding against an adult Tim Hunter
fifteen years in the future. Somehow I suspect it _won't_ have
Tim as an agent of Darkness, whatever Mister E's perspective on him is.
:-)
It is good to know that Tefe Holland will take after her mother in
looks. Be a shame if she looked like any of her fathers. (John Constantine
wouldn't be good, but better him than either Swamp Thing or the demon
Nergal. :-) )
Mike
--
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN "Well, _I_ believe in solipsism--
aq...@cleveland.freenet.edu but that's just one man's
Mike_S...@ub.cc.umich.edu opinion." -- Craig Neumeier, LHN
ms...@usite-next.uchicago.edu
Jeffrey Klein
>In article <1991May5.0...@netcom.COM> da...@netcom.COM (Dani Zweig) writes:
>>A few of the events that we see in Books of Magic #4 may be hooks into
>>DC continuity, though it's hard to tell. In particular, the magic/computer
>>complex decided that the twentieth century was the perfect place to send
>>one of their problem children. Will we soon be seeing a new villain
>>called Abracadabra?
>
>I have a vague memory that Abracadabra is an old (Barry Allen) Flash
>villain, who was indeed supposed to be a magician from the sixtieth
>century. However, my Who's Who issues are all far from here, and
>it's finals week, so I may be making it up. Still, if so, that's
>_got_ to be the shortest origin story that anyone, hero or villain,
>ever got. :-)
That's Abra Kadabra, and I believe he actually used science instead of magic.
He had a most influential role in the last issues of the Flash.
-JK
Pisces
>
>thirtieth-century mortal. I take it this is Gaiman's idea, and not
>something that was supposed to be implicit in LSH? (I know! She's Bounty...)
>
Beg to differ... I believe E is talking about Mysa... the White Witch.
B
David S. Serchay
> A few of the events that we see in Books of Magic #4 may be hooks into
> DC continuity, though it's hard to tell. In particular, the magic/computer
> complex decided that the twentieth century was the perfect place to send
> one of their problem children. Will we soon be seeing a new villain
> called Abracadabra?
New villian? Abra Kadabra has been a Flash villian for several decades.
Dascsoer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
David S. Serchay (Dascos...@shark.cs.fau.edu
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All the World's a Stage I'm going to live
and the rest is just forever or die
vaudeville - V in trying - Villa in
V For Vendetta #1 _Blake's 7_
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Reality is just a figment of God's imagination - Dascoser
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IO9...@maine.bitnet
I recall, he used an experimental time machine to send himself back. His
powers would be described as magical in the 20th century, but he claimes that
they were just basic elements of science in the 64th century. I don't know
if he still exists in the post-crisis universe, or even if he is the person
the city(?) was talking about.
- Jason
Cedric Chin
**Spoilers**
I dunno -- I didn't like this book very much, probably b/c I admired the way
the previous three books tie in so much of the DC universe. This one was
kinda drab and boring -- the "Dark Future" idea is old hat. When Frank Miller
did it, that was great -- possibly the peak, IMO, but why can't anyone have
an optimistic view of the world for once.
I'm also not familiar with these futures -- did they ever show up anywhere
in DC continuity? All I see is Darkseid and Space Cabbie. Little else.
There's nothing wrong with non-continuity, but if you do it so well in the
first book (especially Atlantis!!!), do it in the fourth!!!
And did you see Mr. E being the bad guy all the way down sixth avenue? Hrmph.
Yeah, I saw all the ties. Big whoop.
Four-issue mini-series are so annoying. The first three books really don't
resolve anything, and the author has to tie everything up in the last book.
Furthermore, you can't read it all at once and decide to buy it, like a graphic
novel. Purchasing the fourth book relies less on quality, and more on that
the previous three books have been bought.
Oh, well. At least Angel and the Ape wasn't bad -- how many of you could see
the Green Lantern tie-in in the third issue? (As I said, **SPOILERS** !!!) (: