BOOKS OF MAGIC
Book One of Four
DC Comies
DC Comics Inc.
Published monthly by
Copyright ©1990
Inc.
All rights reserved.
All characters, the distinctive likenesses
thereof and
DC Comics
related indicia are
all
trademarks of
DC Comics
A Warner
Inc.
Inc.,
666 Fifth Ave.,
New
Bros. Inc.
York,
NY
10103
Company
Printed in Canada. First printing.
Publication design
Bruning, Motter
This
is
a
by
& Associates
work of fiction.
All the characters, living,
dead, or
neither, are fictional creations,
as
is
the history of the universe
here presented.
Neither Neil Caiman nor John Bolton
exists in the real world,
and
you only think you’re reading
this.
RK
^
P/V
A
—
pBBl
tOWfsfl
pnrccs
[CRAZyPR/CEJ
“CONSTANTINE, I THOUGHT
HAPAM PE M/SELF RERFECTL
CLEAR.
YIE
HAVENO CHOICE
'I THINK WHAT OUR
FRIENPIS SAyiNG--'
^ JT SAT THAT WE ^
shoulpaw/.
enp
him.
.THE MATTER THERE.
^THE ATT 15 A NAIURAL^^B
' FORCE,
k
KMSOOOOVfOV
— THERE WILL BENO^
,
'
KILLING OUR ROLE IS
ONLY TO EDUCATE, TO
EVIL, FOR MA6K OH KXtSOMX,
ANP IT IS UPIO US TO CHANNEL
THAT FORCE F0V600P.AHQ, A
OFFER
HIM
THE
^CHOICE.
k^PERHARS, FORAIAGIO^^
CRAZY PRICE
XRAZr
PRI
"CONSTANTINE, IF HE IS JO CHOOSE
THE RATH OFIHA&C THEN HE MUST
CHOOSE RESPONSIBLY, HE MUST
KNOW ENOUSH ABOUT THE
LABYRINTH TO WALK A TRUE PATH
^THATISA
r PARTICULARLY FOOLISH \
THINS TO SA>; JOHN
CONSTANTINE. LkSHTANP
WRKNESS, LIFE AND
PEATH. THESE THIN5S
k
ARE ETERNALLY
Miw
i««
mKT
e <l«3^ tE‘. '“6
,
II
HH
“ALL *BWT I'M NOTSOIN© ID
AROUE WITH YOU ANYMORE,
THAT WE
F:
RO?"
IHbi nia' Hi HI
>
cwr
A
CERTAIN.
|
tfitpm
JJ
"SHOW HI* WHATMA&C TRULY IS, C-
*H£ HASTHE POTENTIAL TO BECOME
/•’•'I 11
f
|t
!
VJ
MAY BECOME
K
OF THIS A6E
:|
-/Jj
j
[
1
]
T.j
IT « UP TO THE POUR OF US
TO ENSURE THAT HE CHOOSES
HIS PATH OORRECTLY
m
BH
[91
f
'
mm, fair^B^
ENOUGH. I'LL GIVE
HIM THE QRfiNV TOUR,
iNTRocuce HiMTome
RUNNERS, GIVE HIM
AN (PEA OF THE
L starme
teUjr.
2
NgUII
price.
A
.^JlM|
*
.
*;-/
I
STILL.
HIM
I
P
-OsH S»l
HOW
l
^fl
3#]
VTiMOTMYl^*
WE&iLY WANTTO
kTALK TO
A
HOgOPY CATCHES me
HOT
COTS'
OT
HOT WEIRDOS.
HI NHOT
TEACHERS
HI
AVTgopY
PERVERTS.
KkTT
MH-y<
,
r?
J.
J.'l
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1
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1
1
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*T0VM. NICE^
BOAHPXXieOT
SPHERE.
RELAX.
^
/now, port try
TO BITE ME THERE ARE '
THINGS IN Iff BlOCOSmAM
founEALLYvatrmT
k
IN
X3UR Mourn.
.
