“The old world had been too incompetent and incomplete for words…”
But can Miracleman’s new paradise remain uncorrupted? Your Major Spoilers review of Miracleman By Gaiman And Buckingham #1 awaits!
MIRACLEMAN BY GAIMAN AND BUCKINGHAM #1
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Mark Buckingham
Colorist: D’Isreali
Letterer: Todd Klein
Restoration Editor: Cory Sedlmeir
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Previously in Miracleman By Gaiman And Buckingham: Two years have passed since the devastation of London by Johnny Bates, during which time Miracleman has begun rebuilding the world into his own personal Golden Age…
“MEANWHILE, IN 1987…”
It’s a little bit strange reviewing this remastered comic in the year 2015, as I clearly remember finding the trade paperback collection along with Otter Disaster at a yard sale in about 1996, and finally getting to read some of these stories for the first time. As with all the Marvel material, it’s kind of mind-blowing to see these stories redone with modern technology, and this issue is no exception. Our primary story takes place a little more than two years after the massive battle in London (as seen in the disturbing Miracleman #15), and we join our unnamed protagonist as he approaches Miracleman’s Olympus, built out of the remains of London, preparing to climb the tower and ask Miracleman for a boon. There’s a strangely dream-like quality to this issue (as one might expect from the writer) and the lyrical nature of his writing helps to make the story of a long, ever-upward journey feel as unnerving and strange for us as it does for the characters. When the finally reach the top, each of the characters gives Miracleman their “prayer”, and his response is…
…surprising, to say the least. After the way the series began, it’s a very telling moment, and one that explains to us upon what foundations the remainder of The Golden Age is based.
FULLY REMASTERED
The art of Mark Buckingham was impressive even back when I had just graduated high school, and the restored art and coloring look utterly mind-blowing, especially those parts of the issue that were fully painted to begin with. Admittedly, the combination of Gaiman’s words and Buckingham’s art can’t help but remind me of ‘Sandman’, there’s no real downside to that comparison for me, especially when it means seeing this story minus the awkward color dots and lesser-quality paper that Eclipse was using in the dark days near the end. The images in the story are imaginative (a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur skeleton is a minor plot point, and the story of the climb up is full of such strange little moments. Still, the endgame of all of this is the fact that the unfinished ‘Silver Age’ arc and the unseen ‘Dark Age’ stories are all in line to be presented, finally finishing Miracleman’s arc some 25 years later, but it’s wonderful to see the care and precision being used to bring these classic stories to a new audience.
THE BOTTOM LINE: THE GATEWAY TO NEW MIRACLEMAN
Long story short, I’ll always recommend Miracleman to discerning readers, and now that doesn’t mean scouring for pricy back-issues or trying to dig up hard-to-find collections in online auctions, so that’s always going to be a plus for me. Miracleman By Gaiman And Buckingham #1 is a good read, with excellent art finally getting the coloring to match, and even Marvel’s penchant for slapping a number one on every thirteenth book makes sense for this new arc, leaving us with a very impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. If you’ve been wondering how this big arc ended as long as I have, you’ll be excited to see it happening, but if you’ve never read any of Miracleman’s stories, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start…
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