We have been given the run around on the return of the infamous character Miracleman, but that could change in 2014.
Axel Alonso, Neil Gaiman and Joe Quesada finally gave the fans a much needed update on Miracleman at the Cup o’ Joe panel earlier today. Expect to see Miracleman material reprinted and the end of Gaiman’s and Mark Buckingham’s story starting in January 2014. Gaiman says this is a “big, incomplete book of my life.”
“The wait is over,” says Editor In Chief Axel Alonso. “Marvel will finally be bringing these timeless, ground-breaking stories to a whole new generation of reader.”
“We’ve been working with the Miracleman artists to obtain original artwork or photostats in every instance possible, and then applying the same painstaking restoration methods and rigorous quality standards that are utilized on the Marvel Masterworks line. The Marvel Special Projects team have even been developing some new techniques specifically for this project. These Miracleman issues will receive the most advanced restoration possible to ensure the most authentic reading experience,” says SVP of Marvel Publishing David Gabriel. “The art is crisp, clear, and looks as good – if not better than the day it was published! Also, the stories are being completely relettered to meet today’s standards.”
Miracleman by Mark Buckingham
Making these stories available to an entirely new generation is one thing, but following the original groundbreaking run, the epic more than 30 years in the making will reach it’s cataclysmic conclusion! You heard correctly – Marvel will also be publishing all-new Miracleman stories from legendary creators Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham! Long left unfinished, Gaiman and Buckingham’s famous storyline will ultimately see the light of day!
“The tragedy of Miracleman was that we published two issues, wrote three and a half – and then it all stopped,” Gaiman said, in an interview with Marvel.com. “And Miracleman #25 has been sitting in the darkness – nobody has seen it. It was drawn, it was written, it was lettered over 20 years ago.”
“I love the idea that I will get to finish this story,” added Gaiman.
“That Neil and Bucky can finally finish the story they started, is a great relief to still-gasping fans — myself among them,” says Alonso.
Re-presented in serialized form, each issue of MIRACLEMAN features additional content including new art, interviews with the creators as well as new covers from some of the industry’s most legendary artists! Look for MIRACLEMAN #1 in print and digital this January!
Re-presented in serialized form, each issue of MIRACLEMAN features additional content including new art, interviews with the creators as well as new covers from some of the industry’s most legendary artists! Look for MIRACLEMAN #1 in print and digital this January!
I read the second quote paragraph as “yes, wel will do a crappy re-coloring”.
Loading...
And crappy lettering too.
Loading...
Good luck finding the original art, especially the art that John Totleben did on book three, Olympus, of which I’m the fortunate “owner” of the last two pages of issue #16, Moore and Totleben’s last issue (which I bought years ago from Danzig).
Loading...
How about offering them a high-quality scan of those two pages, Ralph?
Loading...
Any explanation why they’re going with Miracleman instead of Marvelman?
After all, Marvel has been reprinting OLD old MM stuff under the Marvelman name for a few years now.
Loading...
so uh what exactly is this going to be? is Miracleman #1 going to be the will it be the beginning of Alan Moore’s run? I’m confused because he’s not mentioned anywhere in this press release. is this Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham’s run, which I think began with Miracleman 17? or is Miracleman # 1 just going to me more of the British silver age Marvelman comics that no one really wants and marvel’s has already been publishing
Loading...
Brian,
Maybe it would have been too costly to rework all the artwork that incorporated the Miracleman name to Marvelman. I know they have stated they are reworking the lettering, but if it’s part of the art????
Loading...
Brian — I expect they’re setting the two versions apart deliberately. Marvelman being the classic character, Miracleman being this specific acclaimed work, so that people will more easily find it.
BVS — definitely seems to start with the Alan Moore run, but an article elsewhere suggested that Alan Moore agreed to the reprinting on condition that his name’s not on it, like he took it off movies based on his work. Makes it hard to outright state that you’re reprinting “the Alan Moore run,” I guess.
Ralph — sounds like they already have most of it. But I agree with Kurt, contact Marvel and offer them scans to help make the best possible edition! (I was able to help Colleen Doran with a scan of an A Distant Soil page for the new edition, and it’s a kick to be able to contribute in whatever small way.)
Loading...
Well, it’s about damn time!
Of course, if MM is going to be re-released in serialized form, we’ll be well into 2015 before we finally see Gaiman/Buckingham’s continuation of the story.
Loading...
