Mysterius The Unfathomable
Issue: #1
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Tom Fowler
32 pp. Wildstorm/DC. $2.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
If we learn one thing from the first issue of Wildstorm’s new series Mysterius The Unfathomable, it’s that séances can be fun. And quite dangerous. What with that getting sucked into Hell part.
Something else we learned. That a comic featuring a lecherous mystic/magician with a mysterious past can be an enjoyable romp, heavy on both wit and sarcasm. It’s Dr. Strange with a sense of humor, and better clothes.
Two weeks ago Delfi was an upstart reporter working for an indie-rag, covering a séance held by the rich and fashionably idle, a mystical hipster event for the fabulous. There she encounters Mysterius, detached and cool, and dressed like he stepped out of the Rat Pack. Before long Delfi has been hired as Mysterius’ personal representative, screening future clients.
Writer Jeff Parker and artist Tom Fowler have created an inspired debut issue, both incredibly inventive and humorous. It’s unpredictable and witty, avoiding any semblance of cliché. Mysticism is modern day quackery, a haven for con-men and grifters. And most people know this, treating mystics with a high degree of skepticism. Parker plays upon this skepticism. Mysterius is the real deal. An-honest-to-goodness-speaker-for-the-dead. Not the baloney and light show people expect.
Both Delfi and Mysterius are fabulously realized. In only a few pages, Parker creates some impressive characterizations, deep and intelligent. The character design by Fowler is fantastic. The visuals scream personality and it’s hard not to love them. Sort of like a super charismatic ice cream man. Hard not to be drawn in by his charms. It’s far from your typical mainstream comic art, but it works beautifully here.
Mysterius The Unfathomable was the best kind of surprise. Totally unexpected. Yet it absolutely rocked.
Final Grade: 88 out of 100
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