| Miracleman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The cover toMiracleman #1 from 1986, art byGarry Leach. | |||
| Character information | |||
| Created by | Mick Anglo | ||
| Publication information | |||
| Publisher | Eclipse Comics (1985–1993) Marvel Comics (2014–present) | ||
| Schedule | Monthly Bi-monthly | ||
| |||
| Formats | Ongoing series Limited series | ||
| Genre | Superhero,horror | ||
| Publication date | August 1985 | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | |||
| Artist(s) | |||
| Penciller(s) | Rick Veitch | ||
| Letterer(s) | |||
| Colorist(s) | |||
Miracleman[Note 1] is asuperherocomic book series, centred on thecharacter of the same name. Originally created byMick Anglo and published byL. Miller & Son, Ltd. asMarvelman between 1954 and 1963, the character was revived in 1982 for a revisionist story written byAlan Moore, beginning in the pages of BritishanthologyWarrior. From 1985 the character was renamed Miracleman, and the series was continued by American publisherEclipse Comics until 1993. Since 2009 the rights to the character have been licensed byMarvel Comics, who have published new material.
By 1954,Hackney-based publisher L. Miller & Son, Ltd had experienced considerable success reprinting the adventures ofCaptain Marvel andCaptain Marvel Jr., licensed fromFawcett Publications. However,legal action byDC Comics led to Fawcett cancelling the titles, cutting off Miller's source of material. Not wanting to lose two of their bestselling titles,Len Miller contacted artistMick Anglo, whose Gower Street Studios had already created cover art for many L. Miller & Son comics.[1][2] He designed the characters as the similarly powered Marvelman andYoung Marvelman, with the titles renamed accordingly from their respective 25th editions.[2] Anglo initially handled the strip himself while it was shaped before involving other artists from his studio, includingDon Lawrence,Ron Embleton andDenis Gifford, who would all go on to have successful careers in the industry.[1] The weekly comics were very successful, exceeding the sales of their predecessors,[3] and led to several spin-offs – including a third title from October 1956,Marvelman Family, a monthly that featured Marvelman and Young Marvelman teaming up with Kid Marvelman that would run until 1959.[3]
Sales however began to fall after the ban on importing American comics was lifted in November 1959.[4][5] In 1960 they had dropped to a degree where L. Miller & Son switched the title to monthly reprint titles, and Anglo ended his relationship with Miller.[2]Marvelman andYoung Marvelman were finally cancelled after the February 1963 editions – both having reached No. 370. The publisher subsequently entered bankruptcy.[3]
At the time of Marvelman's creation it was industry standard that British comic characters were created on awork for hire basis, with the works belonging to the publisher, The characters spent over two decades in publishing limbo based on the false premise that Anglo had sold the rights to the character in the 1980s. However, in 2009 it emerged that Anglo had actually retained the rights to the character from its initial creation in 1954.[6]
When planningWarrior, editorDez Skinn planned a similar set of content to his work withMarvel UK, and identified the need for the comic to have a superhero strip. Having readMarvelman as a child and having encounteredMick Anglo earlier in his career,[4] Skinn was aware of the character's status as a historic British superhero and settled on a revival forWarrior, explaining:
It was always going to be Marvelman. I knew the character's history: I'd had a few Annuals as a kid and those cheap and nasty little comics. Wasn't particularly thrilled with them, outside of occasional stunning art, but I'd always had a soft spot for Mick Anglo ... So, given the difference between a brand-new character who would sell no more copies, or a somewhat forgotten character who might sell about a dozen more, I opted to follow the similar relaunch I'd done withCaptain Britain—tease at first, then, as a bonus, surprise those who actually cared. If it failed, it was only six pages out of 52—the beauty of the anthology approach.[7]
Skinn's first two choices to write Marvelman wereSteve Parkhouse andSteve Moore. Both expressed a lack of interest, and when Moore told Skinn that his friendAlan Moore[Note 2] would "give his eye teeth" to write Marvelman, Skinn agreed to let him submit a pitch for the series.[7][4] Alan Moore had also readMarvelman as a child before discoveringDC Comics. However, as a teenager he found some of theMarvelman annuals while holidaying inGreat Yarmouth, and enjoyed them more than he had expected. Also influenced by readingHarvey Kurtzman'sMad spoof "Superduperman", he was fascinated by the idea of what had happened to the fictional character in the meantime.[8]
...realizing that since I hadn't seen an actualMarvelman since the early sixties the title had probably been discontinued, I wondered idly what Marvelman was doing these days. I was struck by the image of the eternally youthful and exuberant hero as a middle-aged man, trudging the streets and trying fruitlessly to remember his magic word.[9]
