Best Mystic comic/character ever?

[FenrisUlf]

Just wondering -- what would you choose as the best of all the various mystic titles and characters in comics over the years? Myself, I'm stuck with Doctor Strange or Doc Fate if we're talking strictly superheroes -- but if not, then I'd go with Hellboy unreservedly. I just like his working joe I-ain't-impressed attitude towards all the weird cr@p he runs into.

[wylodmayer]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Although I resent Marvel deeply for many, many crimes against fandom, I gotta go with Doc Strange. For a long time, his comic was... well, if it was all you read, you'd have no idea he was in a universe with superheroes. It was a really good modern occult book, and it had an appropriately creepy feel. It's as if it wasn't even been written by comic book guys. Great stuff. By contrast, Doc Fate never really made it for me - he always felt too much like, well, a superhero. He never successfully divorced himself from the whole Justcie Society/Justice League thing, at least not for me.

 

Sandman also pops to mind, but it's almost unfair to compare. I mean, really. If Doc Strange didn't *seem* like a superhero comic, Sandman really WASN'T, despite cleverly appearing as one. Gaiman was doing something completely different over there, and created a new genre of comics in the process. Doc Strange was often times more a throwback to EC stuff, blown up to a larger scale. Where he looked backwards to escape from the limitations of hero comics, Sandman looked forward to something that no one had ever yet done. Gotta give Gaiman his props, man.

 

At current, though, it's Fables hands down.

[jtelson]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Constantine, definitely Constantine.

[Grimble]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Hellblazer or Hellboy! Both are awesome for very different reasons.

 

Grimble

[assault]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

In terms of longstanding affection: Dr Fate.

 

In terms of best stories: Swamp Thing, Constantine and Sandman.

 

In many ways, DC's "horror"/magic titles were last "great" period of comics. Moore, Veitch, Gaiman...

[Twilight]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Hellboy and Dr. Strange, for all the reasons listed above as well as any reasons that have not yet been posted.

 

Tim Hunter was pretty cool in the Books of Magic miniseries, but they kinda effed him up in his ongoing series. Honestly DC, would it have killed you to make the guy look competent?

 

I also have a great fondness for Illyana Rasputin and Jennifer Kale from Marvel, but good characters who are tragically underused.

[Alverant]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and have Tony Stark in an issue of What If? when he becomes Sorcerer Supreme with a technomagic suit of armor. It was only one issue, but I'm a fan of mixing magic and technology.

[Theron]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

My personal favorite is the original Dr. Fate.

[Greywind]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

I liked CrossGen's Mystic

[Hermit]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

I like a lot of them, but at the top of the list remains:

Doctor Strange, arrogant surgeon falls, seeks to reclaim his gifted hands, and , when he realizes how small his little ambitions are, takes a step to save an old man and stop an evil... and finds enlightenment and redemption.

 

The Doc rocks.

 

I also loved the first year or two of the The Blue Devil. The "Weirdness Magnet" angle was great

[Mulgar]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

As I have said before on other threads.......

DOCTOR

STRANGE

[psm]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

The Spectre, when it was written by John Ostrander.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

The early years of Dr. Strange were truly wonderful. Ditko created such inspired weirdness that Strange really was just in a class by himself. The quality of stories has fluctuated greatly over the years, from "Fantastic!" to "Holy crap, this sucks!" At his best, Dr. Strange hands down.

 

The Swamp Thing is probably more consistently good, though, but i haven't read him in years. I'm not sure how he is now. Morpheus is an awesome character, as are all of the Endless. It really depend upon what your criteria is, I guess.

[OddHat]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing.

 

Jonh Constantine in his early runs.

 

Neil Gainman's Sandman books.

 

Alan Moore's Promethea.

 

Doc Strange in his Ditko days.

[Spence]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Doc Strange and.....

 

 

hmmmmm....Dr Strange... and

 

 

...

 

 

mmmm..

 

Doc Strange.

 

Yep, that's all of them...

 

 

[OddHat]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Oh, can't believe I forgot them:

 

Kevin Matchstick.

