Reminiscing about Miracleman, Marvelman, and Warrior: The Magazine of Quite Weird Heroes...

[SW3D]

With the formal announcement by Marvel Comics (at New York Comic Con on October 14, 2013), of the publisher's planned volume reprints of the 24-issues run of Eclipse's Miracleman (hitting LCS racks sometime in January 2014), and the continuation and perhaps the conclusion to Neil Gaiman's saga of the character, I could not help but get nostalgic about the first time Alan Moore's ground-breaking sojourn into superhero deconstruction, appeared in print.

 

Sometime in 1985, I first read the exploits of Michael Moran in the pages of Eclipse's Miracleman. The artwork and "foreign" feeling to the character really excited me, much like the first time I read Judge Dredd. There was an odd vibe, an air of grey if you will... an almost hallucinatory and bizarre skin to it, common from comics published by the independents, but something that was so very different and lacking from the generic titles which appeared in the pages of Marvel and DC in the early 80's. Yes, I was so very excited and also somewhat in awe and a bit frightened, much like when I was a child and first beheld and picked-up a comic book... for I knew I was onto something!

 

Reading the editorial pages, I discovered Miracleman was really a British import known as Marvelman. Little did I suspect back then, Miracleman was also my very first exposure to who was to become my favorite comic book author: Alan Moore (Just an FYI: I read Miracleman before Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing. Yep, I did things backwards back then... actually still do). Lamentably, due to Eclipse's financial difficulties, which led to long delays on issue releases and much shorter print runs in the low thousands, buying Miracleman became an impossible challenge. As teenage wildlife became the norm for me, I soon gave up on comic books altogether and entered college, missing out on perhaps the best of Moore's and Gaiman's Miracleman saga yet-to-come.

 

Fast forward to late 2005 or early 2006 (memory is foggy), when I bought my first CGC graded comic book ever: Swamp Thing Volume 1, No. 1 in 9.2. This purchase soon fueled the "CGC bug", and eventually I began to search for more comics I always wanted in encapsulated form. Such purchases were representative of titles and comics that really resonated with me as a young collector. But it wasn't until January 2012, when I bought my very first encapsulated Miracleman: Issue #15: the controversial "Death of Kid Miracleman". It's a glorious 9.8 sold to me by fellow boardie EwanUK. EwanUK used to have the number one ranked CGC graded Miracleman collection in 2006 and 2007. Check it out: http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=3227.

 

The current Miracleman number one rank since 2009 is held by mschmidt, called M's Miracleman: http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=10061. Congrats Mr. Schmidt! Beautiful collection! I bow to you!

 

I was (and still am) very envious of EwanUK's collection, as well as Humbug's (2008's champion), and mschmidt's (who amazingly, has two collections in the two top spots), and wanted to purchase each and every Miracleman issue to compete with theirs, including the fabled Miracleman #1: Blue and Gold Editions, given away at San Diego Comic Con back in 1985. Some of these rare and hard-to-find Miracleman #1's, feature Alan Moore's inscription. Holy Sh*t! But I soon reasoned that there was no point to this pursuit because money's just too damn tight!

 

But seriously, I thought to myself, "Why would I want to dethrone a fellow collector... champion... who worked so very hard to put together such a magnificent collection? Why? Is there really a point to it? I said to myself, let the champion enjoy the limelight... let the champion enjoy the fruits of their labor... he deserves it!" Instead, I said to myself, "Why don't you just build your very own collection... a new and original collection... a never before seen collection... from the ground up! And build something related to Miracleman and Alan Moore... something you could be equally proud of and not have to rain on someone else's parade!" Then the inevitable questions came, "But what? What could this new, never before seen collection be?"

 

Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning, "Where had Eclipse's Miracleman really come from?" Kimota!

