But you don't need to know all that. MIRANDA, the comic book, skirts around its "Doctor Who" origins for reasons of both accessibility and copyright; this is a self-contained series which does not assume any prior knowledge of the character. (That being said, the writer -- "Father Time" author Lance Parkin -- does include the odd nod to some of his other "Doctor Who" fiction which will no doubt be appreciated by the diehards.)

The first issue of MIRANDA suffers a bit for essentially being a vehicle to establish the foundations of the series. Not a lot actually happens here, but fortunately Parkin's writing is entertaining enough that that doesn't entirely matter. Miranda herself looks to be an engaging protagonist, comfortably grounded in the familiar (or at least the familiar for anyone who can remember the Eighties) while still possessing the keen streak of curiosity and adventure which "Doctor Who" fans will recognise as the legacy of Miranda's adoptive father.

This issue is not entirely set-up, though, and a few intriguing hints are laid for the future direction of the series. And while Parkin paints a vast science-fiction canvas for Miranda to discover, he wisely leavens this with a healthy dose of humour -- again, not unlike "Doctor Who" often did.

On the artwork side of things, Allan Bednar's black-and-white renderings capture Parkin's creativity nicely, and a colour centre spread is used effectively. Bednar does demonstrate a slight tendency towards distortion (as witnessed, for example, by Miranda's elongated right hand on the otherwise gorgeous cover) and a few panels are a tad murky, but in general his illustrations are clear and effective.

Altogether, then, MIRANDA #1 points towards an intriguing, imaginative series, carrying on in the best tradition of "Doctor Who" without aping or pastiching that programme (or, indeed, demanding any familiarity with it). Much will depend on the direction taken by the next issue or so -- another installment just consisting of more set-up would be unfortunate -- but this first release from Comeuppance Comics is certainly off to a promising start.

(More details about MIRANDA can be found at the Comeuppance Comics website: www.comeuppancecomics.co.uk.)

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