Abadazad

CrossGen Series

First released as a monthly from CrossGen, which went out of business after only three issues had been published. These issues have never been reprinted, and the new series started over.

Hyperion Series

After Disney bought CrossGen's catalog, Abakazad was started over in a new format of OGN/books, in a hybrid prose/comics form.

1 The Road to Inconceivable. [From Hyperion: Kate and her brother Matt are growing up in the big city, and life isn’t always easy. They find refuge in the world of Abadazad—a series of books written over 100 years ago by classic author Franklin O. Barrie. Kate and Matt spend hours reading the Abadazad books, and know every character. One day, Kate takes Matt to the fun fair. He steps onto a carousel, goes around once, twice—and then disappears. Though Kate and her mother search for Matt for years, they never find him. Finally, Kate tells her mother they must give up looking—but on that very day, Kate meets an old lady, Martha, who also loves the Abadazad books, and seems to know more about them than anyone. Martha tells her that Abadazad is a real place, but Kate doesn’t believe her—until a mysterious blue globe arrives at Kate’s door, and Kate sees her brother trapped inside it. Now Kate knows what she has to do: she must go into the real Abadazad and find her lost brother, no matter what dangers it might hold.] Book of the Week 6/1/06: Return of the book so good, Disney bought CrossGen's catalog so they could publish it! Now a rebooted series of OGNs. I haven't seen the new format, which is a blend of heavily illustrated prose and comics, but the original comics were the beginning of a wonderful fantasy about two children, fans of an old fantasy book series, who learn that their beloved literary world is real—as they are drawn into it. The CrossGen series only lasted three issues, but Disney seems committed to Abadazad, with two 144-page hardcovers coming out today, and more this winter.

2 Dream Thief. [From Hyperion: Kate needs all the help she can get when she encounters the mean and heartless Lanky Man, who only wants to steal children's dreams. Everyone seems to be against her--which only makes her more determined to find her younger brother.]