 

Many of you are aware, and many of you are not, but British publisher Quality Communications and Editor Dez Skinn (the UK's answer to Stan Lee), published an anthology magazine in the early 80's called Warrior: The Magazine of Quite Weird Heroes. This adult-oriented, black and white monthly, had a serialized format, with original works contributed by some of the UK's top talent: Steve Moore, John Bolton, Steve Parkhouse, David Lloyd, Brian Bolland, and some newcomers: Gary Leach, Alan Davis, Steve Dillon, Grant Morrison (perhaps you've heard of him?), and including perhaps the greatest living writer of comic books today: Alan Moore. Mr. Moore, if you are somehow reading this, please, take a bow.

 

Marvelman, Warrior's flagship character, was a gritty take on UK publisher's L. Miller & Son and creator Mick Anglo's Golden Age knock-off of Fawcett's Captain Marvel/Shazam. This serial saw Alan Moore's first foray into the land of Superhero Deconstruction pre-dating DC's Saga of the Swamp Thing and Watchmen. The premise was simple: "What would happen if a middle-aged man would awaken from a "virtual amnesia" only to discover he's the by-product of a government experiment that gave him superpowers from the infusion of alien technology? Only later to discover, the suppression of his memories was a government cover-up?" Holy Sh*t what a premise! I love conspiracy theories, and this one read like an X-files before the Chris Carter show ever saw the light of day!

 

Also in these very same pages, came the debut of Alan Moore's dystopian masterpiece: V for Vendetta. A seminal and powerful manifesto, Alan Moore the "Modern-Day Shaman", injected V for Vendetta with a heavy dose of candid realism and magical realism, and spun a beautiful web... hand weaving a complex tapestry which explored such themes as politics, the human condition, domino effect, and synchronicity, rarely seen in comic books before. If you read and re-read V for Vendetta, and pull back and look at all the details as they come together, perhaps you'll understand the genius behind the man, who must be channeling the Universe and Womb of Creation for such insights!

 

Although both serials were critical successes, Warrior struggled with sales and only lasted 26 issues. Its demise was brought about by a confluence of low sales, creator control issues, -script and art delays, and ultimately Marvel Comics trademark suit over the use of the word "Marvel" in "Marvelman". The consequences of Marvel's litigious actions against Quality Communications, also meant that both Marvelman and V for Vendetta never saw their respective sagas completed, until some years later when their ownership rights were sold to Eclipse and DC Comics respectively. Eclipse's Miracleman issues 1 through 6, as well as DC's V for Vendetta's issues 1 through 6, are color reprints from the black and white serials which first appeared in Warrior.

 

In the summer of 2012, leading up last year's NY Comic Con, where I would submit my first comics to the CGC, I decided I was going to make an ambitious and mad-dash effort into putting together a collection. Imagine a collection that featured both Alan Moore's Marvelman and V for Vendetta in the very same pages? Not to mention some other oddball characters the likes of Axel Pressbutton the Psychotic Cyborg (co-created by Steve Moore and Alan Moore... these two have no relations), Father Shandor the Demon Stalker, illustrated by legendary artist John Bolton, and The Liberators, where young and up-and-coming Scottish scribe Grant Morrison contributed a -script for the final issue. I knew I had to build it! The first Warrior graded set! I went on the CGC census site, and discovered, at the time, only one graded copy existed: Warrior #1, in 9.2.

 

And then strangely, a disembodied voice eerily whispered: "If you build it, they will come." And for whatever reason, perhaps partly possessed by and guide by an invisible agent, I went on online and discovered, artist and co-creator of V for Vendetta, David Lloyd, was going to make an appearance at NYComicCon 2012. And my heart stopped! That was it! That was the final straw! I knew what I had to do!

 

So like a mad bull charging into the arena, I scoured the internet and various comic book shops in search of raw copies of Warrior. I hit up MyComicsShop.com, Mile High Comics, and all the auction sites including eBay. The very best raws/ungraded I did find, ranging from 9.2 to 9.6 (my personal assessment), came by way of a private collector from the UK using the eBay moniker: antrich9. The Warrior magazines he sold me are issues 3, 5 and 6, 8 - 10, and 12 - 14. I still bug him every now and then for issues 1, 2, and 4, and even the Marvelman Special, but he sold those long before I went on my hunt. I am grateful to him for not only selling me such fine examples of this historic comic, but he also sold them to me for a very reasonable sum. Thank you Gary! If you are reading this!