 

Also, the Elementals.

 

Both series featured a great blending of Superhero tropes with mystic and mythic elements. Very much what a Comic Book Mystic World should be.

[Kenn]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

First, Doc Strange is a golden age super hero, who is a separate and distinct character from Marvel's Doctor Strange. And Doc Strange wasn't that mystical.

 

Secondly, how can everyone be forgetting about Zatanna? It's all about the fishnets, baby. Syug ecomeb tcere!

 

Though, I'll always have a soft spot for Dr. Fate and the Spectre.

[csyphrett]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

I always liked the Phantom Stranger before Paul Kupperberg and Alan Moore.

CES

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

The early years of Dr. Strange were truly wonderful. Ditko created such inspired weirdness that Strange really was just in a class by himself. The quality of stories has fluctuated greatly over the years' date=' from "Fantastic!" to "Holy crap, this sucks!" At his best, Dr. Strange hands down.[/quote']

 

Many of the hallmarks of what we normally think of as comic-book "supermagic" - astral forms, pyrotechnic spells with alliterative names, dimensional conquerors, epic sorcerous battles, and especially mystic dimensions with alien geography and physical laws - originated with Dr. Strange during the great Lee/Ditko run. Strange's adventures pretty much defined an entire comic subgenre. At their most sophisticated they succeeded in blending metaphysical concepts, both popular and traditional perceptions of mysticism and the occult, and slam-bang superhero action.

 

Series featuring the likes of John Constantine or Dream/the Sandman are excellent examples of comics for magic fans. IMHO Dr. Strange's series are the preeminent examples of magic for comics fans.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Magic Users in Comics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Magic_users_in_comics

A

 

* Abra Kadabra (comics)

* Absorbing Man

* Adversary (comics)

* Agamotto

* Alan Scott

* Allatou

* Amethyst, Princess of Gem World

* Ancient One

* Anton Arcane

* Arcanna

* Arion (comics)

* Azazel (Marvel Comics)

 

B

 

* Baron Blood

* Bat-Mite

* Belasco

* Belathauzer

* Black Adam

* Black Raazer

* Blackheart

* Blaze and Satanus

* Bloodwynd

* Brother Voodoo

 

C

 

* Captain Britain

* Captain Marvel (DC Comics)

* Captain Marvel, Jr.

* Cat People (comics)

* Clea

* John Constantine

 

D

 

* D'Spayre

* Dagoth

* Damballah (comics)

* Deadman

* Lady Death

* Deimos (comics)

* Demons Three

* Dende

* Diablo (comics)

* Dire Wraith

* Doctor Doomsday

* Doctor Druid

* Doctor Fate

* Doctor Mist

* Doctor Strangefate

* Doctor Doom

* Doom 2099

* Dormammu

 

E

 

* Enchantress (DC Comics)

* Enchantress (Marvel Comics)

* Etrigan the Demon

* Extraño

 

F

 

* Fadeaway Man

* Fate (comics)

* Feron

* Forge (comics)

 

G

 

* Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)

* Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)

* Ghost Rider (comics)

* Girl 13

 

H

 

* Hector Hall

 

 

H cont.

 

* Agatha Harkness

* Hat (comics)

* Hela (comics)

* Daimon Hellstrom

* Homo Magi

* Hoppy the Marvel Bunny

* Timothy Hunter

* Hybrid (Marvel Comics)

 

I

 

* Ibis the Invincible

* Ikthalon

 

J

 

* J2 (comics)

* Jinx (DC Comics)

* Juggernaut (comics)

 

K

 

* Jennifer Kale

* Kami (Dragon Ball)

* Sakura Kinomoto

* Kulan Gath

 

L

 

* Morgan le Fay (Marvel Comics)

* Lilith (Marvel Comics)

* List of comic book superpowers

* Loki (comics)

* Lord Fanny (comics)

* Lorelei (Asgardian)

* Lucifer (DC Comics)

 

M

 

* Madelyne Pryor

* Magik (comics)

* Magnus (comics)

