Gemworld as envisioned by Charles Vess

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

I had never heard of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld until the scans were posted here. But upon going back through some old Neil Gaiman stuff, I realized that Gemworld gets a mention in the original Books of Magic miniseries (in issue #3, with art by Charles Vess). 

Minor, I know, but I love seeing Vess' take on Gemworld.




They even drop in Zerox (this one, um, may not be Vess. In fact, I think it's Paul Johnson. I don't have the trade in front of me D:).  Someday, Gemworld will exist again!

Comments

[menagerie.insanejournal.com]

I love the original Books of Magic.

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

Someday, Gemworld will exist again!

It had better, or I'll cry.

I always wondered about Books of Magic. Now I wonder again!

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

It had better, or I'll cry.

Agreed.

What did you wonder about them?

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

If I should read them! :D

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

Right, of course!

The first four issues that Neil did are... interesting. They're just a tour through the magic parts of the DCU. The series proper, when it started, fell kind of flat for me, so I didn't read beyond its first trade.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

I think you've sort of got that the wrong way round. The four issue mini seres wasn't "the first four issues", it WAS the series proper.

It was the ongoing series which wasn't the series proper... if that makes sense.

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

Erm, yes. I said "series proper" because it wasn't originally intended to be a series, but then began as one after Neil's issues. So we mean the same thing, just expressed in slightly different ways.

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, Neil's was pretty self-contained: it was really just a survey through the magic parts of the DCU. (which repurposed most of them for Vertigo) The series came reasonably later--this was still DC "special format," while the series came out once Vertigo was already well underway. I'm not sure if they had any definite future development of Tim in mind at the time--he was basically just the Guy Who Listens and Learns you need to provide a reason why everyone's talking about this stuff.

I will say this: I still maintain there are many elements of Tim that are suspiciously similar to the later Harry Potter. But I also imagine that even if there are Neil doesn't care to make a fuss.(and besides, it's not like he's hurting, and Tim isn't owned by him)

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I realized the key word I left out of those other two comments was "ongoing." Neil's miniseries was, as you say, self-contained; about 3 years later, the actual ongoing series started.

I remember reading something Neil had said/written in regards to Tim Hunter and Harry Potter — he was very gracious, basically saying that certain ideas get repeated unknowingly, the collective unconscious and all of that. He's a classy dude.

[volksjager.insanejournal.com]

Wasn't it also conected to Legion books through the white witch Mordru ect ???

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, that's Zerox, aka Sorceror's World, training ground of Mordru & the White Witch, which apparently is what Gemworld has evolved into by the 31st century.

If I can find my copies of the Great Darkness Saga, there's a great splash page showing what the wild magic floating around Zerox has made it look like.

[mllesays.insanejournal.com]

It was. Though I only know that thanks to Wikipedia.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Apart from Gemworld becoming Zerox, the mention of an "Archmage" refers to the Magic Wars which brought an end to the Levitz Legion run just prior to the "Five Year Gap".

[halloweenjack.insanejournal.com]

As soon as I saw "Charles Vess" I knew that it would probably be a treat, but even so... wow. Thanks for posting.

[ashtoreth.insanejournal.com]

Yes! :) But so puzzling. I wonder who the Archmage is.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Vaguely generic "source of all magic" which was featured in the Legion of Superheroes. His awakening started a magical disruption called "The Magic Wars" which led, amongst other things, to the death of Magnetic Kid.

[filbypott.insanejournal.com]

I thought the Archmage was Mordru?

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Nope, different being.

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

Well, at least it gave Rokk something to get pissed about.

[comicoz.insanejournal.com]

Love the icon. It's the entire series in 30 seconds of quick reading!

[btravage.livejournal.com (from insanejournal.com)]

I really love the Books of Magic take on the 64th century, home of Abra Kadabra or as he's known here, Abhararakadhararbarakh.

[buttler.insanejournal.com]

We need more defunct comics properties intercompany crossovers:
Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld Loves Crystar, Crystal Warrior!

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

All I know is Dark Opal was one cool-looking villain. At least to me as a kid.


But that was always the case: him, Baron Karza, Darkseid, any of those, you had that kind of villain and the fanboy instinct came right out.