 

From HQ Comics (another fine seller on eBay), I purchased VF copies of issues 2, 7, 22, and 23. And from Dez Skinn, the Editor of Warrior, I purchased VG+ copies of 15, 16, and 17. Go to: http://dezskinn.com/.

 

Before I knew it, a breezy autumn and October had waltzed in, and I had just one week to prep for NY ComicCon and get my CGC submissions organized. After collecting the issues I managed to obtain, still short about ten issues for a complete set/run, I began the process of filling out the CGC invoices for grading. This is where I ran into a MONUMENTAL ROADBLOCK. Not knowing what price value to assign each item for the CGC Magazine-Sized invoice and Signature Series invoice, since Warrior is not listed in Overstreet or any other comic book price guide (at least none that I could find), I decided to call the CGC office for a consult. To my detriment, they informed me, that they do not grade Warrior magazines. As it turns out, the magazine is oversized... much larger than the standard American Comic Book Magazine (for example Marvel's Curtis imprints, Warren, and Mad Magazine, etc.). Sadly, CGC encapsulation of these UK magazines and others like it is currently impossible. Bummer! Now what was I going to do?

 

I was so disappointed about it that it prompted me to seek out advice and help from fellow collectors. And my very first journal posted on the Collectors Society, was my attempt to champion the cause of Warrior magazine as a candidate for CGC encapsulation services. I titled it: "Calling All Warrior Magazine Fans! Can I enlist your help?" That was back on December 2, 2012: http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=12514.

 

My second journal, written the following day, was an extension of this theme, espousing my love of Marvelman and trying to invigorate interest in Warrior magazine. I titled that one: "Where were you when you first read Marvelman?": http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=12562.

 

I honestly think I will never see my dream fulfilled of having my Warrior's slabbed and graded. Nor will I ever see this fantasy set sitting pretty, high upon a CGC golden throne, with a green ribbon proclaiming "Best Set in Type" or "Best Set in Copper Age"... such accolades are best reserved for others.

 

And I also can't help but to feel that I will never find NM examples of the missing issues: 1, 4, 11, 17 -- 21, 24 -- 26, the Marvelman Special, and especially the Holy Grail: Warrior #1; yet I keep looking, hoping, praying that somehow my search will turn out that missing gem.

 

As of today, there are a total of four (4) graded Warrior magazines #1: two Universal Blue labels in 9.2 and 7.0, and two Yellow Signature labels in 6.0 and 5.0. Believe it or not, the signature series 6.0 has Alan Moore's signature! Amazing! See picture below (used without permission; sorry, hope you don't mind). Also note on the label, the key comments on the right: "First Appearance of V for Vendetta and 'Marvelman' (later becomes Miracleman)". Incredible! That just puts me in awe!

 

And if by chance or some kind of "Miracle", the owner of that lone Warrior #1 CGC 9.2 should read this... and should be compelled to reach out to me... NAME YOUR PRICE! (This is where the Greater Fool Theory comes into practice).

 

I will end this one on a positive note by saying I am truly ecstatic to know Marvel Comics will re-print the entire Eclipse run of Miracleman/Marvelman. As I understand, several variant covers are set to appear for the first two issues. The cover artists are:

 

Issue #1: Main Cover by Joe Quesada; Variant Covers by: John Cassaday, Mark Buckingham, Jerome Opena, Leinil Francis Yu, Sketch by Joe Quesada, and the classic cover by Garry Leach.

 

Issue #2: Main Cover by Alan Davis; Variant Covers by: Arthur Adams, Mike Perkins, Mike McKone, and a Sketch cover by Alan Davis.

