The Unwritten #31

Written by Mike Carey
Art by Peter Gross and MK Perker

How quickly things have changed for Tom Taylor.  It wasn't that long ago that he was rejecting his fictional heritage, and trying hard to distance himself from anything that may have had to do with the Tommy Taylor novels.  Now, having learned that the mysterious Cabal that has been mucking with him has been systematically murdering anyone he's ever known, he's decided to embrace his inner Tommy, and turn the tables on them.

This basically means that Tom, wand in hand and flying cat nearby, has begun to wage war on the Cabal.  He's working with a number of super hero tropes, including a secret base in Antarctica, and relying on his untested magical knowledge perhaps a little too much.

This issue ushers in a new arc, 'Tommy Taylor and the War of Words', which is going to alternate with '.5' issues, shipping every two weeks, that delve into some of the different characters' pasts, and reveal a number of the Cabal's secrets.  This book is getting very exciting; I remember when I was on the fence about this title, and had pretty much decided to drop it.  I'm glad I stuck with it, as it's become very good.

Inking this issue is the talented MK Perker, who I haven't seen since Air was canceled.  It's nice to see him getting work at Vertigo, but to be honest, I didn't see his footprints on this much.  Granted, a sign of a talented inker is the penciller's vision being enhanced and not altered.  Still, I hope he gets to draw something on this comic; his style will match it nicely.