Mike Carey and Peter Gross’ series The Unwritten, one of Vertigo’s longest running books, will be going on a two month break after November, to be relaunched in 2014 with a new issue #1.

unwritten54_layered_final

Following November’s issue – which will be issue #54 – the book will end the current run and then relaunch in January, Newsarama reports. This is so the creative team can recharge after working on the graphic novel ‘Tommy Taylor and the Boat that Sank Twice’ and a Fables/Unwritten crossover concurrently. Carey states that this is also a natural break-off point for the series, before the new run starts next year:

It felt like we reached a natural turning point in the story, particularly since the ‘Fables’ arc was, itself, such a big change of pace and tone. So there’s a kind of natural rhythm to it so the break won’t seem like a stop; it will feel like a breather.

And it will be very short. It’s only a few months.

16 COMMENTS

  1. I’d like to see one piece of evidence that starting an ongoing series out with a new No. 1 issue adds new readers.

    I don’t begrudge the creators a break – I love this book and if they’ve been working on a graphic novel as well as the monthly series they absolutely deserve a hiatus. I just don’t understand why the series can’t pick up #55 when it does come back.

  2. “I’d like to see one piece of evidence that starting an ongoing series out with a new No. 1 issue adds new readers.”

    You mean, evidence like almost every series that gets a new #1 sells more copies than what was selling before?

  3. “But in the majority of cases, they revert to their previous sales pattern within 6 months.”

    Six months of higher sales? Success!


  4. “But in the majority of cases, they revert to their previous sales pattern within 6 months.”

    Six months of higher sales? Success!

    I’m sure six months of higher sales postively effects at least one quarterly revenue report and gets someone some sort of pat on the back.
    What else could matter in the WarnerComm hierarchy? (Surely not quality comics with integrity and artistic distinction! Just be glad Unwritten isn’t being cancelled for appealing to a niche audience and lacking toyetic qualities!)

  5. as long as they don’t restat it and call it Uncanny Unwritten or Avenging Unwritten I don’t mind that they start over. I’m kinda excited to see where the book will start up at.

  6. @seth

    I thin you are greatly underestimating how much of this is driven by a simple need to push back against sales attrition and the collective suicide pact that is retailer ordering practices. What follows is an accurate paraphrase of a conversation between someone from a comic publisher’s office and a retailer:

    “How well are you doing on title X?

    “Fantastic! We sold out.”

    “How many did you order?”

    “Ten.”

    “And what about title Y?”

    “Not so good. We still have ten left.”

    “How many did you order?”

    “Two hundred.”

  7. This book is such a treasure. The unfolding of its truths on a personal and massive scale, whoosh. Great collaboration between creators and lush covers by the best in the biz. I count the weeks between issues and happy the book is continuing.

  8. LOVE this book and hope this brings new long-term readers, BUT why isn’t vol. 1 tpb in print? i’ve wanted to get it as gifts but it isn’t available:(

  9. I was worried when this wasn’t on the November list, and while the renumbering seems weird, at least it’s returning — and presumably returning as itself, not as a relaunch by a different creative team.

    “as long as they don’t restat it and call it Uncanny Unwritten or Avenging Unwritten I don’t mind that they start over.”

    Given DC’s tendencies lately, “Justice League Unwritten” is almost believable.

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