JB
^
'
THEY’LL BE HEXE
inasst. justbeopc*.
ANP THERE WON'T BE
,
[.M PROBLEAJS..^
/timothy huhter^s
Rf ASSOCIATE A6XEP YOU
yA QUESTION. TELL HE.^y
T...0010U
BELIEVE
II
< AWSIC?
f^lAMtKX
STUPIP ANPIWll
v^ASIOOU AGAIN.
SANTA CLAUS, ISN'T IT*’
you 0gow up anp you
v&ccutB meres
.
SsNO SUCH THINS.
uH. HELLO. Xm
JW. HWNTER.A
*7/0.
WEREN’T
W
LISTENING*
*
it
wiu
save you
^
S.
r y£A//TSO^
whataxe nou
CALLEP?
^
f
pip wu
\
MAKE THAT UP
\wunseLFf /
J
MYsreirY?
rj PONT BEUEVEAHK
1
OF THIS.' WHATS SCINS CWF
SOME KINPOF
.
^CM>lPa*MSKA ?
^
.P'l CLAIM NEITHER A
NAME NORA TITLE, TlMPTHy
HUNTER, ALTHOUSH I HOPE
one pw>; perhaps, you
L
WILL CALL ME FEIENP
UNTIL THAT TIME I MU6T
^^REMAIN A STRAMSEg.
r
^
-
WE'RE MEgE TO
&VEK>U A CHOICE. (X)
YOU
WANTM&C IN
OOUR LIFE, CHILP?
y.
TOUR LOONIES, ..THEgES
,
NO SUCH THING AS
's^AIASIC.
f
K3u.
it
WAS
>5
A
JUST
TRICK a MASK
7»*r*r
v
•
S
TMfr
JhAI
WAY
’(iyi
Wu«&W.
V WT*«
W'.'
>(l/
:
|
¥ ePUeATE,Tl»IPTHy TO
'
t
SHOW ICO THE PATHOF
ENCHANTMENT, Cf
WAIT
OF&tAfAim AfOSiAMOUR
.
WHETHER ICO CHOOSE TO
W WALK
(fijw
IT AFTER THAT WILL
BE XXJROWN AFFAIR.,^
IF ICOliU?:»>ATSTyFF TMerP nfaZ
TO TREAT ME P.FFEPBZT THAT’S FOR
CERTA'N
I WW.-PM" HAZE 10 TAKE ANT CRAP
fikwahtbopt hotels?
^
'I'LL COME
WITH you. WHERE
ARE WE tfJCWOF
THROUSM,
S-
,'NTD
TOPAZ
? i f vM i
>
•
:
I
,
t> Jm
-
fl'to
SCAHeC’^y
.I'M
REALLY
J
rtT is a czr
~
OF PAIN, CHILE? THE
PAIN THAT COMBS
k
WITH BIRTH.
^
r WHA7WHAT/S
BIRTH?.
ONLY THE TINIEST
FRACTION OP THE WIN
THAT BROUGHT
.
FORTH, F(KJlH
^THE
j
look upwards do
you see we
^SILVER CITY?^M
THE PHOUPEBTOF THEM
AHU THE MOST
ALL,
BEAUTIFUL.
"ItHATS HIS
"
NAME?'
"EXACTLY.
V PERHAPS. BUT CHILR ^
SPACB IS LAPSE, AHP THERE
are/hahy PlAueS AMP VIEWPOINTS AHP
PWENSKXS^
FR5TOUSEE
^
THAT STAR, THERE?
I.ETUSIWIKTOIWWP
r" BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE^
that me earth was once
A CONCAVE pish, inhabited
By THOSE CFTMEOLP
BgEEl? THE P»E-PE«P^^
JHE wmati
mSNA
OP THEM,
HUMAHS STILL
AMP, MISTAKENLY BELIEYIN& THEM
TO BE QOOS, OCCASIONALLY MANAGE
TO EVOKE THEM FROM THEIR FRAME
OF REFERENCE INTO YOURS
THE LIEWF-KM6S REK5NEO FOR
MILLIONS OF YEARS THEN THEIR
CROWN WAS LOST TO THEM, AN?
rThenotewctl/^
true Atlantis'
WAS TAKEN BK THE
WAVES BEfORE
L-
THIS.
r
A
.
