Tom King+Mitch Gerad To Write/Draw Mister Miracle

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'm not sure comparing this to Swamp Thing (or Morrison's Animal Man) is fair, as this, like Watchmen, was designed to be a complete package and not a continuing ongoing of undefined length. This is a much deeper read as fewer things are stated openly or spelled out. If you prefer a nice, neat package, this isn't the book for you. It managed to open up new territory as far as superhero comic story telling, though. Watchmen and Dark Knight got rave reviews. They also expanded on what came before it without totally changing the medium. Mister Miracle may be like that. Or it may be another American Flagg. IMHO, the first 12 issues of Flagg were as novel and groundbreaking as anything else out there at the time. But it's far less well known.

I doubt this will be forgotten. This series will always have fanatical supporters, even in a niche or cult style. Perhaps All-Star Superman is a better comparison.

I don't think you necessarily need to restrict your praise of something that is of the exact same form. I can judge the long-form 24 issue story that Morrison told with Animal Man as good or bad in terms of quality as much as I can one off issue because my only metric is how much I enjoyed it. Similarly, I can like the old Star Trek TV show as much as I like the original Star Wars trilogy even though they aren't the same medium or format. As long as I understand that each had different limitations and goals, I don't think that should have any effect on how I view their relative quality.

Time will tell how fondly I regard what King & Gerads accomplished with Mister Miracle. Right now, it's looking pretty good. Perhaps I will like it more or less when I get around to re-reading it in full.

[CaptCleghorn]

I don't think you necessarily need to restrict your praise of something that is of the exact same form. I can judge the long-form 24 issue story that Morrison told with Animal Man as good or bad in terms of quality as much as I can one off issue because my only metric is how much I enjoyed it. Similarly, I can like the old Star Trek TV show as much as I like the original Star Wars trilogy even though they aren't the same medium or format. As long as I understand that each had different limitations and goals, I don't think that should have any effect on how I view their relative quality.

Time will tell how fondly I regard what King & Gerads accomplished with Mister Miracle. Right now, it's looking pretty good. Perhaps I will like it more or less when I get around to re-reading it in full.

Fair point. I was being a bit restrictive there. What we use as relevant comparison points is up to us.

[Naked Bat]

No. Because the prestige and end result falls flat. I would have preferred a more definitive conclusion with just a hint of vagueness. The final act is very important. Watchmen ends with the world saved and the heroes able to retire but the possibility of the truth is outed, Grant Morrison shows up at the end of Animal man and literally writes a happy ending for Buddy and makes things better, V for Vendetta ends with the fall of the regime and a new V. This book ends with: everything is true or nothing is true.

I get your point, but I think an open ending can be as good or even better than a a definitive ending, and in this case, it's a really haunting ending to me. One that raises questions and makes me think about the whole book daily, which a definitive ending may not have done.

[HsssH]

I liked this well enough, but I don't think that it stands next to stuff like Animal Man or Watchmen. And I'm not even sure if it is best work done by King.

[Spike-X]

That is irrelevant to someone who loves her.

That is a very fine point, sir and/or madam.

[Spike-X]

Mister Miracle #12 was Pick Of The Week on this week's iFanboy podcast (as were most of the issues during the run). Connor Kilpatrick has a pretty good take on what 'actually' happened in the series. It's well worth a listen.

[Robotman]

I think a lot of people are missing the point of the last issue and the story. It’s basically summed up with one line. “Darkseid is, but so are we.” Tragedy will happen, depression may be on the fringes, responsibilities may be crushing, but there is beauty and happiness in life if you truly look for it. That’s kind of the essence of Scott and Barda. Two people raised in hell found love and are trying their damnedest to live a happy “normal” life.

The New Gods live on a different plane of existence than the rest of the DC heroes. As Grant said, these are just aspects of their god selves. This Mister Miracle was trapped in Anti-Life but he found a way to defeat the devil and live a happy life. I think of all the apparitions that appeared to Scott, the one human, Oberon was the most truthful. The world he was living in was more real than the superhero world where everything ends up “hunky dory”.

[Random4]

where did Tom King come from?

he like came out of nowhere to become, in my opinion, the best current comic book writer

[whiterabbit]

I get your point, but I think an open ending can be as good or even better than a a definitive ending, and in this case, it's a really haunting ending to me. One that raises questions and makes me think about the whole book daily, which a definitive ending may not have done.

There has to be a definitive ending to the book. Why? Because future writers with their stories cannot be told without contradicting it or being affected by it. Is Darkseid dead? Is Granny Goodness a hero that posed as a villain? Is Orion really a sinister brother? The next person who uses Scott Free either has to ignore this book or explain it because there will 100% be more books with the New Gods.

