LIVES

In “The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage: Second Lives” #1, paranormal investigator and TV star Shan Fong — aka Doctor Mirage — has been reunited with the ghost of her deceased husband Hwen, but both are desperate to find a way to bring back some level of physical contact to their relationship. Creators Jen Van Meter and Roberto De La Torre return for the follow-up to last year’s series, and this time Shan and Hwen embark on a quest to obtain an ancient but corrupted spell that could not only help them, but also countless other spirits who long to interact with the living. The love connection between flesh-and-blood wife and ethereal husband is clear, although it is repeatedly told more than shown, and the chemistry gets further diluted with the addition of several more paranormal characters later in the issue. Van Meter faces a difficult challenge: to convincingly convey more than just an emotional connection between a couple where no possibility of anything more exists. The opening fla

The finale of “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” isn’t quite fabulous, but it’s definitely fierce. With a lot of plot to tie up in not a great deal of pages, this ferociously paced issue provides more than its fair share of story. Racing to the finish line, True Lives offers a satisfying climax but can’t always compensate for the previous lack of build-up. Now, I would buy at least seven copies of “Becky Cloonan Illustrates the Indistinct White Light You See After Working at a Computer Too Long,” so I wasn’t exactly shocked that her work on a band of anarchic desert punks and their dystopian megalopolis utterly enthralled me. Her strong graphic style is perfect for a book with this much panache. Plus, she’s got a wonderful sense for the weird and funky, and this part future-city, part sci-fi-junkyard universe puts that skill to great use. Dan Jackson’s colors are also phenomenal. From the pulsing blue of Blue’s hair to the epic green of Battery City’s electricity-trapped souls

“The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” #2 by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Becky Cloonan further defines the divide between the City and the Desert and the beliefs of the Ultra-Vs vs. those of the last remaining Killjoy. Way and Simon’s futuristic, post-apocalyptic story is spun out from the album “Danger Days” by My Chemical Romance, Way’s former band. Unfortunately, Way and Simon err on the side of failing to provide readers who aren’t already invested or acquainted with the Killjoys enough information to ground them in world of Battery City and the Desert. This is only the second issue, and their world-building comes across as jumbled and needlessly complicated. “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” #2 begins with a dream or flashback in the mind of Scarecrow Korse. Over 22 pages, there seven changes in time and place. While this disjointed storytelling technique adds to the chaotic mood and the tension between the City and the Desert, it is also disorienting. Moreover, t

Gerard Way has always been a proponent of style as substance. From his now-defunct band My Chemical Romance to his breakout comics hit “The Umbrella Academy,” as much importance was placed on looking good and being clever as on any serious depth. That hasn’t changed in his new series “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” co-written with Shaun Simon with art by Becky Cloonan. “Killjoys” picks up the story of My Chemical Romance’s 2010 album “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” a post-apocalyptic concept record about a band of candy-colored heroes fighting the black-and-white forces of corporate evil. “Umbrella Academy” was kin to their previous album (and musical breakout smash) “The Black Parade” in its stylish neo-Victorian excess, so it’s appropriate that like “Danger Days,” follow-up comic “Killjoys” doesn’t hit with quite the impact of its predecessor. “Umbrella Academy” was a tour-de-force, a surprising statement of writerly talent flagrantly displayed, i