The basic elements of a comic book are simple: Colorful, well-drawn characters, lots of action and humor, an atmosphere of suspense or mystery, and a fast-moving, easy-to-follow plot.

Playwright Steven Oberman accomplishes most of the above in his new comic book spoof "Claire Voyant," now in its world premiere at the Avo Playhouse. The whimsical comedy is packed with clever ideas and has an engaging cast to bring these cartoonish figures to life, but like most new plays, it still needs shaping and a serious trim.

"Claire Voyant" (described in a recorded voice-over as Episode 1 of a new Blue Planet Comics serial) is the story of Claire Hollinger, a criminology student interning at the San Francisco Police Department in 1975. Claire is psychic (she reads the minds of others by touching objects they have touched) but she hides her powers, because they cause her nothing but trouble.

Then she meets Peter "The Repeater," a police detective who uses his own psychic ability (he can see into people's pasts) to interrogate suspects. Peter embraces his abilities -- even wearing a skintight, Day-Glo crimefighter's costume and mask -- and he encourages Claire to do the same. The two make a karmic connection and sparks fly.

Then in walks Victor "The Predictor" DeMont. Victor is Peter's long-lost identical twin. The boys were separated at birth 25 years earlier, with Peter raised by a kind-hearted swami and Victor raised by an evil mortician bent on world domination. The flamboyant Victor (who can foretell the future) has arrived to persuade Peter to join his nefarious scheme to become king of California. When Peter refuses, Victor kidnaps him, leaving Claire to use her brains and psychic skills (as the newly rechristened lady superhero "Claire Voyant") to rescue Peter and save the day.

The play's best feature is its three-dimensional characters, a delightful mix of lovable oddballs you'd expect to find in the funny pages, such as Victor's evil henchwoman "Betty" Rubble, a sassy, tough-as-nails gangster's moll, and Peter's Uncle Henry, a bumbling costume shop owner from India.

Also winning is director Jim Strait's feel for the comics milieu: Fights are accompanied by "Zap!" "Pow!" "Zoing!" sound and visual effects; plots are hatched in rat-a-tat style with dramatically arched eyebrows, and bright color is everywhere.

The cast are all in sync as well, and do fine in their roles. As Claire, deja bleu ginsberg is an ideal leading lady, with a warm, bubbly personality and big, expressive eyes that exaggerate her character to just the right degree.

Jacob Caltrider whips himself into a hilariously evil frenzy as the scheming Victor. Julie Clemmons steals every scene she's in as the manipulative Ms. Rubble. And Cuz Todd is a charming goofball as Uncle Henry.

Paul Rossi has the sort of honest, square-jawed blandness you'd expect of the Dudley Do-Right-style hero, Peter (though he was having a hard time keeping a straight face on opening night, thanks to Caltrider's wild improvisations).

And skilled dialectic expert Grace Delaney completes the cast as the easily manipulated barkeep Fran and the mysterious nun, Sister Bernadette.

N. Dixon Fish has designed an inexpensive but highly versatile set; Renetta Lloyd and Roslyn Lehman's costumes are fun and perfectly in period. Ashley Jenks designed lighting, Jeff Polunas designed sound and Sue Givens is stage manager.

The play ends with a preview of what's to come in Episode No. 2 of "Claire Voyant," but the play still has some significant kinks to work out before then.

First, comic books should be brief. At 2 1/2 hours, "Claire Voyant" is way too long. If the play were an intermissionless 90 minutes, it would leave the audience wanting more and the laughs wouldn't seem so far apart. The play's second act feels especially padded, with excessive silly business, from costume-shop banter to a toilet-paper fight.

Second, comic book plots should be easy to follow. The play gets off to a slow start with a lengthy address to the audience by Claire that's filled with "psychometric" mumbo-jumbo that adds nothing to the story but time. That's followed by a flashback scene that's meant to create mystery, but (at least for me) caused a lot of confusion. Some plot threads feel truncated; others unravel because they make no sense (for example, if these siblings are psychic, who didn't they find each other sooner and solve the mystery of their missing parents and past?).

Third, comic books should be rated. Not all comics are for kids. Many serials and graphic novels are for grown-ups, but "Claire Voyant" feels as if it's caught somewhere between a G and an R rating. For the most part, it's a wholesome, family-friendly mystery with broad, goofy humor that would appeal most to the middle-school crowd. But sprinkled liberally throughout are sexual jokes (gay, straight, S&M), curse words and even some inappropriate American Indian humor (cut the "red-faced" joke), all of which feel oddly out of place in such a preteen-friendly story.

"Claire Voyant," which is produced by Oberman's company TAFFE, short for Theatre Arts for Fun Education, has a lot of promise, but a brief trip back to the drawing board would yield even better results.

"Claire Voyant"

When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Avo Playhouse, 303 Main St., Vista

Tickets: $20, general; $18, students, seniors and military; show is PG-13 rated

Phone: 760-724-2110