NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS AN ADVANCED REVIEW ON JULY 22ND 2014
Written by: Jen Van Meter
Art by: Roberto De La Torre
Publisher: Valiant
Since the restructuring of Valiant two years ago, they’ve dipped their hands in multiple genres. They’ve had, and still have, science fiction, war, superhero, and fantasy books. It’s curious then that they haven’t explored the supernatural before. In a universe with so much going on, why was there not a book about the occult? Well now there is. This week, Valiant is once again expanding their catalog of books, adding The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage to their already varied line up. Dr. Mirage, as a book, is quite different from the rest of Valiant’s line up right off the bat. Part of this is of course the genre of the book, but it also comes from a creative team new to the Valiant universe.
While it does manage to cut out its own little niche, it isn’t the strongest start to a new series that Valiant has ever had. I mean, it’s not bad, but no Valiant book has ever really been bad. And it’s better than okay, it’s actually pretty good. It kicks off with an introduction to Dr. Mirage’s character, showcasing her powers to the readers and giving us some characterization of who she is. She has the ability to talk to ghosts and can transport herself to the ethereal plane of existence. Her powers are really nothing too ground breaking, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t cool. It’s unclear as to where she got the powers, and if she’s a Harbinger, or if she gained these powers on her own. This helps to add a sense of mystery to the book.
To be honest, I have no problems with most of this book. For the most part, it’s an enjoyable read. The plot seems interesting, starting off with Dr. Mirage helping widows deal with the deaths in their lives by contacting the ghosts of their significant others. Seeing the titular character take up a role like that is cool – and not necessarily a way we’ve seen these powers be used before in similar titles. She’s effectively monetized them, and so the plot really begins to heat up when she takes on a job with a billionaire. This is where things really start to get complicated. The billionaire, a former military general, has a background that seems interesting, but we don’t get into it too much. As a result of his actions in the past he has ended up being “haunted” (for lack of a better term) by some form of apparition. The plot is interesting, and it will definitely be cool to see where it goes from here.
My biggest issue with this book, and my reason for saying that it’s one of Valiant’s weakest starts yet, is that the main character seems so helpless. Her entire character seems hinged around the loss of her husband, and some of the inner monologue concerning this is, to be frank, cringe worthy. The motif of loss is obviously an important component to this book. However, it’s used by writer Jen Van Meter in such a way that makes Dr. Mirage seem like a weak character. This isn’t just because she’s female, similar inner monologue for a male would have the same effect on the character. It’s just such a bummer that she also happens to be a female character, and is portrayed as not being able to deal with loss well.
Hopefully that aspect of the book changes. But it really drags this premiere issue down in terms of quality. The Death Defying Dr. Mirage has heaps of potential. The plot and concept are both interesting, and even though I’m interested in the characters on some level, the main character fails to engage me. Even the surrounding characters aren’t particularly great. So while every other aspect of this book is pretty good, it takes a massive hit in terms of its characters, which could ultimately be it’s downfall.
