REVIEW: Mister Miracle #8

DC“s Mister Miracle continues to shine. The artwork, the design, the layout, the writing, the lettering: everything about this book works. The structural and conceptual framework of the comic reflects the brilliance of Tim King, Mitch Gerads, Clayton Cowles (letterer) and the entire team working on this gem. Mister Miracle #8 sustains the narrative thread of this 12-issue mini-series; and yet it won“t likely be the readers“ fan fav issue. There is, after all, only one “Darkseid is”“ panel. But it does carefully revisit the creative essence of the story ”“ the quotidian sensibility of the book“s central love story between Mister Miracle and Big Barda.

As the ultimate war on Apokolips gets fully underway, Barda and Scott“s new born ”“ Jack (as in Jack Kirby) — is going through the early stages of life, which, much to the chagrin and fatigue-ridden existence of his parents, involves very little sleep. Anyone who is fortunate enough to be a parent may or may not remember the first six months of their first child“s life, but it is a grueling process for most people. Newborns can sometimes wake up every two hours during the first six months of their life. That schedule, in and of itself, is a crucible for new parents, but imagine if, as parents you are also the generals of an intergalactic battle between gods, demons and their minions. Such is the fate of Scott Free and Big Barda.

Mister Miracle #8 seamlessly shifts from brutal scenes of the battleground on Apokolips and the warm, sunny interior of Jack“s nursery and the family“s home on earth. These two sites could not be further from each other in an existential sense, but Barda and Scott continue their communications across the dimensional divide as they plot strategy ”“ to win the war and/or try to get some modicum of sleep depending on which one of them is in which world.

This is the kind of comic book creativity that appeals to the mature comic book fan ”“ not that the younger set won“t read and love this series; they will. But for readers who have been reading comics for decades; for those who have families and/or are having and raising families right now, the experiences detailed in the endearing relationship between Scott Free and Big Barda are designed to make folks who are married with children feel like the heroic gods they sometimes have to be. 4/5.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Tom King (A) Mitch Gerads (CA) Nick Derington