This book isn't out until September, but I'll tell you right now that you shouldn't miss it. The one and only downside is that it's a mini-series. Hopefully it does well and we'll see an ongoing or at the very least future mini's because I'm loving this character and her dark and scary world. This is one hell of a debut from Valiant and the creative team. Don't miss out on it. Read Full Review

The only criticism I have of the title to date is that it is already preordained as a five issue mini, and not given the greenlight as a full ongoing series. Van Meters handling of the character out of the box should be propelling this title to everyones pull list, particularly if you have not had much exposure to the Valiant Universe to date. This is a great, isolated way to get a feel for what theyre doing, and an excellent way to let the publisher know immediately this is the kind of book we want more of. I cant wait for the next issue. Pins and needles, my friends. Read Full Review

THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE #1 is a solid and engrossing book. Its 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. Im strapped in and on board for wherever this fantastic book is going. Make sure you are too when itlands on September 3rd. Read Full Review

Van Meter and de la Torre have set up a pretty tight plot, so stick around to feel your skin crawl with The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage. Read Full Review

Long story short? I recommend this book, even if you've never read an issue of Doctor Mirage before. Reversing the point of view of the old series from the tribulations of the ghost-husband to the emotional trials of the flesh-and-blood wife is a brilliant inversion of the existing story paradigms, and Shan Fong is a breakout character. The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1 is a solid hit, combining an excellent script with appropriately moody art and a unique color palette, delivering on the promise of occult-mystery-with-a-hint-of-lost-love Read Full Review

The history of "The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage" is already incredibly rich. Beyond the exciting way Van Meter leaves off the debut issue (one which defies readers to ignore the second), there are so many layers and aspects to both Dr. Mirage and her world, both ripe for exploration. Read Full Review

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. Read Full Review

The Death-Defying Dr, Mirage #1 is a great example of how to launch a new series. Writer Jen Van Meter doesn't bog her script down with unnecessary setup or exposition regarding her tragic heroine. Instead, we learn about Dr. Mirage and the tragedy of her dead husband as we go. Read Full Review

Roberto De La Torre is the penciller here with David Baron on colours and Dave Lanphear on letters and the cover by Travis Foreman. De La Torre's art is often very busy and full of inking, lending the overall story a rather dark aspect that is not easy to shake off. Combined with the inner darkness and pain of the protagonist, that makes the story seem bleaker than it is, but I have to say that it does work well in the end precisely because of that. David Baron's colours also contribute in that regard and in the final tally, the art here is indeed quite good. Read Full Review

De La Torre gets the chance to flex the same muscles 'been using this past year on Shadowman. His scratchy figures and heavy shading contrasted by bright bloom lighting paint set the tone for whats to come. Dr. Mirage's design is the best of the line, really standing out on the page. The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage #1 is an effective start to this mini-series and I expect to see more from this character, and team, in Valiant's future. Read Full Review

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage gets of to a fabulous start, with the team of Van Meter and De La Torre delivering a thoroughly gripping tale that has this fanboy hooked. Highly recommended. Read Full Review

While a lot of new books you can read and just go "aha, that's what this is." and move right along, the last few new Valiant books require a couple of reads to really get into and even a little dialogue with yourself to try and ferret out what they're looking to accomplish. I found this with The Delinquents as well. Doctor Mirage is pretty much free to go its own way and it's doing so with a kind of style that can draw you in slowly if you let it. It's reminiscent of certain kinds of 70's and 80's horror books, especially from DC Comics for me where it's focusing on the story through the characters so well, and going for a natural kind of horror that seeps out and infects you the more you understand what it is. We're dabbling at the very edges here but what we get is really interesting and leaves me hoping for a lot more to come. Read Full Review

I only review about half the books I read each week, mostly reserving my favorites for pure enjoyment and personal entertainment. I'd hate to sully Secret Wars or Tokyo Ghost with a constant critical eye. Such had been my approach to Valiant's equally wonderful Imperium and Ninjak, but The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage deserved to be evangelized. I've sadly heard little hype regarding it prior to release, only trying it out on a whim when I saw de la Torre's gorgeous art within. But lacking buzz before, I'll beat the drums for this title here and now: buy Doctor Mirage. ‘Nuff said. Read Full Review

If you've never read a Valiant book, the publisher has one of the best universes out there, and make it a point to be able to dive into their series without the knowledge of tons of continuity. Here that succeed with that again, providing a perfect jumping on point for new readers. I'm sure once you're done with the first issue, you'll not only want to complete the next four issues, but also see what else Valiant has to offer. To provide such ease for new readers is a feather in Valiant's and Van Meter's hat, and to be able to do so with such an entertaining first issue is even more impressive. I can't wait to see where the series goes, and hopefully we'll be seeing more of the death-defying Doctor Mirage from here on out. Read Full Review