WHAT
WO
^
HAVETOUNtPERSTAW?
^ABOUT ATLANTIS IS
/
HO. Or COUK6E1
can't see you. on hear '
vouemee, for that matter.
BUT TOU OUGHT TO BE HEE6
k
AT THIS TIME, OR SO
V
^
’
l
ATLANTIS 16 THE 6HA(ZM-^
LAMP, THE BtfTTH-PLACE OF
CIVILIZATION. THE FAIR LAMP IN
THE WEST THAT IS LOBTTO US,
BUT REMAIH6 R3REVER, TRUE
BIRTHPLACE ANP TRUE
A
GOAL
r
IT
IS
^
LTcmeese, anp
AVALON, ANP
HT-SKASATL.
.
MySfELLSHAVESAIR
>$'
^
r'
I THINK I SPEAK WITH SOME
AUTHPRITX gy /MEANS OF ,MASIC I HAVE
LIVEP fKW /WANy„*tlU.I0NS.„OF TEAKS.
.
ANd TIB HAPVME TOIX> ASSEAT
.
^^PEAL OF THINKW©.
r\E I HAPW TIME
OVER AGAIN, VP BE
SOMEONE HAPPY ANI7
^VKVmT AWSMALL
TO SET MVOU/EP^
y NEVER
THE AFPA\K6 OF THE GREAT,
'IN
i
'Ano ear1
ANP THE POWERFUL NEVER TO
DISCOVER THE J3/OF THE J
™
Aat'TTAKEWHAT
TKETRE OfFERIN&j
m um tucker* on the mi opthe cave
mum with ochre*, perry oye, charcoal]
f
the
MANN* THE *REAT ELK MOVE,
AMKlN* THE AVtfTORON BREATHE,
MAKIN* THE HUNTERS RACE ANP KIEL.
WATCH THE/M 5EEKIN* TO PLACATE
ANt>
THl5
UNRER5TANR THE WORLRAPWE.
THEY KNOW-'
iMMnwmnAW
THERE
15
MRKNE55, EVERYWHERE, OUT5IRE.
15 EVERWHERE; AN£> THOUGH THE5UN C0ME5 Up,
ANRTHOUOHTHE FIRE* PL0550M, ANPARETA/NER,
THE PARKNE55 I* THERE
THE RARKNE55 15 WAITiN*.
THE
RARK
ANRTHETHIN*5 IN THE RARKNE55
THATWHI5PER PEFORE THEY FEA5T,
TO PE PLACATeRANR PER5UARER,
THETARE TO PE LOVER ANR 5ACRIFICER TO,
TO PE PRAYER TO ANR RI5TRU5TER.
WARE
WARE
ANR 50 THERE
15
MAOlC.
f*CM FAR OflN ANA JXSTANtOW,
W m WATEWDF 7W
ytuMRim
TtLE
WGCN5 AREHWLIORS, TlSOWRf ING IN 9RG£VHmm,
•W
mmPWMfrrH Uftmz
SP/flrft,
*
1NE inm Of M NINE RfAVEN* RiDE rfWRlOTS OP CROUPS,
AND "THE WU WOMAN DREAMS OF PARK BAMBOO (JRIAK,
1H£ LORD OF TNE ERST COMES TO lODSEN NER R08S* OF WlK RAINBOW,
SRE PREAMP THEY RIPE
IN
A ftSWpUZ CWIOT,
HM&Dpf SWFfM,
AND
IN
THB SKY PAPER K/7ES ARE
V/nen sne Wans? hb
is
fLU1%RING.
sone.
FDR A WILE SNEiflfTE RS, PAC/NI} TO AND FRO.
