Mister Miracle #7 (1972)
by Jack Kirby
Little known fact, “Visit Apokolips and die” is the slogan of their tourism industry.
We begin on Apokolips, with the FIRST double splash page of the series!
I was very surprised to see this so late in the run; all other Fourth World series include them from WAY earlier.
Nothing new, but Kirby REALLY drives home how tyrannical this place is.
So of course Mister Miracle wants to go back. Wait, what?
What really makes Mister Miracle stand out from all other Kirby series is how the characters truly feel like people, instead of action figures the author is smashing around.
Big Barda and Oberon haven’t even shared a ton of scenes together, and yet you really feel this is a heartful goodbye.
Mister Miracle has two goals in mind by going back: stopping Granny Goodness from continuously send people to hunt him down, and inspire the local population.
I was only SLIGHTLY joking about the slogan.
How can you possibly not love Big Barda?
I don’t think it’s controversial to say, even to Kirby superfans, that the New Genesis characters are immensely more boring than the Apokolips ones.
Kirby almost says it himself.
Speaking of Apokolips characters, the heroes are intercepted by Kanto.
Who despite what I just sait about Apokolips characters, I’ve always found incredibly uninteresting.
While I’ve been enjoying the series, one aspect that isn’t clicking for me are the Mister Miracle gadgets. There’s no theme to them and they don’t seem to ever be used more than once!
Definitely way better than always relying on the Mother Box™, but it’s annoying to me.
Mister Miracle manages to strike a deal with the treacherous Kanto.
Because that’s a guy you can trust, sure.
Too bad Granny Goodness has been waiting for this. Even going as far as wearing one of the most ridiculous Apokolpis outfits ever, WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING.
The backup feature is the continuation of Mister Miracle’s expanded origin story.
He’s been cheating his way though escape artistry since then.
Splash pages: 4 out of 25 (16%)
Splash + double splash pages: 6 out of 25 (24%)
This includes both stories.
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
Even for Apokolips, that is one weird way to implement a firing squad.
Mister Miracle #8 (1972)
by Jack Kirby
I’m guessing this series was more successful of the other Fourth World ones, considering it lasted way longer…
…but it might have sold more if they went with THIS scene for the cover.
Big Barda slides back into her leadership role with no problems.
While Mister Miracle is given a tour of… whatever this place is supposed to be…
…in order to fight this thing, Lump.
This is probably the most normal Granny Goodness has ever looked.
Given what we’ve seen of Apokolips, I find it really hard to believe that Kanto could simply refuse to obey the order of killing Mister Miracle just because he knew he was still going to be fall into a different trap… and not be punished for disobeying.
Isn’t blind obedience to authority kind of a major part of this society?
Mister Miracle’s torture will be watched by a guest of honor.
We’re not told her identity yet, but you might figure it out if you’ve read New Gods or realize that only a couple of people in the universe could have those eyebrows.
The torture is fighting Lump in a battle-of-the-mind thing in a telepathic realm called The Id.
If you die in The Id, you die in real life.
Even with Kirby artwork, this fight really drags.
Mister Miracle tries a trick, it doesn’t work on Lump, who transforms into something else.
Again and again.
I would rather read about Big Barda’s forces work their way through Granny’s defenses.
It might be too late.
Except Mister Miracle saved himself with a mirror.
Splash pages: 2 out of 25 (8%)
Splash + double splash pages: 4 out of 25 (16%)
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
She’s not kidding: apparently NOBODY notified the Female Furies that Big Barda defected!!!
Mister Miracle #9 (1972)
by Jack Kirby
You can’t really tell, but the guy on the cover IS Mister Miracle.
We begin in the lowest place of Apokolips (quite an accomplishment): Armagetto.
In one of the most gorgeous double splash pages EVER.
It’s kind of amazing that the Comics Code didn’t object to this, because holy crap is this brutal.
The “Young Scott Free” backup feature is now the main story: we just interrupted the main plot to jump into this extended flashback.
Where we are introduced to Himon, Mister Miracle’s mentor.
Himon has recruited a ragtag team of freedom fighters, and a girl who likes to make videos.
Only to be hunted down by Young Barda.
This is the first encounter between Barda and Mister Miracle.
Himon orders his team to teleport away…
…but stays behind to save Kreetin from being killed by an angry mob.
If possible, Himon survives death traps even more ridiculously than Mister Miracle.
Himon is a big deal: he’s apparently the one responsible for Metron’s technology.
Let me see if I can get this straight. The reason why Mister Miracle grew up on Apokolips and Orion on New Genesis is that Highfather and Darkseid switched their sons as part of a peace treaty.
While Darkseid doesn’t seem to have tried to bring Orion back… Highfather’s agents have infiltrated Apokolips multiple times to teach Mister Miracle how to escape.
Does that means that NEW GENESIS broke the treaty, in spirit at least, while APOKOLIPS respected it?
Kreetin is killed when he delivers to the authorities the Mother Box™ he took from Himon.