Kurt, I’ve got that double page last pages of MM #16 professionally framed, so I don’t know that a high res scan would be good without taking the framing and matting apart.
Loading...
I have a page from issue 10, not a particularly sexy one, also framed. I may see if I can get in touch if the frame isn’t too tough to get apart. Luckily, my wife worked as a framer for several years.
Loading...
So I haven’t seen anyone in ANY article ask why it’s being called “Miracleman” instead of “Marvelman” – with the exception of one or two commenters. You’d think that would be a pertinent question.
Loading...
I went back and re-read Padraig’s “Poisoned Chalice” starting with chapter 11 (Eclipse’s bankruptcy), but couldn’t find out who actually owns or has possession of the original printing negatives (or film, or photostats, or whatever medium they used). Why couldn’t they use that, if it exists, rather than having to use these newfangled restoration techniques Alonso mentions?
Loading...
I have 1 Rick Veitch page and 2 Totleben pages that they can scan if they’d like.
Loading...
Ralph – you could always ask ’em if they’ll cover the cost of re-framing. It may well be worth it to them, and would make for a better book.
This is how a lot of the IDW Artist’s Editions are happening — fans with original art collections are making scans available. Scott Dunbier recently visited a friend of mine, bringing along a scanner, and spent several hours scanning goodies.
Loading...
Michael – most of Eclipse’s printing film was destroyed in a flood. What remained, alas, was badly maintained and (I think) partly sold off for chemicals. I’m sure they’ll use the best-quality materials they can get their hands on.
Jonathan – e-mail someone there and let ’em know! Heck, ask ’em for a comp copy in trade…
Loading...
Hurrah!
Even if the plates won’t be quite up to snuff. Just, hurrah! This is a series that deserves new fans. And I’m happy I’ll get to read a completed saga, even if it is in 2015.
Loading...
From what I’ve heard from a reputable source, Marvel will keep “Miracleman” and use that to refer to the Moore/Gaiman/et al. run, which, if Marvel is smart, will keep in print until the end of time. Also, the Warpsmiths are also now owned by Marvel. That seemed to be the Drachenzähne in the way of full reprinting.
“Marvelman” will become “IP-Man” for Marvel, being recreated and introduced into the Marvel 616 Universe, where he can be exploited until the end of time.
Has Marvel trademarked “Marvelman”? I believe they’ve already used it, with the Anglo reprints.
Loading...
Gaiman’s issues were written with “Miracleman” in mind, and I think all of the Moore stuff post-Warrior was as well, so it is easier (and probably preferable) to keep it as Miracle rather than having to go in and rewrite dialogue.
Loading...
i’m almost surprised that i’m not bothered by keeping the Miracle, assuming Anglo never expressed an opinion about that matter.
Marvel’s horrible track record with shoddy reprints has me nervous though.
i predict bad re-coloring, computer lettering, cheap glossy paper, and a cheap perfect-bound binding.
i could be wrong. i hope i’m wrong. i doubt i’m wrong.
Loading...
and a quick request whenever the Beat does one of these cut-and-paste press releases.
can you credit the cartoonists who made the promo images?
Loading...
The Marvelman/Miracleman issue: by Book III and Gaiman’s run, which are pretty undisputably the best chapters of the story, the Miracle part of the name had become pretty key to the character. He was a miracle and he’d ushered in a world of miracles. There is, therefore, a decent creative justification for sticking with the latter name.
Loading...
As someone mentions Poisoned Chalice above (and a wonderful series that is), does anyone know how Paidraig is?
Loading...
Marvelman for the 616, Miracleman as an alternate universe take on the character. Love it.
Hopefully integrating this character into the main universe will be Captain Marvel/Shazam done right, as DC has no idea how to handle that character (one of my all-time favorites) at all any more.
And I’d also like to know how Paidraig is doing!
Loading...
While I’m sure there might — might — be 1 or 2 people on this planet who doesn’t know something about the history, I think it is an important point that American audiences knew Miracleman, not Marvelman, through the Eclipse run.
It’s a funny situation similar to the Captain Marvel / Shazam ultimately making its way to DC. Had Marvel not raised a fuss, the character always would have been Marvelman at Eclipse. And now they own it lock, stock, and barrel apparently, but their largest US audiences grew up with Miracleman.
Silly but True
Loading...
I imagine they don’t want it called Marvelman for the same reason they didn’t want it called that before – branding. By calling it Marvelman, it ends up defining their entire line and the thing has births and grisly murders and teeth being spat out and a group of superheroes becoming dictators of the world.
