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Mystic (2011) #1-4
Mystic: The Tenth Apprentice
TWO TEENAGED WIZARDS. ONE DESTINY.
Can their friendship survive their greatest test?
The Limpet Hall Orphanage for Girls in the impoverished slums of Hyperion is no place for two young girls to grow up. But Gisells and Genevieve have always taken care of each other, waiting for the day they will be released from the servitude of the orphanage--and secretly daring to study the Noble Arts, magical skills only available to the aristocracy. When they're caught after hours in the library of the tyrannous Mistress of Limpet Hall, they have no choice but to take to the streets and forge their own paths. With new, incredible powers gleaned from the magical technology once forbidden to them, one girl will take up the massive burden of saving the world, and the other will direct all her efforts to tearing it apart!
Can their friendship survive their greatest test?
The Limpet Hall Orphanage for Girls in the impoverished slums of Hyperion is no place for two young girls to grow up. But Gisells and Genevieve have always taken care of each other, waiting for the day they will be released from the servitude of the orphanage--and secretly daring to study the Noble Arts, magical skills only available to the aristocracy. When they're caught after hours in the library of the tyrannous Mistress of Limpet Hall, they have no choice but to take to the streets and forge their own paths. With new, incredible powers gleaned from the magical technology once forbidden to them, one girl will take up the massive burden of saving the world, and the other will direct all her efforts to tearing it apart!
96 pages, Paperback
First published December 21, 2011
2 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
G. Willow Wilson
472 books3,317 followersHugo, World Fantasy and American Book Award-winning author of novels and comics, including THE BIRD KING, INVISIBLE KINGDOM, and ALIF THE UNSEEN. Co-creator of Ms Marvel. Honorary doctor of letters, Rutgers University. I accidentally started a dutch baby baking cult during quarantine. Not very active on here right now, but often found on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 36 reviews
June 13, 2014
This graphic novel had all the makings of something that would knock my socks off, with its strong female protagonists, fantasy setting, class conflict, and art that was overall quite good. Purple-eyed characters are even a favorite fantasy trope of mine. Perhaps that is why I felt somewhat sad when I finished it; this book features a huge amount of great ideas, and I wish the series had been somewhat longer to flesh out all of the different plot points with more depth. The story began to feel very cursory and rushed, particularly closer to the end, and I wish there had been more to savor.
October 9, 2014
Read these four issues through Marvel Unlimited.
Cute little story. It has a lot of great elements to it and just made me wish there were more issues because it had a lot of potential to tell great stories in this world. If you have some time and are looking for something different to check out on Marvel Unlimited, I recommend it. I don't know if it is worth purchases, though.
Cute little story. It has a lot of great elements to it and just made me wish there were more issues because it had a lot of potential to tell great stories in this world. If you have some time and are looking for something different to check out on Marvel Unlimited, I recommend it. I don't know if it is worth purchases, though.
June 11, 2014
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
A quick and engaging read, with a fast-moving plot and a great set-up for the stories to come. I did feel like this plot wrapped up a little to quickly and easily for me, but I did enjoy it.
A quick and engaging read, with a fast-moving plot and a great set-up for the stories to come. I did feel like this plot wrapped up a little to quickly and easily for me, but I did enjoy it.
June 13, 2012
I just couldn't get into this one. I've read a lot of the original CrossGen books and this one paled in comparison and the art was terrible, which for me, plays a large roll in my graphic novels.
January 21, 2016
Totally charming: wonder what's up with these CrossGen titles since this publication.
Actually, my reading was the four issues put together from bargain bins.
Recommended.
Actually, my reading was the four issues put together from bargain bins.
Recommended.
May 12, 2017
This was a fun and charming story about two girls who both use their cleverness and aptitude for magic to change their poor circumstances. Unfortunately, that puts the two best friends at cross purposes. I really enjoyed this GN, and I'm sad to learn that it seems to have been a one off. Wilson is a terrific writer.
December 28, 2017
3.5 stars
Good setup for the relationship between Giselle and Genevieve, and love the diversity in the apprentices. But it was a bit formulaic and stereotypical in how the apprentices relate to each other ... which makes it a bit predictable. I read somewhere it was described as "Mean Girls" meets "Les Miserables" and I totally agree.
Good setup for the relationship between Giselle and Genevieve, and love the diversity in the apprentices. But it was a bit formulaic and stereotypical in how the apprentices relate to each other ... which makes it a bit predictable. I read somewhere it was described as "Mean Girls" meets "Les Miserables" and I totally agree.