Some years later as a budding writer with credits for2000AD andDoctor Who Monthly under his belt, Moore mentioned this in an interview withDavid Lloyd forThe Society for Strip Journalists, a small press British comics industry publication.[8] Moore provided a detailed proposal for a revival that updated the story to present times; Moore even suggested that should the idea to revive Marvelman be abortive most of it would be salvageable as "a pastiche character called Miracle Man".[10] Skinn was impressed, and asked for a script for the first episode on spec; after this passed muster Moore was signed on as writer. Skinn's first picks for artist wereDave Gibbons andBrian Bolland, but both declined.[7][4] Instead Garry Leach,Warrior's art director, was assigned to draw the strip. Leach's style involved heavy photo reference, and he designed Marvelman to resemble actorPaul Newman, Liz Moran afterAudrey Hepburn and the adult Kid Marvelman as a mix ofJon Finch andDavid Bowie. He also updated the character's distinctive "MM" logo to a more modern look and settled on a lithe physique for the superhero instead of a muscular look.[11] For his part, Alan Moore worked with Steve Moore on a chronology that would tie theWarrior strips together as part of Skinn's plan to have the heroes eventually work together as a team named "Challenger Force", with Marvelman, Moore and Leach'sWarpsmith, Skinn'sBig Ben and new character Firedrake among the planned members. Few of the elaborate ideas in their chronology (such asV for Vendetta being set on an alternate Earth where Marvelman had never returned, Emil Gargunza being the creator of the Fate computer andAxel Pressbutton's adventures being set far in the future ofMarvelman) would come to fruition beforeWarrior folded.[12]
The first 6-page episode appeared in the first issue ofWarrior (dated March 1982)[13] which also included a four-page article on the character's history penned by Skinn.;[1] the character was not named on the cover or the index, with his identity only being confirmed on the final page of the story.[14] For the fourth issue, branded as theWarrior Summer Special, the story suddenly jumped forward three years in a story that hinted at the future plans for the combined universe.[4] The strip returned to telling Marvelman's 1982 rebirth fromWarrior #5;[13] however, Leach's meticulous style was causing delays. Moore would later claim Leach was too slow,[8] while Skinn would blame Moore's overdetailed panel descriptions.[4] Leach for his part noted that while the scripts were incredibly detailed he would simply ignore details he felt were extraneous, and felt Moore was always open to suggestions; for example it was Leach's idea thatKid Marvelman would retain his business suit during his confrontation with Marvelman as he felt this better fitted the tone of the story than the character's fifties costume.[11] ArtistMick Austin provided painted covers of the character for two issues, the first of which would later receive an Eagle Award.[15]
Nevertheless, Leach's workload as art director for the magazine and artist onMarvelman proved too great.[11] Moore suggestedAlan Davis as a replacement, with whom he had a productive relationship on Marvel UK'sCaptain Britain strip and in2000AD'sD.R. & Quinch.[8] Skinn recalled he had baulked at the idea of having the two most prominent superhero strips in the country sharing creative teams but relented,[4] and the first 'book' ("A Dream of Flying") concluded after 10 chapters inWarrior #11. Warrior meanwhile had attracted good notices, including major recognition at the Eagle Awards,[15] but was struggling with sales and heavily subsidised by Skinn's comic shop business to keep going, while the creative teams began quibbling about the division of spoils and the potentially constrictive Challenger Force concept.[4][16] Moore and Leach would shortly collaborate again onWarpsmith forWarrior.Warrior #12 featured a dialogue-freeYoung Marvelman story set in flashback, written by Moore and drawn byJohn Ridgway before Book Two began in #13.Warrior #17 saw Ridgway again take art duties for a double-length flashback strip tying into the main narrative, this time featuring all three members of the Marvelman Family.[13]
Part of Skinn's informal agreement with Anglo was the potential to earn royalties from reprints of vintage material; this combined with the positive reception to Marvelman in particular led to the publication of the fatefulMarvelman Special in 1984.[4] Moore and Davis provided wrapping sequences that framed the strips as an epilogue to Book One, featuring a pair of unnamed cleaners tidying the Project Zarathustra bunker while watching some of the video cassettes held there - the revival having retconned the characters' older adventures as dreams induced by Emil Gargunza.[17] This conceit allowed reprints of material fromMarvelman,Young Marvelman andMarvelman Family to be printed without disrupting continuity, as well as aBig Ben strip previously created by Skinn (who was credited under the pseudonym Edgar Henry) and artistIan Gibson, the character having appeared as a guest in theMarvelman strip.
AfterWarrior #21, Marvelman disappeared from the title partway through the second 'book' "The Red King Syndrome". Skinn would publicly blame this onMarvel Comics taking legal action over the titling of theMarvelman Special. However the truth was that Moore and Davis had fallen out and due to the ownership structure of the property it could not be continued without the approval of both.[4] Regardless, what Moore saw as Marvel's bullying tactics and the unfair principle of the American company trying to object to the name of a character created before they had switched to their current identity would greatly contribute to his decision to refuse to work for Marvel again.[8] At this stage, that Anglo retained ownership of theMarvelman characters was unknown, and it was instead believed by all involved that the rights were split between Moore, Leach, Davis and Quality Communications the strip was unable to continue without approval from all parties.[16] A youngGrant Morrison, having recently began working onWarrior stripThe Liberators, was eager to take over but this was vetoed by Moore.[4] As of 2026[update] the black-and-white unmodifiedWarrior strips with the original Marvelman-related names have not been collected.Warrior ended after 26 issues with no further appearances from Marvelman; the title had been running at a loss since it began publication, with Skinn estimating it had cost him in the region of $40,000 across its life.
