I have been following Scott Bieser's serialized online graphic novel, Quantum Vibe, since day one. Now the first volume of his panels has been published as a book, available from the usual sources. Weighing in at 236 pages, the first volume focuses on Nicole, a young woman often irresponsible and prone to drink and emotional scenes—who embarks on a new career and life of adventure after getting dumped by her flaky boyfriend.

In the aftermath of her depression and self-indulgence, she is fired and forced to look for new work. She interviews for a job as personal assistant to a peripatetic inventor/businessman, Dr. Seamus O'Murchadha, who has a bold and ambitious project that needs a pilot and all-around gopher. Nicole at first is overwhelmed, but later accepts the job, and begins a journey that will take her from the sun and outward, with stops along the way at various planets and orbital stations.

The title comes from O’Murchadha's project, a refinement of Quantum Vibremonics, or parallel universes. His initial effort is to have Nicole fly a ship into the sun's upper atmosphere to drop nuclear payloads in an experiement to test his thesis. His scheduled itinerary takes them from the sun to Mercury, Luna, Mars, Europa and Titan, though at the conclusion of this volume they are approximately halfway along their journey (the story continues online, and now has entered volume 2, which should appear in book form later in 2013). Nicole, all fire and impulse, appears at first a poor choice for her role, but plays her part well, to the point that enemies of O'Murchadha take notice and seek to remove her from the chessboard in their game against their rival.

O'Murchadha has been around for over three centuries, having undergone several rejuvenation treatments. His last round left him with certain side effects, rendering him massive and almost comical. Still, he seems to take this in stride, and Nicole gradually accepts this, as well as their working relationship. This book and subsequent comics are almost as much about Nicole growing up as much as anything else, though she seems to fight hard to remain the college-age kid who likes to party and get drunk. Her easy nature and trust tends to get her into trouble, landing her into a nasty situation in jail on a planet that has embraced statism and strict personal control. This episode both hardens Nicole and makes her more vulnerable. She also bonds with a fellow inmate, who joins Nicole on their quest.

Bieser's libertarian politics bubble to the surface fairly often. The story itself doesn't sacrifice its narrative for politics, but uses various political themes for different societies, as well as how inhabitants treat each other. The nature of the plot, which takes the duo from one location to the next, allows Bieser to explore a variety of societies and customs. Colorful characters abound, with hidden plots appearing now and then to spice up events.

When you read the comic one page per day you sometimes miss things, such as important characters introduced early in the story who later re-appear such that they are forgotten. Another problem with serialized stories is that the narrative flow never seems to have a purpose, as new characters appear at odd moments, new plot twists jump and swirl from one day to the next. Also, in prose, those characters usually appear with names, describing their actions and appearance. In comics you need to rely more on faces and appearances, and some characters resemble others, making their role fuzzy at times. When read as part of a single volume and without having to wait for daily installments, suddenly you become more aware of these characters and you spot them more easily. One such character appears early in a minor role, then gains prominence later on in the book. In fact, she becomes so important that the next volume is named after her. But that's another story.

The first volume of Bieser's massive saga only hints at what lies ahead. Clearly, the major arc of the saga will take his characters through the universe and their final destination. How they get there and what adventures befall them is the journey we all must take. Bieser has in the past illustrated several books created by other writers, but here demonstrates his own ability to weave a story as imaginative as that of any of his previous collaborators. While not the only libertarian graphic novelist writing stories, the vastness of his saga and the very explicit libertarian elements of some of his characters make Bieser unique. Alternating humor and comedy with serious political insights and comments, Bieser manages the graphic novel medium with aplomb. I find it difficult to consider a serialized book for the Prometheus Award, but I firmly believe, that at the story's conclusion the series as a whole certainly deserves a nomination. Bieser has created a fantastic universe, strong characters, and a captivating plot, that in a more traditional prose dressing probably would gain far more attention, especially from libertarian readers and critics. Comic books rarely get major respect (maybe Alan Moore and Frank Miller are exceptions), but Quantum Vibe might crack through that prose ceiling.