* Majin Buu

* Malebolgia

* Mammon (comics)

* Man-Thing

* Mandrake the Magician

* Manitou Dawn

* Manitou Raven

* Marduk Kurios

* Mary Marvel

* Master Darque

* Mauvais (comics)

* Mephisto (comics)

* Merlyn (Marvel Comics)

* Mister E

* Mojo (comics)

* Baron Mordo

* Mordru

* Morgaine le Fey (DC Comics)

* Mister Mxyzptlk

* Myrwhydden

* Mysto

 

N

 

* N'Garai

* N'astirh

* Necrom

* Nemesis (Marvel Comics)

* Neron

* Nightmare (Marvel Comics)

* Ningal (comics)

* North Kaio

* Northwind (comics)

* Nox (comics)

 

O

 

* Doctor Occult

 

P

 

* Pandora (comics)

 

 

P cont.

 

* Pestilence (comics)

* Phantom Stranger

* Piccolo (Dragon Ball)

* Piccolo Daimaō

* Prince Ra-Man

 

Q

 

* Queen of Fables

 

R

 

* Roma (comics)

* Rumiya

* Rune (comics)

 

S

 

* Sargon the Sorcerer

* Satana (Marvel Comics)

* Satannish

* Scarlet Witch

* Amanda Sefton

* Selene (comics)

* Seth (comics)

* Shaman (comics)

* Shazam (comics)

* Shuma-Gorath

* Sligguth

* Snowbird (comics)

* Sorcerer Supreme

* Spawn (comics)

* Spectre (comics)

* Sphinx (comics)

* Spiral (comics)

* Negi Springfield

* Doctor Strange

* Surtur (comics)

* Swamp Thing

* Margali Szardos

 

T

 

* Tai (comics)

* Talisman (comics)

* Talon (comics)

* Tempest (comics)

* The Word (comics)

* Thena (MC2)

* Thor (Marvel Comics)

* Thoth-Amon

* Topaz (Marvel Comics)

* Trigon (comics)

 

U

 

* Umar (Marvel Comics)

* Union Jack (comics)

 

V

 

* Vengeance (comics)

* Violator (comics)

 

W

 

* Warlock's Daughter

* White Magician

* Witches (Marvel Comics)

* Witchfire (DC Comics)

* Witchfire (Marvel Comics)

* Wrecking Crew (comics)

 

Y

 

* Yue (Cardcaptor Sakura)

 

Z

 

* Zachary Zatara

* Zaladane

* Zarathos

* Zatanna

* Zatara

* Zaza the Mystic

* Zealot (Wildstorm)

* Zeus (Marvel Comics)

[Gideon]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

My personal favorite to read about has always been Zatanna. Stories with here always seem to somehow be fun reads.

 

My second favorite is Dream. Sandman will always be one of my top 5 all time favorite series. Not always what I would call a "fun" book, but literary wise one of the best stories I have ever read.

 

As far as who is most important to the genre, hands down its Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. They both define the very nature of how comic books portray mage-superheroes.

[Haven Walkur]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

John Constantine/Hellblazer

 

Swamp Thing/the Alan Moore run

 

And I don't know if Dream/The Sandman qualifies; Morpheus is inherently mystical, but I don't know if he can be said to be a mystic. When was the last time you saw Dream casting a spell? Didn't think so. ;-)

 

Come to think of it, the same could be said of the Swamp Thing; mystical, but not a mystic.

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Shade, the Changeing Man, when he was good - but I think I've only really seen him in crossovers.

 

Honestly, the ones I've liked the best have been Sandman and Hellboy, as well.

[Kevin Schultz]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

Well, if we consider magic/mysticism to be the interaction of supernatural power through mortal will (or simply an awareness of supernatural power by motal perceptions), then neither Morpheus nor Hellboy would count; they would be considered the source of power through which a sorcerer/wizard/priest taps magic, rather than 'magic' themselves.

[FJGA]

Re: Best Mystic comic/character ever?

 

My fave is the often overlooked Dr. Occult:hail: