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Mister Miracle (1971) #1-18
Mister Miracle
Jack Kirby reinvented the superhero genre with his sprawling saga of the Fourth World --a bold storytelling vision that was decades ahead of its time. In honor of this extraordinary talent's centennial, DC Comics is proud to re-present the groundbreaking work of the King of Comics in a brand-new series of trade paperback editions collecting his classic DC titles in all their four-color glory: MISTER MIRACLE BY JACK KIRBY (New Edition)!
With MISTER MIRACLE, Kirby unleashes the breakout star of the Fourth World. Scott Free, a child of New Genesis, was destined to one day reign alongside the Highfather in the golden city of the New Gods. But heavenly New Genesis was at war with hellish Apokolips, and the two immortal worlds were trapped in a neverending cycle of violence. To break the stalemate, the Highfather struck a deal with Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips. The two adversaries sealed their pact with a sacrifice: each would exchange his infant son to be raised on his enemy's world.
Now Scott Free has grown up, and not even the blackest dungeons of Darkseid or the parademon hordes of Apokolips can hold him. Breaking out of his captors' clutches and
heading for the world called Earth, he reinvents himself as the unstoppable escape artist, Mister Miracle! But his flight from Apokolips threatens the fragile peace with
New Genesis, and Darkseid's sinister agents will not rest until their former prisoner is back in chains. Will Mister Miracle be able to avoid their ever-deadlier death traps? No matter the cost, he will remain Scott Free! Discover one of comics' most beloved characters--and thrill to the art and imagination of one of comics' greatest masters at the height of his inventive powers--in JACK KIRBY'S MISTER MIRACLE, collecting issues #1-18 of the legendary series.
With MISTER MIRACLE, Kirby unleashes the breakout star of the Fourth World. Scott Free, a child of New Genesis, was destined to one day reign alongside the Highfather in the golden city of the New Gods. But heavenly New Genesis was at war with hellish Apokolips, and the two immortal worlds were trapped in a neverending cycle of violence. To break the stalemate, the Highfather struck a deal with Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips. The two adversaries sealed their pact with a sacrifice: each would exchange his infant son to be raised on his enemy's world.
Now Scott Free has grown up, and not even the blackest dungeons of Darkseid or the parademon hordes of Apokolips can hold him. Breaking out of his captors' clutches and
heading for the world called Earth, he reinvents himself as the unstoppable escape artist, Mister Miracle! But his flight from Apokolips threatens the fragile peace with
New Genesis, and Darkseid's sinister agents will not rest until their former prisoner is back in chains. Will Mister Miracle be able to avoid their ever-deadlier death traps? No matter the cost, he will remain Scott Free! Discover one of comics' most beloved characters--and thrill to the art and imagination of one of comics' greatest masters at the height of his inventive powers--in JACK KIRBY'S MISTER MIRACLE, collecting issues #1-18 of the legendary series.
440 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1974
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325 people want to read
About the author
Jack Kirby
2,802 books473 followersJack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds of others stretching back to the earliest days of the medium. He was also a comic book writer and editor. His most common nickname is "The King."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 21, 2019
Update, 3/20/19: Re-read a lot of this over the last few weeks as I prepare to read Tom King's Mister Miracle run, finally, and I liked it more this time. I had only read the first couple issues of King's run about a year ago, but now return to it because I am reading King's Batman and loving it.
Original review 1/5/18: I began reading Tom King’s run of Mister Miracle in single issues, liked it, but realized I needed to recall what the iconic Jack Kirby had done in creating this character. I had actually read some of it in the seventies and remember liking it. Luckily, 2017 would have been Kirby’s 100th birthday, and they released this volume recently in full screaming seventies color. Fans of comics history will be the primary people to appreciate this volume, focused on Kirby’s creation of the Fourth World and Scott Free, a child of New Genesis, who was at war with Apokolips, led by Darkseid. The deal made to end the war is that a son from each side will be raised on the enemy world.
Can the forces of Darseid hold our Hero? No way, he is Scott Free, an unstoppable escape artist, part Houdini, part Mr. Gadget (or James Bond, with all the futuristic technology), part Superhero, married to Big Barda, a warrior, and assisted by Oberon, a dwarf, both of whom get pretty respectful comics treatment for the times (compared to most women and those who look different than the usual square-jawed comics heroes) (such as Scott Free). Well, most of the characters look pretty boxy in this comic, actually.
Respect is due here to one of the Comics Gods, Kirby, a man with Ideas Galore, and though this stuff is often pulpy and goofy (shall we start with the corny name Scott Free?}, with Bad Guys named Steel Hand, Manga Khan, and Granny Goodness. The art feels quite dated, of course, but this is period work, wild invention for fun, no brooding Batman, so you just relax and accept that you are reading seventies comics, and this can be fun. Not great comics storytelling, maybe, but fun. 3.5 star rating. ☺
Original review 1/5/18: I began reading Tom King’s run of Mister Miracle in single issues, liked it, but realized I needed to recall what the iconic Jack Kirby had done in creating this character. I had actually read some of it in the seventies and remember liking it. Luckily, 2017 would have been Kirby’s 100th birthday, and they released this volume recently in full screaming seventies color. Fans of comics history will be the primary people to appreciate this volume, focused on Kirby’s creation of the Fourth World and Scott Free, a child of New Genesis, who was at war with Apokolips, led by Darkseid. The deal made to end the war is that a son from each side will be raised on the enemy world.
Can the forces of Darseid hold our Hero? No way, he is Scott Free, an unstoppable escape artist, part Houdini, part Mr. Gadget (or James Bond, with all the futuristic technology), part Superhero, married to Big Barda, a warrior, and assisted by Oberon, a dwarf, both of whom get pretty respectful comics treatment for the times (compared to most women and those who look different than the usual square-jawed comics heroes) (such as Scott Free). Well, most of the characters look pretty boxy in this comic, actually.
Respect is due here to one of the Comics Gods, Kirby, a man with Ideas Galore, and though this stuff is often pulpy and goofy (shall we start with the corny name Scott Free?}, with Bad Guys named Steel Hand, Manga Khan, and Granny Goodness. The art feels quite dated, of course, but this is period work, wild invention for fun, no brooding Batman, so you just relax and accept that you are reading seventies comics, and this can be fun. Not great comics storytelling, maybe, but fun. 3.5 star rating. ☺
March 10, 2019
Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby collects issues 1-18 of Mister Miracle, written, drawn, and edited by the King himself.
On the heels of Tom King's Mister Miracle, I decided to go back to the Source. I knew the bare bones of Kirby's Fourth World from entries in Who's Who back in the day but this was my first foray into one of the King's last great works.
Mister Miracle is a gadget-driven hero, an escape artist. Consequently, most of the stories start with him escaping a trap of his own devising and feature deathtraps constructed by various villains. Over the course of the book, Mister Miracle and Big Barda go up against Virman Vundabar, Granny Goodness, Funky Flashman, Doctor Bedlam, and a lot of scrubs in one shot appearances. It only intersects with the greater Fourth World saga at the very end and barely scratches the surface of what I know of Fourth World lore.
In many ways, Mister Miracle feels like a silver age Marvel book, not surprising given how much of the foundation of the Marvel Universe was laid by Jack Kirby. Mister Miracle feels like Captain America minus the patriotism at times, a superb physical specimen that relies on strategy and gadgets to beat mightier foes.
Scott Free's relationship with Big Barda is one of my favorite parts of the book, a far more equal partnership than Reed Richards ever shared with Sue Storm. Later in the book, Shilo Norman joins the cast. Shilo, of course, would later adopt the Mister Miracle identity himself decades later. Oberon is a mother hen but still a fun part of the cast. The Female Furies are also an entertaining bunch. It's a shame Bernadeth, Stompa, Lashina, and Mad Harriet don't make all that many appearances once the series is over.
While the dialog is clunky in places, the art is vintage Kirby. The King was still at the top of his game, depicting earth scenes and cosmic vistas with equal skill. I kept imagining what might have been if Kirby had done The Fourth World with Marvel but I think he did pretty well for himself at DC. If nothing else, Mister Miracle has whetted my appetite for more Fourth World action.
Mister Miracle is a fun read and one of Jack Kirby's last great works. Four out of five stars.