 

And I am even further ecstatic on the news that Neil Gaiman is set to complete the Miracleman saga he started back in Miracleman 17. See his official announcement at NYComicCon 2013 posted on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBf10E2uD04.

 

The way it looks now, 2014 is shaping up to be a Marvelous and Miraculous year!

 

Before I go, I would like to share with you my favorite site dedicated to all things Marvelman/Miracleman: Miraclemen Info: The Unofficial Miracleman Archive: http://miraclemen.info/.

It's an awesome site, with extensive information about all things Marvelman/Miracleman and up to date info.

 

If you managed to endure this far, I want to thank you immensely for reading it through.

 

KIMOTA!

 

SW3D

 

See more journals by screenwriter3d

[Brandon Shepherd]

That was quite a journal!

 

Thank you for taking the time to share the history and your connection to this title. I would like to read more work from Alan Moore, to date I have read Watchmen, Batman: The Killing Joke and Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

 

Sorry to hear about the magazines not being able to be graded. Good luck with filling the gaps in your collection for the other issues.

 

Brandon

[SW3D]

Well Brandon, if you never read Alan Moore's Marvelman, you are going to be in for a treat!

 

With Marvel's reprint you'll be able to enjoy Alan Moore's saga from issues 1 - 16, followed by Neil Gaiman's from issues 17 - 24.

 

And then, once they publish issue #25, it will be the first time we've seen an orginal Marvelman story since 1993!

 

Just an FYI: Todd McFarlane once thought he owned the rights to Miracleman, when he bought the bankrupt Eclipse and all its assets. But that was heavily disputed by Gaiman and others. Nonetheless, McFarlane introduced "Man of Miracles" in Spawn 150, and even released Miracleman figurines.

 

I would love to get my hands on Spawn 150, but they are incredibly hard to find!

 

Thanks for reading! She was my longest journal at about 2,400 words.

 

SW3D

 

 

[Garlanda]

The Marvelman/Miracleman rights have been a mess from the beginning. Since Marvelman was originally redrawn imports of Captain Marvel (Shazam!), who was ruled at one point to be an infringement of Superman, you could say Miracleman's legal problems have existed more than twice as long as the character himself.

 

When Eclipse went under, Todd McFarlane bought all their intellectual property rights. However, it was never entirely clear how much, if any, of Miracleman Eclipse ever actually owned. Once it became an issue, McFarlane tried to get oblique references into print to establish the character in his universe. If a copyright is not defended, then it can be argued that it is abandoned. So, if Todd could print comics with "Man of Miracles," for example, and not get sued, then he could use that as a springboard to go straight to "Miracleman."

[Ogami]

Loved the journal entry!

 

To be clear, if CGC won't grade Warrior mags, how are four of them graded?

[SW3D]

Glad you loved the journal! It's what I love to hear! I'll keep writing so long as readers keep reading.

 

It's a crazy thing isn't it? Last year there was just one CGC graded Warrior in the Census. Somehow, four (4) additional popped up.

 

If I remember my conversations with CGC correctly, because I did follow-up with them after finding this out, according to the rep I spoke with, they somehow graded some additional but overall CGC is unhappy with the outcome. It appears the magazine is just too large for their holders.

 

But it still behooves me because wouldn't they have done their homework before the grading and encapsulation process? Why would they have accepted the first Warrior to begin with, much less accept and grade 3 additional?

 

So I am at a loss, and unless they're able to make modifications to the current magazine encapsulations, I will just have to live with the fact that it may never happen.

 

Funny thing, this is also true for the Eclipse Graphic Novel: Brought to Light. There is only one graded copy in the CGC census, a 9.2. And because of its size, CGC will no longer grade and encapsulate them. And coincidentally, it was written by Alan Moore with art by Bill Sienkiewicz. BTL is controversial. Read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brought_to_Light

 

I have a raw copy of Brought to Light, and I was going to get Bill Sienkiewicz to sign it and have CGC grade it, but they said it was a "no-go". Just like Warrior, they don't do it any longer. Oh well...

