Books of Magic #15: Your Own Worst Enemy

Kat is clearly done with the gentle preamble and has rolled up her sleeves and is taking Tim on what promises to be some dark times ahead. She has cleverly and effortlessly stepped up the pace and added the next perilous event in the narrative. Which isn’t casually thrown in, but has been clearly set out from the start. The slow build and distractions of the kidnapping of Ellie and his search for his mother that led him here are over. Though these events have boosted his confidence they have also clouded his judgement. And with a severe lack of friends his Other self chooses the right time to step in and trick him into some murky territory, as well as form his own allegiance with those who are set against Tim. From his brash confidence and first flush of ‘success’ Tim is becoming bold and reckless and this will surely have dire repercussions.
Though in the past this has usually had consequences for those around Tim more than for himself, that also usually is the lightning rod that shocks him back to reality. I hope for his sake he won’t lose anyone too dear to him. The one person who is still clearly on his side is his father and I for one don’t relish the idea of what Tim will do if he loses him too. And now after he badmouths a teacher even Rose doubts him and his ability to know right from wrong; and is not at all pleased to hear that Constantine has paid Tim a visit. What’s worse is he’s not listening to her warnings, which clearly sets her against him in the “future dream” Tim has in the final panels. And already those he counted as both friend and enemy are ganging up against him and attempting to protect themselves from him. The kids clearly don’t trust him. Which is worrying as these are the connections to his true self that he may need.
And the mood is made all the more pervasive in the art, as the different locations are clearly set out with the colour palette of Jordan Boyd. The hum drum school life, the warm home environment, the murky magical meeting with Tim’s dark persona and his detractors and the potential future dream world. All is given it’s own identity within the scope of the unfolding story, as we see it through the eyes of Tom Fowler and Craig Taillefer. Who once again make the world around Tim come to life with charmingly prosaic and contrasting threatening surroundings. And once again Kai Carpenter gives us a cover rich in potential danger as we see Tim hiding from his future self behind Kip, the tree we met in issue #9 who prophesied his life during the story of Ellie’s imprisonment.