Mystic Arcana: The Magical Makeover

[Eros]

Judgeing by the off topic conversation, this book is not that good.

 

[PhotoJones]

For the jug of Gummiberry Juice? Sure. But you'd have to refund me at least $10 for taking that piece of crap issue off your hands.

It might be crap to you, but Liefeld comic books put gas in my car.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

That's making use of your investment.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It might be crap to you, but Liefeld comic books put gas in my car.

A whole tank, by the looks of it. That's so sad.

 

[PhotoJones]

A whole tank, by the looks of it. That's so sad.

Pfft. You should see what my copy of Dazzler #8 went for....Now THAT'S sad.

 

[Specter313]

So, who got this? I actually thought it was decent, with the back up story being better than the main story. Maybe that's just because I was expecting more from Simonsen, but the back up actually was kinda fun and had some decent humor.

I'll also admit I can see why they used a relatively unknown character like McNee rather than Strange. Using McNee allows Sexton to put his own stamp on the character rather than havin to live up to past stuff like Vaughn's awesome Strange which is still fresh in fan minds. Plus, you don't know what McNee is capable of, so you can go into the story not knowing what you're really going to get which makes it kinda fresh. I'm gonna stick with this.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I thought Magik was okay. I've never been a huge fan of hers, though, so I wasn't all that interested in her story. I like that Sexton is focusing on patterns and elemental connections more than actual tarot cards. I was afraid there would be really stupid imagery like some mystical board where each of the characters occupied their own meta-tarot card or some nonsense. I agree with Specter about McNee's book-end tale being more interesting than Magik's. I'm quite looking forward to the Black Knight's story (FYI, the Black Knight featured is Sir Percy of Scandia, not Dane Whitman, as everyone seems to think).

 

[mdg1024]

I like the idea behind it (and the layers of meaning in the backup) but the plot is a little thin.

 

[The Question]

A systematic revamp of the genres is what DC did with the four pre-IC minis, too. It seems like a blatant rip-off. I don't care, though. Marvel's giving me more Black Knight.

The elemental nature of the books seems kind of ham-fisted. The Black Knight represents earth because... he's a knight? Nico represents fire because she's a ****? Judging by Sexton's descriptions of the characters, it seems like the Black Knight should've been in Magik's place. He says Magik ties to the Suit of Swords and logic, but the Black Knight has wielded a variety of swords that were equally important to him as Magik's Soulsword was to her, and he's a f***ing scientist. Doesn't get more logical than science. But, again, I don't really care because I get me some Black Knight action.

I know I'm a bit late chiming in, but:

1) The suit of swords represents reason, not logic. I know it's basicly semantics, but the two aren't always the same thing.

2) Dane is tied to the suit of pentacles, which represents an atatchment to material things (but in a good way). I think that fits his scientific background more.

 

[yenaled]

I know I'm very late chiming in, but:

God this issue bored me to tears.

I'll pick up Black Knight as I want to see what the fuss is about, but I'm thinking I'm not going to bother with the other two. Unless something amazing happens in the Black Knight issue.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Something amazing always happens when a Black Knight is present.

Except for that New Excalibur arc.

 

[Specter313]

​

Mystic Arcana: Black Knight will arrive in stores on July 18 from Marvel Comics. The issue is written by Roy Thomas and David Sexton, with art by Tom Grummett and Eric Nguyen and a cover by Marko Djurdjevic.

Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

"When the Old Magics of Camelot are threatened, Merlin must call upon Sir Percy of Scandia, the Black Knight, to confront the Mordred the Evil and return the magic to its former power. Legendary writer Roy Thomas and fan-favorite artist Tom Grummett bring you this all-new medieval tale featuring Marvel¹s sword-wielding hero.

"This issue also contains the second part of Ian McNee's quest to obtain the four magical objects. In this 10-page bonus story, McNee faces the beautiful but deadly Morgan Le Fey."

Mystic Arcana: Black Knight will be 40 pages and will cost $2.99.

 

[The Geek Vault]

I want to get the Black Knight issue

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Hey, they got Sir Percy's costume right inside the comic, at least.

Tom Grummett's art looks fantastic. I liked him on New Thunderbolts, but this is way beyond his work there. I'm looking forward to this issue quite a lot.

 

[yenaled]

Damn Ian McSnore

The art on Black Knights looks fantastic, really impressed.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You don't like the Ian McNee story? It was the highlight of Magik's boring issue, and it involves Morgan Le Fey this time, so I'm down.

 

[yenaled]

Well yes it was better than Magik's story but that doesn't say a lot. For me it just read like a bad Books of Magic story.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

A bad Books of Magic story is better than most of Marvel's few forays into its magic side in the last decade.

 

[yenaled]

Damn your logic.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Hey, not every magic story can be a Dr. Strange: The Oath.

 

[yenaled]

Oh yeah I know. It's not that Ian McNee story was horribly bad, I just couldn't care - maybe the fact I just read the Magik story put me into a bad state of mind.

I think sometimes with magic writers can fall into a trap when everything feels a bit too passive. Like magic is so mysterious the antagonist doesn't seem to play any more of a part than a passive observer - or 'flowing with the tides of magic to a predetermined fate that he was always going to achieve'. Very good writers can pull off these stories - most writers make them seem like you've read a whole lot of nothing but talking heads swirling round a vortex of mysterious magic.

It doesn't have to be balls to the wall action-magic story like The Oath, but I'm just hoping the Ian McNee story doesn't fall into the trap.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I tend to prefer the more action-oriented magic users like the various Black Knights over the uber-powerful wizards like Dr. Fate for that reason. It's a lot more exciting to me to see a guy get in there with nothing but a sword as protection against these otherworldly forces than it is to see a guy rain fire down on armies while he floats around, safe from the battle. That's why the Dr. Strange stories that excite me are the ones where he's up against some truly impossible odds like an ancient god of magic or something. Or, of course, something like The Oath, where he gets to remind us that he's a martial artist as well as a magician.

 

[The Question]

I tend to prefer magic stories that focus more on philosophy and examining spirituality and religion and their relationship with the physical world than on action. I guess I just find it more stimulating than sword and sorcery or mystical martial arts stuff.

 

[Zoken]

Hey Magic Lovers, I have a question to pose to you.

Who would you rather teach Nico Minoru to properly use magic and the Staff of One, and Strange is not on the list.

 

[The Question]

Hey Magic Lovers, I have a question to pose to you.

Who would you rather teach Nico Minoru to properly use magic and the Staff of One, and Strange is not on the list.

Does it have to be Marvel characters, or can it be any comic book and/or fictional character?