When Vertigo launched in January 1993, it immediately collected Neil Gaiman’s mini-series The Books of Magic, which sold well because Gaiman’s The Sandman had become increasingly popular. The new imprint was eager for additional ongoing series, and The Books of Magic was an obvious contender.

Vertigo chose to launch the series through its first-year crossover, The Children’s Crusade, which focused in its young characters and ran through its annuals offered for 1993. The final annual, before the special that concluded the crossover, was Arcana Annual #1, starring Timothy Hunter. Vertigo planned to title the ongoing series Arcana as well, but it reconsidered, and the ongoing debuted as The Books of Magic Vol. 2.

Both Arcana Annual and The Books of Magic Vol. 2, along with the first two issues of The Books of Magic Annual (numbered from #1, ignoring Arcana Annual), were written by John Ney Rieber, who remained on the title through issue #50. During this time, Bronwyn Carlton wrote a three-issue spin-off mini-series, The Books of Faerie.