The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury: Time Runs Out

Miranda Mercury, youthful scion of a family of world-saving adventurers, perhaps its greatest member, struggles against a colorful assortment of enemies ranging from the bombastic Synn Family to the malevolent supervillain, Vega. Trained by her family, defined by her heritage, stubborn and incorruptible, Miranda is willing to spend her life protecting the weak and opposing their exploiters; unfortunately for Miranda, her remaining lifespan is likely to be measured not in decades but mere months. Thomas brings a sincere enthusiasm to his story, which is cleanly if unimaginatively illustrated by Ferguson. The setting does not get the attention it perhaps deserves; the effect is of a galaxy even more generic than the silver age science fiction comics Thomas and Ferguson clearly want to emulate. As well, the heroics of the young hero are undermined by the apparent incompetence of the common people; competent societies should not be vulnerable to buffoons like the Synn Family. Straightforward with clear-cut moral lines, this graphic novel should please nostalgic fans of a simpler era’s adventure comics. (Sept.)