Following the demise ofWarrior, and after unsuccessful negotiations withDC andMarvel, Skinn struck a deal with the Schanes brothers atPacific Comics ofSan Diego in 1984 to continue the story - unaware at the time that he did not have the rights to do so. Most of Pacific's assets were taken over byGuerneville-based rival Eclipse Comics after being won at a foreclosure auction by co-ownerDean Mullaney, including the Marvelman deal.[4] Initially the title was advertised[18] and promoted asMarvelman.[19] However to avoid any further legal action the title was retitledMiracleman, with the characters renamed accordingly;[20] previewing the series inAmazing Heroes, Eclipse editor-in-chiefCat Yronwode suggested she had considered a write-in campaign to name the hero.[21] The renaming seems to have taken place independently from "Miracleman" having been among the working names for the character considered by Anglo and Miller,[3] and its use for a further derivative of Marvelman created by Anglo and publishing in 1965 asMiracle Man.[22] It was in fact suggested by Moore as an alternate name during his originalWarrior proposal should Skinn had ultimately decided on a fresh work instead of resurrecting Marvelman,[10] and he had used it for an analogue of the character briefly featured in his work onMarvel UK'sCaptain Britain strip.[8] The new title was announced in May 1985, shortly before publication.[23]
The bi-monthlyMiracleman title began in August 1985 by reprinting the extantWarrior material, resized from UK magazine size to US comic book format and edited by Yronwode. Book One had been completed inWarrior previously but underwent modification before publication by Eclipse; the material was colourised byRon Courtney, and initially the format allowed multipleWarrior episodes to be reprinted in a single issue, initially priced at 75¢ - at the time the cheapest price a full-colour direct-sales only ongoing comic had been published with.[24] All references to "Marvelman" and its derivatives were modified to "Miracleman". As the American title was a standard 36 pages at this stage the strip contents were entirely Miracleman material, meaning three chapters per issue. As a result, Moore took the opportunity to insert a prelude inMiracleman #1 - a modified, colourisedL. Miller & Son strip called "Marvelman Family and the Invaders from the Future".[Note 3] Moore reworked some of the dialogue and an additional page consisting of a gradual zoom into Miracleman's eye, accompanied by a quotation fromFriedrich Nietzsche'sThus Spake Zarathustra. Skinn provided a history of the original character for American readers[25](slightly modified from the similar piece that had appeared in the first issue ofWarrior[1]), while Moore also wrote a text feature on the character for the second issue.[9]Miracleman #2 also debuted the title's letters page, named "Miracle Mail", that would act as a forum for the series and its stories, and was initially answered by Yronwode herself.[26] New covers were also commissioned, featuring work from notable artists such asHoward Chaykin,[27]Jim Starlin[13] andPaul Gulacy.[28]
Material from Quality'sMarvelman Special was also used but instead of being colourised the relettered pages were subjected to thestereoscopy process byRay Zone and released as the one-shotMiracleman 3D #1 in October 1985, one of a number of such titles issued by Eclipse at the time. In order to accommodate visually impaired readers unable to view 3D comics, a limited edition mail order black-and-white only version was also produced in limited numbers.[26] TheYoung Marvelman andMarvelman Family fill-in strips fromWarrior were also woven into the reprints. The only material skipped was the future-set story "The Yesterday Gambit", partly due to it no longer cleanly fitting into Moore's plans.[13]
The series received a positive reception, withAmazing Heroes reviewer R.A. Jones saying "the book deserves to be a hit" after reading the first issue;[29] he reminded readers again to buy it before the second issue appeared.[30]Miracleman went on to win 'Best New Series' at the 1986Kirby Awards;[31]Miracleman #1 was also nominated as 'Best Single Issue',[32] but lost toDaredevil #227.
After theWarrior material ran out new stories by Moore appeared fromMiracleman #6 that broadly retained many of the plans established in the Quality proposals and chronology; for example, the writer has recalled discussing the planned realistic depiction of Miracleman's daughter Winter with Skinn before the strip stalled. However, other aspects evolved as Moore grew as a writer.[8] Art duties were undertaken byChuck Austen, then working under his birthname Chuck Beckum. The artist was picked by Moore and announced at the 1985San Diego Comic Con,[33] and character art he produced featured in #3's letters page.[34] From issue 7 Eclipse increased the price of the title to 95¢, the 75¢ price having been unsustainable despite respectable sales.[28] Austen completed all of the following issue, which was split into two chapters to preserve continuity of the format with previous work. Reception continued to be strong, with R.A. Jones praising the first six issues at length - noting that the revisionist story "will not spell the death of the superhero, but it will show that there are no limits to what can be done by the genre - save those imposed by our too-small minds.".[35]
However soon after the series hit the first of what would be a number of delays, as Eclipse's offices flooded.[36] As a result,Miracleman #7 was delayed and #8 - instead of featuring the birth of Miracleman's daughter as announced in the previous issue[37] -would instead consist of two modified Mick Anglo-era strips and a preview for the unrelated Eclipse seriesThe New Wave, wrapped by a self-referential framing sequence created by and featuring Yronwode and Austen. While the framing sequence mocked Marvel's former practice of running reprints, critic R.A. Jones would note that this honestly would have been more convincing if it had been on the cover, instead of only revealed in the interior.[38] The experiment would not be repeated during later delays.[39] Following #8 Austen left the title, infuriated by coming home to find Yronwode berating his grandmother by phone over late artwork. Austen for his part was unable to recollect receiving a script for the originally planned version of the issue.[33] Moore's relationship with Yronwode and Eclipse would also decay as the company failed to provide the writer requested documentation thatAlan Davis had consented to his work being printed in the title;[39] this was because the artist - not on speaking terms with Moore at the time - had not given permission; Eclipse went ahead and printed his work anyway and according to Davis made little attempt to pay him for doing so.[16] As Moore's scripts would typically require very little editing and he still lived inEngland at the time he largely avoided interacting with Yronwode for the rest of the writer's run on the title.[8][40]
Austen was replaced byRick Veitch[41] fromMiracleman #9. Veitch was a fan of the series, crediting it as an influence on his own revisionist superhero storyThe One.[42] The cover bore a warning due to featuring "graphic scenes of childbirth" as it saw the delivery of Miracleman and Liz's daughter Winter.[13] The idea of doing a realistic birth sequence was something both Moore and Yronwode both felt passionately about. Having noticed that a previous comics delivery had used aHustlercentrefold as reference,[42] the editor instructed Veitch to model it instead onA Child is Born, a book featuring photo studies of a birth taken byLennart Nilsson.[40][43] After a SouthCalifornia retailer told Yronwode they would not stock the issue after learning of its contents, the editor chose to put a sarcastic warning on the front cover, styled after the Surgeon General health warning appearing on cigarette packaging and using wording she had seen used in a warning on aToday report.[40] While the issue has been frequently cited as causing great controversy, Moore recalled response was positive - though he noted that Skinn had blanched at the idea when first proposed forWarrior.[8] Yronwode would claim the issue drew a lot of negative criticism[43] but would later note this was mainly infanzines.[44] The following issue concluded Book Two with a number of teasers for Book Three, with the art again from Veitch. Both issues also saw a format change, with a single 16-page chapter ofMiracleman and a back-up strip - initially fellowWarrior alumniLaser Eraser and Pressbutton.[13] R.A. Jones remained a strong supporter of the series, naming it fourth on his list of favourite comics from 1986.[38]
