Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.  This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.

A reminder for you. Here at PopCultureSquad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler.  We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues.  Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for these books.

This week we have TWO preview comics. The first is the debut of Doctor Mirage by Magdalene Visaggio and Nick Robles, published by Valiant Entertainment. The second book is the premiere issue of Mountainhead by John Lees and Ryan Lee from IDW. Both of these books have been eagerly anticipated and are featured in our New Number Ones column for August.

You can find Doctor Mirage and Mountainhead at your LCS on August 28, 2019.

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Doctor Mirage #1
Valiant Entertainment
Written by Magdalene Visaggio
Art by Nick Robles
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover art by Philip Tan

Original Solicitation:

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!

PCS Review:

Valiant’s decision to bring back and refresh older characters in their control has been full of bright spots, and this is another one. Magdalene Visaggio delivers a head spinning narrative that explores the sense of self and purpose that the lead character possesses, and she introduces a new character that immediately commands your attention. The plot of this story unfolds into a supernatural mystery that begins the audience on a journey of recovery, or maybe we just think that.

This book is lovely. The combination of Nick Robles’ line art and Jordie Bellaire’s color work is a treat to behold. Bellaire’s colors create a pervasive feeling of the supernatural and chaos simultaneously. The creative panel layouts that Robles uses in this book add to the interesting read of this mysterious plot. Dave Sharpe’s work in this issue is some high level stuff. The letters are clean and the word art is organic and thoughtfully placed.

We will definitely be looking forward to the next issue of this limited series.

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Mountainhead #1
IDW Entertainment
Written by John Lees
Art by Ryan Lee
Colors by Doug Garbark
Letters by Shawn Lee
Cover art by Lee

Original Solicitation:

Abraham Stubbs and his father Noah roam America in a nomadic existence. Convinced they are being pursued by sinister government forces, Noah has them living off the grid, burgling houses to survive. Elsewhere, on Mount Rector, the lone survivor of a climbing expedition staggers homeward, covered in blood. Both are on an inevitable collision course with the picturesque Canadian resort town of Braeriach. From writer John Lees and artist Ryan Lee, featuring colors from Doug Garbark and letters from Shawn Lee.

An exciting psychological thriller and horror story, all in one!

PCS Review:

The story that John Lees weaves in this initial issue to Mountainhead is compelling and heartbreaking. It would be safe to say that Abraham is the most easily sympathetic new character that I have read this year. Holy crap does that kid need a hug. Sorry. No more spoilers. This is an interesting story and the pace of the book leads the audience to the idea that there is lots more we will find out in the coming issues.

The art team really knocked it out of the park in this issue. There are stylistic choices made for the visual presentation of the story that really work well. The color work is outstanding and really does a lot of heavy lifting in setting the tone of each page. This book is a worthwhile read with an intriguing story that is just getting underway. Give it a shot.