Comic Info
Comic Name: Mystique
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Jorge Lucas/Michael Ryan/Manuel Garcia
# of Issues: 13
Release Date: 2011
Mystique #6
Reprints Mystique #1-13 (June 2003-June 2004). Mystique has been captured and turned over to Charles Xavier with the option of working for him or going to jail. Now Mystique has become an agent of Xavier and assigned to jobs that the X-Men can’t get caught doing. She and her co-operative Short Pack are going all over the world on assignments involving mutants, and Mystique finds herself rekindling her relationship with Forge. Mystique however has other options open to her. A rival group has contacted her through an agent called Shepard who offer Mystique a role as a double agent.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Mystique by Brian K. Vaughan Ultimate Collection is an X-Men spin-off title. The collection features art by Jorge Lucas, Michael Ryan, and Manuel Garcia. Mystique was met with positive reviews and the issues in this collection were originally collected as Mystique Volume 1: Drop Dead Gorgeous and Mystique Volume 2: Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy.
Mystique first appeared as a minor villain in the original Ms. Marvel series, but quickly gravitated to one of the X-Men’s big supporting characters. Brian K. Vaughan was gaining popularity with Y: The Last Man and the combination of the writer and the character made for a surprisingly well-rounded and developed storyline to flesh out Mystique’s persona.
Mystique #13
Mystique launched with a bunch of other X-titles but managed to distinguish itself with its smart writing. The plots aren’t all that groundbreaking (they mostly involve a bit of spy-tech, romance, and gunfire), but Vaughan does a great job really exploring Mystique shapeshifting powers. Whether having her hide guns inside of her body, grow extra arms and heads, or even using a men’s restroom, Mystique’s powers are pushed to the limit.
The art for Mystique is also quite good. I prefer Jorge Lucas art to the other artists but all the art is great. Even Mike Meyhew’s photo-realistic painted covers work for the series and harken back to the pin-up art of Alberto Vargas. They are cheescake but fun.
Mystique was a fun series, and it is too bad that Vaughan didn’t stick with it. After this collection, Sean McKeaver wrote the series until issue #24 when it ended. McKeaver’s run isn’t all bad, but it doesn’t live up to the ground forged by Brian K. Vaughan in this collection (in spite of the clunky title). If you didn’t pick up Mystique when it was out, check it out now.
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Nice article and a cool comic. I was pumped to see the cover art every month.
Thanks Robot. we love when you love something we write…keep coming back..and tell us what you’d like to see reviewed