For the third arc, Moore wanted a single artist to illustrate the work - feeling that while all of the artists on Book Two had been capable the chopping and changing had left the story with an "uncertain" tone.[8] He selectedJohn Totleben, with whom he had previously collaborated onSwamp Thing forDC Comics; Totleben had already contributed the cover toMiracleman #9.[45] Moore had considered quitting the title after the end of Book Two after Yronwode and Mullaney berated his then-wife Phyllis over the phone over deadlines, but ultimately decided to stay on due to the opportunity to link up with Totleben again.[45] The first result of their latest collaboration wasMiracleman #11, released in May 1987, with the artist drawing heavily on the style ofVirgil Finlay.[45] However Totleben began struggling with what was initially diagnosed asretinitis pigmentosa,[Note 4] greatly slowing his work-rate. Moore vociferously resisted any suggestion of replacing Totleben, resulting in the nominally bi-monthly six issues taking over two and a half years to complete; by this point the series' slow schedule was well known.[46] Totleben's work onMiracleman would subsequently be shortlisted for the 1988Eisner Awards[47] and received praise from Andy Mangels ofAmazing Heroes due to being "incredibly richly textured", with the writer placingMiracleman 6th on his list of the 20 best comics then in publication.[48]
While the narrative broadly followed the plans Moore had originally mapped out during theWarrior days both his own growth as a writer and the opportunity of collaborating with Totleben saw the story evolve considerably.[8] The storyline featured a graphic showdown between Miracleman and his allies and the returning Kid Miracleman in a devastated London, which Moore intended as a demonstration on the damage a superhuman battle could result in on the real world;[8] Totleben drew onFrancisco Goya'sThe Disasters of War and theAmerican Civil War photography ofMathew Brady to portray the carnage in a realistic fashion.[45] Contrary to popular belief,Miracleman #15 was not short-printed - Eclipse's sales manager at the time,Beau Smith, estimated the issue had the same print run of 85,000 copies as others of the period, and attributed the aftermarket demand to the story's critical reputation.[49] Virginia Williams-Pennick praised the issue's realism inAmazing Heroes, noting that "The atrocities perpetrated on innocent humans by Bates are nightmarish in the extreme".[50]
Thomas Yeates would provide uncredited assistance to Totleben for a few panels ofMiracleman #16,[45] which saw the arc conclude with Miracleman taking control of Earth and turning into the utopia in what the writer called a "benign dictatorship", admitting he intentionally left flaws in the apparent paradise:.[8]
Everybody's dreams come true. What I wanted to do was show the blissfulness of it all, but at the same time you can't point your finger on what's wrong; it's very difficult. There's got to be something wrong with this. There's something that feels wrong.[8]
At the time Moore had announced the issue as the last he would write for a superhero title; while positively reviewing the comic forAmazing Heroes, Jeffrey S. Lang called it a "valedictory address" and praised its thought-provoking nature.[51] The series itself meanwhile was nominated for Best Continuing Series at the 1991 Eisners, as was Moore's writing.[52]
In 1988 Eclipse produced a two-issue limited series entirely made up of reprints namedMiracleman Family, with the issues dated May and September 1988. Due to the technology of the time, Eclipse were restricted to reprinting material they could find physical copies of.[53] The series presented tales originally printed inMarvelman,Young Marvelman andMarvelman Family, relettered byWayne Truman to update the names, and coloured byOlyoptics andMarcus David.[13] As the first issue recounted Young Miracleman's origin an editorial note was included to remind readers that the stories had been retconned as dreams induced by Gargunza. The second issue featured a brief one-page history on the characters by former Gower Street Studios artistDenis Gifford, and the issues featured new covers byGarry Leach andPaul Gulacy, respectively.[13]
Having completed the stories he planned for the character, Moore left the title, hand-pickingNeil Gaiman as his successor as a result ofViolent Cases and other comics Gaiman had written.[54][55]
[Alan Moore] said "now, I should warn you that by the end ofMiracleman #16 I will have solved all crimes, ended all wars and created an absolutely perfect world where no further stories can occur. Do you want to back out now? Please feel free." I said, "No, I'd love to."[54]
While initially intimidated by following Moore, Gaiman was swift to see the story possibilities presented by the apparent utopia.[54] Gaiman chose artistMark Buckingham as a collaborator after being impressed with his work forHeartbreak Hotel; he initially consideredDave McKean, who would instead provide covers for the first "book" of six issues.[56] The writer planned three arcs for the series -The Golden Age,The Silver Age andThe Dark Age, which he loosely mapped out.[54] The first arc was intended to world-build, using concepts mentioned by Moore's final issue, and the pair decided that rather than compete with the epic style of the previous arc they would adopt an anthology approach, with Buckingham wildly varying the style and medium across the stories[54] - later saying he approached the book as an "ongoing sketchbook".[56] The characters from the series also featured in Eclipse's company-wide crossoverTotal Eclipse; issue #4 of the crossover featured a backup strip called "Screaming" set in the Miracleman universe - the debut of the new creative team, some ten months before Moore and Totleben had actually completed their final issue on the main title.[56] The Golden Age was published with - by the title's standards - relative speed inMiracleman #17-22 between June 1990 and August 1991.[13] Gaiman and Buckingham were joined on the title fromMiracleman #21 byD'Israeli, who painted Buckingham's work.[56] By the series' standardsThe Golden Age met with relatively lukewarm reaction, with some readers feeling the small-scale stories indicated there was little future toMiracleman in terms of fresh stories.[57] However, Jeffrey Lang praisedMiracleman #17, and felt it was unclear if the Golden Age appellation was ironic,[58] while T.M. Maple lauded Gaiman's characterisation inMiracleman #20.[59] The series was again shortlisted for the 1992 Eisners as 'Best Continuing Series', while Gaiman was recognised as 'Best Writer' for his work onMiracleman combined withThe Sandman andThe Books of Magic.[60] The title remained one of Eclipse's strongest sellers and, with the company's fortunes dipping, they attempted to find a way to increase the output while not alienating the creative team, who had veto on any material featuring the character. The first attempt to make extra revenue wasMiracleman: Apocrypha.