 

...But that's okay. I get to read them like they were always meant to be.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about all things Marvelman/Miracleman.

It's great to connect with another fan.

 

May I ask, do you own a CGC graded copy of Spawn 150?

 

Also, do you own a CGC copy of Total Eclipse 4? That one is very special, since it is Neil Gaiman's first Marvelman predating Miracleman 17. It's actually a poignant and sad tale about the impact of Mike Moran and Johnny Bates battle as seen in MM #15.

 

I've been searching the HIGH AND LOW for those two.

 

Just curious... what did you think of the journal? And please be honest.

 

SW3D

[newshane]

I own a copy!

 

[Ogami]

Glad you loved the journal! It's what I love to hear! I'll keep writing so long as readers keep reading.

 

It's a crazy thing isn't it? Last year there was just one CGC graded Warrior in the Census. Somehow, four (4) additional popped up.

 

If I remember my conversations with CGC correctly, because I did follow-up with them after finding this out, according to the rep I spoke with, they somehow graded some additional but overall CGC is unhappy with the outcome. It appears the magazine is just too large for their holders.

 

But it still behooves me because wouldn't they have done their homework before the grading and encapsulation process? Why would they have accepted the first Warrior to begin with, much less accept and grade 3 additional?

 

So I am at a loss, and unless they're able to make modifications to the current magazine encapsulations, I will just have to live with the fact that it may never happen.

 

Funny thing, this is also true for the Eclipse Graphic Novel: Brought to Light. There is only one graded copy in the CGC census, a 9.2. And because of its size, CGC will no longer grade and encapsulate them. And coincidentally, it was written by Alan Moore with art by Bill Sienkiewicz. BTL is controversial. Read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brought_to_Light

 

I have a raw copy of Brought to Light, and I was going to get Bill Sienkiewicz to sign it and have CGC grade it, but they said it was a "no-go". Just like Warrior, they don't do it any longer. Oh well...

 

...But that's okay. I get to read them like they were always meant to be.

 

SW3D

 

My advice? Don't quit trying.

 

I got "The Stars My Destination" encapsulated and it is the biggest Epic squarebound GN of them all. It took some phone calling and wasn't a guarantee, but it got done.

[SW3D]

Oh... could you write a journal about that... how you motivated CGC to Grade and Slab that book? That has to be a cool story!

 

I would really appreciate it if you could.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

DAMN YOU! JUST DAMN YOU! Why? Why? Why?

 

I shout out to the GODS... I WANT THAT!!!

 

But seriously, I don't know how many times I will say this... but I envy you.

And I will ask again: Do you want to one of those 9.9's to me? You own so many 9.9, but not just any 9.9's, but 9.9's that really count!

 

BTW: How come CGC didn't note "Man of Miracles" appearance in the key coments? I mean that's Todd McFarlane's second "f@@k you!" to Gaiman... the first being his killing off Angela. Well... that's not actually true... the first being not giving him the 50% ownership he deserved.

 

I imagine, if those two ever got into the squared circle, in a no-holds barred match... they would tear each other to pieces.

 

SW3D

[Ogami]

Oh... could you write a journal about that... how you motivated CGC to Grade and Slab that book? That has to be a cool story!

 

I would really appreciate it if you could.

 

SW3D

 

There really isn't much else to say. Call CGC, speak to someone who knows, be professional and courteous and persistant!

 

It wasn't rigorous or secretive and I was told in advance there were no guarantees.

 

That's what's so odd about the Warriors. Obviously, they CAN grade them. Dunno why they won't.

[Garlanda]

You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about all things Marvelman/Miracleman.

It's great to connect with another fan.

 

May I ask, do you own a CGC graded copy of Spawn 150?

 

Also, do you own a CGC copy of Total Eclipse 4? That one is very special, since it is Neil Gaiman's first Marvelman predating Miracleman 17. It's actually a poignant and sad tale about the impact of Mike Moran and Johnny Bates battle as seen in MM #15.

 

I've been searching the HIGH AND LOW for those two.

