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Post by tundra on Jan 16, 2014 6:48:59 GMT -5
They re-printed Miracleman!! B-but... but that's impossible!*
Not sure if this is quite the right place to discuss the newly re-printed Miracleman, but it's really not a new book and it's being published by Marvel, so...
NB. I wouldn't normally worry about spoiling the plot of a 30-year old comic, but since it's been impossible to read for so long I'll avoid spoilers for all those experiencing it for the first time.
Miracleman has a very, very long and complex publishing history - the main story in this issue (by "Original Writer" Alan Moore and Garry Leach) was first published in two issues of the British anthology comic Warrior in 1982. Like most British comics of its time it was originally published in black and white, and Garry Leach's beautiful B&W artwork has not always been sympathetically treated when re-printed in colour. Happily, though, Steve Oliff has done a wonderful job on it this time and it looks refreshed and better than I have ever seen it. The prologue is an original British comic strip from the 50's (re-lettered to keep the names of the Miracleman family consistent). This works well in the context of the larger story unfolding, but for those shopping digitally is unfortunate because the three-page preview Comixology offers is all of this prologue - historically interesting but emphatically not the story that has made Miracleman so famous.
Marvel have also chosen (appropriately, in my opinion) to treat this issue as something of a historical document, including a wealth of extra material on the history of the character and his creator Mick Anglo. There is also some lovely concept and production art that I hadn't seen before - and some more original 1950's Mick Anglo Marvelman strips which, although not honestly to my taste, are fascinating from a historical perspective. All of this explains (and to me, at least, justifies) the rather high cover price.
I have fond memories of reading this series as it was coming out when published by Eclipse (it was always a real hunt to find a copy of each new issue) so I'm sure I'll have a hard time waiting the two years or so until this re-publication gets far enough along to print any new material I haven't already seen - but if it is all re-presented this well it will be a great ride along the way. btw, does anyone know if the reprinting is likely to include the various Miracleman Apocrypha that Eclipse put out? Some of them were really good.
Really looking forward to the responses of people who haven't seen this great series before - what do you all think?
* I couldn't resist a little call back to Miracleman's one-panel Easter egg appearance in the Marvel Universe in Alan Moore's and Alan Davis' classic Captain Britain series of the early 80's where he was one of many alternate Earth heroes defeated by the Fury. One of my most enduring memories from early comics reading!
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Post by thephantomwelshman on Jan 16, 2014 9:45:31 GMT -5
I've been looking forward to this coming out for ages, as someone whose not read it before and is a huge of fan the authorwhocannotbenamed. Initially I thought the £4.50 cover price was Marvel cashing in, but fair play, I loved all the additional material and it was £4.50 well spent.
With regards the main story it was all set up stuff, but I cannot wait until the next issue. Does anyone know if Marvel will carry on with the extra historical material going forward? I hope so.
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Post by tundra on Jan 17, 2014 6:14:45 GMT -5
It would be nice if there was more historical content, but short of re-printing loads more Mick Anglo strips I think it may be a little thin on the ground. There is probably some mileage in discussing the controversy surrounding the publication of volume two (which seemed daft at the time and seems even more ludicrous 30 years later) although I suppose we'll have to see what Marvel / Disney choose to print before considering whether they will also discuss it!
Something else that it would be nice to see discussed - here too - would be Robert Mayer's "Superfolks". Another lost work that only became available to read again quite recently and despite its many flaws was a huge influence on Moore and others.
edit: Looks like (at least in digital) there are two editions - mass market and parental advisory. Since the mass market edition finds it necessary to add a pair of panties to a bare behind I think we can expect an awful lot of censorship in the mas market edition further through the run. I hope I turn out to be wrong, but I can already feel my blood boiling at the prospect of mild nudity being censored whilst graphic violence is left intact.
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Post by joroak on Jan 17, 2014 9:13:47 GMT -5
I want to check this book out solely because I've been so tired of hearing about it for the last few years. I should see what all the fuss is about. From everyone I've talked to though, they all say it's really good. Aren't new stories not coming for a few more years?
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Post by tundra on Jan 17, 2014 11:45:50 GMT -5
There were 24 issues in the original run, so if they publish one a month it would be a couple of years. I'd have to assume that it will be collected as well (I know Eclipse collected it in trades back in the day).
Honestly, well worth reading - and I guess all the stories are new if you haven't read them before.
edit: I should add - I really do think these books are great, but I'm also really interested to see what other people think of them. I think they hold up very well now as a re-read, but they made a huge impression on me back in the early-mid 80's when there were no books around that were even remotely similar. Various aspects of Miracleman (meta-text, superhero as myth, examination of the impact superhumans would have on society, grimdark extreme violence) have been done in a lot of other places now - although rarely all together and even more rarely as well as they are here. In particular, the levels of violence in Miracleman (particularly later in the run) are really only at all palatable to me because they are set in the context of a very intelligent story.
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Post by tundra on Jan 31, 2014 5:52:36 GMT -5
So, #2 is out and with a bit of luck the reprints keep coming on a fortnightly basis. Some of the material included here makes it a little difficult not to spoiler the forthcoming storyline, but I'll try...
The main story: Garry Leach's art is still beautiful and if anything the new colouring adds more to it in some of the superhuman action scenes in this issue than in the last. The impact this art had when originally published in black and white was enormous and it's nice to see colouring enhance rather than detract from it (which sadly was the effect the Eclipse reprintings had for me).