On the heels of Tom King's Mister Miracle, I decided to go back to the Source. I knew the bare bones of Kirby's Fourth World from entries in Who's Who back in the day but this was my first foray into one of the King's last great works.
Mister Miracle is a gadget-driven hero, an escape artist. Consequently, most of the stories start with him escaping a trap of his own devising and feature deathtraps constructed by various villains. Over the course of the book, Mister Miracle and Big Barda go up against Virman Vundabar, Granny Goodness, Funky Flashman, Doctor Bedlam, and a lot of scrubs in one shot appearances. It only intersects with the greater Fourth World saga at the very end and barely scratches the surface of what I know of Fourth World lore.
In many ways, Mister Miracle feels like a silver age Marvel book, not surprising given how much of the foundation of the Marvel Universe was laid by Jack Kirby. Mister Miracle feels like Captain America minus the patriotism at times, a superb physical specimen that relies on strategy and gadgets to beat mightier foes.
Scott Free's relationship with Big Barda is one of my favorite parts of the book, a far more equal partnership than Reed Richards ever shared with Sue Storm. Later in the book, Shilo Norman joins the cast. Shilo, of course, would later adopt the Mister Miracle identity himself decades later. Oberon is a mother hen but still a fun part of the cast. The Female Furies are also an entertaining bunch. It's a shame Bernadeth, Stompa, Lashina, and Mad Harriet don't make all that many appearances once the series is over.
While the dialog is clunky in places, the art is vintage Kirby. The King was still at the top of his game, depicting earth scenes and cosmic vistas with equal skill. I kept imagining what might have been if Kirby had done The Fourth World with Marvel but I think he did pretty well for himself at DC. If nothing else, Mister Miracle has whetted my appetite for more Fourth World action.
Mister Miracle is a fun read and one of Jack Kirby's last great works. Four out of five stars.
March 29, 2021
2017 was quite the year for the late Jack Kirby – widely regarded as the most influential comic book artist – as to celebrate the man's 100th birthday, DC announced a series of projects involving characters that Kirby had created, as well as the republication of his comics that made a huge contribution in the DC universe including Fourth World and Kamandi.
Raised in the fiery depths of Apokolips, Scott Free is the only prisoner to escape from the clutches of Granny Goodness and tries to find a new life on Earth. When he witnesses the death-defying talents of Thaddeus Brown, Scott continues Brown's legacy as a circus escape artist under the stage name of Mister Miracle, with the assistance of Oberon and eventually his future wife Big Barda.
Following his departure from Marvel, feeling he had been treated unfairly, largely in the realm of authorship credit and creators' rights, DC seemed to be the place where Kirby had full creative freedom during his creation of the New Gods, he was credited as artist, writer and editor. To be frank, a lot of those comics from the sixties and the seventies on a writing level, they don't age well and Kirby's dialogue is clunky and repetitive, as with the storytelling with most issues that often associate with Mister Miracle in a death trap, either by himself and his enemies.
However, Kirby clearly had grand sci-fi ideas that rival the likes of Frank Herbert and Philip K. Dick, particularly in #3 where Mister Miracle gets trapped in a building where people are infected by the Paranoid Pill, a chemical weapon that rapidly induces delusions in humans who inhale its fumes. Even the backstory of Scott Free is a surprisingly dark tale that acknowledges Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist (Kirby actually references that title a few times) with backup issues showing the young Scott Free being trained to be a soldier for Darkseid, whilst secretly trying to escape.
Considering the dark subject matter, there is also warmth throughout the series, which largely comes from the supporting cast such as Oberon and Big Barda who may butt heads with each other, there is also respect whilst sharing the fear of witnessing their favourite person in the world approaching sudden death. Speaking of Big Barda, who may come across as a villain as she is trained to be part of the Female Furies (who provide plenty of humour during the later issues), she is physically more powerful than Mister Miracle and is very protective of him as their future romance is a reversal of the iconic one of Lois and Clark.
Obviously, Kirby's true strength as a storyteller was his big and expressive art, which often used a six-panel grid in his pages. Although he was doing a superhero comic – with such an original costume design for the eponymous hero – a lot of Mister Miracle's situations were being strapped into extravagant contraptions or placed into otherworldly environments such as the hellish Apokolips, which seen in a double page spread, perfectly displays Kirby's epic artistry.
What is a piece of the big puzzle that is his Fourth World saga, the death-defying adventures of super escape-artist Mister Miracle is an inventive series showing the late Jack Kirby's strong sci-fi ideas and impressive artistry.
Raised in the fiery depths of Apokolips, Scott Free is the only prisoner to escape from the clutches of Granny Goodness and tries to find a new life on Earth. When he witnesses the death-defying talents of Thaddeus Brown, Scott continues Brown's legacy as a circus escape artist under the stage name of Mister Miracle, with the assistance of Oberon and eventually his future wife Big Barda.
Following his departure from Marvel, feeling he had been treated unfairly, largely in the realm of authorship credit and creators' rights, DC seemed to be the place where Kirby had full creative freedom during his creation of the New Gods, he was credited as artist, writer and editor. To be frank, a lot of those comics from the sixties and the seventies on a writing level, they don't age well and Kirby's dialogue is clunky and repetitive, as with the storytelling with most issues that often associate with Mister Miracle in a death trap, either by himself and his enemies.
However, Kirby clearly had grand sci-fi ideas that rival the likes of Frank Herbert and Philip K. Dick, particularly in #3 where Mister Miracle gets trapped in a building where people are infected by the Paranoid Pill, a chemical weapon that rapidly induces delusions in humans who inhale its fumes. Even the backstory of Scott Free is a surprisingly dark tale that acknowledges Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist (Kirby actually references that title a few times) with backup issues showing the young Scott Free being trained to be a soldier for Darkseid, whilst secretly trying to escape.
Considering the dark subject matter, there is also warmth throughout the series, which largely comes from the supporting cast such as Oberon and Big Barda who may butt heads with each other, there is also respect whilst sharing the fear of witnessing their favourite person in the world approaching sudden death. Speaking of Big Barda, who may come across as a villain as she is trained to be part of the Female Furies (who provide plenty of humour during the later issues), she is physically more powerful than Mister Miracle and is very protective of him as their future romance is a reversal of the iconic one of Lois and Clark.
Obviously, Kirby's true strength as a storyteller was his big and expressive art, which often used a six-panel grid in his pages. Although he was doing a superhero comic – with such an original costume design for the eponymous hero – a lot of Mister Miracle's situations were being strapped into extravagant contraptions or placed into otherworldly environments such as the hellish Apokolips, which seen in a double page spread, perfectly displays Kirby's epic artistry.
What is a piece of the big puzzle that is his Fourth World saga, the death-defying adventures of super escape-artist Mister Miracle is an inventive series showing the late Jack Kirby's strong sci-fi ideas and impressive artistry.
October 25, 2021
Mister Miracle Volume 1 #1-18 was a little wacky but really cool!
I didn't know much about Mr. Miracle going into this collection. It was interesting to see the backstory of Scott Free and his life in Apokolips as well as his relationship with Big Barda!
I loved seeing MM interact with the 'villains' of Apokolips, especially the ones I hadn't heard of before. Though, I will say it was a little strange to see an escape artist act as a detective as well.
Kinda felt like they were trying for Batman 3.0 (Green Arrow being 2.0).
I loved reading about Big Barda, she was awesome plus so different from how 70s comics usually depicted women.
Overall, I'm excited to read more adventures of Mister Miracle (and Big Barda)!
I didn't know much about Mr. Miracle going into this collection. It was interesting to see the backstory of Scott Free and his life in Apokolips as well as his relationship with Big Barda!
I loved seeing MM interact with the 'villains' of Apokolips, especially the ones I hadn't heard of before. Though, I will say it was a little strange to see an escape artist act as a detective as well.
Kinda felt like they were trying for Batman 3.0 (Green Arrow being 2.0).
I loved reading about Big Barda, she was awesome plus so different from how 70s comics usually depicted women.
Overall, I'm excited to read more adventures of Mister Miracle (and Big Barda)!
September 10, 2022
The longest running comic in Jack Kirby's Fourth World. It's probably the most down-to-earth story he did for DC during his initial run there. It's my least favourite of the Fourth World titles but it's still great stuff.
So many goofy stories all executed perfectly. It's pure fun.
