The first book is based on the original miniseries. The subsequent books are based on story arcs in the second series; except The Children's Crusade, which is based on the Vertigo crossover event of the same name.

Gaiman used the four issues to formally split the structure of the story and allow for a different artist to draw each issue: The depiction of Tim Hunter's life continued in a five-issue mini-series called The Names of Magic, in which Tim learnt his true name (Timothy Hunter; Tamar, son of Tamlin; the Opener; the Merlin; Magic) and was accepted into the school of magic, known simply as White School, which exists across the Multiverse of Worlds in DC.There were also three spin-off mini-series set in the Faerie realm, entitled The Books of Faerie. The first two volumes dealt with the rise to power of Titania and Auberon respectively, whilst the third documents the misadventures of Molly O'Reilly as she tried to come to terms with the curse placed upon her by Titania during the Girl in the Box storyline. There were also plans to create an ongoing The Books of Faerie series starring Molly O'Reilly, but these were eventually abandoned. What? Real magic? As in great storytelling, great art, a big portion of myth and a much more huge portion of fascination? You bet!

It is up to Tim to choose his destiny. Great power comes at great cost and it may be more than he is willing to pay.They take him from the birth of the universe all the way through to its eventual death, ostensibly teaching him about the possibilities - and the price - of wielding magic before he decides whether to embrace his destiny. Along the way, Tim meets some of the DCU's more prominent magicians and fantasy characters, such as Merlin, Zatara, Doctor Fate, The Spectre, Madame Xanadu, Doctor Thirteen, Zatanna, Dream, John Constantine, Cain and Abel, Destiny, and Death, whilst his allies try to protect him from the machinations of the Cult of the Cold Flame. Following his misadventures, Tim decides that the price is too high, only to find that everything he has learnt from his supposed mentors has made it impossible for him to turn away from magic. [4] John Ney Rieber [ edit ] Finding Tim's parents [ edit ] Neil Gaimon Interview, Stardust". MoviesOnline. 2007. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008 . Retrieved April 28, 2008. Tim is 13 years old. He has the potential to be one of the greatest mages of his age. Set in the DC/Vertigo universe, Tim is accosted by four major magical characters. John Constantine, Mr. E, Dr. Occult and Phantom Stranger. Each one takes Tim through a journey to see if magic is something he wishes to pursue. They also teach him that magic has a price and a steep price at that. Due to his potential, he is being sought after by some evil mages who wish to either convert or kill him. The four aforementioned mages seek to keep him alive. Sir Timothy and Barbatos return to Tim's time from 2012 because Tim is the last boy in the multiverse who could possibly grow up to be Sir Timothy, and they intend to ensure that he does. Their plans are thwarted without Tim even being aware of them, as he has a guardian angel called Araquel who is chained between Heaven and Hell for having had a daughter called Nikki with Khara. Khara defeats Sir Timothy on Tim's behalf. The intervention doesn't mean that Tim is safe, however, as he has come to the attention of the last member of the Cult of the Cold Flame, a magician called Martyn. [16] Tim and his burnt father threatened by Martyn and Leah, from the cover to issue #7.