Mirror: The Mountain

Skipping back and forth in time, this ambitious science fiction epic follows the fortunes of an asteroid colony in a far future where the line between science and magic is all but erased. At the heart of the story by R%C3%ADos (Pretty Deadly) are Ivan, a gifted but conflicted young mage-scientist, and his dog, Sena, uplifted to humanoid form and intelligence, who leads a rebellion of the colony's human/animal hybrids. The book's juxtaposition of violent action, wordy philosophizing, and complex worldbuilding suggest classic European comic albums. Unfortunately, it also has the European tendency to get so caught up in its ideas that the story loses coherence. All the flashbacks and flash-forwards don't help. But the art, by Malaysian artist Lim, makes it worth poring over; with elegant page layouts and imaginatively rendered characters illuminated in delicate watercolor, it's one of the prettiest comics to come out of Image in ages. (Sept.)