Thursday, April 16, 2015

Miracleman #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is actually fairly dull, despite it concluding Moore's run on the title.  Most of it is given to Miracleman's description of how he, Miraclewoman, Huey Moon, and the Warpsmiths became Earth's New Gods and took over the world.

In so doing, Moore explores an idea that many other authors have treated, when superheroes overconfidently decide that they can rule the world better than humans can.  (Mark Gruenwald's "Squadron Supreme" mini-series from 1985-6 is probably the best example of this sort of story, to my mind.)  The key to these stories is how the heroes will eventually pay for this hubris, and Moore ends his run on the series without making that clear.  We seem to have a number of spoilers in the mix, such as the program that brings back the dead in artificial bodies but keeps them locked in the basement of Olympus or the one that gives ordinary people superpowers.  It seems to be creating rivals that may one day challenge the New Gods' rule.  But, the only hint that we get that something could currently be amiss is Miracleman's confusion over the fact that Liz turned down his offer to give her superpowers.  Will this confusion become doubt, and will that doubt divide the New Gods?  I guess we'll see.

If I'm not mistaken, we've got eight issues left of the original series.  I'm excited to see where Gaiman takes us.  These last few issues, Moore has been more focused on shocking us than really telling character-based stories.  I feel like I could use a few issues where we get into Miracleman's head and hopefully Gaiman will give it to us.

** (two of five stars)

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