Quantum Vibe Volume 1: Nicole
This collects the first 400 strips of Bieser's science fiction Web comic, set in 2523, which he has published online since 2011. Out of work and recently dumped by her parasitic boyfriend Philbert, Nicole Oresme abandons her life in L-5 Space City for a position with the flamboyantly eccentric scientist Dr. Seamus O Murchada. Her first assignment takes her into the photosphere of the Sun, and this proves all too typical of life with O Murchada. Nicole must deal with corrupt, ambitious plutocrats, a shape-shifting Lothario, and (very briefly) the return of the unsavory Philbert. The solar encounter is followed by attempted assassinations, police brutality, legal shenanigans, and betrayal, but also unexpected revelations and well-earned triumphs. Bieser's 2523 isn't particularly original, but originality is sometimes overrated, and the author/artist reuses the established set pieces and tropes of libertarian-flavored science fiction with enthusiasm and some degree of ingenuity. Although the politics get a bit heavy-handed at times, the author avoids the mistake of turning his naïve young protagonist into a mere billboard for her creator's ideology; instead, Nicole has concerns and ambitions of her own. (June)