The Books of Magic #31

The Books of Magic #31, published in 1996, arrived during the middle of the Vertigo imprint's heyday. Part of the long-running series created by Neil Gaiman, this issue continued the narrative following the titular character Timothy Hunter. The series itself was launched in the early 1990s as a spin-off of the four-part miniseries that explored the magical underbelly of the DC Universe, establishing a darker, more literary tone that defined the mid-90s Vertigo aesthetic.

This particular issue features the creative work of writer John Ney Rieber and artist Peter Gross, who served as a primary artistic force on the series for years. Gross was known for a style that balanced grounded character realism with surreal, atmospheric magical environments. The issue fits into the series' broader exploration of adolescent angst paired with high-concept occultism, a hallmark of the sophisticated storytelling championed by Karen Berger's editorial team during this period.