In Search of Miracles
ATMANOTE: This is something I wrote some time ago, then left it aside for lack of momentum and conflict over what to do with spoilers. Long story short, it's really difficult to sell this concept without going into spoilers, but I simply couldn't ruin the story for anyone, so it's overly vague. I decided to post it anyway because it's extremely important to me, and definitely still relevant to comic readers everywhere.
With the Watchmen movie now only a month from release, there's bound to be a good amount of blowback from actual comic fans who are trying to sound cool. And here it is: while Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns are all too often credited for being the beginning of the post-modern, darker superhero era, this is simply not the case. Alan Moore's "Miracleman" did it first, and arguably did it better.
The story of Marvelman (Miracleman) is long and kind of boring, but if you're interested in the whole story, please do consult the Wikipedia article. The very short version is that he was born as a blatant Captain Marvel ripoff who was later revived in the 80's by Alan Moore, and made into the post-modern masterpiece it is. A subsequent legal struggle has left the publishing rights in limbo and the back issues astonishingly rare. I'm not going to talk about any of this except the Alan Moore stuff. The Neil Gaiman run, while interesting, is incomplete and not really worth discussing here.
So, why is Miracleman important? It's hard to explain without going into the whole story, but I don't want to spoil anything or bore anyone, so I'm going to try anyway. Basically, Miracleman is a story with God-tier superheroes which takes place in a world which, until the rebirth of Miracleman, is near identical to our own. The people in this comic speak to each other like actual adults speak. There's no bravado, no grandiose speeches (save a few small rantings by the main villain), very little dialogue during action scenes at all. Further, the actions that these superhumans take have dramatic, long-lasting consequences. People die, inquiries are launched, governments panic. In the climax of the story, the presence of gods among men completely changes the path of human events.
Yes, you say, that's basically what modern comics aspire to. What makes Miracleman different? Well, as Miracleman was published by Eclipse Comics, as opposed to Watchmen and DKR's publisher DC Comics, it was subject to very few editing restraints. Consequently, Moore went full-out to portray the events of the book as realistically and frankly as possible, and the results are often shocking. Realistic levels of unsettling violence, uncensored sexuality, and sometimes the combination thereof are all present in Miracleman. Moore set out, and truly accomplished, to write a comic which is as uninhibited as a prose novel.
But it's not just the shocking content. The characters are easily as good as those from Watchmen. The good guys can't (or won't) always do the right thing, and the bad guys are not totally morally bankrupt (again, with one notable exception). Miracleman himself is a flawed person, often showing a short temper. Further, he's not a Batman or Superman type character who refuses to kill, even when ridiculously impractical, because doing so would offend their dead parents or farm-grown values. Miracleman (and his support characters) acknowledge that sometimes, evil must be stopped permanently. And when you do have to kill someone, not everyone is going to understand. Governments will be afraid. Citizens will either cower in fear or praise their new savior. Showing people that the world is not what they thought it was means that they may not just go back to work the next day, like they might in a Marvel or DC book.
Then there is the psychological aspect. When Miracleman is reborn, he laments the fact that he was trapped inside his host's body for so many years. Because, unlike Captain Marvel, Miracleman is not just a person with two different bodies. It is a person with two different bodies and two different minds. When Miracleman is saving the day, Mike Moran is trapped in darkness, unable to stop him or even influence him strongly. The same is true for other users of the same power, good and evil. Imagine what impact this would have on your personality, your self esteem, your loved ones. Moore covers every angle of this problem brilliantly. I won't spoil some of the more dramatic moments, but suffice it to say that there are major consequences for some characters.
My final point is that it's just damned good science fiction. What starts out as a superhero story turns into something so much larger, so much more interesting. Why does no one remember Miracleman's earlier adventures? Where do his powers come from? What other kind of superhuman beings are out there? The level of depth in Miracleman dwarfs that of Moore's other stories, which are usually renowned for their incredible depth. At any point in the story, there are multiple layers of obfuscation, which only become totally uncovered at the end of the story. At least one re-read is recommended.
So, why is this not one of the most revered comics of all time, as I say it should be? Very simply, no one has read it. The aforementioned legal problems mean that almost no one who only reads comics in print has read it. Decent condition single issues sell on Amazon for at least $10 each. Mint condition trade paperbacks easily go for hundreds. It's simply not possible for the average reader to get it. And that's the tragedy. I shouldn't have to pirate one of the greatest stories ever told. I would love to own a hardcover Miracleman omnibus. I would love to give Alan Moore the money he deserves for such an amazing work. But it's not going to happen while this ridiculous legal issue remains. Therefore, I encourage everyone who is interested to read the book and spread the word. A fairly good copy has been circulated on the internet for some time, which I have re-uploaded here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y9ZC4515
I sincerely hope you'll give it a shot. I certainly didn't regret it.
