Mystic Arcana (Marvel Comics) [Hardcover]

Roy Thomas (Author), Jeff Parker (Author), C. B. Cebulski (Author), Louise Simonson (Illustrator), David Sexton (Illustrator), Steve Scott (Illustrator), Juan Santacruz (Illustrator), Phil Noto (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2007

A magic event that spans across the ages, featuring the craftiest characters and most spellbinding stories in the Marvel Universe! In the vein of the wild and woolly genre revitalization Annihilation, Marvel's looking into its crystal ball to bring you mystical mages, scandalous sorcerers and fantastic flights of high-flying fantasy in Mystic Arcana. Each of the primary stories revolves around the introduction of one of a select group of mystical implements, quite literally the four pillars of the universe, and the involvement of a character from Marvel's rich, magical past - including Magik, the Black Knight, Sister Grimm and the Scarlet Witch. Plus: Witness the efforts of Dr. Strange adversary, sorcerer Ian McNee, to collect arcane implements in a series of shorter companion tales that make up the spine of Mystic Arcana. Collects Mystic Arcana: Magik, Black Knight, Scarlet Witch, Sister Grimm, Handbook; Official Tarot of the Marvel Universe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785127194
• ISBN-13: 978-0785127192
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is why I love comics!, October 15, 2008

By 

Amazon Addict - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystic Arcana (Marvel Comics) (Hardcover)

What Alan Moore did for Swamp Thing...What Frank Miller did for Batman...What Neil Gaiman did for DC's "mystery" universe...was made me look at characters that had become stale and predictable in an entirely new light. That's why I love comics. A new team can take something you've known all your life and show you something you've never seen before.

That is what Mystic Arcana did for Marvel's supernatural line. I almost didn't buy this book. Marvel's magical universe has never been very interesting for me. The "point n zap" spells, lightening bolts from fingertips, super-hero spellcasters were never really any competition for their DC counterparts. That changed with Mystic Arcana.

The Marvel Tarot is a blueprint for Marvel to breath new life into their supernatural universe. There are a dozen plot points on every page that other writers could develop. It should be requried reading for every new writer who is assigned to one of Marvel's supernatural titles.

Great art. Great stories. If you've ever read one of Marvels supernatural titles and after reading it felt like there should have been more. Buy this book. If you're a fan of DC's mystery universe. Buy this book. It will make you rethink everthing you've thought about Marvel's supernatural universe.

5.0 out of 5 stars A good start toward fixing magic in Marvel, August 5, 2010

By 

Brandon Hughes (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mystic Arcana (Marvel Comics) (Hardcover)

Lets face it, magic in the Marvel U has fallen into a sad place since it's "premier" in the days of Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Current writers seem to either not understand magic in comics, or simply don't care. Too often magic is treated like some sort of mutant power where characters just hurl beams of light at one another. Or where a character points his finger and says "bang" and something happens. You don't have to be Alan Moore to write magic in comics... you just have to understand that magic isn't a "superpower".

Thank god this series gets that. The four stories that take place amidst the stories central narrative about McNee are each different takes on magic in the Marvel U and each has it's own feel... but each also understands that there must be more going on in a magic story than just flashy powers. The Marvel Tarot backup provides some tantalizing insights into where the Marvel U might take their "magicverse", though given the amount of time since the release of the single issues... it seems doubtful they'll do it.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MYSTIC is magical!, January 8, 2008

By 

Walter Crane "FantasyFan" (Ft. Lauderdale, Fl) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mystic Arcana (Marvel Comics) (Hardcover)

I picked up issue #1 of this series because I am a fan of the MARVEL character Magik. I was entertained by Louise Simonson's retro adventure story, but I was really hooked by the enchanting back-up. I got all four issues and enjoyed the journey through some of Marvel Comics most magical locales - Ancient Egypt, Camelot, Avalon and Atlantis. In fact I enjoyed the series so much I decided to get it in this collected edition. The big bonus for me in the hardcover was THE MARVEL TAROT. Somehow I missed it when it came out. Thank the stars I have it now. Every page is filled with beautiful complex images and overflowing with fascinating information. I can't wait for the sequel!