Customer Reviews

Mystic Arcana (Marvel Comics)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I still believe Marvel can do no wrong...this graphic novel proves me correct. Great visual, storyline, and character development.