This week's "lost in the shuffle" X-book is Mystique #17, which is neither a new launch, a recent launch, the end of a storyline, or a flagship title. 

Books like this can easily get taken for granted.  One of my pet annoyances is when books get cancelled, and readers suddenly decide that they want to go on a campaign to save them.  The fact that they want to save the book isn't the problem.  The problem is that it was usually monumentally obvious months in advance that the book was in trouble, and if people are inclined to drum up support for a book, it would be preferable to do it when cancellation is an obvious threat rather than a done deal.  Because that way, you might actually succeed.

With that in mind, I shall simply flag up that in June, Mystique #16 sold only around 500 copies more than Thanos #11.  And we all know what happened to Thanos.  Now, Mystique presumably isn't in absolutely immediate danger, because it's solicited up to issue #20, and issue #20 is part 1 of 5 - so Marvel are presumably committed to the book through to at least issue #24.  But let's be realistic here - if you're selling 500 copies more than a book cancelled due to low sales, and you're dropping (at a rate of 18% in the last six months), then you've got a problem.

So if people feel like drumming up support for Mystique, now might be a good time, hmm?

Anyway, as for this issue: it's the penultimate chapter of "Unnatural", and it's the usual proven formula.  Bit of action, bit of spying, some inventive stuff with gadgetry, some fun with Shortpack the miniature sidekick.  It's a good, straightforward action book, with a bit of character and attitude to give it some edge and personality, but built around a solid spy story.  It doesn't require any knowledge of continuity, and it's probably one of the more accessible books in the X-office's current roster.  You really should try it.  It's fun.

This issue also pulls one of my favourite tricks with the character - teasing the audience with the question of which character actually is Mystique.  Without first person narration or thought balloons, there's always the possibility that anyone could turn out to be Mystique, unless she's already on panel.  This story runs rather neatly with that idea Mystique could be anyone, subject to a minor continuity nitpick - Mystique's meant to revert to her normal appearance when she falls unconscious, which undermines the viability of the feint.  It's not just a nitpicking point, either, because that's one of the standard way of exposing her as an impostor (and therefore one of the things that can put her at risk).

Still, even if it is impossible, McKeever did have me seriously wondering whether that was the direction he was going in.  It's a well enough constructed story to sell me on these things without ever coming out and saying so expressly.

A good book that really deserves more attention than it's getting.

Rating: B+

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