Miracleman #6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

To be honest, this issue isn't all that remarkable.  It's essentially all about Dr. Gargunza.  We discover his violent origins, and Moore doesn't do anything to humanize him in the telling.  He explains him, but Moore clearly doesn't subscribe to the theory that every villain is a hero that society persecuted too early.  Gargunza made his choices, and they reflect the power-hungry villain that he is.

Moore also tells a story from the 1960s, as Gargunza struggles to keep the Miracleman Family dreaming when Micky's subconscious tries to alert him that he's dreaming.  The dreaming story is clever, particular through its use of symbolism to show Micky's rebelling subconscious (e.g., the Miracleman Family fighting vampires in the dream world, when they're really fighting Gargunza's power-dampening devices in the real world).

In terms of the ongoing story, we get confirmation that Gargunza clearly knows the Miracleman Family's identities.  He specifically mentions Moran's name, and Hypnos (the villain that Gargunza uses in the dream world to try to keep them dreaming) also uses Dicky Dauntless' name.  If Gargunza knew their identities, it remains unclear to me why the government -- as we've established in other issues -- didn't.

Also, I was surprised when "Warrior" #16 wasn't as violent as I expected, since I heard that Moore's last issue ended with an orgy of violence.  But, after some online research, I realized that the "Warrior" issues that we're currently reading were in turn reprinted in first few issues of the original "Miracleman" run.  If I'm not mistaken, next issue corresponds to the old "Miracleman" #6 (and "Warrior" #19-#21).  Then, we're through the "Warrior" period, and the old "Miracleman" #7 will appear in the present "Miracleman" #8.  Confusing, but I think I get it.

*** (three of five stars)