So many goofy stories all executed perfectly. It's pure fun.
November 9, 2017
"Let me be Scott Free--
and find myself!"
2017 is the centenary of Jack Kirby, arguably one of the most important figures in the history of the comic book. DC Comics has been doing a lot to celebrate his life this year, based mostly around his landmark Fourth World Saga. There have been different one-shot comic books, but it was the revival of the Mister Miracle comic with Tom King as writer that got me interested in the history of the character. Luckily, this fact and Kirby's 100th birthday saw DC Comics re-release his run on Mister Miracle this year (and that gives me the chance to read it).
The Fourth World Saga was a massive story that Kirby had been planning to release at Marvel Comics to take the place of Thor & Asgard (who he planned to kill-off during Ragnarok), but his legendary falling-out with the company saw him take his talents to DC Comics where he was given near-free control to spin his story out from the Superman mythos. He worked on 4 different books, but I am focusing on this one--the longest of the three. Kirby illustrates (naturally), wrote and edited (un-naturally) this title. It was the most control he would have over any of his creations during his career.
The story is that a war between power beings called New Gods are taking place. One group is called New Genesis and they are trying to stop their enemies from a Apokolips led by an evil being called Darkseid. As part of a peace-treaty the leader of New Genesis, The Highfather, and Darkseid agree to do a childswap as a collateral for the treaty. This works out for Darkseid's birth-son, but not for The Highfather's, who is raised by one of Apokolips' brutal generals. This son falls in love with a power soldier named Barda and she helps him escape. The son's name is Scott Free and we are following his story.
Now this was meant to be a part of the greater Fourth World Saga, but it was all cancelled prematurely and Kirby eventually went back to Marvel Comics. Before its cancellation, this title got some things done. Kirby's art is a love-it or hate-it thing for modern comics fans and I tend to like it (he did drop in quality toward the very end, but was consistent for the most part). His writing....that's another story. The thing about Jack Kirby is that he actually comes up with decent ideas or overall plots. His weakness is in his scripts. People may feel a certain way about Stan Lee, but the man could write--and knew how to write different characters for his times. I have read different comics from this time-period, so I know the dialogue and plot, but Kirby's talents were homed in 1940s-1960s. This comic was written during what is called The Bronze Age of Comic Books, and while the overall story and feeling kept with the times, the dialogue and some of the details of the story still held-over from the hokey, cornier era of the 1950s & 1960s (we're talking Adam West Batman era). Despite this, what I love about this series is the artwork and the heart.
Kirby was not the social-realist writer, but he was a Jewish-American immigrant who fought in WWII. He finds ways to sneak that in the narrative. There is a lot of talk and controversy from some out-spoken people about comic books being too political or diverse or having too many non-white men in their stories, those people may want to pass this book. Kirby was ahead of his time on a lot of things and that included trying to racially integrate the comic book industry on and off the page (that is an astounding story in itself). Man was the King of the "sjws" in his day. His female characters are proudly strong and self-sufficient. Barda (who eventually leaves Apokolips to join her fiancee) does not pretend to be a saint-like warrior like Wonder Woman, she is just a warrior. Shilo Norman, an African-American introduced during the latter-half of the book, is trained as the successor to Mister Miracle and treated like a normal human-being and not a walking stereotype (as still happens even in 2017 comics). Kirby's own shortcomings as a writer aside, all his characters are imbued with a dignity and respect deserving of them.
I may 0r may not read the rest of Kirby's Fourth World books. I do know many of these characters through their appearances in the DC Animated Universe and other comics (I can personally recommend the story "Rock of Ages" found in JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2). I also know that Grant Morrison eventually "finished" Kirby's Fourth World saga in Final Crisis (of course because of how the comic book industry works this was undone after Flashpoint). I am glad I got to read this labor of love by such an important figure. Very fascinating and tragic figure.
"The face they saw was granite-hard--and the eyes in it were fixed on the limitless!
Shilo Norman: 'Wow! Look at that dude! Have you been out in the storm all this time, Mister?'
Darkseid: 'I am the storm!'"
and find myself!"
2017 is the centenary of Jack Kirby, arguably one of the most important figures in the history of the comic book. DC Comics has been doing a lot to celebrate his life this year, based mostly around his landmark Fourth World Saga. There have been different one-shot comic books, but it was the revival of the Mister Miracle comic with Tom King as writer that got me interested in the history of the character. Luckily, this fact and Kirby's 100th birthday saw DC Comics re-release his run on Mister Miracle this year (and that gives me the chance to read it).
The Fourth World Saga was a massive story that Kirby had been planning to release at Marvel Comics to take the place of Thor & Asgard (who he planned to kill-off during Ragnarok), but his legendary falling-out with the company saw him take his talents to DC Comics where he was given near-free control to spin his story out from the Superman mythos. He worked on 4 different books, but I am focusing on this one--the longest of the three. Kirby illustrates (naturally), wrote and edited (un-naturally) this title. It was the most control he would have over any of his creations during his career.
The story is that a war between power beings called New Gods are taking place. One group is called New Genesis and they are trying to stop their enemies from a Apokolips led by an evil being called Darkseid. As part of a peace-treaty the leader of New Genesis, The Highfather, and Darkseid agree to do a childswap as a collateral for the treaty. This works out for Darkseid's birth-son, but not for The Highfather's, who is raised by one of Apokolips' brutal generals. This son falls in love with a power soldier named Barda and she helps him escape. The son's name is Scott Free and we are following his story.
Now this was meant to be a part of the greater Fourth World Saga, but it was all cancelled prematurely and Kirby eventually went back to Marvel Comics. Before its cancellation, this title got some things done. Kirby's art is a love-it or hate-it thing for modern comics fans and I tend to like it (he did drop in quality toward the very end, but was consistent for the most part). His writing....that's another story. The thing about Jack Kirby is that he actually comes up with decent ideas or overall plots. His weakness is in his scripts. People may feel a certain way about Stan Lee, but the man could write--and knew how to write different characters for his times. I have read different comics from this time-period, so I know the dialogue and plot, but Kirby's talents were homed in 1940s-1960s. This comic was written during what is called The Bronze Age of Comic Books, and while the overall story and feeling kept with the times, the dialogue and some of the details of the story still held-over from the hokey, cornier era of the 1950s & 1960s (we're talking Adam West Batman era). Despite this, what I love about this series is the artwork and the heart.
Kirby was not the social-realist writer, but he was a Jewish-American immigrant who fought in WWII. He finds ways to sneak that in the narrative. There is a lot of talk and controversy from some out-spoken people about comic books being too political or diverse or having too many non-white men in their stories, those people may want to pass this book. Kirby was ahead of his time on a lot of things and that included trying to racially integrate the comic book industry on and off the page (that is an astounding story in itself). Man was the King of the "sjws" in his day. His female characters are proudly strong and self-sufficient. Barda (who eventually leaves Apokolips to join her fiancee) does not pretend to be a saint-like warrior like Wonder Woman, she is just a warrior. Shilo Norman, an African-American introduced during the latter-half of the book, is trained as the successor to Mister Miracle and treated like a normal human-being and not a walking stereotype (as still happens even in 2017 comics). Kirby's own shortcomings as a writer aside, all his characters are imbued with a dignity and respect deserving of them.
I may 0r may not read the rest of Kirby's Fourth World books. I do know many of these characters through their appearances in the DC Animated Universe and other comics (I can personally recommend the story "Rock of Ages" found in JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2). I also know that Grant Morrison eventually "finished" Kirby's Fourth World saga in Final Crisis (of course because of how the comic book industry works this was undone after Flashpoint). I am glad I got to read this labor of love by such an important figure. Very fascinating and tragic figure.
"The face they saw was granite-hard--and the eyes in it were fixed on the limitless!
Shilo Norman: 'Wow! Look at that dude! Have you been out in the storm all this time, Mister?'
Darkseid: 'I am the storm!'"
September 5, 2025
Contains Mister Miracle #1 - #18
First appearance of Scott Free, Mister Miracle, Oberon, Steel Hand, Granny Goodness, Doctor Bedlam, Virman Vundabar, Himon, Big Barda, female Furies, Lashina, Stompa etc and more
Jack 'the king' Kirby builds a vast and imaginative world for Mister Miracle. The depth of story and world building is done in such an interesting way that it hooks the reader in completely.
