Comic Review – The Unwritten: Volume 4 – Leviathan

This week I’m taking a look at the Hugo Award nominated (but not winning) fourth volume of The Unwritten, and one which finally answers some of the questions that I’ve had for the past three volumes.

Title: The Unwritten, Volume 4 – Leviathan
Written & Illustrated by Mike Carey & Peter Gross
Published by DC Comics under the Vertigo Label in 2011

Available from Amazon.com.

The Premise

Tom Taylor, Lizzie and Richie have come to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, having been drawn there by Wilson Taylor’s map, which tells them to “begin here”. Here, Tom will finally learn the root of his power.

The High Points

At least we get explanations for how the power of  the setting works, in terms of the rules, and in terms of what’s at stake. In short, Tommy’s power, and what everyone is fighting over, is the collective subconscious of humanity.

The Low Points

I’m not sure what purpose Rausch serves to the story, It looks like something that will pay off later, but I’m really not sure how.

Scores

Originality: So, in my first draft of this review, I thought the idea of having Humanity’s collective subconscious depicted as a whale was incredibly novel. I still think it’s good, though after a little research I learned that Thomas Hobbes came up with the idea first. 4/6.

Artwork: Still great. 5/6

Story: The insights about how the setting works are great, and something I’ve been waiting for since volume 1. 5/6

Characterization: I like how they’ve developed Tommy’s character since his vision quest. The other characters are also reacting to Tommy’s changes in a very reasonable factor. 4/6

Emotional Response: The big reveal is what the last 3 volumes were gearing up for, and it feels incredibly satisfying. 5/6

Flow: 6/6

Overall: I’ve been waiting for this since the beginning, and it feels like it’s worth the wait. 6/6

In total, The Unwritten Volume 4 gets 35/42.