MIRACLEMAN Vol. 1: A DREAM OF FLYING
Writer: Alan Moore (credited as "The Original Writer")One of the most legendary runs in comic book history is back in print at long last!
Freelance reporter Michael Moran dreams of wondrous and terrible things: of soaring through the clouds, of doing battle, of seeing dear friends die in flames. Mike's dreams turn out to be more than mere fantasy, however, when he rediscovers the long-forgotten magic word that transforms him into Miracleman, a being of mythic stature and godlike power who vanished from human consciousness decades ago. Mike and his wife Liz see their life wholly transformed as Miracleman's reappearance propels them toward a strange new future...provided, of course, the remnants of his past don't destroy them first.
It doesn't sound like anything especially remarkable when described so simply, but that's because the real magic to MIRACLEMAN is not in the concept—a classic "hero rediscovered" myth narrative—but in the execution. This series proved so influential in the 1980s that it virtually redefined superhero comic books and established its writer, Alan Moore, as one of the most important comic book writers of his generation. Moore's deconstructionist approach to the archetypal superhero changed the way pop culture thinks about this kind of character. Not bad for a series that was essentially an attempt to restore to commercial viability a decades-old knock-off of Fawcett Comics' Captain Marvel...but that's another story, one big enough to warrant its own book...specifically, my pal George Khoury's Kimota! The Miracelman Companion (ISBN 978-1893905115).
Now that Marvel Comics has spent a fortune untangling the complex legal issues surrounding ownership of the character, readers can at last enjoy this famous story in a high-quality (i.e. "not bootlegged") format, with all-new digital coloring and digital lettering. The end product's not without flaw; Moore was still developing his authorial voice when he wrote this first volume, much of which is over-written and mired in comic book tradition (right down to the thought balloons). But, by the time it was over, Moore's run on MIRACLEMAN was a watershed, a quantum leap forward in comics craftsmanship, and the brilliance begins here.
Top marks, warts and all.
TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: For its length, this book is pricey. Of course, it took about a bajillion lawsuits and handshake deals with various creators to get this series back into print. Those costs have been passed on to the consumer, I suppose. Still, it's a series you will circulate, both to fans of comics history and just plain good comics, so it's worth your collection development dollar. Oh, and the second volume hits shelves in October!
READER'S ADVISORY NOTES: Fans of "mature" comics will gravitate to this one, as will both fans and detractors of writer Alan Moore. If you've got patrons who've enjoyed deconstructionist/revisionist works such as Marvel's The Ultimates, DC/Wildstorm's The Authority, DC's Watchmen, and even Mark Millar's Kick-Ass, steer them toward this one. This is where the deconstructionist movement started, after all.
CONTENT ADVISORY: Graphic superhero violence, adult language, nudity
Review©2014. C. Michael Hall
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