The art and the colours used make this Paperback stand out more than anything else.
The character that I liked the most is Big Barda, she wears her heart on her sleeve and always looks out for others before self. She comes across as brash but underneath she has a heart of gold.
Scott Free as Mister Miracle is a hero that embodies defiance of anarchy and represents freedom.
In today's times when so much absolute power rests with one or two people who use it to control people and make them fight each other. Mister Miracle is the hero we all need who wages a war against the great Darkseid and his tyrant rules.
Some of the plot pertaining to Apokolips reminded me of how the British ruled with tyranny, killed the locals without any repercussions and did not allow any freedom to the people. And then there were the small group of revolutionaries that fought back in thier own way like Himon.
The stories are fascinating and enjoyable. Overall a great read.
First appearance of Scott Free, Mister Miracle, Oberon, Steel Hand, Granny Goodness, Doctor Bedlam, Virman Vundabar, Himon, Big Barda, female Furies, Lashina, Stompa etc and more
Jack 'the king' Kirby builds a vast and imaginative world for Mister Miracle. The depth of story and world building is done in such an interesting way that it hooks the reader in completely.
The art and the colours used make this Paperback stand out more than anything else.
The character that I liked the most is Big Barda, she wears her heart on her sleeve and always looks out for others before self. She comes across as brash but underneath she has a heart of gold.
Scott Free as Mister Miracle is a hero that embodies defiance of anarchy and represents freedom.
In today's times when so much absolute power rests with one or two people who use it to control people and make them fight each other. Mister Miracle is the hero we all need who wages a war against the great Darkseid and his tyrant rules.
Some of the plot pertaining to Apokolips reminded me of how the British ruled with tyranny, killed the locals without any repercussions and did not allow any freedom to the people. And then there were the small group of revolutionaries that fought back in thier own way like Himon.
The stories are fascinating and enjoyable. Overall a great read.
February 18, 2019
Mister Miracle is one of my favorites, but I've been relying on my crappy black and white trade for years now. Recently DC has started reprinting Jack Kirby's fourth world comics in color, and I figured now was a good time to pick up this reprinting since the Tom King trade was right around the corner.
This edition is SO much better than the previously available version. Not only is it in color the way it was meant to be seen, but this includes all 18 issues of the original Mister Miracle series instead of having it broken out into two volumes.
The comic itself is a ton of fun and one that doesn't take itself too seriously. Most issues follow the same formula: Scott Free is trying out some elaborate new magic trick when he's ambushed by an enemy from his homeworld of Apokolips. Said enemy usually has a ridiculous name and one schtick, but it always ends up with Mister Miracle tied to a rocket or stuffed in a box (which explodes, of course). They think he's surely dead but, surprise! Mister Miracle still alive and armed with some long-winded explanation of how he escaped using one of his many gadgets. You could say he got off...scott free. Yes it's ridiculous, yes it's repetitive. I don't care.
I love the backdrop of Apokolips and all the lore that goes with it - this hateful, vile planet where everyone is beaten into submission but Scott and Barda manage to escape and thrive on earth. Of course, Big Barda and her female furies always fascinated me. There's still a great deal of sexism in this comic, but in many ways it's very empowering as well. We have the villain of Granny Goodness who is portrayed as a very real threat and is a bad person, not just a bad woman. Barda herself (even while strutting around in a bikini) is very capable and a direct response to the standard love interest at the time who just existed to get kidnapped. Although she defaults to said bikini, the first time we meet her she's decked out in full armor and frequently sports her full armor when fighting. She's a warrior through-and-through and saves Mister Miracle just as often (if not more often) as he saves her.
I always had a fascination with this world Jack Kirby created and with these characters specifically. This is definitely the best (reasonably priced) bindup of these classics. It's pretty scant on other content but there are a few character sheets at the end of the book.
This edition is SO much better than the previously available version. Not only is it in color the way it was meant to be seen, but this includes all 18 issues of the original Mister Miracle series instead of having it broken out into two volumes.
The comic itself is a ton of fun and one that doesn't take itself too seriously. Most issues follow the same formula: Scott Free is trying out some elaborate new magic trick when he's ambushed by an enemy from his homeworld of Apokolips. Said enemy usually has a ridiculous name and one schtick, but it always ends up with Mister Miracle tied to a rocket or stuffed in a box (which explodes, of course). They think he's surely dead but, surprise! Mister Miracle still alive and armed with some long-winded explanation of how he escaped using one of his many gadgets. You could say he got off...scott free. Yes it's ridiculous, yes it's repetitive. I don't care.
I love the backdrop of Apokolips and all the lore that goes with it - this hateful, vile planet where everyone is beaten into submission but Scott and Barda manage to escape and thrive on earth. Of course, Big Barda and her female furies always fascinated me. There's still a great deal of sexism in this comic, but in many ways it's very empowering as well. We have the villain of Granny Goodness who is portrayed as a very real threat and is a bad person, not just a bad woman. Barda herself (even while strutting around in a bikini) is very capable and a direct response to the standard love interest at the time who just existed to get kidnapped. Although she defaults to said bikini, the first time we meet her she's decked out in full armor and frequently sports her full armor when fighting. She's a warrior through-and-through and saves Mister Miracle just as often (if not more often) as he saves her.
I always had a fascination with this world Jack Kirby created and with these characters specifically. This is definitely the best (reasonably priced) bindup of these classics. It's pretty scant on other content but there are a few character sheets at the end of the book.
January 15, 2021
It should come as no surprise to Jack Kirby fans that this book is among his best. He never did quite master good dialogue, but he also probably didn’t care much (nor did I while reading it).
What sets Mister Miracle above his other Fourth World Saga books (New Gods, etc.) is the way Kirby blends the exaggerated showmanship of escape artistry with the over-the-top character performances of Saturday morning cartoons. Each issue includes some big escape act—either staged by Scott Free/Mister Miracle or by a rotating cast of villains.
There isn’t much of a story that ties the issues together, but I don’t miss it. Each issue is such a ridiculous, campy, and beautiful whole that an ongoing storyline would give it all an unwanted seriousness.
There’s so much here worth pointing out, but to do so would take much longer than a Goodreads review has any right to be. For Kirby fans, this is necessary reading. For fans of the Silver and Bronze Ages, this is necessary reading. For fans of comics’ most egregious moments of campiness, this is necessary reading. And for everyone else, well, so long as you’re prepared for the surreal corniness of the unchecked imagination of Jack Kirby, this is also necessary reading.
What sets Mister Miracle above his other Fourth World Saga books (New Gods, etc.) is the way Kirby blends the exaggerated showmanship of escape artistry with the over-the-top character performances of Saturday morning cartoons. Each issue includes some big escape act—either staged by Scott Free/Mister Miracle or by a rotating cast of villains.
There isn’t much of a story that ties the issues together, but I don’t miss it. Each issue is such a ridiculous, campy, and beautiful whole that an ongoing storyline would give it all an unwanted seriousness.
There’s so much here worth pointing out, but to do so would take much longer than a Goodreads review has any right to be. For Kirby fans, this is necessary reading. For fans of the Silver and Bronze Ages, this is necessary reading. For fans of comics’ most egregious moments of campiness, this is necessary reading. And for everyone else, well, so long as you’re prepared for the surreal corniness of the unchecked imagination of Jack Kirby, this is also necessary reading.
June 25, 2018
En el año del centenario del nacimiento de Jack Kirby, Dc en una acertada movida editorial, republica en tomos de casi quinientas páginas obras del gran autor. Es ideal para practicar lectura lateral o rápida dada la sobrecarga de texto explicativo tan particular en la forma de narrar de hace cincuenta años. El arte así como por momentos se destaca también se nota que en aquella época ya denota el desgaste de dibujar tantas páginas mensuales y para colmo en varias colecciones encargándose de los guiones.
October 13, 2017
Classic Kirby - inventive, dynamic and fun.
July 24, 2025
Fun read! Glad to have more context of the character’s original iteration 💚💛❤️ 3.5
November 29, 2017
I don't usually read comics from the 70s, so I was surprised to find that I mostly loved this. I don't know much about Kirby or the rest of his Fourth World stuff, but this is one of the most fun collections I've read all year. If you can ignore the writing's lack of subtlety, you find a great comic with a ton of cool ideas. The idea of having an escape artist who used futuristic gadgets to get out of traps is really cool, as is the idea that he's from another world, and has friends and enemies who follow him to earth.
