Doctor Mirage #1 Writer: Magdalene Visaggio, Cover Artist: Philip Tan, Interior Artist: Nick Robles, Colorist: Jordie Bellaire, Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Thanks for Valiant Comics for providing a copy for review!
Synopsis: How do you solve the case of your own death?
Paranormal expert Doctor Shan Fong Mirage was born with the ability to see and speak to the dead—an ability that has mysteriously stopped working. Have her powers failed or is something far more sinister at work? Will she figure out her fate and the fate of the one she loves the most? Valiant's gripping supernatural mystery starts here!
A brand-new DOCTOR MIRAGE series conjured by Eisner Award-nominated writer Magdalene “Mags” Visaggio (Eternity Girl), artist Nick Robles (Euthanauts), Eisner Award-nominated colorist Jordie Bellaire (The Vision), and letterer Dave Sharpe (Harley Quinn)!
Review
Wouldn’t life just be easier if you had a reliable career as a paranormal research TV personality? Apparently not! After Doctor Shan Fong Mirage loses the most important living and dead people in her life, she turns to her paranormal knowledge base to try and bring them back somehow. What could possibly go wrong!?
Spoiler Alert: Pretty much everything.
Shan meets a teenager appropriately (or innapropriately?) named Grace, who claims to share some of Shan’s eye for the supernatural. These two strike me as a Dante and Virgil for the modern era. With their punk rock hair, and androgynous clothes, they make sense together despite the age difference. Grace certainly seems to hold a wealth of knowledge well beyond her years, which helps to equalize the power dynamic between the two. I’m very curious about what similarities and differences led Shan and Grace to engage with the paranormal.
The art in this book is nothing short of psychedelic. The title itself brings to mind Dotor Strange, and the color palette used throughout the book reinforces that allusion. The repeating patterns, and wild colors make it clear that visually this story will take some sudden and unexpected directions. It’s likely the trajectory of the writing will follow suit.
I’m very excited to see how this story will play out over the first arc, and I think it will be a big hit during the Halloween season. Fans of titles like Paper Girls, Punk Mambo, or Faithless will find something to love in these pages.
Are you looking forward to Doctor Mirage? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
