Miracleman #1

   At long last, Miracleman!

   But shouldn't it be Marvelman?

   What a long, strange path this series has traveled. The character began life as Fawcett's Captain Marvel, but when DC's lawsuit ended that series in the 1950s, publishers in Great Britain decided to come up with their own twist on the character, so Mick Anglo created Marvelman, a science-based (sorta0 version of the same character.

   In the mid-'80s the series was revived by writer Alan Moore (here referred to only as "The Original Writer") and artist Garry Leach with a modern, very adult take on the concept - but to avoid conflicts with Marvel Comics, the series was (eventually) retitled Miracleman.

   (Of course, Marvel bought the rights to the series some years ago - but the title is still Miracleman. Perhaps that's to distinguish the Alan Moore-written series from a more Marvel-friendly version that might eventually appear? Who knows?)

   This issue is a nice package, starting with a classic Miracleman story, then jumping to the "present," where the adult Mike Moran is suffering from terrible dreams and headaches. Now a reporter, he's caught in the middle of a terrorist event when he remembers the secret he had forgotten - one that returns the classic hero.

   But is the silly, comic book origin of Miracleman true - or is it hiding even darker secrets?

   It's wonderful to see this series back in print again - I collected the first "return" in the pages of Warrior magazine, then the continuation in Eclipse Comics. The stories are clever and powerful, but fair warning - they get much darker and downright gruesome - but they're deserving of a wider audience, and hopefully we'll finally see the full storyline by Neil Gaiman, who picked up the series from Moore - but the series was cancelled before he finished his run.

   This is Moore (excuse me, "Original") at his best. This series ranks right up there with Watchmen and Swamp Thing as some of Moore's best work.

   Marvel has assembled a sharp package here, with lots of background material and reprints of early Marvelman comics.

   This series isn't for young kids, but mature readers will love it - highly recommended!

Grade: A

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The Classics - Warrior #1

There are comic books in my collection that stick out in my mind - I could tell you exactly where I bought them: which newsstand I bought Thor #188; the drugstore where I found New Gods #2; the convention where I picked up Aztek #10.

But there are other comics I own that I don't remember buying - or at least I can't remember where they came from.

This issue of the British magazine Warrior is a good example. Published in 1982, it's a black-and-white anthology comic that made history - but where did I get it? I have several issues of Warrior in my collection. Did I buy them from the (excellent) mail order service Westfield Comics? Did I pick it up at a convention, or my local comics shop? Is this a reprint of the original series, or from the original run? No idea.

But I'm glad to have them! The issue includes the historic first (re)appearance of Marvelman by Alan Moore and Garry Leach. (When Eclipse brought the comic over to America, they changed the title to Miracleman to avoid clashes with Marvel.) It's an outstanding short story, and brings the comical hero over to the "real" world.

The other landmark is the first chapter in the V for Vendetta series by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. The story was adapted into a film and the mask designed by Lloyd has shown up recently as a symbol in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

Those are the standouts, but the book is loaded with great stories and art. Pedro Henry and Steve Dillon create another old favorite, Laser Eraser & Pressbutton, about a murderous duo - a beautiful woman and a strange cyborg.

There are additional stories by Steve Moore and Steve Parkhouse, and art by Parkhouse, Dave Gibbons and John Bolton - a killer lineup!

Simply an outstanding magazine, and it's sad that (as far as I know), only the V for Vendetta story is easily available. You might be able to track down the Laser Eraser stories that were reprinted by Eclipse (and others).

The Marvelman stories may not be long in coming - Marvel Comics finally secured the rights from Mick Anglo, the creator of the character. The stories are dark, intense and well worth tracking down (although the eBay prices are extreme).

Or you could check your collection - maybe Warrior will show up by surprise in your collection, too.

Grade: A

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