We get two big revelations in the last issue of "Book Two: The Red King Syndrome." (I'll note that I'm still not really sure why it's called that.) First, we discover that a Miraclewoman exists, though we're not really given any details about her, such as whether she was connected to the Gargunza experiments that created the Miraclemen. Second, we discover that Mike's body isn't alone in the dream universe where it goes when he switches form with Miracleman. Most intriguingly, though, it's not just Kid Miracleman's body there with him (since Johnny Bates is in the real world), but seemingly thousands of other robotic-looking entities.
Although the first revelation is intriguing, it's the second one that seems the most likely to open the door to where we're going in the next book(s). We discover Miraclewoman's existence and get some insight into the dynamics of the dream universe because the two entities seeking Kid Miracleman last issue continue their search for "cuckoos" (the Miracle-beings) present on Earth. Moore clearly connects them to the futuristic story that we saw in issue #2 ("Warrior" #4) since they use the term "firedrake," the name of one of Miracleman's unseen allies in that issue. The aliens seem to use "cuckoos" and "firedrakes" synonymously though Moore doesn't make that connection clear yet. At any rate, Moore has been hinting throughout the series that the extra-terrestrial nature of Miracleman's powers would bring aliens into his orbit (so to speak) at some point. Beyond "Warrior" #4, we also saw stories about the Warpsmiths (like the one that appears in that issue) in issue #3 ("Warrior" #9-10) and #4 ("A1" #1). It appears to be time.
The good news is that the alien stories are bound to be more interesting than the child-focused story, since it's hard to stay engaged in a story that Moore seems to be rushing. It just seems obvious that something is going to happen (like fast-aging the baby), and we're simply waiting for that moment to come. The sooner that we can bring it to resolution, the sooner that we can focus on the aliens and the nature of Miracleman.
*** (three of five stars)
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