Magic can be a fickle thing, both within a story and from outside. The world of Mystic exemplifies this better than anything in recent memory. The story opens with a sprawling (and quite beautifully drawn) shot of Hyperion, a city that runs on the "high and mysterious sciences" of steampunk technology and magic. The reader is right away introduced to a world of petticoats and zeppelins, classic fare for the genre, and it doesn't deviate from that setup much from there.
The main characters are a pair of orphans working off their debt to a housemistress named Genevieve and Giselle. As the front cover attests, "Magic can happen...but only for one of them," and the clichés keep on coming. In classic two-character fashion, one is a starry-eyed optimist that is eager to learn the apparently exclusive magical arts, and the other is a somewhat jaded "realist" that hides her insecurity behind a mask of indifference despite also wanting a place in the magical world higher than her current one. When the time comes for the High Artisan, a kind of mystical sensei, to choose new apprentices, the two find their way into the chamber as maids to witness the ceremony. Without ruining the first issue's end, no one will be surprised by the outcome. He must choose the honorable tenth, or High Apprentice, who will succeed him when he is gone, and any reader paying even a hint of attention will be able to guess which character he picks by about page 3.
Not that the issue was entirely bad for all its predictability, there are certain conventions in the realm of magical fiction that are essential; a story about a chosen one certainly needs to have someone chosen for something, but there are methods that have been vastly underutilized here. However, despite the old-fashioned approach, there are positives to note that actually shine in this opening chapter. The relationship between the two protagonists feels fresh and well established without being overly sentimental despite their stagnant and conventional roles within the story. The artistic team of David Lopez, Alvaro Lopez and Nathan Fairbairn do a spectacular job bringing the world of Hyperion to life in a vibrant way, giving the city a pulse and magic of its own. The characters and scenery are reminiscent of the classic Miyazaki film Kiki's Delivery Service, from which I'm sure they drew at least a little inspiration, and this lends itself perfectly to the rest of the story. It could not have been anywhere close to bearable without the expressive character faces and diligent attention to detail that is evident in every panel. And, when it comes right down to it, I am a sucker for steampunk stories, and it's nice to get away from the cape-and-cowl approach to comics every once in a while.
While this book by no means blew me away, it isn't without merit, and even the most creative of stories has come from humbler beginnings. It's just that so far; Mystic just isn't doing it for me. I wholly entertain the notion that next issue can pick up from this point and sail through the night sky like a bottle rocket (and be certain that I will be reading the next issue to see if it does) but for now, I would advise readers to spend their time and money on a different series.
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