I’ve never actually read anything from Valiant, but if “The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage” # 1 is any indication their standard of quality I’ve been woefully missing out. This is a tightly paced, exceptionally engaging first issue in a five part series.
WRITTEN BY: Jen Van Meter
ART BY: Roberto De La Torre
PUBLISHER: Valiant
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: September 3, 2014
Reviewed By: Torbin Chimners
Writer, Jen Van Meter wastes no time introducing us to protagonist Shan Fong/Doctor Mirage, a capable and determined woman who’s become a recluse since her husband, Hwan’s death. She’s also an accomplished paranormal investigator who can talk with the dead. This leads us into Doctor Mirage’s central driving force, Shan can connect with any ghost. Any ghost besides her late husbands.
Shan hasn’t had a lot of people in her life since Hwan’s passing, aside from Leo. Leo appears to be her agent and only friend, hooking her up with gigs to pay the bills. These jobs entail communicating the final messages of the deceased to the loved ones they’ve left behind. Shan hates it, and understandably so. Being able to reach out to other people and give them the closure they desperately seek after losing someone precious to them but never being able to give that to yourself is a raw deal. And it hasn’t done any wonders for Shan’s life, but that’s about to turn around.
Leo gets Shan a job working for a billionaire, Linton March, who is in need of her paranormal investigation services and is willing to pay handsomely. This is where Doctor Mirage really opened up and grabbed me. The world building, mystery and intrigue are laid on thick and juicy here. We delve deeper into Shan and Linton March’s past, which expectedly has a lot to do with the paranormal and get saddled with an alluring twist that fits perfectly with all of the creativity that simply oozes from Doctor Mirage.
Roberto de la Torre’s rough but wispy art is a great mesh for this book, where ghosts are a very real thing. They don’t exist like us. Torre takes that idea and runs with it, creating captivating spirits that look like rough sketches on manila paper. It’s neat, and I dig it a lot. It’d also be a travesty if I didn’t mention his stunning, incredibly detailed background work. Doctor Mirage operates in a fully fleshed out world not one solely comprised of solid colour backdrops and empty rooms.
THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE #1 is a solid and engrossing book. It’s got everything you could want in a paranormal story; a flawed and damaged protagonist given a chance at restitution with mystery and intrigue around every corner. I’m strapped in and on board for wherever this fantastic book is going. Make sure you are too when it lands on September 3rd.
Torbin Chimners AKA Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @Vulgar_Rhombus