 

Just curious... what did you think of the journal? And please be honest.

 

SW3D

Loved the journal, and learned a lot myself, especially as it pertained to events across the pond. I'm looking forward to the new Miracleman run, and am crossing my fingers for Miracleman: Triumphant to be published at some point.

 

I made it to the British Invasion at a relatively early age, and I think that helped me get a leg up as some of this was going on. My older sister was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club, and also a comics fan and regular reader of Amazing Spider-man, Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, and Excalibur. SFBC produced Book Club Edition hardcovers of V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Season of Mists, and A Game of You that we got just because they were comics and that threw us right into Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. This might have been around 1990-91. I immediately set out to gather up all the Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman comics I could find, and it wasn't too long before the issue of Miracleman came up.

 

Wonderful, I thought! A comics series written by both these guys! Must be amazing! It is. I had pretty much accumulated a full set raw, including Apocrypha and Family, as well as the original hardcovers and a couple original TPBs. When third party grading emerged I started trying to get the title slabbed, but I was happy with the highest I could find, so I have several that are 9.2-9.6, and even some that are PGX or 3PG that I haven't gotten around to replacing or reslabbing yet.

 

I have a raw copy of Total Eclipse 4, but it's VF at best, and no slabbed copies. I recently got my Eclipse Extra 16 slabbed (9.6), and just bought a 9.6 SS A-1 #1 by Atomeka with a Warpsmith cover and story. For those who are really interested, dig out Hellspawn 6 and 7, which have a Mike Moran character who would have been the intro of Miracleman in the Spawn universe if things had gone Todd's way. I do not have a copy of Spawn 150, and hadn't heard it was Man of Miracles until recently. I was in Iraq when that came out and apparently missed it entirely.

 

I have a small but interesting non-comics Miracleman collection growing that includes a French version of A Dream of Flying, a Golden Age poster by Mark Buckingham (same image as the Golden Age TPB cover), a Golden Age medallion with MM on heads and Eclipse on tails, and the McFarlane statue. I was very lucky to get one original art page from Apocrypha #3, a watercolor page by Val Mayerik.

 

Sample photos, not my actual items:

Mycomicshop.com says: Only 1000 of these gold-colored metal coins were minted by Eclipse Comics for distribution at the 1993 San Diego Comic Convention. The coin is 1-1/8-in. in diameter, about the size of a U.S. quarter (see scan). The face of the coin features the famed Miracleman logo with the words: Miracleman The Golden Age. On the obverse is the Eclipse Books logo.

[SW3D]

Very Very cool!

 

You have quite a nice collection of Miracleman related paraphernalia... I think it would make for a neat journal.

 

Would you ever considering writing one and sharing with us some of those cool items you've mentioned with a photo or two?

 

I don't know if you have this, but Kimota, the Miracleman Companion is an excellent TPB that has info galore on all things Miracleman. Its HTF but there are a couple on eBay as we speak.

 

Here's more on Man of Miracles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Miracles_(Image_Comics).

 

And thanks for the tip on Hellspawn's 6 & 7. I need to pick up copies of Mike Moran's appearance in those issues.

 

All the best,

 

SW3D

 

 

[Garlanda]

I probably should have mentioned the Kimota! book too. I have the first edition; I've heard there was a revised and expanded edition but I haven't looked into how much new stuff there may be. I also just picked up "Alan Moore - Pocket Essentials" by Lance Parkin. I think I read about it on the boards. I'll let you know what I think. Alan Moore Pocket Essentials

I have a lot of good ideas for future journals, maybe a 31 for 31 in January or something. I've just been too busy lately. I've only posted one journal since I got back from Wizard World Nashville.

 

Also, a good source of reading copies of some of the harder to find British material is X-Men Archives Featuring Captain Britain. The scenes with the Miracleman tombstone, Miracleman being blasted by the hero killer, etc are in there. If I remember correctly, the reprint rights to this series were another thorn in the side of Alan Moore and Alan Davis.