The Books of Magic #5
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Books of Magic (Vol. 2) #5, titled 'The Hidden School,' is the debut issue of the 'Summonings' story arc and delivers a cluster of first appearances that would define the ongoing series for years: Molly O'Reilly, Tim Hunter's first love and one of Vertigo's most reader-beloved supporting characters; Sir Timothy Hunter (dubbed 'Mr. Wrong'), the demon-corrupted future version of the hero who serves as Rieber's central ongoing antagonist; the demon Barbatos; and the guardian angel Araquel along with his partner Khara. Writer John Ney Rieber had originally conceived this as the true launch of his run — the story he wanted to open with before DC editorial asked for a 'bigger' Faerie adventure in 'Bindings' — making issue #5 the thematic ground zero of his long-running character study of Tim as a lonely, ordinary British teenager navigating an extraordinary destiny. The simultaneous introduction of a romantic relationship and a cautionary dark-future self in a single issue is a structurally audacious move that anchors the entire 75-issue run's central question: can Tim choose a better life than the one his worst impulses might lead him to?
In "The Hidden School," Jo stumbles upon a secret academy where magic isn't taught—it's lived. Written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated with striking precision by Peter Snejbjerg, this issue unfolds with a dreamlike intensity, blending mystery and the uncanny in a way that feels both ancient and utterly new. The haunting, ethereal cover by Charles Vess captures the story’s otherworldly tone, making it a standout in the early Vertigo lineup.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The ongoing Books of Magic series grew directly from the commercial success of Neil Gaiman's 1990–91 prestige-format miniseries; Vertigo executive editor Karen Berger, seeing reader appetite for more Tim Hunter, launched the monthly under editor Stuart Moore with John Ney Rieber as writer and a rotating art team of Peter Gross, Gary Amaro, and Peter Snejbjerg. Rieber had planned 'The Hidden School' — the story that begins in issue #5 — as his opening arc, but DC's preference for a high-concept Faerie epic pushed 'Bindings' to the front of the run instead, meaning issue #5 finally delivers the intimate, adolescence-as-uncharted-territory tone Rieber had always envisioned as the series' true voice. Issue #5 specifically is illustrated by Peter Snejbjerg (interior art) with a painted cover by Charles Vess, who provided distinctive painted covers throughout the early run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated September 1994; published under DC's Vertigo mature-readers imprint. Story title: 'The Hidden School.'
- First appearance of Molly O'Reilly, Tim Hunter's classmate and first girlfriend, who became one of the most popular characters in the entire Vertigo line and later received her own spin-off mini-series (The Books of Faerie: Molly's Story).
- First appearance of Sir Timothy Hunter (a.k.a. 'Mr. Wrong'), a future version of Tim who has sold his memories to demons for power and money — the ongoing series' primary antagonist during Rieber's 50-issue run.
- First appearance of the demon Barbatos, who secretly controls Sir Timothy while posing as his servant, and of the angel Araquel, his partner Khara, and their daughter Nikki.
- Written by John Ney Rieber; interior art by Peter Snejbjerg; cover painting by Charles Vess — Snejbjerg's entry into the rotating art team that defined the book's visual identity.
- The story establishes the series' core tension: a possible dark future self traveling back from 2012 to ensure young Tim becomes him, thwarted only by guardian figures Tim doesn't yet know he has.
- Issue #5 opens The Books of Magic Vol. 2: Summonings trade paperback (ISBN 1563892650), collecting issues #5–13, and is also reprinted in The Books of Magic Omnibus Vol. 1 (ISBN 978-1779504630).
- Rieber's original plan was to begin his run with this 'Summonings' arc; 'Bindings' (issues #1–4) was added at DC editorial's request for a larger launch story, so issue #5 represents the writer's intended creative starting point.
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Books of Magic #[2] (1996), The Books of Magic #1 (2017), The Books of Magic Omnibus #1 (2021)
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