The first issue of Gaiman and Buckingham's second arc appeared some ten months after the conclusion ofThe Golden Age, in June 1992. The arc was planned to revolve around the revivedYoung Miracleman and his reaction to his old friend's new world, examining Miracleman's doubts about his actions andMiraclewoman's judgement.[56]Barry Windsor-Smith, a fan of the character, was engaged to provide covers.[61] The next issue didn't arrive until over a year later;[13] Yronwode would claim that Gaiman had deadline issues at the time, feeling he was over-committed to other projects.[40] However, Gaiman's recollection was that Eclipse were tardy in paying the creators for their work, and as a result they wouldn't start on an issue until payment for the previous instalment had arrived.[54] Around this time Eclipse were able to persuade Gaiman to greenlight an ongoing spin-off namedMiracleman Triumphant,[40] which unlikeApocrypha would entirely take place in the main continuity. Set during a ten-year gap between the events ofThe Golden Age andThe Silver Age,[57] the series was set to be written by Eclipse editor Fred Burke with art byMike Deodato, with Gaiman having editorial veto over the contents.[40] Despite a trade advert for the series being printed and the first issue being solicited, none ofTriumphant was published before Eclipse went out of business, and conflicting accounts of how close it was to release have emerged since. Yronwode has claimed the first issue was completed and the second well underway,[40] with the company's financial problems preventingMiracleman Triumphant #1 from being released in a similar manner to the hold-up forMiracleman #25.[13] However, Gaiman has said he never saw any of the series and had not signed off on it (also noting Deodato was not paid for his work),[54] both statements that Yronwode disputes.[40] Some of Deodato's work has since surfaced;[40][49] it is currently unknown if the series will ever be officially published.
In 1995, after several financial reversals and Yronwode's divorce from Mullaney, Eclipse declared bankruptcy, leavingMiracleman without a publisher.[62] Only two issues of "The Silver Age" had been printed; a third was ready but due to their dire finances Eclipse were unable to find a printer who would provide them with the credit needed to actually get the comic produced. Worried by Mullaney's erratic behaviour at the time, Yronwode returned the artwork to Gaiman.[40] Buckingham would allow several pages to be printed in George Khoury's 2001 non-fiction history of the series,Kimota! The Miracleman Companion.[63] "The Dark Age" was originally planned to take place "three or four hundred years" after the events of the Silver Age, featuring the apparent return of Mike Moran to a world long abandoned by superhumans, and feature Kid Miracleman.[54] Gaiman's original proposal for the trio of storylines simply noted that "things go bad".[64]
Legal disputes over the ownership of the character, based on the misconception that Mick Anglo had sold the rights to Dez Skinn, which never occurred, left the title out of print, leading to back issues and trade paperbacks of the series greatly increasing in price in the collector's market.[65]
In 2009 it came to light that Anglo had in fact held ownership of Marvelman since 1954.[39] Once this was established Marvel Comics, led by creative directorJoe Quesada, struck a deal directly with Anglo to license Marvelman, planning to reprint the extant material and then continue it.[66] Anglo only had the rights to the character and the material completed by his Gower Street Studios - due to the policies of both Quality and Eclipse, creators still had the rights to their own individual work and Marvel would have to strike an agreement with each to use it, while there was some confusion as to whether the trademark for "Miracleman" was actually owned by Marvel or McFarlane, with early Marvel material pointedly only referring to the property as "Marvelman".[39] Moore's long-running animosity with Marvel initially looked set to be a problem; however, he eventually relented and allowed Marvel to reprint his work, providing his name was not used in connection with the series.[39] Moore stated he would donate his initial royalties for the reprints to Mick Anglo,[39] and Marvel credited him as 'The Original Writer'[22] on all official materials.