This isn't like the spinning top in Inception where the end doesn't matter with regards to him being back with his family or asleep, because there will never be an Inception 2 and it's fine that way. The Watchmen was never supposed to have a continuation because the open ended story left it to be whatever you wanted, but then Doomsday Clock happened and Geoff Johns had to say "Peace did happen, but Rorschach's book got out".

[Naked Bat]

I think a lot of people are missing the point of the last issue and the story. It’s basically summed up with one line. “Darkseid is, but so are we.” Tragedy will happen, depression may be on the fringes, responsibilities may be crushing, but there is beauty and happiness in life if you truly look for it. That’s kind of the essence of Scott and Barda. Two people raised in hell found love and are trying their damnedest to live a happy “normal” life.

The New Gods live on a different plane of existence than the rest of the DC heroes. As Grant said, these are just aspects of their god selves. This Mister Miracle was trapped in Anti-Life but he found a way to defeat the devil and live a happy life. I think of all the apparitions that appeared to Scott, the one human, Oberon was the most truthful. The world he was living in was more real than the superhero world where everything ends up “hunky dory”.

This, so much this!

There has to be a definitive ending to the book. Why? Because future writers with their stories cannot be told without contradicting it or being affected by it. Is Darkseid dead? Is Granny Goodness a hero that posed as a villain? Is Orion really a sinister brother? The next person who uses Scott Free either has to ignore this book or explain it because there will 100% be more books with the New Gods.

This isn't like the spinning top in Inception where the end doesn't matter with regards to him being back with his family or asleep, because there will never be an Inception 2 and it's fine that way. The Watchmen was never supposed to have a continuation because the open ended story left it to be whatever you wanted, but then Doomsday Clock happened and Geoff Johns had to say "Peace did happen, but Rorschach's book got out".

it doesn't have to be a definitive ending because the new gods are not you regular heroes. They are gods. They live on a different plane of reality. Not to mention, it's a maxi-serie, it can be read as not being a canon story.

Some other writers could decide to use it, or they could act like it never happened. It's open ended.

[kilderkin]

This, so much this!



it doesn't have to be a definitive ending because the new gods are not you regular heroes. They are gods. They live on a different plane of reality. Not to mention, it's a maxi-serie, it can be read as not being a canon story.

Some other writers could decide to use it, or they could act like it never happened. It's open ended.

I agree it is open ended

And that for me is why I don't like it

To me an open ending is as much as no ending

tastes vary

[Naked Bat]

I agree it is open ended

And that for me is why I don't like it

To me an open ending is as much as no ending

tastes vary

totally. I'm a sucker for open ending, as long as they are well made, wich Mister Miracle was to me. I can understand why some people don't like them, though. I just don't agree with people claiming an open ending is unacceptable.

[whiterabbit]

I felt like Tom King betrayed the trust I put into him for twelve issues. I thought there would be this big payoff that explains everything and that ties up the loose ends. But instead, we were left with a bunch of maybes, could be's, possibilities, and one big it doesn't matter. I feel like I wasted my time and money. I went to the magic show and the guy made the rabbit disappear and it came back dead.

[kilderkin]

I felt like Tom King betrayed the trust I put into him for twelve issues. I thought there would be this big payoff that explains everything and that ties up the loose ends. But instead, we were left with a bunch of maybes, could be's, possibilities, and one big it doesn't matter. I feel like I wasted my time and money. I went to the magic show and the guy made the rabbit disappear and it came back dead.

I understand others disagree

but I totally agree with you

and I felt this with his batman 50

so I wont be buying into his work again

[BatmanJones]

Regarding the open ending, I'm reminded of Evangeline Lilly's words about the controversial finale of LOST. I think this works as well in response to the finale of Mister Miracle. I'll let her speak for me:

“Well, I’m going to have to go straight to the finale. Vote of confidence, who liked the finale? [The room broke out into cheers] Who did not like the finale? [about the same amount of cheers] About 50/50. So, for those of who you didn’t like it; you loved our show, because at the end of every week, it would leave you with an impossible and pressing mystery. It would force you to the water cooler, or the dinner table, asking each other the most difficult questions. Usually philosophical questions. Sometimes questions that touched on God or religion and reality, and what it means to be human.

"And then, on the finale, you sat waiting with baited breath, thinking ‘they’re gonna give us the answer’…well, that’s what religions do. So if you want the answer to the great big question of life, go to church, go to God, find the answer, but art…art is supposed to, every time without fail, turn the question back onto you, and asks you to look at what you’re seeing, listen to what you’re hearing, experience it, and then look at it in the mirror of your soul, and figure out what it means to you.

"And so there is no one interpretation of the finale of LOST, for as many people that are in this room, there are that many true, real, endings for LOST.

"Because it’s just a reflection of who you are, and it’s the ultimate question being posed to you, not the ultimate answer being handed to you."