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DRMIRAGE_001_COVER_FOREMAN
Kareem Ali 4.5

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1

 

  • The good

    Story is built up wonderfully drawing one into its world with artwork that complements that tone with its beautifully drawn panels

  • The bad

    Lack of action sequences prevents newcomers from getting a true taste of Doctor Mirage's capabilities

  • The ugly

    • The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1 is a new series written by Jen Van Meter about the paranormal investigator who will push herself to new limits with her latest case. It opens up with Shan aka Doctor Mirage texting her agent regarding her current assignment and she’s not happy about it. He arranged for her to help a group of individuals seeking to communicate with their loved ones who passed but can still feel them near. She’s upset because the pain is too near seeing as how her husband passed but she’s been unable to communicate with him since his death. She’s able to help them as she gives a message to each one of them from their loved ones, and it gives them comfort and answers. However it puts her in a state where it’s difficult for her to deal, and this explains why she gives her agent a hard time when she first sees him back at her home. He does apologize to her about it but informs her about another job that will pay so much more just for a consult. The job is being offered by a billionaire military contractor who lost his wife a year ago. She ultimately agrees to do it because she needs the money but when she meets the billionaire, Linton March, he tells her that the case is not about his wife but some work he used to do for the military. He explains to her Operation Sockeye, which he used to be a part of and he would need for her to help address a situation he can’t. But can Mirage trust Linton March or seeing as how he’s already familiar in some ways with who she is, is he using her for some ulterior motive?

    DRMIRAGE_001_COVER_FOREMAN
    After reading the preview for this issue I knew I had to get my hands on the full issue to check it out. It seemed to offer a compelling premise, an interestingly complex protagonist, and a pace that valued storytelling. The opening of this issue did a great job in establishing Doctor Mirage’s current situation from her mentality to her interactions with others as well as her financial state. And for someone who is unfamiliar with any previous Doctor Mirage stories, this was very accommodating. There wasn’t any action in this issue but that wasn’t a problem because of the wonderful way the story was being built up as one you could sink your teeth into, and I was fully immersed. The artwork complemented this style perfectly as the hues and shadows were mesmerizing and created a paranormal aura around everything including the characters. This was the case even before Mirage met March so when the story would get deeper, the tone was already set on every level. March’s explanation of Operation Socket and the analogies drawn regarding those selected for it in comparison to other projects made anything seem possible in terms of what could have gone wrong. It also opened the door to March knowing a lot more than he was letting on too, which only made all of this more intriguing. And when another character was revealed the story opened up in an exciting way. Jen Van Meter did a great job in making every character seem very interesting and ripe with possibilities, and in terms of enticing the mind and drawing one into a story, there are few things better than that. The stage has been set and the conclusion of this issue means we’ll see another side of Doctor Mirage’s abilities not shown here, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

     

    SUMMARY

    The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1 gets the series off to an excellent start with its brilliant setup, interesting protagonist and artwork that captivates the imagination, drawing one into its paranormal world. As one who is new to Doctor Mirage I could appreciate the way this story was handled, although I do wonder what her true capabilities are since communicating with the dead in the way shown wasn’t a true indicator. And there was no action to give more of a taste of that either. However the fact I am intrigued to know more is a very good sign that I’ll continue to enjoy this series moving forward.

     

    Release Date: 9/3/14

    Writer: Jen Van Meter

    Artist: Roberto de la Torre

     

  • Rating ( 8.75 )
  • Total score 8.8

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