Timothy Hunter may grow up to become the greatest magician of his day ... if he survives the trials of adolescence and the dangers of the physical world. In this graphic novel, Tim must defend the realm of Faerie from the deadly Manticore.

Continuing from celebrated author Neil GaimanÕs iconic graphic novel, the complete chronicles of Tim Hunter are finally brought together in a definitive new trade paperback. Once, Timothy Hunter was just an ordinary 13-year-old boy living in suburban London. Then four legendary sorcerers took him on a journey beyond time and space, and his life changed forever. Traveling through realms long consigned to myth and legend, he also discovered an unsettling truth about his future: like it or not, fate has decreed that young Tim is destined to become the worldÕs greatest magician! Unfortunately for him, this innocence smells intoxicatingly like weakness to the hungry predators that haunt the shadows of existence, and the extraordinary power they sense within his frail human form is too enticing to resist. Written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by Peter Gross, Gary Amaro and Peter Snejbjerg, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC BOOK ONE collects issues #1-13 of the classic VERTIGO series as well as the pivotal introductory tale from ARCANA ANNUAL #1.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE Proclaimed as “truly spellbinding,” a “great fable” that “functions as transporting romance” by the Guardian, the runaway #1 international bestseller "A rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped inside them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding.” — TRACY CHEVALIER Imagine you could erase grief. Imagine you could remove pain. Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret. Forever. Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored. But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten. An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.

"Timothy Hunter and the Books of Magic created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton, featuring characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg"

Thirteen-year-old Tim discovers he may be the greatest wizard of his time when four strangers introduce him to the world of magic, taking him on a journey through the past, present, future, and Faerie realms, where danger threatens at every turn.

Do you believe in magic? Timothy Hunter is just like any other thirteen-year-old boy in London . . . except for the tiny fact that he might be the most powerful magician of his time. An enigmatic man named Tamlin has decided that Tim is the key to saving the dying world of Faerie. But exactly how Tim is supposed to do that—and who Tamlin really is—remains to be seen . . . .