[I, Brian]

I have Gaiman's Books of Magic 4-part series, and I was certainly struck by the basic similarities with hindsight.

However, even on saying that, I felt comparisons aren't really fair - they really are very different stories (or, the original Gaiman series was - I believe DC extended it since).

Both stand on their own different merits, IMO, with Harry Potter living a fantastical almost child-like experience of magic - whereas Tim Hunter was faced with a darker adult world, where magic was more subtle.

2c.