There is never an end … just the first step for a new beginning.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ben Meares
Artwork: Sergio Ariño
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
What They Say:
Mary Medina has been through a lot. Born with the ability to raise the dead, she has had many adventures – both as Mary and her alter-ego Mystere – across the Grimm universe. But now, Mary is content to leave her life as Mystere behind her. However, when mysterious deaths begin popping up too close to home, Mary must become Mystere once again to stop the horror that is being unleashed on her newfound home
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Mary has always been distressed from a greater burden carried by most, while some may have problems which plague them throughout life, this woman has been tormented by a power which she did not chose and its complications chased a frightened girl from her home and onto the streets. For many years she was hounded by the responsibility of being a gatekeeper – one who balances the scales of life and death all by her whim and it lead Medina to Arcane Acre where those with similar abilities accepted uncertainty and welcomed her into a new family. But as with many crossroads in her life it was the possibility of understanding which lead her to New Orleans, there she found others who wished to used her for their own selfish means and allowed the woman to grasp a new comprehension of what she was capable of – leading to accepting the new moniker of Mystere. But those days are best left forgotten and yet Mary still cannot deny her gifts are a part of her, allowing an enterprising young lady to educate a foolish delver of the occult to learn there are some things which are better left alone … especially when they are rich enough to be mislead with a few tricks of her trade all to earn an easy payday.
However as she belittles the brazenness of someone trying to underpay for her assistance, someone worse off than herself asks for help and Mary recalls the days which she too was in the same situation. Although Medina knows a surprising monetary contribution will not last for long, the addition of her business card for the New Dawn Shelter and offer to help when he needs it creates a bond which she hopes the boy will take up in the near future. Once she enters the building in question and warmly greets those assembled, Mary does not hesitate to take over for the owner Abigail on the soup line only after apologizing for being late. And yet even if some may consider this occupation a departure from the importance of defending humanity from monsters and madmen, Medina knows this is where she can do the most good and it is a welcome escape from the excitement of Mystere which is no longer needed in her life. Although this place may not solve all their problems it can still provide a warm meal and protection from the cruelty of being unwanted, allowing her to call it her family especially a gentle and mute man they call John; no one knows where he came from or why he won’t speak, but his disabilities does not take away from the kindness which he exhibits to all even as Abigail treats him like a son, allowing him to stay in his own room since he has been here the longest. And while some regulars are worried about Charlie being missing, her boss dismisses it as a regular occurrence due to his episodes – he always comes back and does not hesitate to chase her out the door to break an overly enthusiastic work ethic. It is time to go home … the one thing she has never properly had in her life, but now with these people and a clean apartment where she can rest her head and call her own, what more can Mary ever want?
In Summary:
Ever since Mary Medina was introduced in the original Grimm Fairy Tales series #114, she has never had a forward influence in the narrative and this inferiority carried on even in titles from which she was supposed to be the lead, having her become a supporting role next to another protagonist. This is a shame since her character has such promise and yet no one has allowed Mystere to shine out from behind other shadows, only using her abilities when they were needed and then brushing her aside until required again. And yet when we saw her in last month’s Grimm Universe Presents Fall 2019 short story, Mary was dominant and her abilities were fleshed out thanks to the thankful efforts of this series’ writer Ben Meares granting our heroine a tangible background concerning her powers with a simple word – gatekeeper; from an uncomplicated term and short sentence we now have more information from what was ever revealed in two previous titles and her exploits within the primary series, allowing for additional complexity and potential for someone who was never fully explained.
And yet now we have a series titled after her alter ego Mystere, a person who is a conduit between the world of the living and the dead but at the same time the person named Mary Medina wishes to leave those days of adventure behind. This premiere issue is fascinating by providing both old and new readers to delve into the personality of the character, but at the same time to loyal fans this reminiscing from a four year old tale and material gleaned during the Tarot storyline also serves to bog down the current narrative; but while we may complain about these flashbacks they also serve a dual purpose by allowing Meares to remind us of the suffering which we may have forgotten – the time when a little girl was forced to on the streets. These heartbreaking pages serve to manifest Mary’s current nurturing nature which was never revealed before, anchoring the connection she has to the homeless and breathing new life into a woman we thought we knew but now are exposed to moments which make her a much more fulfilled and caring person, someone who is more involved with the community but before stood as a lone wolf since we never knew what we do now thanks to this expansive introduction.
While we may be enticed by an opportunity to learn more about this beautiful Latina, one cannot forget the captivating illustrations of Sergio Ariño which charges the atmosphere for this thrilling story, allowing for a frenetic chase scene to set the mood and made all the more intensely gratifying due to the coloring excellence of Ceci de la Cruz. The transitional pacing between frames immediately allow the reader to be caught up in the action, allowing the classic focusing on each element in the pursuit which draws us into the intensity without any conscious effort and the brilliant choice of tonal backgrounds, shading around the victim’s face to enhance his terror and the whiteness of his eyes, all to culminate to the ultimate if not clichéd conclusion – a man forced into the alleyway to meet his end. Although we may know what will happen, it does not mean the defeat is made any more gruesome especially when we see something which looks like a familiar war hammer named Mjölnir, who would not think of this weapon if they knew their Norse mythology or have heard of a boisterous thunder god. And yet it is the execution which makes the best impression on the audience: the sickening sound effect of impact is palpable, watch the splatter in shadow is a noteworthy method of not showing gore with only an accent of crimson, but the manner in which you can see life drain from his eyes staring out into the void … all of these elements allow us to watch this meaningless attack in shock all while appreciating the horror communicated via a voluminous artistic effort.
But even with this monstrous presentation, we cannot forget the heroine of our story Mary Medina now attempting to live a normal life, even as she utilizes her powers in the best manner possible to educate those foolish enough not to be tempted by what she knows all too well. However while we may enjoy her attempt to con this man out of some much-deserved money, loyal fans cannot but become fascinated by Ariño and de la Cruz’s engrossing reinterpretations of past events, all bathed within a soothing veil of sepia. To watch the glanced over illustrations now fleshed out with amazing details is heartbreaking especially with the stunning array of gradient browns, the vulnerability of a young girl who does not understand what is happening and then evolving to a fierce woman who cannot but struggle for survival within a stylized Calavera mask is fascinating, but at the same time frustrating in knowing she never found peace within herself until now. You cannot but feel regret for Mary’s suffering but when we reach the phenomenal splash manifesting her powers within all of its glorious spectral skeletal presence bathed within a haunting ethereal neon blue, the struggles now firmly remind us they are in the past. However, as she banishes her partner in crime and holds his skull in an echo of Prince Hamlet contemplating Yorick, the lone panel of a scared child staring forward with the same hollow eyes reminds us this series will be something to look forward to in graphic anticipation of what is to come.
Mystere may have a noteworthy premise, but the need to constantly remind us of what has happened before in order to set the stage of what is to come bogs down pages with needless history which could have been more effectively utilized by expanding the current atmosphere. While some may embrace this tragedy to better understand the character through repetition, for those who know her story a strategically placed Editor’s Note would have sufficed even if it allows a re-connection of past to present. Hopefully, now that everyone has been brought up to speed we will be allowed to proceed with what will certainly be the forefront of what we expect for this dynamic woman, with imagery and colors that emphasize her independence but also promote her promise to help those in need which connect to painful memories.
Grade: A
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 4th, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