^HP DREAM?
FROM
fl
RAW:
MEETINGS
AND PARTINGS NONE CAN EVER
ESCAPE;
I/ORTROMMACIC.
Jn the
Mte >eLtA tKejjANbg uK^per
of ^o^-fwsefc^o^,
A^ure^AfAP Ccctl-C3;
tALl^hf^ow
(ijorocw
tKAtfAb Lif^e
•plofo an’A Ko
l»^s Arrows tKc'biiN^,
wf 'bt'ifpiN^roin tf\eitjAW5.
iTT-hf?jj
IN TH? LANDS GF0LIVI AND LAURZL.
WHIR? THIG0DS WALK
WATCH
W?
L0R?
.
A S0LDI5.R PISS AROUND HIS
AWAY A W9LF.
CLOTH2S,
--AT TH? HZART OF ?V?RY MYST?RY,
WHISRZRS TH? TW/CI-B0RN B0Y, WH0R0SZ FR9M TFII'DIAD,
IS 7 HI GRAIN 0FMYC0RN, AND TH? WIN? 9F MY BLO0D.
DRAMA, VIN?S AND 60A7-FIIT F0LL0W HIM INT0 TH? WORLD.
—
7H? W1TCH-QU5SN ALWAKS HAS THR?? FAC?S, WHGWAI7SAT 7H? CROSSROADS,
FSR YOUR SACRjFIC?;
WAITS IN TH?:UND?RW0RID,
IN TH? SACR?DGR0V£S,
(NTH? M00N:
SH? SITS 5?NIATH A D?AD KING, HANGING FROM A 7R5I BRANCH,
AND. WILL SH0W YOU ALL MANNIR 0F ?L?£ANT CHARMS.
ABRACADABRA.
ABRAXAS,,...
MAGIC.
,
HULLO 7
'
PLEASE.
1
WHAT ARE you
kCALLEP?
A
T MERLIN? BUT HE'S
^
GOT ALONE WHfTEBEARP
^
fW-
_<&
^
r
HOW COME
you CAN see us,
TALK TO US?
NOBoor else
L.
CPU UP.
^
rPBUON BLOCK ITS ^
meneNsm./WTT'Hu.
GALLEP
kWERUN
.
I'LL
"W AllGCMGTOBEAPReAPFULILESS.lHEAU,
STONES,
SET ARTHUR UP ANP RUNNING, SHORES OUT OF
ALL THAT.
"CREATE THE FLEETINS (VePOFSlORy
CALLEPGAAIELOT, LIRE A FIREWORK,
A ROWAN CANPLE, THAT SPUTTERS ITS
L ISHT THUBUSH THE BARK AGES ANP
THEN FAKES FROM StSHTONCSIHORS.
N/MUE
WILL COME ALONG AUO I'LL
GO RANTING
AFTER HER LIKE A POG-FOX IN HEAT. TEACH HER
TOO LITTLE /MAGIC TO CO HER AHYGOOP, ANP TOO
MUCH TOR SAFETY, ALL THE WHILE TRANS TO SET
INTO
HER PETTICOAT6.
AW? THEN SHE'LL ENTICE ME
INTO A CAVE, ANPBINPME
THERE, WITH MY OWN MAGIC,
ANP LEAVE ME TO ROT. "
MYRPPtNR WHO*
POYOUTALKTCH
'
lSEE NOTHING.,, j
roFoa/Ase^
XXI PONT, IASON.
VO* HUSH, ANP
LATER 1 MAY LET
rVi/S IS
IASON. ANP HE IS
~
MT FRIENP, ANPI LOVE HIM
LIKE A BROTHER. WE ARE SHORN
SLOOPBROTHERS, WE TWO.
^
?||l|p|i1
Iy
*-/
A*
A
°^
•
•
.
v,
’
JT§
s
fW'i
WMa
ril
x
BUT-- BUT IF XPU
AWOH' WHAT'S GOINS TO
HARPEH... WHTCAN'DOU
CHARGE ITT CO SOMEL. THING ELSE?
r
ra
AS I
SORRY. J/MUST CO
T
WILL CO. MAlSIC GRANTS
NO FREECOMS, FRIENP PUPIL.
IT BUYS MUST
RE PAtP FOR
EVERYTHING
L.
A
ruetmsomy t
MY MX JUST ABIT
^
yTHERE
<6
PIPER.
^
HO OEMON BlOO
IN 'tout! VEINS,
CHILP
BUT, YES, IF
mi CHOOSE THAT PATH VOW CCUID
BE THE CONPUIT FOR POtfEfZ
^
.
THAT MERLIN WAS...
™
but nseemEC’ like
<
WAS SATINS THAT HE AM?)*' HIS
W3KKOUTANI7
LIFE WASN'T GOINS TO
HE'P WINP UP l/WPRISONEP IN A
CAVE, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE
WOPTH
IT.
^
show mb mcxe i want to'
see wall.
jk
k
OK?. mIMS
I
m1
iAv
'MMifli
fPi
mPm/.
\T
'
^
the/ bushel? anp vpohheo,
ANP HANSEP THOSE THE? SAW AS
WITCHES, THE PEVIL6 SERVANTS THE
WEN
ANPTHE CUNNINSMEN,
WISE
.
THE UNTORTUNATE, THE LOST
AMT THE STRANGE.
L-
rWHILE IN THE fiPSESTS ANP^
the hush Places anp besipe
THE (SITE AT STONES, THEOLP
RELIGIONS ENPUREP
^
k
'IT PSESN'TSEEM LIKE THEBES
AN/ REAL /MAGIC AN/*IORE. NOT
IT WAS. WHERE PIP ALL
THE ALAGICGC ?
LIKE
^
1
WH/?
TLETCOMB
US WAl
.
THE HELM IS CALLBPNABU. HE
fOUHOIT IN A FHVAMlO HE IS A
MA&CIAH, ANP HE COHSIPE2S
HIMSELF A HERO
FURTHER
^the Hem eBtwws^
r
johm ccuGWJTme wiu.
in
r AWtSeMANCNCE^
KXNTEPOUT THAT THE
PLACE 10 HIDE A FALLEN
^LEAF SNA FOREST ^
WHO'S
THAT?
^
/
|
I
HIS NAME 16
ZATARA HES THE FATHER
A
OF THE STAGE MAGICIAN CALLED
ZATAHHA, STILL ACTIVE
TOUR DAY.
IN
.
tvopucekuto ne
1|mcHW,RRDS
'BECAUSE TIMES
BECAUSE
I Will
GRRFFITI
wRW
BECAUSE
I
vHEfrikcme&rtWi
UpE^n/imwER
P«.C5<lfHEW/(U
Anomccwafttym
INVISIBLE
WHEN
A/A
f/H
MLKI^eJse
WRTCHWDUS
.THEN I
THE
WE
FtAR
RILL
MERE:
!M»K«CVN.
w
RMDOnce
$66*01 UMDER5S1ND.
Ti
.5
/ILL
ifw^adn^8HB
the other's
•
,.
"THE GRE/ir.’ 'thE
fhst.ru. of.the*
'
A^y»S
'^jw
ONCE THEY H^D SEEM MT’ Btlir,
1
fa '" D
THE
‘AHEAD, THE BURMING MEED.
I
IHEEDFSQRE
WE DO
rr
'
'
HOLLOW
EMPTINESS?;
KActAty^C
nOf?niif?MiiT^l
«*_
TM/fM ILLUSION,
WITH WRFKDRS,
HAD FOUND MY WRY TO
THECEMTER OF THE INVISIBLE LRBTRIHTH;
HRD-PEITHRPS-DISCOVERED
MO FORE TH/RM THE ENTRRflCE.
