The near mythical Miracleman is set to return after years out of print, with both reprints of the classic series and a conclusion – over 30 years in the waiting – written by Neil Gaiman with art by Mark Buckingham.
Starting this January, Marvel will begin publishing the legendary run of Miracleman , written by Alan Moore , that began in Warrior Magazine and continued under now defunct publisher Eclipse Comics. Ironically, the character was originally called Marvelman here in the UK, and renamed Miracleman in the US for copyright reasons you can guess. (Actually, his history is even more complicated than that, because The Alan Moore Marvelman from Warrior was actually an update of a ’50s US superhero from Fawcett comics, born out of legal wrangles over the name Captain Marvel… which belonged to DC not Marvel oddly… but that’s a whole other story.) Neil Gaiman also wrote for the strip back in his fledgling days.
Fans lucky enough to have read these trailblazing stories when they were originally produced have often referred to this legendary run on Miracleman as “the lost Watchmen,” and Marvel is proud to finally bring these incredible comics to an audience that has clamored for them.
And once that reprint run is complete, there’ll be more. After more than 30 years the series will reach its cataclysmic conclusion! You heard correctly – Marvel will also be publishing all-new Miracleman stories from legendary creators Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham! Long left unfinished, Gaiman and Buckingham’s famous storyline will ultimately see the light of day!
“The tragedy of Miracleman was that we published two issues, wrote three and a half – and then it all stopped,” Gaiman said, in an interview with Marvel.com. “And Miracleman #25 has been sitting in the darkness – nobody has seen it. It was drawn, it was written, it was lettered over 20 years ago.”
“I love the idea that I will get to finish this story,” added Gaiman.
As for the reprints, Marvel is putting a lot of effort into making sure they look great.
“The wait is over,” says editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. “Marvel will finally be bringing these timeless, ground-breaking stories to a whole new generation of reader.”
“We've been working with the Miracleman artists to obtain original artwork or photostats in every instance possible, and then applying the same painstaking restoration methods and rigorous quality standards that are utilized on the Marvel Masterworks line. The Marvel Special Projects team have even been developing some new techniques specifically for this project. These Miracleman issues will receive the most advanced restoration possible to ensure the most authentic reading experience,” says SVP of Marvel Publishing David Gabriel. “The art is crisp, clear, and looks as good – if not better than the day it was published! Also, the stories are being completely relettered to meet today’s standards.”
Re-presented in serialised form, each issue of Miracleman features additional content including new art, interviews with the creators as well as new covers from some of the industry’s most legendary artists! Look for Miracleman #1 in print and digital this January!
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