I really like Kirby's art. Once again, I don't usually read stuff from this era, due in part because the art usually isn't as interesting as a lot of stuff coming out now, but Kirby has a style that is uniquely his own. It just looks great. The coloring is also nice, even though it's not as varied as it would be if it came out now.
My biggest problem with these stories, and the reason I can't give this collection five stars, is because a lot of stories end very anti-climatically. Often, Mister Miracle will get into crazy traps, then will appear to die, only for it to be revealed that he survived the trap due to some gadget that we're seeing for the first time. Half (or more) of the stories seem to end this way, and it's just really annoying and unsatisfying. Kirby builds these great stories, then ends them poorly by randomly making something up within the last two pages. I get that this stuff is older and comics were written differently back in the day, but this is something I just can't excuse because of how much it decreased my enjoyment of the work.
I absolutely recommend this, but I don't think it's perfect. Still, it's a whole lot of fun if you're willing to give it a fair shot.
I really like Kirby's art. Once again, I don't usually read stuff from this era, due in part because the art usually isn't as interesting as a lot of stuff coming out now, but Kirby has a style that is uniquely his own. It just looks great. The coloring is also nice, even though it's not as varied as it would be if it came out now.
My biggest problem with these stories, and the reason I can't give this collection five stars, is because a lot of stories end very anti-climatically. Often, Mister Miracle will get into crazy traps, then will appear to die, only for it to be revealed that he survived the trap due to some gadget that we're seeing for the first time. Half (or more) of the stories seem to end this way, and it's just really annoying and unsatisfying. Kirby builds these great stories, then ends them poorly by randomly making something up within the last two pages. I get that this stuff is older and comics were written differently back in the day, but this is something I just can't excuse because of how much it decreased my enjoyment of the work.
I absolutely recommend this, but I don't think it's perfect. Still, it's a whole lot of fun if you're willing to give it a fair shot.
February 13, 2019
This collection includes all 18 issues of Jack Kirby's original Mister Miracle series. That's a whole lot of Mister Miracles and there are some pretty serious diminishing returns as the series goes. It starts with some interesting ideas and execution but by the time you reach the last few issues with the boy sidekick, Shilo, clearly Kirby was running out of steam.
Still, this 400+ pages of Jack Kirby ideas and artistry and it's gorgeous to look at. This isn't as sci fi driven as New Gods proper, but there's still plenty of room for Kibry to flex. Beyond the art, the dialogue is often melodramatic and clunky. One thing I do appreciate about Kirby's scripting is that it reads like a more modern comic. Unlike most writers of the time, he doesn't crowd each panel with useless descriptors and narration. He lets the art breathe and it never becomes a slog just to get through each page.
The concepts are sometimes very cool but often ridiculously half baked. This peaks with the villain of one issue named "Head" who, get this, is a head in a jar. You get the feeling Kirby was just throwing darts at a board full of ideas. Given the incredible pace he worked at, it's not surprising he didn't have time to flesh out all of his themes.
I wouldn't call all of this essential reading but it's nice to have everything collected in one place and there's no denying that some of the highs reached early in this series are some great superhero comics.
Still, this 400+ pages of Jack Kirby ideas and artistry and it's gorgeous to look at. This isn't as sci fi driven as New Gods proper, but there's still plenty of room for Kibry to flex. Beyond the art, the dialogue is often melodramatic and clunky. One thing I do appreciate about Kirby's scripting is that it reads like a more modern comic. Unlike most writers of the time, he doesn't crowd each panel with useless descriptors and narration. He lets the art breathe and it never becomes a slog just to get through each page.
The concepts are sometimes very cool but often ridiculously half baked. This peaks with the villain of one issue named "Head" who, get this, is a head in a jar. You get the feeling Kirby was just throwing darts at a board full of ideas. Given the incredible pace he worked at, it's not surprising he didn't have time to flesh out all of his themes.
I wouldn't call all of this essential reading but it's nice to have everything collected in one place and there's no denying that some of the highs reached early in this series are some great superhero comics.
February 12, 2021
This series isn't the most consistent or exciting of Kirby's works, but when it's good it's really good. Mister Miracle and Big Barda are a fantastic couple and their relationship dynamic is really fun to read. "Scott Free", and Orion, are so interesting in concept and explore so many cool facets of mythology. The gimmick of 'being able to escape anything', being a 'master escape artist', would be tiring if it were a literal superpower but nope it's just that Scott wants his freedom so much he's trained himself to always escape. He uses tech, quick thinking, and deception, all because he loves life and wants to continue living so much. Some of the dieas are half-formed, and towards the end it's like Kirby knows his series is stopping soon so it becomes more of a generic superhero adventure with a teen sidekick and everything, but it's still great and a very worthwhile read.
August 16, 2018
Really excited about starting this. It's like a good Kate Bush record in comic form.
November 18, 2017
Not a great book but I'm mostly reading this in preparation for Tom Kings Mister Miracle.
It holds up well compared to other older books but you get tired of the escape artist shtick very quickly, getting away at the last second every time because he melted the floor or worked his motherbox.
It holds up well compared to other older books but you get tired of the escape artist shtick very quickly, getting away at the last second every time because he melted the floor or worked his motherbox.
July 29, 2019
Everything you're looking for in Kirby's work as both artist and writer - bombastic action, weirdo plots, bizarre character names - but a little lighter on the heavy dramatics than New Gods. I get the feeling that this a corner of the Fourth World that he set aside to have a little more fun with in a Saturday matinee Republic movie serial kind of way. Hero finds himself in danger, makes a last minute escape in the face of almost certain death, offers some bullshit hand-wavy reasoning about how he did it, rinse and repeat. If you like that sort of thing - and I do - this is a good example of it.
October 1, 2019
Mister Miracle is probably the sanest component of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, but it's still wonderfully weird. Here Kirby is let loose to create without the oversight and control of Stan Lee at Marvel, which is a blessing and perhaps just a bit of a curse. With this and the rest of the Fourth World titles (Forever People, The New Gods, and 18 issues of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen), Kirby has constructed a universe that is gargantuan and supremely ambitious. He often pulls it off, but near the end of this collection, Kirby runs out of steam somewhat. Still, Kirby accomplished an amazing feat with this title and all of the Fourth World. All comics fans owe it to themselves to experience this work.
November 20, 2024
I love the way Jack Kirby draws women. Big Barda is so gorgeous.
June 13, 2019
Wow! I thought I ordered from the library the newest volume but instead I got the first appearance of him from the 70s and what a great blast from the past! The introduction of Darkseid, Granny Goodness and the Female Furies, Shilo Norman, Big Barda. Action packed as only Jack Kirby could do. He created quite the the universe with the Fourth World and New Genesis and Apokolips!
October 14, 2017
If you have no knowledge of Mister Miracle or no fondness for Jack Kirby's art this is more of a novelty or 2 star book but I gave it an extra star because it was the first time I read the original issues of this interesting character written by the creative mind of Jack Kirby when he moved from Marvel to DC and created the FOURTH WORLD with New Genesis and Apokolips with the much used villain Darkseid. These books have been rightly praised as being filled to the top with creativity but what people fail to ALSO say is as creative as Kirby was and as gifted as he was a visual artist he was VERY poor at subtlety - good dialogue, developing multidimensional characters and stories that made a lot of sense. Stan Lee at Marvel helped focus his energies but left on his own Kirby was all over the place. His art - which was powerful and influenced many to come - was also getting dated by this time and a tad sloppy. By the 18th issue of this series it was getting a little embarrassing and the inker Royer wasn't helping.
I have a special place in my heart for the character Mister Miracle and I can't tell you exactly why - I think the concept (which Kirby was the King at) is perfect - a master escape artist who managed to escape from the prison world of Apokolips, with the help of his then friend and future wife Big Barda (Jack was NOT the king when it came to names). The first issues take the vague idea and make it fun - we get some over the top escapes and some larger than life villains. We get Kirby at his best in terms of art with inker Vince Colletta (who imposed his style TOO much on Kirby's pencil art BUT I think this worked in the end because nobody could draw faces like Vince). So at the start this is a fun concept with great ideas, a lot of fun stories and great art.