Marvel's first output featuring the character was theMarvelman Classic Primer, a one-shot including historical text pieces byMike Conroy, an account of Quesada meeting Anglo and pin-ups byMike Perkins,Doug Braithwaite,Miguel Angel Sepulveda,Jae Lee,Khoi Pham andBen Oliver.[67] This was followed by the six-issue limited seriesMarvelman: Family's Finest, reprinting restored versions of Anglo's strips fromMarvelman,Young Marvelman andMarvelman Family.[66] Cover art was produced byMarko Djurdjević and others (with many drawn from theClassic Primer), with one a modified version of Anglo's 1954 cover toMarvelman #33. That the contents were the older material rather than the 1980s revival received a mixed reaction.[68][69][70] The series was collected as a trade paperback[71] while two archives apiece ofMarvelman Classic andYoung Marvelman Classic were released. As of 2026[update] no further volumes of eitherClassic title have been released since 2012, with sales of the hardcovers having been poor - dropping below 300 copies apiece.[39]
Anglo died on 31 October 2011, aged 95.[72][73]
A three-year hiatus followed, with Marvel Senior Vice President of PublishingTom Brevoort assuring fans that it would be published as "soon as everything is ready".[73] Quesada would attribute the delay to wanting to "do it right", including acquiring original artwork and high-qualityPhotostats for restoration. Others have noted other potential factors, including ongoing uncertainty over who owned the 'Miracleman trademark (speculated to have actually been owned by McFarlane) and negotiations with Moore over the permission Marvel needed to reprint his work.[39] By 2012 Marvel had secured the 'Miracleman' trademark[74] and atNew York Comic Con 2013 announced the reprints and eventual continuation would use this name, contrary to previous proclamations.[75][76][22] Marvel opted to title the revival material 'Miracleman', while retaining 'Marvelman' for potential future use. In an interview withComic Book Resources, Quesada said this was because it "was the coolest name" and was the name Marvel staff used when discussing the character.[77]
A wide array of notable comic artists would provide cover art for the series, includingArt Adams,John Cassaday,Dave Gibbons,Adi Granov,Bryan Hitch,J. G. Jones,Alex Maleev,Humberto Ramos,Alex Ross,Bill Sienkiewicz,Leinil Francis Yu and Quesada himself, as well as new pieces byGarry Leach,Alan Davis,John Totleben and Buckingham.[78] The original artwork was restored by Michael Kelleher and his Kellustration company, coloured bySteve Oliff and relettered byChris Eliopoulos for the first issue, with Joe Caramanga subsequently taking over from the latter.Miracleman #1 was released on January 15, 2014, and contained updated versions of the first twoWarrior episodes; a modified vintage strip used as a prelude in the Eclipse series; a trio of restored, unmodified Gower Street Studios strips (including Marvelman's debut appearances); "Miracleman - Behind the Scenes", featuring associated work byGarry Leach; one of Conroy's articles and excerpts from Quesada meeting Anglo in 2010 (both originally fromMarvelman Classic Primer). The online version of #1 also featured edited art for the digital version to cover Liz Moran'sbuttocks[79][80][81] The first issue was a commercial success; according toDiamond Comic Distributors,Miracleman #1 was the 23rd best selling comic book in January 2014.[82][83]
Reception to the first issue was largely positive,[84] though some felt the supplemental material did little to justify the book's price[85] Corey Schroeder ofComic Vine gaveMiracleman #1 a grade of 4 out of 5 stars, saying, "This issue really defines a “mixed bag” in terms of what you get. On the one hand, it's very cool to see the original stories and, for me, very, very fascinating peering behind the curtain at exactly what went on behind the scenes with this character (the interview with Anglo by Joe Quesada is especially interesting, especially since very little of it focuses on the comic and a great deal focuses on the man himself) but I could see someone who couldn't care less feeling like they're paying extra for nothing. Buyer beware, in that case, but the core story here is as rock solid and resonant now as it was thirty years ago."[86] Jesse Schedeen ofIGN gaveMiracleman #1 a grade of 7 out of 10, writing, "As long as you don't come intoMiracleman immediately expecting the same caliber of work from Moore that he delivered on Watchmen or Swamp Thing, you'll find a thoughtful, intelligent look at a once-campy superhero. It's just a shame that Marvel insisted on cramming the issue with supplemental content and driving up the price accordingly. Wait for the trade, perhaps, but don't miss this chance to finally experience a classic."[87] The rest of Book One followed inMiracleman #2-4; among the included extra material was the first colour versions of the future-set story "The Yesterday Gambit" (originally printed inWarrior #4 and skipped by Eclipse), "Saturday Morning Pictures" (the framing sequence for the 1984Marvelman Special), and coloured versions of Leach'sWarpsmith strips, also originally produced forWarrior.
In September 2014, the first new Miracleman material under the Marvel Comics banner was announced.All-New Miracleman Annual featured a 'lost' story that was written in the 1980s and pitched toWarrior unsuccessfully byGrant Morrison, now drawn by Quesada; it was joined by a brand new story byPeter Milligan andMike Allred.[88] According toDiamond Comic Distributors,All-New Miracleman Annual #1 was the 118th best selling comic book in December 2014.[89][90] Michael Brown ofComicBook.com calledAll-New Miracleman Annual #1 a "more-than-worthy addition to the Miracleman tale";[91] however, Greg McElhatton ofComic Book Resources noted "I wish "All-New Miracleman Annual" #1 was better, but if anything, it's just a sharp reminder that Gaiman's success writing "Miracleman" post-Alan Moore is that much more of an impressive feat. It looks gorgeous but, considering the "All-New" part of the title, these stories have scripts that feel old and somewhat stale.".[92]
The second book was reprinted in the same format inMiracleman issues #5-10, with backmatter including more Anglo-era strips; original artwork for many of the pages contributed byAlan Davis,Chuck Austen andRick Veitch; and a recoloured version of the framing sequence produced by Austen andCat Yronwode for Eclipse'sMiracleman #8. Critical reception continued to be positive, with Michael Brown noting that he "was running out of ways to keep saying how good this series is".[93]Updated versions of the third book - completing Moore's run - were printed inMiracleman #11-16, with the contents now corresponding directly to the respective Eclipse issues. ArtistJohn Totleben provided new covers for the reprinted issues and also contributed a large amount of original artwork and sketches to the "Miracleman - Behind the Scenes" sections, which were again joined by Anglo reprints. The latter were dropped for #16, due to the final chapter ofOlympus being double-length.Kid Miracleman's use of a derogatory slur inMiracleman issue #15 was intentionally not fully spelled-out in Marvel's updated version.[79]
The series was retitledMiracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham in 2015, in preparation for the reprinting and continuation the pair's run, and reset with a new #1.[94] Buckingham and collaboratorD'Israeli refreshed the artwork.[95] The story content again matched with the corresponding Eclipse issues, while the abundant sketches and artwork Buckingham provided saw the Anglo reprints dropped in favour of extended versions of "Miracleman: Behind the Scenes".
