Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Mysterius The Unfathomable: A New Cult Classic

By Henry Chamberlain
February 2, 2009 - 15:06

Mysterius, The Unfathomable, Issue 1, brings us our latest and greatest anti-hero. A middle-aged lothario with a pipeline to the supernatural, Mysterius is just the sort of unusual character that legends are built around.

For fans of the more elegant European comics, the urbane writing of Jeff Parker and the equally sophisticated art work of Tom Fowler give us true hipsters just the right mixed drink before last call. This is a comic set in Manhattan with a decidedly uptown taste and made up of a cast of eccentrics and swells.

Our first glimpse of Mysterius has him enjoying a stolen moment with Erika, a voluptous young woman, before he's dragged out to attend to business. He's a tall and lanky waspish chap with a wavy mane of hair and a growing wine belly. One hand holds a cocktail and the other is deep inside the cleavage of his new friend. They're both squeezed into an antique phone booth until the curtain is drawn and he's commanded to lead a séance with a well-healed crowd awaiting to be dazzled.

Mysterius lives up to his reputation of summoning up the dead and ends up leaving the host lost in purgatory after a paranormal mishap brought on by a celebrated cynic recruited to disrupt the night's event. Afterward, all of the guests wander off except for another young woman, Ella, who is there to cover the event for an online entertainment magazine. It turns out that she could see the very same phenomena that our hero was privy to. She is tuned into the same psychic wavelength and naturally perfect to step into the role of Delfi, the name he gives to his latest assistant.

Ella, or Delfi, is a cute black young woman who provides some new blood to the lonesome, and apparently immortal, Mysterius. The chemistry between them is fun to see. She is boisterous. He is cautious. After they both settle into his own train car headed back to Boston, Ella approaches him to better introduce herself. She begins to say her full name and Mysterius abruptly cuts her off. "No, don't give me your whole name! Why is everyone always so willing to hand over their name as soon as they walk in? Names have power, and you should never just give someone that power." What a refreshing display of restraint. Don't expect to see Mysterius start up a Facebook account anytime soon.

As a comic book is introduced to the public, there are a lot of previews thrown up online but often not as many reviews follow. There is a tendency for some sites in the comics industry to feel they've adequately "covered" a certain comic when they really don't get to know a title all that well. So, I had that in mind when writing this review. It seems to me the sort of thing Mysterius would consider proper. This is suppose to be only a six part series but its offbeat quality is way above the norm and I can easily see it developing into something more in the future.    

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12