The Unwritten #35.5

Written by Mike Carey and Peter Gross
Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta

It's gotten a little difficult to tell who is doing what on this title of late.  I noticed a little while ago that the credits have taken to saying that the book is 'by Mike Carey and Peter Gross', and I wondered if perhaps Gross has been contributing to the writing, but as the credits have usually also listed a 'finisher', often MK Perker, it was clear that Gross was laying out and penciling most issues.  This issue, however, has the 'by' credit, and then credits the art to Gabriel Hernandez Walta.  Perhaps Gross laid out the pencils - the look is consistent with other issues - but Walta is a unique artist, and the work here looks like it is his. 

Regardless of who did what, this is a very cool comic.  It introduces us to Danny, a literature studies graduate, who has to deal with the same existential question that faces most lit grads - now what?  He lucks into the perfect job - he's going to be paid to read books and occasionally transcribe parts of them by hand.  Any reader of this series would recognize quickly that he's working for the Cabal, as part of their Grid, mysterious as that still is.

From this point, Danny plays a 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' role in the story - he's present at, or affected by, many of the key moments that have happened over the previous thirty-five issues of this comic.  He attends the Tommy Con of the first issue, but doesn't notice the significance of Lizzie Hexam's questions from the audience.  He has a Leviathan sighting while on the Grid, but doesn't share what he learned with his bosses, and he's one of the few survivors of Tom Taylor's recent attack on the Cabal.

Danny never figures out what his role is in this story, nor that he has had a minor affect on it.  It's a pretty cool story that I suppose dances around some of the questions of responsibility that can be asked of low-ranking soldiers who are involved in war crimes. 

A very cool issue, and a nice way to end the .5 stories.  After the next issue, The Unwritten will return to a monthly schedule (thankfully), and I suppose, take Tom and his friends into new territory.  This series is impressive.