With a name like that, it’s not surprising that Kreetin is not very smart.
Again: by 1972 the Comic Code had relaxed a bit, but I’m still shocked they allowed this.
A good shock, mind you, but still.
No wonder Granny turns everyone into bad guys: she forces you to shave your head, and as we all know at DC Comics being bald means you’re evil.
What breaks Barda’s loyalty and convinces her to eventually defect is the senseless murder of the young girl she tried to save.
As a minor consolation, she’s avenged.
Turns out that Himon is the one who built the Boom Tube™, and I think he might also be the one to build the Mother Box™ as well.
It’s utterly bizarre to have a full issue dedicated to the past of Mister Miracle… and yet his actual origin is in New Gods #7, a series where he doesn’t even appear!!!
Big Barda eventually helps Mister Miracle to escape.
Told you he’s on the cover.
Darkseid makes his plea to keep Mister Miracle on Apokolips, but it doesn’t work.
An often repeated statement is that Kirby’s stories decreed that Darkseid will eventually be killed by Orion. That’s not entirely true: not only this doesn’t feel like a true prophecy, all it says is that he will eventually face Orion.
After having seen Orion in action on New Gods… Darkseid’s got this.
Splash pages: 2 out of 25 (8%)
Splash + double splash pages: 4 out of 25 (16%)
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
So you guys WANTED a war with Apokips or what?
Mister Miracle #10 (1972)
by Jack Kirby
You’re probably thinking “the bad guy can’t be this lame, right?”.
Yes he can.
With Big Barda STILL LEADING THE FEMALE FURIES (!!!), Mister Miracle has fled from Apokolips.
Which means that Granny Goodness got away scot-free (pun intended).
After they’re separated by artillery (!!!), Mister Miracle looks for them in a weird underground complex.
Where he meets The Head…
…who plans to bombard Earth with the plague.
This is a cool concept… The Head is blackmailing the whole planet… but I just can’t bring myself to take him seriously with that design.
I don’t know what it is, considering the Doom Patrol’s Brain can be scary when he’s even less mobile than him. Maybe it’s the tiny wheels.
He’s at least skilled enough to imprison the Female Furies AND smart enough to take away their weapons. Not that it matters with Stompa and her power to kick things really really hard.
They also free another prisoner. We’ll see him later.
That’s two issues in a row where Lashina has singled out Mad Harriet for being weird and having tattoos. When you’re the weird one ON APOKOLIPS, that’s an accomplishment!
You’re not helping your case, The Head, if you follow scenes where you’re impressive…
…with goofy stuff like this.
Mister Miracle sabotaged the rocket thanks to Mike McCraken, the prisoner who Barda freed.
And we close with Oberon welcoming back the son of the ORIGINAL Mister Miracle.
The story seems to imply that Mike McCraken will become an important character, but he completely disappears after this.
Splash pages: 2 out of 22 (9%)
No double splash pages
Most Kirby panel
Most WTF panel
We never learn who Mike McCraken is, why he loves talking about McCraken in the third person so much, or what the heck the All-Nations Agency is.
Historical significance
#7-8: 4/10
It introduces Kanto, who never grows past occasional henchman. I find him almost interchangeable with Steppenwholf, who has the advantage of being related to Darkseid.
#9: 9/10
Himon won’t play as much as a big role as the story suggests, but it’s still kind of essential reading for understanding both Mister Miracle and Big Barda.
#10: 0/10
Only Mike McCraken cares about Mike McCraken. The story does introduce the son of the original Mister Miracle, who will have a role, but you can basically jump into #11 for him.
Silver Age-ness:
#7-9: 0/10
#10: 6/10
Does it stand the test of time?
#7-8: 8/10
It’s dragged down by some boring fights and the plot itself is nothing new, but as I have mentioned the characters are what truly elevates this one. Why couldn’t Kirby write the others series like this!?
#9: 10/10
Along with New Gods #7, quite possibly the best Kirby ever writes in the Fourth World. It sells you the sheer nightmare fuel of Apokolips better than the entire New Gods series and it’s an excellent self-contained redemption arc for both Mister Miracle and Big Barda. Himon is kind of unnecessary, but this is still great stuff.
#10: 3/10
Apparently the prophecy proper is dwveloped – at least implicitly – in either the new Kirby material from the trailer end of New Gods Vol
3, the “Hunger Dogs” graphic novel, or Gerry Conway’s run.
It was surprising, marathoning the Fourth World books, to see how important Himon was. He never seems to appear under other creators, or in screen adaptations. Darkseid? All over the place. Even the Forever People get some exposure. But no Himon.
He made an appearance in the Ostrander-Mandrake Martian Manhunter series.
I did not realize that Gilotina originated in the original Kirby run, I totally thought she was newly created as one of the next-generation Female Furies who appeared in the post-Crisis Superman-adjacent books.
It’s good that Himon didn’t take more room in this series -like, he’d STEAL the room. Basically, that guy is the Watcher without the restraints on interfering.