December 31, 2018
The artwork is this is beautiful. The colors are so vibrant and I loved how detailed the characters faces were! However, this should’ve been a 2/3 volume book, the plot was too dense for everything to be fit into one volume- everything felt rushed.
December 20, 2017
*4.5
Really great world and story.
Really great world and story.
June 8, 2015
Mystic: The Tenth Apprentice written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by David Lopez is a four issue series about two orphan girls in a secondary fantasy world. It's basically what I'm used to getting out of a fantasy novel, but in comic book form. (And hence obviously much shorter.)
The story is about two orphan girls living in a crappy orphanage in a gas-lamp fantasy style of world. Technology is powered by aether and aether must be collected by magicians, all of whom of from the noble class. When the two girls sneak into the apprentice-choosing ceremony, one of them answers an open question and is unexpectedly chosen to train at the palace, while the other is kicked out onto the street.
It has magic, revolution, bitchy rich girls, betrayal and the saving of civilisation as they know it. So basically, everything a good fantasy story needs. I enjoyed the story and the art, which conveyed what it needed to without objectifying anyone. The characters were well designed and fun to read about. It's hard to say much more about it without spoilers.
Mystic is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and complete comic book story. I especially recommend it to fantasy fans. If you usually read fantasy books, it might be a good place to enter into the realm of comics, if superheroes aren't quite your thing.
4.5 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
The story is about two orphan girls living in a crappy orphanage in a gas-lamp fantasy style of world. Technology is powered by aether and aether must be collected by magicians, all of whom of from the noble class. When the two girls sneak into the apprentice-choosing ceremony, one of them answers an open question and is unexpectedly chosen to train at the palace, while the other is kicked out onto the street.
It has magic, revolution, bitchy rich girls, betrayal and the saving of civilisation as they know it. So basically, everything a good fantasy story needs. I enjoyed the story and the art, which conveyed what it needed to without objectifying anyone. The characters were well designed and fun to read about. It's hard to say much more about it without spoilers.
Mystic is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and complete comic book story. I especially recommend it to fantasy fans. If you usually read fantasy books, it might be a good place to enter into the realm of comics, if superheroes aren't quite your thing.
4.5 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
June 4, 2012
Reprint (a bit skinny) of the 4-issue mini-series revamping the Crossgen "Mystic" title (whose properties were bought up by Marvel). Two orphan girls are best friends with a love of magic, but only one will be selected as the apprentice to the top magician in the land, while the other will be drawn into a growing revolution against the magical aristocracy. Fun time, good art, tween-accessible but adults can appreciate it, too. Lopez art is light-hearted and appropriately mystic.
The primary problem here is that the story feels far too compressed -- twelve, or even six, issues shoehorned into four, and reprinted in a thin volume. As a result, the story (especially the final issue) feels rushed, character study is lost, and the action resolves a bit too quickly and cleanly.
Still, quite worth the read, in hopes of a follow-up some day. Marvel's done very little with the Crossgen properties it bought, which is a darned shame.
The primary problem here is that the story feels far too compressed -- twelve, or even six, issues shoehorned into four, and reprinted in a thin volume. As a result, the story (especially the final issue) feels rushed, character study is lost, and the action resolves a bit too quickly and cleanly.
Still, quite worth the read, in hopes of a follow-up some day. Marvel's done very little with the Crossgen properties it bought, which is a darned shame.
May 18, 2016
I read this while on a Willow Wilson high after Ms. Marvel and A-Force, unfortunately Mystic doesn't quite live up to those.
The setting, art and characters are all excellent, perfectly creating an anime inspired, magical, steampunk kingdom that I would like to spend time enjoying. The story itself leaves a lot to be desired.
Everything feels very rushed and it's one of those books where it often feels like reading the recap at the start of each issue provides a lot of information and context that was next actually covered in the previous issue.
It's very disappointing that this was such a short lived series as I love the setting and there was some potential in the story if it was given more time.
The setting, art and characters are all excellent, perfectly creating an anime inspired, magical, steampunk kingdom that I would like to spend time enjoying. The story itself leaves a lot to be desired.
Everything feels very rushed and it's one of those books where it often feels like reading the recap at the start of each issue provides a lot of information and context that was next actually covered in the previous issue.
It's very disappointing that this was such a short lived series as I love the setting and there was some potential in the story if it was given more time.
October 27, 2013
Pretty darn good story: many existing fantasy tropes such as "poor orphan makes it to be apprentice magician" and "bffs with opposite personalities and appearances" but still some surprises, and it's always good to see girl protagonists in graphic novels, with a multiethnic cast.