But as the series wears on Jack's weaknesses in storytelling begin to show - yes we still get some great villains and a little bit of story development but after a year, Oberon, Mister Miracle's sidekick, is still just a prop with no personality, Mister Miracle (Scott Free) and Big Barda barely interact in a meaningful way but we get a quick marriage at the end of the series and we get some new side characters Ted Brown and Shilo who don't really fit in or make much sense (why does a young teenager human Shilo Norman gain the strength of Barda and escape powers of Mister Miracle?) The first issues were a fun read - the last ones made little sense and felt VERY rushed. The low point comes when Kirby bails out of a particularly weird story by saying "it was just a dream!" Yikes. Also - that last issue and the rushed wedding - very awkward. Obviously, someone told Kirby in the middle of him doing the issue "The series is cancelled! Wrap it up quick!"
If you take this series for what it is - a product of the 70's and an experiment by Kirby that didn't quite work out - it is fun but not great comic book storytelling. What did end up working out is how Kirby's Fourth World went on to inspire future writers so if you are a fan of comic book history it is worth the read. If not - give it a miss.
I have a special place in my heart for the character Mister Miracle and I can't tell you exactly why - I think the concept (which Kirby was the King at) is perfect - a master escape artist who managed to escape from the prison world of Apokolips, with the help of his then friend and future wife Big Barda (Jack was NOT the king when it came to names). The first issues take the vague idea and make it fun - we get some over the top escapes and some larger than life villains. We get Kirby at his best in terms of art with inker Vince Colletta (who imposed his style TOO much on Kirby's pencil art BUT I think this worked in the end because nobody could draw faces like Vince). So at the start this is a fun concept with great ideas, a lot of fun stories and great art.
But as the series wears on Jack's weaknesses in storytelling begin to show - yes we still get some great villains and a little bit of story development but after a year, Oberon, Mister Miracle's sidekick, is still just a prop with no personality, Mister Miracle (Scott Free) and Big Barda barely interact in a meaningful way but we get a quick marriage at the end of the series and we get some new side characters Ted Brown and Shilo who don't really fit in or make much sense (why does a young teenager human Shilo Norman gain the strength of Barda and escape powers of Mister Miracle?) The first issues were a fun read - the last ones made little sense and felt VERY rushed. The low point comes when Kirby bails out of a particularly weird story by saying "it was just a dream!" Yikes. Also - that last issue and the rushed wedding - very awkward. Obviously, someone told Kirby in the middle of him doing the issue "The series is cancelled! Wrap it up quick!"
If you take this series for what it is - a product of the 70's and an experiment by Kirby that didn't quite work out - it is fun but not great comic book storytelling. What did end up working out is how Kirby's Fourth World went on to inspire future writers so if you are a fan of comic book history it is worth the read. If not - give it a miss.
July 25, 2024
If Jack Kirby isn’t the patron saint of comics, he’s definitely up there in the pantheon of comics gods. So, as a lifelong comics reader, I felt it important that I at least read one book by “King” Kirby - and I also brung along some suckers friends to join in! Yay, we’re headed back to the Silver Age…
(Hat tip to the always brilliant Jayson for creating the awesome banner)
I thought titling the buddy read after Curb was just a silly fun pun but my enthusiasm was unfortunately curbed early on into this one!
I’ll just be up front: I didn’t finish this book.
I know, the shame of a DNF! At least I read 12 of the 18 issues so that’s acceptable-ish, right? I got enough of an idea of Kirby’s style and his Mister Miracle anyway. It just got so bad towards the end that I couldn’t face struggling through another unrewarding 140 pages.
This book is 18 issues long, and, if you know comics publishers, they bundle up the issues like this and crap out a bumper book when they have no confidence that people will read the first book of, say 6 issues, and then come back to buy a second or third volume. And for good reason: Kirby’s Mister Miracle is not good!
Mister Miracle is Scott Free (Kirby’s character names - man… more on that later), an orphan from Apokolips, who is both a superhero and escape artist, both for no real reason! He sets up elaborate traps for TV audiences that never appear or see them, and he’s got some beef with people from Apokolips for reasons. But, even though he’s left them behind and made it to Earth, he’s gotta keep going back there to fight them for something… eh. It’s a mess!
Issue one is fittingly the origin story. For no reason, Mister Miracle is an older man called Thaddeus Brown who conveniently dies. So it’s a good thing that Scott happened to be walking by to meet Brown and his tiny assistant Oberon - and was doing literally nothing with his life, and also happened to have everything he needed to be an escape artist - so that he could effortlessly step in to become the new Mister Miracle. Why do it like this - why have Brown at all if he’s just going to be snuffed out? Have it be Scott from the beginning who comes up with the character/costume/schtick himself and it immediately makes more sense.
Convenience is the watchword because, from the start, Scott is put into one impossible trap after another and easily escapes because of some silly contrivance. He’s always locked up or tied to a missile or something and he always happens to have a gadget to get him out of things just in the nick of time. Mother Boxes too seem to do whatever the plot needs them to do, which is handy. Boring to read too - I think Kirby meant for these scenes to be exciting but when the solution is always “Scott escapes because contrivance” then it has the opposite effect.
The series is mostly Scott vs the villain of the week which was repetitive and a bit of a dead end - I wanted a more substantial narrative for the character to go on. And I got my wish because about half a dozen issues in Scott heads back to Apokolips with his girl Friday, Big Barda, to do… something. Kirby’s so weak at sustained, or even clear, narrative that I was never sure what was happening in this part of the book, or why. Scott and Barda are just there endlessly fighting until they’re not.
I think Kirby envisioned Mister Miracle as a kind of futuristic retelling of Oliver Twist because he has all these flashbacks to Scott as a young orphan on Apokolips having a miserable time. And maybe this is where the weird names come in - did Kirby think batty names were Dickensian? The evil Apokolips characters from Scott’s past have names like Granny Goodness and Wonderful Willik, and even Scott’s name is a bizarre pun. Either way, this is as ham-fisted as you can get if this is meant as Dickens homage.
The first few issues of Mister Miracle were definitely corny but tolerable - and then they became corny and intolerable. The bad writing just got to me in the end. I can’t stand the faux-Shakespearean speech or carnival barker-esque narrative boxes of the Silver Age. And you can see why the general impression of superhero comics to most non-readers back in the day was of childish nonsense when you have this basic level of storytelling. Characters announce their origins and motivations to nobody but the reader and the plots are poorly constructed, vague, and thoughtlessly wrapped up when the page count is reached.
I’ll give Kirby this though: he was endlessly creative. There’s so much stuff in this series that is a staple of the DC Universe (and Marvel’s, sort of) today. Parademons and Mother Boxes, not to mention Darkseid - no Kirby, then no Darkseid, which means no character for Jim Starlin to rip off as Thanos, and then the MCU looks very different without that dude! It’s very hit-or-miss though. For every Big Barda or Metron there’s a Doctor Vundabar or Funky Flashman.
I honestly tried to appreciate Jack Kirby’s comics and I’m glad I gave it a shot - he’s such a big name in comics, you kinda have to try reading at least one of his books if you’re a fan of the medium. But I found that, like most older comics, Kirby’s Mister Miracle was outdated, badly written, unentertaining, too goofy, and generally not for anyone without much patience for antiquated, highly stylised superhero comics. In short, not for me!
(Hat tip to the always brilliant Jayson for creating the awesome banner)
I thought titling the buddy read after Curb was just a silly fun pun but my enthusiasm was unfortunately curbed early on into this one!
I’ll just be up front: I didn’t finish this book.
I know, the shame of a DNF! At least I read 12 of the 18 issues so that’s acceptable-ish, right? I got enough of an idea of Kirby’s style and his Mister Miracle anyway. It just got so bad towards the end that I couldn’t face struggling through another unrewarding 140 pages.
This book is 18 issues long, and, if you know comics publishers, they bundle up the issues like this and crap out a bumper book when they have no confidence that people will read the first book of, say 6 issues, and then come back to buy a second or third volume. And for good reason: Kirby’s Mister Miracle is not good!
Mister Miracle is Scott Free (Kirby’s character names - man… more on that later), an orphan from Apokolips, who is both a superhero and escape artist, both for no real reason! He sets up elaborate traps for TV audiences that never appear or see them, and he’s got some beef with people from Apokolips for reasons. But, even though he’s left them behind and made it to Earth, he’s gotta keep going back there to fight them for something… eh. It’s a mess!
