Despite being owned by Marvel, Miracleman has been slow in integrating into the publisher's larger world. His lengthy history full of ownership disputes and publishing house changes has caused the character to reach a standstill until recently, despite the fact that fans were eager to see how his incredibly ambitious story would continue. Now, he is finally going to get the release that fans have waited for over many years: Miracleman: The Silver Age Saga.
Miracleman was created by Mick Anglo in 1954. The hero has gone through four different publishing homes, including L. Miller & Son, Ltd., Quality Communications, and Eclipse Comics, before ultimately falling under Marvel Comics' roof in 2009. Due to numerous issues, including bankruptcy and lawsuits over ownership, Miracleman's adventures were not completed or truly continued after Eclipse Comics loss of rights to the character. Recently, the character's logo appeared in Marvel's Timeless #1, hinting he officially exists in Marvel's multiverse. Now, Miracleman's story will officially conclude.
The latest Miracleman news - which is thirty years in the making - has officially been shared in a press release from Marvel. Miracleman: The Silver Age Saga will be the second publication that follows the titular hero during his 40th anniversary. It will come out after Miracleman by Gaiman and Buckingham Book 1: The Golden Age TPB, which collects the first series by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham. The newest announced collection will finish and remaster the titular hero's last adventure pre-Marvel ownership. Enjoy the cover and issue summary below:
Young Miracleman - the lost member of the Miracleman Family - is back! His last memories were of a 1963 world of joy and innocence. Now, he's been thrust into the 21st century, where his best friends have become gods and monsters. Where can a hero from a simpler time call home in this brave new world?
Miracleman's return will finally conclude his adventures following the ownership disputes that ensued between Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane. Fans of the hero will have the opportunity to see Miracleman's adventures not only brought back, but also complete several decades later. Originally, the series was supposed to span three ages - Golden, Silver, and Dark. The Dark Ages, which were said to focus on Kid Miracleman, did not see the light of publication. Mark Buckingham, the series' artist, is excited for the return, saying:
We're back! And after thirty years away it is both thrilling and terrifying. 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 writers. ... I have pushed myself to my limit to craft something special for these issues. Cinematic in approach, clean and elegant, drawing on the best of my own style but also paying homage to the exceptional talents of all who came before us, whose unique visions have shaped this ground-breaking series over forty years, and the 1950's MARVELMAN foundations on which it was built.
Miracleman was a wildly ambitious title, with the titular superhero effectively taking over Earth and transforming the lives of everyone on it, asking major questions of what humanity had gained and lost through his efforts. With Miracleman's anniversary underway, there's no better time for longtime fans of the character to get some closure. There is also no better time for potential new fans to jump aboard and see the hero's history that was left in limbo for so long. Marvel's efforts to collect and complete Miracleman were initially announced back in 2013, though they've been pushed back several times. Finally, Miracleman: The Silver Age Saga will be released by Marvel Comics this October.
Source: Marvel Comics