Recommended for teen fantasy-graphic novel fans, particularly girls. Fans of "Foiled" will like this though it's not as well-written or original.
Do these 2 protagonists remind anyone else of Katchoo and Francie from Strangers in Paradise, with hair colors sort of swapped?
Recommended for teen fantasy-graphic novel fans, particularly girls. Fans of "Foiled" will like this though it's not as well-written or original.
Do these 2 protagonists remind anyone else of Katchoo and Francie from Strangers in Paradise, with hair colors sort of swapped?
November 28, 2014
Like many, I enjoyed the story, despite some glaring similarities to a steampunk French Revolution and a running out of natural resources theme. But it did seem rather rushed once it got about halfway through, and I would have liked to see it fleshed out more. I'm not very well acquainted with the graphic novel genre, and I'd say this is probably my first steampunk encounter (apart from, maybe, a certain place in Avatar, but I've only watched the series), but like I said, I liked the story. I just would have liked to have more of it.
March 14, 2015
This was a really fun books. It’s about two young women who have a talent for magic. They get driven in two different directions and end up living each other’s dreams. It was really good being able to read a story about two young women and their friendship, and that shouldn't be so rare. It’s only four issues long but it is still a really well plotted story arch. Also the magic is really cool. It’s very technological and scientific. Well worth reading.
January 13, 2012
A cute story about two friends in a fantasy world whose plans and hpoes for their futures are tested and turned upside down. The art was lovely and vibrant, and while many of the characters were fairly one-dimensional, the main leads were both interesting. Overall, I thought this series was cute but too short and I hope that at some point they'll return to this world.
April 29, 2012
The story may be a touch slight, but its world is set up nicely. There definitely remains some conceptual juice and potential here for a continuing, girl-friendly series--It reads a lot like a Disney princess film crossed w/ Harry Potter. Thanks to David Lopez (w/ Alvaro Lopez & Nathan Fairbarn), the art really sings with that animation cel sheen.
June 19, 2015
This is another graphic novel from G. Willow Wilson. Like her other works, it plays on the intersection of magic and daily life in the near East. It is pitched to girls and young women; it is probably a better book for them than for me. This one gets a low rating because it is not for me.
I didn't find it nuanced enough, although there were a couple of laugh out loud moments.
I didn't find it nuanced enough, although there were a couple of laugh out loud moments.
February 7, 2016
3.5 stars. The setup is excruciatingly typical, maybe even more than the original CrossGen version. But Wilson is awesome and her writing makes it good, and it deals with class in more specific and meaningful terms than most stories of this type. I just wish there was more, so the antagonistic relationship developed here could progress further.
August 19, 2012
It's good, but there's far too much story crammed into far too little space. I wish that there was more focus on Genevieve's story, rather than that of Giselle, which feels much more familiar, with its blend of "mean girls" school politics and Harry Potter wizarding school adventures.
March 15, 2013
Not a lot to it; as others have noted, it looks like Alanna the Lioness (+) disney princesses (+) hogwarts (+) steampunk les miserables. The plot was a bit thin. I'm giving three stars nonetheless for the artwork. The book was fun to look at on the basis of the art alone.
July 31, 2013
While I'm glad this was released in trade, it's disappointing that this is all there is. It has a bit of a West Side Story vibe to it and I would sincerely have loved to have read what was intended for these to protagonists.
July 17, 2014
Very good premise. Felt a little rushed at times, but I chalked that up to the fact the series ended abruptly and was bought out by a different publisher. It is a shame this story wasn't given more time to flesh out and find it's feet.
January 4, 2015
This is a good option for fans of steampunk or boarding school stories like Gotham Academy or Harry Potter. I like the world that Wilson and Lopez created, but I felt that the book was a bit rushed; I wish it had been a bit longer to flesh out some plot elements more fully.
January 16, 2016
After a promising, though not entirely cliche-free, beginning the Story progresses too quickly, very much going through the motions, with the ending feeling rushed and stuck on to something that appears to have been meant to go on for a bit longer. Pity.
February 19, 2013
Very classic story of destiny and circumstance dividing two lifelong friends. It's a quick read, but it has plenty of magic, adventure, humor, romance and tragedy to keep the reader engaged.
November 5, 2013
A great fantasy story! I want more!
November 12, 2013
I would seriously like to know more of Genevieve's side of the story; being part of the revolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2015
A fun lighthearted romp despite the occasional seriousness of the story. I only wish It was a bit longer and not so quickly and hastily brough to a conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 36 reviews