Issue one is fittingly the origin story. For no reason, Mister Miracle is an older man called Thaddeus Brown who conveniently dies. So it’s a good thing that Scott happened to be walking by to meet Brown and his tiny assistant Oberon - and was doing literally nothing with his life, and also happened to have everything he needed to be an escape artist - so that he could effortlessly step in to become the new Mister Miracle. Why do it like this - why have Brown at all if he’s just going to be snuffed out? Have it be Scott from the beginning who comes up with the character/costume/schtick himself and it immediately makes more sense.
Convenience is the watchword because, from the start, Scott is put into one impossible trap after another and easily escapes because of some silly contrivance. He’s always locked up or tied to a missile or something and he always happens to have a gadget to get him out of things just in the nick of time. Mother Boxes too seem to do whatever the plot needs them to do, which is handy. Boring to read too - I think Kirby meant for these scenes to be exciting but when the solution is always “Scott escapes because contrivance” then it has the opposite effect.
The series is mostly Scott vs the villain of the week which was repetitive and a bit of a dead end - I wanted a more substantial narrative for the character to go on. And I got my wish because about half a dozen issues in Scott heads back to Apokolips with his girl Friday, Big Barda, to do… something. Kirby’s so weak at sustained, or even clear, narrative that I was never sure what was happening in this part of the book, or why. Scott and Barda are just there endlessly fighting until they’re not.
I think Kirby envisioned Mister Miracle as a kind of futuristic retelling of Oliver Twist because he has all these flashbacks to Scott as a young orphan on Apokolips having a miserable time. And maybe this is where the weird names come in - did Kirby think batty names were Dickensian? The evil Apokolips characters from Scott’s past have names like Granny Goodness and Wonderful Willik, and even Scott’s name is a bizarre pun. Either way, this is as ham-fisted as you can get if this is meant as Dickens homage.
The first few issues of Mister Miracle were definitely corny but tolerable - and then they became corny and intolerable. The bad writing just got to me in the end. I can’t stand the faux-Shakespearean speech or carnival barker-esque narrative boxes of the Silver Age. And you can see why the general impression of superhero comics to most non-readers back in the day was of childish nonsense when you have this basic level of storytelling. Characters announce their origins and motivations to nobody but the reader and the plots are poorly constructed, vague, and thoughtlessly wrapped up when the page count is reached.
I’ll give Kirby this though: he was endlessly creative. There’s so much stuff in this series that is a staple of the DC Universe (and Marvel’s, sort of) today. Parademons and Mother Boxes, not to mention Darkseid - no Kirby, then no Darkseid, which means no character for Jim Starlin to rip off as Thanos, and then the MCU looks very different without that dude! It’s very hit-or-miss though. For every Big Barda or Metron there’s a Doctor Vundabar or Funky Flashman.
I honestly tried to appreciate Jack Kirby’s comics and I’m glad I gave it a shot - he’s such a big name in comics, you kinda have to try reading at least one of his books if you’re a fan of the medium. But I found that, like most older comics, Kirby’s Mister Miracle was outdated, badly written, unentertaining, too goofy, and generally not for anyone without much patience for antiquated, highly stylised superhero comics. In short, not for me!
December 23, 2017
Some great stuff in here but the series was cut off too early and the abrupt ending tosses off where it was going. The stories themselves get a tad repetitive with the opening being Miracle trying a new escape out, then a new villain coming to get him, then a trap that he seems to die in only to have him appear safe and tell of his wondrous technology that saved him. Needed more time to gel.
February 23, 2019
Long live the King, Jack Kirby. Great story telling and fast paced especially for 70s comics. Fantastically beautiful art as well.
January 29, 2018
Fourth World is arguably the pinnacle of Jack Kirby's creative freedom and earned opportunity in the field that practically would not have existed without him - Mister Miracle is the pinnacle of Fourth World.
He set impossible tasks for himself, and he always surpassed all realistic expectations.
Jack is Scott Free, a lot of the time - and it never mattered that the powers were inconsistent (it didn't matter what they were, or where they came from), it never mattered that time was invested in characters that would fade in and out - - what mattered was that Scott kept escaping death, w/o batting an eye - and the two people who loved him most (Oberon and Big Barta... especially BB) were there to marvel at it, dust him off, watch his back, and share in the partnership of the book. The Mister Miracle troupe.
The stories are defined by the villains - the circumstances. Taking a walk in the woods with your buddy (while wearing one of the most flamboyant costumes ever designed)? Don't be surprised if a demon runs by, chased by other demons, leading you to a haunted house of Satan - which is really a weapon-smuggling operation run by a mutant whose eyes can do whatever the plot calls for.
Superman had silver age powers like this - because everybody knew it wasn't about the powers. It wasn't about realism (which we may be forever mired in, thanks to the gentrification of most comics). It was about incredible graphic depictions of action, and death defied on every other page.
Jack Kirby was a genius, the likes of which seem impossible to ever occur again in the human race. Not necessarily because he was the best at anything except *production*. His dreams spilled out on paper b/c of an inhuman work ethic spawned on fields of gory devastating battle. If any other living soul carried illustration jobs on up to 7 titles a month (at the craziest span) - they may have mined deeply enough to find the gold that he produced as casually as you or I blow our nose.
Kirby was a miracle. Mister Miracle encapsulates some of what he was, in its purest form. Work, wage-slavery, and escaping despair - in the name of pure entertainment (that you learn and grow from) - one miraculous day after the another.
He set impossible tasks for himself, and he always surpassed all realistic expectations.
Jack is Scott Free, a lot of the time - and it never mattered that the powers were inconsistent (it didn't matter what they were, or where they came from), it never mattered that time was invested in characters that would fade in and out - - what mattered was that Scott kept escaping death, w/o batting an eye - and the two people who loved him most (Oberon and Big Barta... especially BB) were there to marvel at it, dust him off, watch his back, and share in the partnership of the book. The Mister Miracle troupe.
The stories are defined by the villains - the circumstances. Taking a walk in the woods with your buddy (while wearing one of the most flamboyant costumes ever designed)? Don't be surprised if a demon runs by, chased by other demons, leading you to a haunted house of Satan - which is really a weapon-smuggling operation run by a mutant whose eyes can do whatever the plot calls for.
Superman had silver age powers like this - because everybody knew it wasn't about the powers. It wasn't about realism (which we may be forever mired in, thanks to the gentrification of most comics). It was about incredible graphic depictions of action, and death defied on every other page.
Jack Kirby was a genius, the likes of which seem impossible to ever occur again in the human race. Not necessarily because he was the best at anything except *production*. His dreams spilled out on paper b/c of an inhuman work ethic spawned on fields of gory devastating battle. If any other living soul carried illustration jobs on up to 7 titles a month (at the craziest span) - they may have mined deeply enough to find the gold that he produced as casually as you or I blow our nose.
Kirby was a miracle. Mister Miracle encapsulates some of what he was, in its purest form. Work, wage-slavery, and escaping despair - in the name of pure entertainment (that you learn and grow from) - one miraculous day after the another.
December 24, 2017
Sem o sentido épico dos restantes elementos do Quarto Mundo, o universo ficcional que Jack Kirby desenvolveu para a DC após ter saído da Marvel, Mister Miracle desenvolve um lado mais no sentido do espetáculo puro. Os desafios do prestidigitador, capaz de continuamente desafiar a morte em truques de escapismo elaborados, cruzam-se com as capacidades e dilemas de um ser que vem de fora, fugido dos recantos mais tenebrosos do Quarto Mundo para viver em liberdade na Terra. Scott Free é mais do que um nome, é toda uma metáfora.
