Mirenda, a young woman, enjoys her life in the jungle. When her leg becomes infected with a demon, she sets out on a quest to find someone who can help her take it out. As she travels, she encounters individuals who help and thwart her, and her name is on the lips of prophets and demons. This mostly wordless graphic novel has all the trappings of an epic fantasy, but sadly the execution falls short.
Because Mirenda is mostly wordless, the art has to carry most of the storytelling. Grim Wilkins employs a flowing style with loosely structured panels where action can start and finish within one panel. When the action is fairly simple—such as Mirenda moving through the jungle—this loose panel style works fairly well. However, during more complex scenes, it can be difficult to tell what is happening. What little dialogue there is does not always immediately appear in the same panel, so it can be difficult to understand the story. Paired with the flowing panels, this makes it very hard to reliably follow the action and story.
While a wordless format can make for a compelling story, there is too much going on in the setting to really make it effective. Wilkins has clearly developed a complex, vibrant world with a variety of landscapes, people of all shades, and creatures and demons. There are many characters who become involved in Mirenda’s story, but it’s hard to tell how everyone connects or what their motivation is. The relatively shallow portrayal makes it very difficult to become invested in the story.
Mirenda has an intriguing premise, but sadly the execution is often confusing and unfulfilling. Libraries considering purchasing this item should know Image gave Mirenda a T+ rating, which means the comic is rated for ages sixteen and up. This rating is likely due to the fact that Mirenda wears little clothing, although anything “naughty” is usually covered up.
Mirenda
By Grim Wilkins
ISBN: 9781534308442
Image Comics, 2018
Publisher Age Rating: T+ (16 and up)