Death-Defying Dr. Mirage promises to create a self-contained story that readers can embrace even with limited knowledge of the overall Valiant Universe. Ultimately this book is about someone dealing with grief and trying to do the right thing regardless. An interesting debut for a character we haven't seen in quite some time. Read Full Review

Frankly, I dont understand why some comic companies and/or creators are so reticent to do this. Ive never had an issue with a comic Ive read for a long time making sure that new readers are up to speed and, on the flipside when Im a new reader completely unaware of what is going on, I really appreciate it when Im given a synopsis of the storys prior happenings (especially in cases where a publisher has overwritten an already-established narrative). Read Full Review

The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage is right up your alley if you enjoy paranormal tales. It is fresh and exciting new material for a different direction from Valiant that is distinctive from what we are used to beyond just a gender change. I'm looking forward for the story to continue and I hope you all check it out so I have someone to discuss it with when it releases September 3rd. Read Full Review

And in spite of that sounding like a commercial for Valiant, let me assure you that no money changed hands for the recommendation just great comics. Seriously, you should be reading Valiant. Read Full Review

Dr Mirage is a great first issue, minor gripes about the characterization aside it does everything anyone could want in a first issue. The case files included allow for extra world building that whilst not necessary, gives the reader a great feel what is sure to be another major player in this book. Overall it gives us a great introduction to the main character, sets the tone for the book really well and provides an interesting mystery that will have you wondering just what will happen next. Read Full Review

Admittedly, this book has some interesting potential moving forwards. Calling herself a paranormal investigator is interestingand hey maybe we can have her channel a certain, big, red and dead demon who also happens to be a paranormal investigator (shut up, I can dream)and it really leaves a lot of potential for Van Meter in the issues to come. Once the first arc is over and Doctor Mirage is let loose on the Valiant Universe, its going to be interesting to see how she fits in with the likes of the Unity group. Valiant has some awesome, awesome books that a lot of people seem to pass up. If youre interested in high quality books with a universe thats still growing and changing then it cant be stressed enough that Valiant is for you. Read Full Review

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1 is a well-crafted introduction that provides just enough of Shan, her world, and what is coming to make an assured promise that this story will be an interesting one. Some may think of a first issue like this, in the already crowded marketplace of superhero comics, as being risky, but Van Meter and la Torre make it work. Read Full Review

I really like the fact that valiant is taking a risk with a new book and I'm sure it will pay off. Considering how the other books are doing and the growing popularity of the publisher, it will be success. A great starting point for a new book. Read Full Review

This first issue of The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage gets all the pieces in order.  The title character is provided with an opportunity to enter the underworld and seek out her lost husband, whom she hasn't been able to communicate with.  For the first time since his death, Mirage has a feeling of hope.  Maybe she can finally get some closure for herself instead of everyone else that she comes into contact with. Read Full Review

Most of the things in The Death Defying Dr. Mirage #1 are just set-up meant to introduce the reader into its world. Although it is pretty entertaining, the pacing of the issue suffered due to the heavy exposition in some scenes. At this point it seems to be just another paranormal comic book. I believe Van Meter could have done much more for the debut issue. Hopefully the next issue will improve on that. Nevertheless, de la Torre's art fits perfectly in the theme of the book. And one can truly appreciate his art in a comic like this. Read Full Review

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. Read Full Review

While the plotting leaves a little to be desired, the scripting is undeniably well done. In the end, I'm glad I read this comic, but I'm not convinced yet to take on the five-part series as a whole. Read Full Review

While the protagonist is interesting, the rest of the issue can't seem to muster up many reasons to come back for #2 Read Full Review

The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage #1 is a forgettable start and in need of some fine tuning. The story and characters are not interesting or compelling and the writing leaves a lot to be desired. On the other hand, the artwork is appealing and the ending does some a bit of promise with where it's going. However, there's still a lot of work to be done with this book, so hopefully it can turn around in the remaining issues. Read Full Review

There's something to be said for The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage, which still has one of the best title names on the stands. But beyond that snappy sobriquet, the actual story feels done to death. Believe it or not, there are tons of self-reliant, powerful female protagonists out there - but there needs to be more than just that. The high concept needs to be there. The emotional stakes need to be there. And the story needs to get to the point as fast as humanly possible. Without that, The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage is only the illusion of a viable story. Read Full Review

I have to admit I found this incredibly boring, but the art was decent.