Mystique: Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy

Over the weekend I've finished reading Volume 2 of the four Mystique trades I picked up recently.

As with Volume 1, Volume 2 - Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy - is written by Brian K. Vaughan, however this time we have a different interior art team of Michael Ryan, Manuel Garcia and Raul Fernandez. Covers are again provided by one of my favourites, Mike Mayhew.

Having been recruited as a secret agent by Professor Xavier Mystique travels to South africa for her latest mission - to find and destroy a deadly new strain of smallpox that is spread telepathically. To complicate things, Mystique isn't the only mutant who wants the bio-weapon.

This volume, which collects Mystique #7 to #13, was a 'comfortable' read perhaps lacking some of the plot complexities of Volume 1 Dead Drop Gorgeous: that's not meant as a negative, this was a great 'page-turner'.

Michael Ryan's portrayal of Mystique herself is noticeably different to Jorge Lucas's in Volume 1 - here she appears as a smaller, slimmer - less curvey - woman. There's nothing wrong with Ryan's vision but personally I prefer Lucas's.

Bonus features include a numer of pencil sketches from Ryan as well as all of Mike Mayhews covers for the seven issues - these covers are superb.

Highly recommeded.

Mystique Volume 2: Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy, paperback, 168 pages, published by Marvel Comics, 2004.

Mystique 'Dead Drop Gorgeous'

I really enjoyed reading the Mystique 'Dead Drop Gorgeous' trade over the weekend - a great story from Brian K. Vaughan with beautiful artwork from Jorge Lucas - and added volumes 2, 3 and 4 to my 'wish list'. With a large pile of comics and trades to read at the moment I was in no real hurry to pick them up but came across someone selling all four volumes on eBay.

Having paid nearly £20 for a copy of the now out-of-print Mystique 'Dead Drop Gorgeous' - I've seen it advertised for around £50 elsewhere - I was prepared to pay a similar price for the second trade 'Tinker, Tailor, Mutant Spy' and maybe another £15 on top for volumes 3 and 4.

With a couple of days to go in the auction there were already 9 bids (why does anyone bid this early?) with a highest bid of £12. With just a couple of minutes of the auction left the price hadn't changed and, with around 30 second left I placed my maximum bid of £30.

Imagine my delight when the auction ended and I got all 4 volumes for £18. If I can make some of that back by relisting volume 1 then I'll be very happy.

Bargain!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I'm really enjoying all things X-Men at the moment - as I've said previously one of the best titles I've read in recent months was the Jean Grey Origins title and I've just picked up a copy of Brian K. Vaughan's now out-of-print Mystique 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' trade.

Continuing the 'Origins' theme is the forthcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine film due for release in May and from the look of this trailer it will be worth waiting for.