On December 29, 2021, theTimeless one-shot was released, featuring the Miracleman "MM" logo on the final page. Later announcements by Marvel confirmed that Miracleman would appear in the Marvel universe going forward.[96] For the one-shot's third printing in February 2022, Buckingham produced a cover prominently featuring the character[97]
As part of a 2022 celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the character's revival in the pages ofWarrior, Marvel issuedMiracleman Omnibus (containing the entire Alan Moore run, though he was once again credited as The Original Writer)[98] and a fresh collected edition ofMiracleman: The Golden Age.[99] Marvel also releasedMiracleman #0, featuring a framing sequence by Gaiman & Buckingham (modified from that ofMiracleman: Apocrypha),[100] and containing new stories "Blood on the Snow" (byRyan Stegman), "Whisper in the Dark" (byMike Carey andPaul Davidson), "Kimota's Miracle" (byPeach Momoko andZack Davisson) and "The Man Whose Dreams Were Miracles" (byJason Aaron andLeinil Francis Yu), as well as a pin-up and short cartoons byTy Templeton. As withApocrypha these stories were established to be fictions from the Miracleman universe. Reception to the new material was largely positive,[101][102][103][104] though some noted that working knowledge of the character was required for the work to be fully appreciated.[105] According toICv2,Miracleman #0 was the 19th best selling comic book in October 2022.[106]
Marvel originally announced that the long-anticipatedSilver Age storyline would continue in 2016 following publication ofThe Golden Age; however solicitations were cancelled when the decision was taken to comprehensively re-draw the extant material before proceeding with the rest of the story, as revealed by senior editorNick Lowe at the 2017San Diego Comic-Con.[107] At the following year's SDCC Marvel used a retailer-only event to announced legal hurdles causing the cancellation had been resolved and the new series was supposed to begin publication in 2019 with the previously announced creative team of Gaiman and Buckingham on board.[108]
On June 24, 2022, Marvel Comics announced that Gaiman and Buckingham would completeMiracleman: The Silver Age, beginning in October of the same year. Buckingham noted “Neil and I have had these stories in our heads since 1989 so it is amazing to finally be on the verge of sharing them with our readers.".[109]Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age #1 finally entered publication in October 22, with the first two issues updating the two instalments previously printed by Eclipse. While the material followed the same script, Buckingham recomposed and redrew many of the panels,[110][111] and D'Israeli was replaced as colourist byJordie Bellaire. David Harth ofComic Book Resources rankedMiracleman: The Silver Age #1 2nd in their "10 Best Marvel Comics Of 2022" list, writing, "Marvel's best books are must-reads for any fan, and that goes doubly forMiracleman: The Silver Age, by writer Neil Gaiman and artist Mark Buckingham. Miracleman fans have waited decades for this book, and it's impressed as much as anyone would have imagined. Gaiman and Buckingham finally finishing their Miracleman story is a wish come true. The book takes place in the early 2000s, with Miracleman having run the world for almost twenty years. A new generation of superhumans has risen and Miracleman's scientists are able to bring Young Miracleman to life. He awakens to a world unlike anything he imagined. It's an amazing book, already shaping up to be a classic."[112]
The third issue containing the first finished publication of the next part (several pages of pencilled had been used with Gaiman and Buckingham's permission in George Khoury's 2001 non-fiction bookKimota! The Miracleman Companion[113]). Buckingham was credited as co-writer of #4 to issue #7, which also featured a newly coloured reprint of a strip from Anglo'sYoung Marvelman #57 via the device of Miracleman reviewing a recording of one of the dreams induced for the Miracleman Family by Gargunza. Variant covers were once again commissioned from a host of feted artists, includingPhil Jimenez,Chris Sprouse,Steve McNiven andDavid Aja[114] Marvel released the digital comicWho is Miracleman? as part of theirInfinity ComicsWho is...? range on 8 February 2023, written byRam V and illustrated byLeonard Kirk.[115]
Marvel stated that they "have no new books forthcoming from [Neil Gaiman]" in January 2025[116] after news outlets published sexual assault accusations against him and Marvel's Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Tom Brevoort said in February 2025 that "nothing is going on with THE DARK AGE,"[117] effectively putting the run back on pause.
In the original material, after nobly helping save Guntag Borghalt from attackers,Daily Bugle copyboy Micky Moran is gifted the Key Harmonic of the Universe by the astro-scientist. Calling out "Kimota!" then turns Micky into the Mightiest Man in the Universe, the superhero Marvelman. As Marvelman, he is superhumanly strong, can fly and is invulnerable, and uses his powers to fight evil and disaster. Confronted with a large workload, Marvelman enlists the help of messenger Dicky Dauntless for one mission; the boy's courage impresses Marvelman and he arranges for Borghelm to also grant Dicky powers. Calling "Marvelman!" allows Dicky to become the Mightiest Boy in the Universe, Young Marvelman, and he also embarks on a crimefighting career. Later they are joined by a third comrade; when young Johnny Bates calls "Marvelman!" he is transformed into Kid Marvelman. The trio fight crime separately and together as the Marvelman Family. Among their enemies are the fiendish scientist Dr. Gargunza and his nephew Young Gargunza, and the superpowered alien youth Young Nastyman. The original stories were typically light in tone and normally self-contained – though occasionally multi-part serial storylines were produced.
The adult Mike Moran is married to Liz and unable to remember his past or his change-word. After rediscovering this in 1982, Miracleman was able to return. He discovered that former ally Kid Miracleman had become corrupt and battled him in London. With the aid of Evelyn Cream he then discovers the true nature of his past as a British government super-weapon. Subsequently, Liz becomes pregnant with Miracleman's child and is targeted by his creator Doctor Emil Gargunza, who wants to implant his consciousness in the newborn. Miracleman is able to free Liz, kill Gargunza and deliver his baby successfully. As Gargunza used salvaged Qys technology to create the superhumans, agents of the alien race come to investigate, leading to the previously secret Miraclewoman making her presence known. The Qys are sterile, so the birth of Winter sees them form an alliance with Earth's superhumans, as well as theWarpsmiths. The group becomes public knowledge after Kid Miracleman returns and obliterates a large section of London, killing some forty thousand people before they are able to subdue him. As a result, Miracleman and his allies take benevolent control of Earth, moulding it into a paradise. The end of the 20th century is thus a golden age of humanity, seemingly free of want thanks to the presence of the godlike beings at Olympus, a citadel built on the remains of London - although Miracleman is haunted by Liz's suggestion that he has lost touch with his humanity.