The backup story: "The Yesterday Gambit". I had never read this before - I only got my hands on the odd issue of Warrior when it was coming out (it was very hard to buy in the little country newsagents where I lived) and it was not re-published in the Eclipse collections. It's actually hard to believe that this was published as early as Warrior #4, because this dovetails into the main Miracleman story at a *much* later date! I'll avoid spoiling that, but will mention in passing that the Warpsmith was at this point another strip being published in Warrior, and the character as he appears here has gone through some changes by the time we see him again. Anyway, some serious foreshadowing going on here!
The background material: Sadly there is not that much more Leach art to come. The sketches presented here, along with how he describes his working practices, make it no great surprise that he had enormous difficulty meeting the publishing schedule even for a monthly anthology book. The feature on the history of British comics was interesting - not many surprises for me, but I would imagine this is completely unexplored country for most readers of this series. The mixed humour/adventure anthology comics were still being published well into my childhood and bring back some fond memories.
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Post by joestate on Jan 31, 2014 17:08:57 GMT -5
I loved the coloring on the 2nd issue for sure, the antagonist's reveal is breathtaking.
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Post by rcbtaw on Feb 2, 2014 18:44:03 GMT -5
My comic bookstore guy told me I would like Miracleman if I like Saga. Does anyone agree with this?
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Post by tundra on Feb 4, 2014 12:11:39 GMT -5
My comic bookstore guy told me I would like Miracleman if I like Saga. Does anyone agree with this? Well, they're both intelligent and well written with beautiful art... but beyond that they really don't have very much in common. Miracleman is a very well put together comic and probably the best example of a deconstructionist superhero story - way better than any number of examples that have followed in its wake and been highly feted. But appreciating it relies on a level of familiarity with (and appreciation of) superhero tropes that Saga doesn't need in the slightest, so YMMV. Personally I'd say anyone who has a serious interest in comics should at least give it a try as it's a pivotal work in the medium, but I wouldn't necessarily say that liking Saga would guarantee you'll enjoy it. |
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Post by rcbtaw on Feb 4, 2014 18:48:37 GMT -5
My comic bookstore guy told me I would like Miracleman if I like Saga. Does anyone agree with this? Well, they're both intelligent and well written with beautiful art... but beyond that they really don't have very much in common. Miracleman is a very well put together comic and probably the best example of a deconstructionist superhero story - way better than any number of examples that have followed in its wake and been highly feted. But appreciating it relies on a level of familiarity with (and appreciation of) superhero tropes that Saga doesn't need in the slightest, so YMMV. Personally I'd say anyone who has a serious interest in comics should at least give it a try as it's a pivotal work in the medium, but I wouldn't necessarily say that liking Saga would guarantee you'll enjoy it. Thanks for the opinion. I might have to try it on comixology. |
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Post by tundra on Feb 27, 2014 10:11:09 GMT -5
So, issue #3 came out and the story is starting to roll along at a healthy pace now. We've seen the last of the art solely by Garry Leach - all that excruciating detail was just too much to manage on a schedule, even when producing only a relatively few pages a month for an anthology comic. On the other hand, the Alan Davis / GarryLeach art of the main Miracleman story in this issue is still gorgeous.
The Warpsmith strips are new to me - Warrior was very difficult to get hold of when it was coming out, and got more so as it went along. Although it reads a little awkwardly, I have to admit that this is more somewhat more enjoyable for me than the 1950's Mick Anglo strips from previous issues. Also, there is some nice backstory for future developments in the main Miracleman story that we won't see develop fully for some time yet.
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Post by thephantomwelshman on Feb 27, 2014 14:32:03 GMT -5
Agreed, really really enjoying this. But then I'd expect nothing less from Mr Moore. Not got round to reading the Warpsmith strips yet, but I've got a strong feeling I'm going to like it.
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Post by wickedape on Mar 10, 2014 10:33:38 GMT -5
It would be nice if there was more historical content, but short of re-printing loads more Mick Anglo strips I think it may be a little thin on the ground. There is probably some mileage in discussing the controversy surrounding the publication of volume two (which seemed daft at the time and seems even more ludicrous 30 years later) although I suppose we'll have to see what Marvel / Disney choose to print before considering whether they will also discuss it! Something else that it would be nice to see discussed - here too - would be Robert Mayer's "Superfolks". Another lost work that only became available to read again quite recently and despite its many flaws was a huge influence on Moore and others. edit: Looks like (at least in digital) there are two editions - mass market and parental advisory. Since the mass market edition finds it necessary to add a pair of panties to a bare behind I think we can expect an awful lot of censorship in the mas market edition further through the run. I hope I turn out to be wrong, but I can already feel my blood boiling at the prospect of mild nudity being censored whilst graphic violence is left intact. I to am curious on how they will handle the censoring, especially during the Red King storyline. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who are just reading the stories. But one issue at the time had to carry a huge warning on the cover, of course much to Moores disdain. |
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Post by pacino on Sept 4, 2014 11:44:40 GMT -5
*bump* Grant Morrison and Joe Quesada are doing a story for Miracleman Annual #1, out New Year's Eve. Peter Milligan and Mike Allred (X-Statix!!!) are also doing a story harkening back to original Marvelman. It's going to all be called Miracleman Annaul #1 and will be the first newly published material in years. Big news. Jeff Smith is doing a really cool cover, too:  and Gabriele Dell'Otto:  |
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Post by thephantomwelshman on Sept 5, 2014 2:33:06 GMT -5
Can't wait for this, apparently Morrison wrote the script years ago after Moore fell out with Warrior and asked Morrison to not use it. Excited that Quesada is drawing it to. I can see Allreds style fitting perfectly with the original Marvelman.
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