Os velhos inimigos, vindos de Apokolips, não desistem de o perseguir, o que é um excelente pretexto para Kirby explorar a fundo a textura do seu Quarto Mundo. Que, no caso de Apokolips, sublinha uma maldade inata que roça o absurdo, extrapolada em personagens bizarras como Granny Goodness, a antítese da avozinha simpática que endurece os jovens de Apokolips com sevícias no seu orfanato, o poder mental de Doctor Bedlam, o nazismo incorporado de Virman Vundabar ou o efeminado Kanto, mestre assassino. Adversários constantes, incansáveis nos seus esforços por recapturar e humilhar Scott Free, que se vai escapando graças a uma combinação de engenho, tecnologia de uma motherbox que lhe foi dada por um semi-deus de Nova Génese, eterna rival de Apokolips, e um grupo crescente de amigos. Destes, destaca-se a intrigante Big Barda, uma perfeita quebra do estereótipo da donzela frágil dos comics, que serve apenas para ser salva pelo herói. Forte, espadaúda, mestre nas artes da guerra e também ela dissidente dos modos de vida do reino de Darkseid, Barda é uma força da natureza a que poucos adversários sobrevivem.
Visualmente, temos o traço clássico de Kirby, rude e marcante, com uma elegância terra a terra que nos conquista. O tratamento de cor de Vince Colleta e Mike Royer conferiram a estes comics um visual de pura quadricromia, com tons vibrantes e berrantes que, no entanto, fazem todo o sentido a acompanhar o traço de Kirby.
Os velhos inimigos, vindos de Apokolips, não desistem de o perseguir, o que é um excelente pretexto para Kirby explorar a fundo a textura do seu Quarto Mundo. Que, no caso de Apokolips, sublinha uma maldade inata que roça o absurdo, extrapolada em personagens bizarras como Granny Goodness, a antítese da avozinha simpática que endurece os jovens de Apokolips com sevícias no seu orfanato, o poder mental de Doctor Bedlam, o nazismo incorporado de Virman Vundabar ou o efeminado Kanto, mestre assassino. Adversários constantes, incansáveis nos seus esforços por recapturar e humilhar Scott Free, que se vai escapando graças a uma combinação de engenho, tecnologia de uma motherbox que lhe foi dada por um semi-deus de Nova Génese, eterna rival de Apokolips, e um grupo crescente de amigos. Destes, destaca-se a intrigante Big Barda, uma perfeita quebra do estereótipo da donzela frágil dos comics, que serve apenas para ser salva pelo herói. Forte, espadaúda, mestre nas artes da guerra e também ela dissidente dos modos de vida do reino de Darkseid, Barda é uma força da natureza a que poucos adversários sobrevivem.
Visualmente, temos o traço clássico de Kirby, rude e marcante, com uma elegância terra a terra que nos conquista. O tratamento de cor de Vince Colleta e Mike Royer conferiram a estes comics um visual de pura quadricromia, com tons vibrantes e berrantes que, no entanto, fazem todo o sentido a acompanhar o traço de Kirby.
November 15, 2022
Reading Kirby takes a specific kind of mindset. You can't read the latest Brian Michael Bendis comic and then jump into Kirby and expect the same kind of satisfaction. Comics were very different in that era and a one to one comparison with anything of the modern era will come up short, but that's because you don't GET to the modern era of comics without wading through this era first.
Most modern comic readers are never going to pick up a Kirby comic. In general, they won't think the art is very good. The stories will come off as boring, highly contrived and just plain silly at times. You really need a more sophisticated Their loss because Kirby's art really is spectacular. It's dynamic in ways that been imprinted on EVERY comic artist since. Sorry, but you don't get Jim Lee, Frank Miller and every other worshipped comic artist of the modern era without Jack Kirby.
Was Kirby a good wordsmith? No. Kirby text and dialogue can be downright confusing or lead nowhere at times, but the imagination on the man was second to none, and his ability to express it captured the hearts and minds of MILLIONS of people.
Mister Miracle is an offshoot of the New Gods/4th World Saga and it's pretty fun for what it is. Big Barda is the breakout star of the comic, but what really stands out to me is the depth of the 4th world universe that can be found page after page.
I've read and own a good amount of Kirby (hard to read everything given the sheer volume of his work) and it's hard to pick out my favorite. Is this the best of his work? No, probably not, but Big Barda (she fucking ROCKS!) and the depth of the 4th World story really spoke to me, shooting this up toward the top of my Kirby stack.
Check it out if you love Jack Kirby, comics history and Silver age comics.
Most modern comic readers are never going to pick up a Kirby comic. In general, they won't think the art is very good. The stories will come off as boring, highly contrived and just plain silly at times. You really need a more sophisticated Their loss because Kirby's art really is spectacular. It's dynamic in ways that been imprinted on EVERY comic artist since. Sorry, but you don't get Jim Lee, Frank Miller and every other worshipped comic artist of the modern era without Jack Kirby.
Was Kirby a good wordsmith? No. Kirby text and dialogue can be downright confusing or lead nowhere at times, but the imagination on the man was second to none, and his ability to express it captured the hearts and minds of MILLIONS of people.
Mister Miracle is an offshoot of the New Gods/4th World Saga and it's pretty fun for what it is. Big Barda is the breakout star of the comic, but what really stands out to me is the depth of the 4th world universe that can be found page after page.
I've read and own a good amount of Kirby (hard to read everything given the sheer volume of his work) and it's hard to pick out my favorite. Is this the best of his work? No, probably not, but Big Barda (she fucking ROCKS!) and the depth of the 4th World story really spoke to me, shooting this up toward the top of my Kirby stack.
Check it out if you love Jack Kirby, comics history and Silver age comics.
August 4, 2025
The Fourth World is Jack Kirby in his purest form, unbound by conventions and free to follow his imagination to its limits. And Mister Miracle is I think the heart of that. While it falls into a certain rhythm- Scott Free does a daring escape act, then gets put into a killer trap for real, only to escape at the last minute- the situations Kirby puts him into are constantly inventive and visually stunning. And the way what Mister Miracle does (escape from convoluted bondage set-ups) connects to who he is (an orphan raised in a fascist world, desperately rejecting the logic of totalitarianism in the pursuit of freedom) is really effective storytelling. And what more can I possibly say about Big Barda, his big beautiful hero of a wife? She is iconic in just about every panel, but my favorite is probably her holding up the cannon.
The first part of this narrative is also collected in the Fourth World Omnibus Part 2, but I gotta say there's something really nice about getting a straight-forward narrative throughout this collection. Despite obviously being intertwined with the whole Fourth World, you never get the feeling reading this that you're missing out of all kinds of story happening across all these different comics, or that it's constantly being interrupted by all sorts of other DC characters. This works as a really effective stand-alone story, and I'm so glad they had enough confidence in Jack Kirby to just fully do his own thing (feels impossible to imagine Marvel or DC ever giving an artist this much free reign ever again).
The first part of this narrative is also collected in the Fourth World Omnibus Part 2, but I gotta say there's something really nice about getting a straight-forward narrative throughout this collection. Despite obviously being intertwined with the whole Fourth World, you never get the feeling reading this that you're missing out of all kinds of story happening across all these different comics, or that it's constantly being interrupted by all sorts of other DC characters. This works as a really effective stand-alone story, and I'm so glad they had enough confidence in Jack Kirby to just fully do his own thing (feels impossible to imagine Marvel or DC ever giving an artist this much free reign ever again).
March 30, 2018
Literally, I think, one of Kirby's most colorful (based on his costume) creations, Mister Miracle is an escape artist beyond compare. While Kirby's sense of how Scott Free performs his escapes is sometimes lacking in explanation, it doesn't detract from his thrilling exploits in the slightest. Michael Chabon has commented that he was surprised no one had previously created an escape artist superhero while he was creating the Escapist (see The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which I highly Rickommend) clearly he'd never read Mister Miracle. But there are some pretty big differences between those two characters, so I'll let it slide. This is part of Kirby's epic Fourth World saga and even though the stories presented here are not the whole story, they are still enjoyable and fun to read.
This omnibus volume contains Kirby's longest run of the Fourth World titles. Mister Miracle was probably the closest to a typical super-hero comic, so I think that contributed to this title's longevity (almost twice as long as either New Gods or The Forever People). Almost every issue features a new concept or character, so Kirby was still pushing forward even though his other titles from this tapestry of interlocking titles were being cancelled. This is a wonderful, fast-paced read.
This omnibus volume contains Kirby's longest run of the Fourth World titles. Mister Miracle was probably the closest to a typical super-hero comic, so I think that contributed to this title's longevity (almost twice as long as either New Gods or The Forever People). Almost every issue features a new concept or character, so Kirby was still pushing forward even though his other titles from this tapestry of interlocking titles were being cancelled. This is a wonderful, fast-paced read.
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