After The Golden Age—a series of stories detailing the lives of humans in this changed world—Gaiman's Silver Age arc picks up events in 2001 when Miracleman arranges for Young Miracleman to be revived; but his former comrade - dead since 1963 - is less enthused with the utopia.
The series has been credited as one of the first revisionist superhero comics, predating both Moore's ownWatchmen andFrank Miller'sDark Knight Returns.[118] It has received industry accolades, includingEagle Awards[15] andKirby Awards.[31]
Alex Ross has cited Alan Moore'sMiracleman run as a major influence onKingdom Come[119] Tim Callahan ofTor.com ranked theMarvelman stories fromWarrior 3rd in their "10 Best Comics Written by Alan Moore" list, stating, "Marvelman is based on a Captain Marvel analogue, with the cynicism of the 1980s and a dose of real-world logic smashed into its innocent shell. The opening few chapters provide a blueprint that revisionist superhero comics would follow forever after—the revelation that everything the hero thought he knew was wrong, and he may not even really be a hero to begin with—and the inky realism of Garry Leach’s drawings only helped Moore make his stand on behalf of smart, relevant, devastatingly powerful superhero comics. The fact that everyone who came after Moore took the faux-realism and the hyper-violence ofMarvelman as its primary lesson isn't Moore's fault. He did it right, and they just missed the point."[120] Jason Rhode ofPaste ranked theMarvelman stories fromWarrior 7th in their "10 Best Alan Moore Comics of All Time" list, asserting, "All Moore ever did was take comics seriously. Their premises, their possibilities, their audiences. It's strange to say this about a man who got kicked out high school for dealing LSD, but nobody has ever been a more faithful student than Alan Moore. Imagine a radical doctor who made their patients immortal. That's Moore. The story of Michael Moran, who remembers that he is a superman, begins as a whimsical take-off on Captain Marvel, and ends as the story of a living god. Along the way, Moore reckons with issues of morality, humanity and the fragility of our world. AfterMarvelman, everything was possible."[121]
Reviewing Moore's whole run forSlate, Sam Thielman praised the series, noting "It’s remarkable how powerful the book remains in spite of its occasional unevenness"[122] Gaiman's material also received praise; Oliver Sava was positive when reviewing the collected edition forThe A.V. Club, calling it "a satisfying experience discovering a more intimate, unconventional side of the superhero genre."[95]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Miracleman #1 was the 23rd best selling comic book in January 2014.[123][124] According toICv2,Miracleman #0 was the 19th best selling comic book in October 2022.[125]Miracleman: The Silver Age #1 was the 22nd advance-reordered October-shipping comic book between August 12–18, 2022.[126]
Marvelman andWarrior received accolades in the British category at the 1984 Eagle Awards; it was voted favourite strip, with the lead as Favourite Comic Character and Kid Miracleman as Favourite Villain. The magazine itself was also recognised, as was Moore for his writing on the title andV for Vendetta. Mick Austen's cover for #7 also received an award.[15]
As the series progressed, Eclipse collected them intrade paperbacks, still a relative rarity at the time for an ongoing series. The first,A Dream of Flying was released in July 1988, and collected material from #1-3 of the Eclipse series (but not the framing material fromMiracleman 3D).[127]The Red King Syndrome was released two years later, featuring a cover byJohn Bolton and compiling strips from #4-7 & #9-10, omitting theYoung Miracleman: 1957 short story from #6 and the vintage reprints from #8.[128]Olympus, the third volume, appeared in December 1990, collecting #11-16 with a new cover from John Totleben and a foreword from journalistMikal Gilmore.[129]Samuel R. Delany provided the foreword forThe Golden Age trade in April 1992, which collected #17-22 - aside from the short "Retrieval" strip serialised across the issues - and featured a new cover from Mark Buckingham.[130] These collections were broadly superseded by Marvel's own trades from 2014 onwards.
| Title | ISBN | Release date | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracleman Book One: A Dream of Flying | 0913035610 | July 1988 | Material fromMiracleman #1-3 |
| Miracleman Book Two: The Red King Syndrome | 1560600365 | July 1990 | Material fromMiracleman #4-7 & 9-10 |
| Miracleman Book Three: Olympus | 1560600802 | December 1990 | Material fromMiracleman #11-16 |
| Miracleman Book Four: The Golden Age | 156060168X | April 1992 | Material fromMiracleman #17-22 |
Marvel Comics also produced collections of their versions of the series.
| Title | ISBN | Release date | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracleman Book One: A Dream of Flying | 9780785154624 | May 2014 | Miracleman #1-4 |
| Miracleman Book Two: The Red King Syndrome | 9781846536410 | December 2014 | Miracleman #5-10 |
| Miracleman Book Three: Olympus | 9781846536762 | June 2015 | Miracleman #11-16 &All-New Miracleman Annual #1 |
| Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham Book One: The Golden Age | 9781846537271 | May 2016 | Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Golden Age #1−6 |
| Miracleman Omnibus | 9781302947309 | October 2022 | Miracleman #1-16 &All-New Miracleman Annual #1 |
| Miracleman: The Original Epic | 9781302953256 | September 2023 | Miracleman #1-16 &All-New Miracleman Annual #1 |
| Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age | 9781302948825 | May 2024 | Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age #1−7 |
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