Connect with us
Is It Good? Mythic #1 Review

Comic Books

Is It Good? Mythic #1 Review

It’s time to take a look at a brand new series from Image Comics called Mythic. I don’t know much about it outside of a small blurb I read a while ago, but that’ll soon change. Is it good?


Mythic #1 (Image Comics)


Is It Good? Mythic #1 Review

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

You know science? You know the laws of gravity and physics, the reasons why the seasons change, what makes the Earth rotate, and all of that? Well… in Mythic’s world, that’s all complete and utter bullshit. Everything is based around magic and when magic or things based on magic go wrong, you’ve got to call in a special underground group to deal with it. They’ll make everything right.

Is It Good? Mythic #1 Review
Well, it looks like those ape things didn’t like their phones I guess.

Phil Hester’s Mythic #1 is an a pretty good first outing for a series. Nothing about this book or what it does is particularly bad, but it does feel lacking in some ways. The comic lays down the premise and groundwork for what the series will be about and what its attention will be on pretty well. By the end of the first issue, you’ll have a good idea of what this series’ universe will be like, how everything is based around magic and what this group of characters’ jobs are like. There’s potential in it and makes you wonder about the possibilities a comic like this could have (if regular science is out, how does medicine work? How are religion and myths affected?).

Unfortunately, though, despite the interesting premise, the story and characters are on the weak side of things. Outside of the intriguing premise and exciting opening action sequence, there’s not a lot going on in the first issue besides seeing the characters on the job while things are slow. There’s no hint of a major story arc, any subplots or mysteries brewing in the background, or any potential starts for a character arc. Just the basic setup with a weak cliffhanger that wants to get you excited. One could say I’m asking for a bit much in a first issue, but I only ask because I’ve seen a comic that had a similar setup and premise that did it so much better: FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics. In that first issue, you met the main cast and got some background for one of them, you got the setup for what the world is like, a few subplots were created, and you even got a complete short story in it with the characters handling an issue with gravity at a school. Mythic just felt like it could have done more in its story to hook the readers in its first outing.

Is It Good? Mythic #1 Review

The writing in general though is good and doesn’t have many problems. The pacing is breezy and the story never slows down, even when the characters deliver some exposition to explain the situation or the premise. There are no issues with the story structure or transitions, except for one instance where there is a very abrupt cut when the story jumps forward in time. The characterization is not particularly great, since we don’t get much of an impression of the characters outside of one guy being a badass and another being kind of a jerk to others. The dialogue is fine and gets the job done, but isn’t particularly memorable. Overall, solide writing and I hope it can continue being that way once the story gets underway.

John McCrea of The Boys provides the line work alongside Michael Spicer on colors. McCrea’s penciling is good here and with the way the coloring looks, it gives McCrea’s style a similar vibe to Sean Murphy’s. The characters are drawn just fine, but the designs of more mystical creatures really stand out and look pretty good. There’s a nice amount of detail put into the surroundings, the scenes flow well due to the layouts here, and the colors by Spicer provide a moody feel to the situation. The weakest thing when it comes to the art though is how much space is wasted. The layouts often use very big panels that take up a lot of space on the page, limiting the amount of story the comic can have. It gets worse when the artist doesn’t even bother to do anything with the background, leaving some blank and even colorless backgrounds at times (one page was particularly bad due to leaving about 40% of the page white).

Is It Good?

Mythic #1 isn’t necessarily bad, but it feels like there is lost potential in how little the first issue actually accomplishes. It gives the audience a nice idea of the premise of the series, but it lacks a lot in the story and character department. The writing isn’t bad though and the artwork is pleasant, fitting the tone and feel of the comic well. Overall though, I can’t really give this a strong recommendation with how little is actually going on. Keep an eye on this comic, but maybe wait a while until things get underway before diving in.

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup