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andhochmuth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chaosandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this iteration of the DC magic users set in a university, which makes it more relatable to myself. The plot was rather well-paced given the length and the art style was absolutely stunning. Although the material contains a lot of typical teen drama, it does delve into something more at the end and finished on a rather good note. The beginning does give a brief nod to John Constantine, who is my favorite DC character, and I wished he had actually appeared later.
rebar351's review against another edition
3.0
I love DC magic users and I loved DC dark magic series. I am a huge Zatanna fan and enjoyed this comic book
librarianlayla's review against another edition
5.0
Fast paced magical action with a great sense of camaraderie.
I loved this story from start to finish and can't wait to join this team again on their future escapades!
I loved this story from start to finish and can't wait to join this team again on their future escapades!
aliterarylion's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this book on the last day of March to squeeze in one last book for my monthly wrap up. I was disappointed there wasn't more to this series, but I had a great time with it. The characters were diverse, the art was wonderful, and it was cool to see magic in a university setting. I've always liked Zatanna from the Justice League series and it was fun to see her interact with people her own age that exhibited supernatural powers. I was having a great time with this cast of characters and I was sad to see it end. I highly recommend this series and I hope to read more about Zatanna's adventures!
jmbz38's review against another edition
3.0
Mystik U explores themes common to teenage coming of age stories but it does so through the lens of the DC Universe's magical characters. It is a deep dive into the DCU's magical community and there were many characters that I, even as a long time reader, did not recognize. However, the reader doesn't need to know who any of the characters are to get wrapped up in the story. The storyline follows several college freshman who are attending a mystic academy in order to learn how to control their magical abilities. Along the way the characters learn about themselves and share many humorous and touching moments.
The story features an intense opening and ending connected by a character driven narrative. This narrative starts from Zatanna's perspective and then expands to include the other main characters. Kwitney's dialogue really helps ground the story, even as other worldly events begin to unfold. Each character has a unique voice and their words are very believably written. These are supernatural characters who sound like normal humans. Considering that most dialogue in comic books is over the top and dramatic, this realistic language helped make all the characters even more relatable.
My biggest complaint with Mystik U is that some story elements are not explained very well. The biggest example of this being, its never really explained how the prologue fits with the ending. The timeline of events between the prologue and body of the story is also not laid out in the clearest way. This graphic novel was written to appeal to younger readers than myself, so maybe I'm just focusing on the wrong things. Yet I would have found the story much more satisfying if these moments were connected by a more solid through-line.
I really enjoyed the art in this book. The design of some of the characters is really creative. Seeing some of these mystical characters dressed as hipsters, instead of their traditional costumes, was hysterical. Every page also features unique panel layouts. This makes the story feel very dynamic, even during the dialogue heavy scenes. Norton does a great job capturing the character's emotions and highlighting the small moments they share with one another. I also liked Norton's choice of color palette. The colors he uses give this graphic novel a very youthful feel that perfectly matches the tone of the dialogue.
Despite my complaints about certain story elements, Mystik U is a very cool graphic novel. I love that it features strong female characters and is geared toward a younger audience. One of my biggest complaints about the mainstream comic book industry is that most titles are written to appeal to old white men. Yes, this demographic buys a lot of comic books, but comics now enjoy a very diverse readership. Its great to see that DC is beginning to tell stories that appeal to this wider audience. Its a trend I'm looking forward to seeing continue in the years to come. A trend started by Mystik U.
The story features an intense opening and ending connected by a character driven narrative. This narrative starts from Zatanna's perspective and then expands to include the other main characters. Kwitney's dialogue really helps ground the story, even as other worldly events begin to unfold. Each character has a unique voice and their words are very believably written. These are supernatural characters who sound like normal humans. Considering that most dialogue in comic books is over the top and dramatic, this realistic language helped make all the characters even more relatable.
My biggest complaint with Mystik U is that some story elements are not explained very well. The biggest example of this being, its never really explained how the prologue fits with the ending. The timeline of events between the prologue and body of the story is also not laid out in the clearest way. This graphic novel was written to appeal to younger readers than myself, so maybe I'm just focusing on the wrong things. Yet I would have found the story much more satisfying if these moments were connected by a more solid through-line.
I really enjoyed the art in this book. The design of some of the characters is really creative. Seeing some of these mystical characters dressed as hipsters, instead of their traditional costumes, was hysterical. Every page also features unique panel layouts. This makes the story feel very dynamic, even during the dialogue heavy scenes. Norton does a great job capturing the character's emotions and highlighting the small moments they share with one another. I also liked Norton's choice of color palette. The colors he uses give this graphic novel a very youthful feel that perfectly matches the tone of the dialogue.
Despite my complaints about certain story elements, Mystik U is a very cool graphic novel. I love that it features strong female characters and is geared toward a younger audience. One of my biggest complaints about the mainstream comic book industry is that most titles are written to appeal to old white men. Yes, this demographic buys a lot of comic books, but comics now enjoy a very diverse readership. Its great to see that DC is beginning to tell stories that appeal to this wider audience. Its a trend I'm looking forward to seeing continue in the years to come. A trend started by Mystik U.
booksonhermind's review
3.0
I wanted to get to know Zatanna so this was a great start. The introduction was great. The in and out of time (one moment in the past and another in the present) wasn't transitioned great. There was a lot of skipping around but I would have liked to see Zatanna acclimate more into the magic world, learn about the other characters, and seen the progressive romance between her and Faust. I liked the plot and the mystery that came with it, Zatanna of course, and the other characters. I just wish I knew more about them. I hope this series continues.
bhalpin's review
5.0
You don't have to re-invent comics to make a great comic.
There is very little that's new or surprising here--the main plot and the romance and the ragtag band of misfits all feel familiar, but they are executed perfectly (as is the art, which is in no way innovative--just bright and dynamic and great), so what you get is a tremendously entertaining adventure where you care about the characters. Heavy on the humor, light (possibly too light?) on the pathos, and overall a lot of fun.
I'm sad that the series is over because I really would have liked to see more of the secondary characters, and of course Zatanna's quest for her father is an inherently compelling story that I would have liked to see Kwitney's take on.
There is very little that's new or surprising here--the main plot and the romance and the ragtag band of misfits all feel familiar, but they are executed perfectly (as is the art, which is in no way innovative--just bright and dynamic and great), so what you get is a tremendously entertaining adventure where you care about the characters. Heavy on the humor, light (possibly too light?) on the pathos, and overall a lot of fun.
I'm sad that the series is over because I really would have liked to see more of the secondary characters, and of course Zatanna's quest for her father is an inherently compelling story that I would have liked to see Kwitney's take on.