With the Watchmen movie now only a month from release, there's bound to be a good amount of blowback from actual comic fans who are trying to sound cool. And here it is: while Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns are all too often credited for being the beginning of the post-modern, darker superhero era, this is simply not the case. Alan Moore's "Miracleman" did it first, and arguably did it better.
The story of Marvelman (Miracleman) is long and kind of boring, but if you're interested in the whole story, please do consult the Wikipedia article. The very short version is that he was born as a blatant Captain Marvel ripoff who was later revived in the 80's by Alan Moore, and made into the post-modern masterpiece it is. A subsequent legal struggle has left the publishing rights in limbo and the back issues astonishingly rare. I'm not going to talk about any of this except the Alan Moore stuff. The Neil Gaiman run, while interesting, is incomplete and not really worth discussing here.
So, why is Miracleman important? It's hard to explain without going into the whole story, but I don't want to spoil anything or bore anyone, so I'm going to try anyway. Basically, Miracleman is a story with God-tier superheroes which takes place in a world which, until the rebirth of Miracleman, is near identical to our own. The people in this comic speak to each other like actual adults speak. There's no bravado, no grandiose speeches (save a few small rantings by the main villain), very little dialogue during action scenes at all. Further, the actions that these superhumans take have dramatic, long-lasting consequences. People die, inquiries are launched, governments panic. In the climax of the story, the presence of gods among men completely changes the path of human events.
Yes, you say, that's basically what modern comics aspire to. What makes Miracleman different? Well, as Miracleman was published by Eclipse Comics, as opposed to Watchmen and DKR's publisher DC Comics, it was subject to very few editing restraints. Consequently, Moore went full-out to portray the events of the book as realistically and frankly as possible, and the results are often shocking. Realistic levels of unsettling violence, uncensored sexuality, and sometimes the combination thereof are all present in Miracleman. Moore set out, and truly accomplished, to write a comic which is as uninhibited as a prose novel.
But it's not just the shocking content. The characters are easily as good as those from Watchmen. The good guys can't (or won't) always do the right thing, and the bad guys are not totally morally bankrupt (again, with one notable exception). Miracleman himself is a flawed person, often showing a short temper. Further, he's not a Batman or Superman type character who refuses to kill, even when ridiculously impractical, because doing so would offend their dead parents or farm-grown values. Miracleman (and his support characters) acknowledge that sometimes, evil must be stopped permanently. And when you do have to kill someone, not everyone is going to understand. Governments will be afraid. Citizens will either cower in fear or praise their new savior. Showing people that the world is not what they thought it was means that they may not just go back to work the next day, like they might in a Marvel or DC book.
Then there is the psychological aspect. When Miracleman is reborn, he laments the fact that he was trapped inside his host's body for so many years. Because, unlike Captain Marvel, Miracleman is not just a person with two different bodies. It is a person with two different bodies and two different minds. When Miracleman is saving the day, Mike Moran is trapped in darkness, unable to stop him or even influence him strongly. The same is true for other users of the same power, good and evil. Imagine what impact this would have on your personality, your self esteem, your loved ones. Moore covers every angle of this problem brilliantly. I won't spoil some of the more dramatic moments, but suffice it to say that there are major consequences for some characters.
My final point is that it's just damned good science fiction. What starts out as a superhero story turns into something so much larger, so much more interesting. Why does no one remember Miracleman's earlier adventures? Where do his powers come from? What other kind of superhuman beings are out there? The level of depth in Miracleman dwarfs that of Moore's other stories, which are usually renowned for their incredible depth. At any point in the story, there are multiple layers of obfuscation, which only become totally uncovered at the end of the story. At least one re-read is recommended.
So, why is this not one of the most revered comics of all time, as I say it should be? Very simply, no one has read it. The aforementioned legal problems mean that almost no one who only reads comics in print has read it. Decent condition single issues sell on Amazon for at least $10 each. Mint condition trade paperbacks easily go for hundreds. It's simply not possible for the average reader to get it. And that's the tragedy. I shouldn't have to pirate one of the greatest stories ever told. I would love to own a hardcover Miracleman omnibus. I would love to give Alan Moore the money he deserves for such an amazing work. But it's not going to happen while this ridiculous legal issue remains. Therefore, I encourage everyone who is interested to read the book and spread the word. A fairly good copy has been circulated on the internet for some time, which I have re-uploaded here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y9ZC4515
I sincerely hope you'll give it a shot. I certainly didn't regret it.