j'TKXJCSHT I
1RHD.-1
WRTCH W" DUST.;
I
RETRf/TED IKfO VS ET»,
1
‘
TME 'WORLD O' ILLUSION,
'fl
I'M ’n£ FOOJK
M TME STA3E,
AIL EYES UPOh ME AftO TtQOK i
BECA/SE I DO NOT WlK
BECATSE I DO MOT S-RY,
(tmgin
RMD
MOV.
emoceb sen fret rua)
THE
DOES .MOT BEGD
I GIVE MOTMIHSOE MYSEtF
as i oorr wiTrM'tmoRs
RNO SIRING
RMO
TOW
SLEIGHT-
THE DClUVCT* OF ILLUSION -RNO'
DECEIVES THE EYE...
m JFf c STROBED U«t
l iGMTMItlG esr
srdt,
A FOllORv. <;
AT ONLY SEE
RND BOOMING BRCRW*RDS
TME CpRPSES OF THE RH'LRO RND B'ROS
:
I
WHO STRUTTED WITH ME OH
•RilD
HELPED ME FOOL THEM
,
.
THE DARKENED FRO
-RlL
THERE HO WALKING B/CKW/RDS,
/HD I /AS LOST IN THE L/BTRIHTH INVISIBLE.
IS
I
C/NNOT RETR/CE
I WROTE
AST
N/ASE
ATT STEPS.
ON THE W/LL OF THE
INVISIBLE L/BTRINTH.
W/S JO DILIGENT IN ATT STUDIES;
O/VE AST WHOLE TIASE/NDHE/RT TO THE
I
PURSUIT.
I WROTE
ATT N/ASE,
BUT
I
C/N FIND
IT
NO LONGER;
AST/5HB ESLOW LIKE DUST /ROUND THE
INVISIBLE L/BTRINTH,
THAT*.
^LIKE ZATAKA, HE
^
WAS A VtLIB MAGICIAN
WHO HIP HIS /MAlS<C IN
CHEAP TZlCKEfT? TO
^AMUSE THE MASSES^
^UKEZATARA, Hg
PIEP IN FLAMES, TIWNS
to peenecr heaven fikw
THE SHACTPWBTHAT
k- THREATENED IT.
^ SENSIBLE
Arrrrupe.
SE>CJNG’rrARE
N'&'
MONSTERS AN 9SAINTS
AN 9SHNEKS r.sOEREA)
MCWE REWWA8L6 THAN
r
'
ANYTHMS fOU *MS «£N
v
OVOAfWElfiTWBueH
\/ivr/a¥//r>:..
>
^HULIO,
how was we
'BLOOPY,HELL,
TRY NOT
to mice on *y raincoat,
then
^
n'eHEUTOPzrCLEAN.
^
^
^THO TICKETS fOR THE
ORANP TOUR, THEN, WITH WURS
TRULY AS THE OUIC7E
.
^
rMAKES rou LAUGH,
PUNNIT? THE SIMP LEAPING J
^
THE BUMP.
^
DC COMICS INC.
Jenectc
President
Kahn
& Editor-In-Chief
Dick Giordano
V.P.-Editoriai. Direc tor
Karen Berger
Editor
Art
Young
Assoc. Edi tor
Jim Chadwick
Director-Desion Services
Dale Crain
Ar t Direc tor
Joe Orlando
VP-Creative Director
Paul Levitz
VP
Executive
& Pi bi.isiier
Bruce Bristow
VP-Sai.es
& Marketing
Patrick Caldon
VP
Terri
& Controller
Cunningham
Director-Edi torial Admin.
Chantal d’Aulnis
VP-Bcsiness Affairs
Lillian Laserson
VP-Legal Affairs
Matthew Ragone
Circulation Director
Bob Rozakis
Production Director
“I
WAS SO
MY STUDIES;
MY WHOLE TIME AND
DILIGENT IN
GAVE
HEART TO THE PURSUIT.
I
WROTE MY NAME, BUT CAN
I
FIND IT NO LONGER;
MY ASHES BLOW LIKE DUST
AROUNDTHE INVISIBLE
LABYRINTH."