Miracleman #1
Writer: Alan Moore Art: Garry Leach
The following review has been altered in cooperation with Marvel Comics’ legal department.
After thirty years of copyright disputes and four years of restoration, Marvel Comics gave us Miracleman last week once and for all. It’s got everything: stories from the character from the past, present, and future, and even a comprehensive interview with creator Mick Anglo and Marvel CCO Joe Quesada.
What’s most interesting about Miracleman though is the star of the show: the first-ever Miracleman story from the infamous Alan Mo THE ORIGINAL WRITER. ability to see Alan Moo THE ORIGINAL WRITER in his prime. We know him these days for stuff like Watchmen which took our view of superheroes and turned it on his head, but in Miracleman we see Mo THE ORIGINAL WRITER try this stuff for the first time.
The art in the book, whether it be Garry Leach’s brilliant pencilwork or the golden-age by-the-book pieces, have been cleaned up and recolored dramatically. Leach’s segments– just like THE ORIGINAL WRITER’s script– feel like they could have come from a book that just came out today.
Also, Miracleman isn’t purple this time, so this book has that going for it. Which is nice.
The weirdest thing, though, is the release schedule. Instead of releasing the book in omnibus format, or even oversized hardcovers, Marvel has decided to reprint Miracleman in these extra-length single issues. This is probably a financial decision, but I find it a really nice way for Marvel to dole out this material.
You aren’t getting the biggest bang for your buck if you only want to read the early works from Alan MooTHE ORIGINAL WRITER, but what we’ve got here is the beginning of a really, really special project.
