Gather around comicbook fans. I'm here to share with you today my Midterm Report on Mister Miracle by Tom King. What does that mean? Well, I'm going to break down the series so far from a technical perspective and share with you my opinions. So if you’re down for that then read on!

What you're getting yourself into:

• A 5-10 minute light read on what makes Mister Miracle so great.
• Spoilers. SPOILERS! Do not read this if you intend on not spoiling yourself.
• An analysis of Mister Miracle issues 1-6.

“Life at best is bittersweet...” ~ Jack Kirby

Mister Miracle is that one superhero genre comic book series that comes along every year or so that captivates readers through witty dialogue and expressive art. To put it simply, Mister Miracle gives it's readers a sense of wonder and bewilderment at the same time. While credit is often reserved for Tom King (writer), I'd like to mention this ensemble of creators that also help make this a very special series:

• Mitch Gerads- Penciller, Inker, Colorist, and Variant Cover Artist

• Nick Derington- Cover Artist

• Clayton Cowles- Letterer

• Bob Harras - Editor-in-Chief

• Jamie S. Rich- Editor

• Maggie Howell- Assistant Editor

• Molly Mahan- Associate Editor

And let's not forget the creator that made this all possible when he penned and drew the Fourth World at DC Comics: Jack Kirby.

So let's examine what makes this a great series.

When I analyze a series I have a list of things I look at:

1. The art
2. The writing
3. Pacing
4. Continuity between issues
5. Overall enjoyment while reading

The Art

Beginning with issue 1, the reader is greeted by Mitch Gerads unique art style. Gerads makes use of both fine and dark lines to drive forward King's narrative. It looks rough, but at the same time the art is drawn in such a way that I am able to read every facial expression on the characters faces. In addition to that, Gerads paints the world of Mister Miracle using a very simple color pallete. It's quite unorthodox, especially coming from DC Comics. And upon initial inspection it may lead the reader to find the art a bit lazy. However, after reading through these issues I do not believe that to be the case. Referring back to my previous statement, Gerads draws each scene and colors it in a way that gives me more than just the dialogue that Tom King has written. A great example of this is the scene in issue 1 when Orion appears before Scott to give him some brotherly love.

Another thing that I really enjoy about Mister Miracle is the way the panels are laid out. Dave Gibbons did a great job using the 9 panel layout in his and Alan Moore's hit series The Watchmen, and lately Tom King has used 9 panel layout in a number of his comic series, such as The Omega Men, The Button (Batman/Flash), and Vision. However, in Mister Miracle, every page consists of the 9 panel format (save a few rare pages here and there). That's quite a feat, especially for Gerads to draw all of that. I really appreciate the creators going with that format though. Again, it adds an element to the way the story is driven, and reads like I am watching a cartoon versus reading an entire page of dialogue with 3-4 panels being the exact same (I'm looking at you Bendis). So my final thoughts on the art: FANTASTIC

The Writing

If this is the first time that you are reading a comic book series by Tom King then boy are you in for a ride. Prior to reading Mister Miracle I had read both the Omega Men and Vision by King. The latter definitely gave me a trip of emotions, puzzling questions, and certainly wonder when it concluded. This series is on that same level, if not better. I am always on the edge of my seat (being dramatic here, I'm not on the edge of my seat literally but I do not want to put this book down at any time while reading) and I am always asking "What next?". I try to read in between the lines a number of times to figure out just what is happening. "Darkseid Is.", What does that mean? Why does Barda's eye color change throughout the various issues? Why does it feel like Mister Miracle actually died and is in some limbo? Sometimes I just wonder that maybe the greatest trick that's being played is not by any of the characters in Mister Miracle, but by Tom King himself. I am reading a book that I just cannot find myself escaping from. And by god, that just tell's you that you are reading a damn good comic book.

I'm quite satisfied with the way King is writing this series. I've read the original Mister Miracle run by Jack Kirby, and even the series after. This is very self contained and great for new readers. You do not have to really read much of the previous volumes. A simple wiki read will let you know about the characters. But I do recommend you read the run by Kirby while reading this. Second, this series breaks away from the norm. It's a superhero comic book that explores themes you do not really see from other series in the genre. While some creators attempt to write comics about philosophical concepts or even psychological issues (such as anxiety, depression, etc) they often fail to really develop an interesting narrative that can be mixed in with the world of their character and their super powers. And at that point these series either get dropped by the reader and the publisher, or fail to really make a mark. So kudos Tom for giving me a series full of death, depression, and an intimate look at Scott and Barda's kinks. And of course kudo's for making me laugh when reading lines such as "Do you know anything about Theology?" "Dude, I'm a god. I AM Theology" (Mister Miracle issue #6).

Pacing, continuity, and overall satisfaction

The pacing in this series is fantastic. Each panel works off of the previous and builds on both the dialogue and action. Although this is a monthly series, there is not a huge problem with where the series was going or what not. I often found each issue to actually be like a Jack Kirby Mister Miracle issue. Each issue ends with a cliffhanger that builds up into the next subsequent issue. It almost makes me feel like a kid watching Dragonball Z and hearing the announcer's voice at the end saying "Find out on the next episode of DragonballZ!". And then when I open up the following issue, it just picks up from that cliffhanger. Each individual issue is also structured really well from a narrative perspective. In one moment Scott and Barda could be exploring LA, while masterfully leading up to a tragedy or action.

So far, this series hasn't really been about a big bad that Scott has to fight. The big bad has been there since page 1 of issue 1 when Scott tried to kill himself: Death. It feels like Death won and after that there's never a sense that our hero is in danger. Sure a great deal of change happens all of a sudden. Highfather is dead, Granny Goodness is dead, Orion becomes the new Highfather and it looks like he's dead at the end of issue 6 as well, and finally Barda states she's pregnant. There's this gnawing sense that something big is happening or has already happened, but so far it's not easy to tell what King's end game is. I'm hooked in as a reader because it feels like a really well thought out story that's connected between each issues seamlessly.

Final Thoughts

Masterful storytelling and expressive art makes Mister Miracle the best superhero comic book series that is currently being published. (Please quote me on that DC for your covers). After 6 issues, I am very satisfied with my single issue purchases as a consumer. I hope to see a deluxe edition hard cover of this in the near future and you can bet that I will be purchasing it. And that my friend's is what makes this series so great. At least in my perspective. This is not about hype. It's about amazing storytelling and artistic expression in comic form. I'd put my money on it that Jack Kirby would be proud of this series by King and Gerads. With that said, it's time for your resident Doctor to sign off on this Midterm Report.

Disclaimer:

This piece was written by me, a consumer, that has been purchasing the Mister Miracle comic book series published by DC Comics. DC has not contacted me to write this, nor have I received any monetary incentive or otherwise for writing this.

My other Works

Comicbook Dissection: America by Gabby Rivera