Loading...
So… Assuming they do a monthly reprint, and skip the Apocrypha… New Miracleman in January 2016?
Loading...
Keeping the Miracleman name on Miracleman will sure make it harder to mistake the book for the original Marvelman stories.
Yeah, it’s not going to happen, but I do wish that Marvel would commission somebody to redraw #9 –yes, the childbirth issue. Good lord, Rick Veitch hacked that one out. Probably the single worst issue of artwork he’s ever produced, and it wasn’t helped by Rick Bryant’s incompatible inks.
Loading...
The best part of this news is that I sold my Eclipse Miracleman singles (minus ultra-rare, ultra-expensive #15 of course) for several hundred dollars.
I knew this announcement was only a matter of time and, like with any other high profile reprint of scarce comics, will drive the back issue prices into the floor. I bet that set of comics I sold will be worth $15-20 at most in a year.
Loading...
Hi all,
Cory Sedlmeier, the editor of Marvel’s new releases of Miracleman. I’m just as enthused as all of you about finally bringing these stories back to print after their long time in limbo.
It’s an honor and a privilege, and we’re striving to present the creator’s work with the utmost care and the highest quality. Nothing can top the original art boards in terms of quality.
If you’re the proud owner of any art from the series, please get in touch with me at cmsedlmeier (at) marvel.com, especially if you have art from Garry Leach’s issues, since those are (obviously) needed the soonest.
The preferred format for scans is full-size, 600dpi color scans saved as TIF files. If a piece is larger than 11 x 17, as is the case with art from the Warrior issues, scans of each horizontal tier of panels (with a little overlap for alignment) are the best option.
Best,
Cory
Loading...
Wait, was this announced before Marvel actually has the material to print for the earliest issues?
Loading...
This Cory guy comes on with details of art scans that he thinks people should just do for free and doesn’t answer any of the nagging questions being thrown about?
And I still think it is a pretty sure bet that Marvel doesn’t own ANY copyright to the character at all.
Loading...
Why don’t you think Marvel doesn’t own the copyright? Who do you think does own the copyright?
Loading...
Whoops, double negative. Meant to ask, “Why do you think Marvel doesn’t own the copyright?”
Loading...
He doesn’t say that people should do the scans for free, but this is hardly the place to discuss the process of getting the original art, that is presumably why he left his email address, so that people can contact him.
Loading...
Kurt, I’m going to email Cory with a couple of photos of my professionally framed art and see if we can reach an agreement on how to best get scans.
Loading...
Sounds like a good plan, Ralph.
Loading...
Yeah, it is almost as if “that Cory guy” is an editor working on the project whose priority is to get a high quality product out and not to answer questions about things that Marvel is clearly hesitant to speak publicly about.
I read the second quote paragraph as “yes, wel will do a crappy re-coloring”.
And crappy lettering too.
Good luck finding the original art, especially the art that John Totleben did on book three, Olympus, of which I’m the fortunate “owner” of the last two pages of issue #16, Moore and Totleben’s last issue (which I bought years ago from Danzig).
How about offering them a high-quality scan of those two pages, Ralph?
Any explanation why they’re going with Miracleman instead of Marvelman?
After all, Marvel has been reprinting OLD old MM stuff under the Marvelman name for a few years now.
so uh what exactly is this going to be? is Miracleman #1 going to be the will it be the beginning of Alan Moore’s run? I’m confused because he’s not mentioned anywhere in this press release. is this Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham’s run, which I think began with Miracleman 17? or is Miracleman # 1 just going to me more of the British silver age Marvelman comics that no one really wants and marvel’s has already been publishing
Brian,
Maybe it would have been too costly to rework all the artwork that incorporated the Miracleman name to Marvelman. I know they have stated they are reworking the lettering, but if it’s part of the art????
Brian — I expect they’re setting the two versions apart deliberately. Marvelman being the classic character, Miracleman being this specific acclaimed work, so that people will more easily find it.
BVS — definitely seems to start with the Alan Moore run, but an article elsewhere suggested that Alan Moore agreed to the reprinting on condition that his name’s not on it, like he took it off movies based on his work. Makes it hard to outright state that you’re reprinting “the Alan Moore run,” I guess.
Ralph — sounds like they already have most of it. But I agree with Kurt, contact Marvel and offer them scans to help make the best possible edition! (I was able to help Colleen Doran with a scan of an A Distant Soil page for the new edition, and it’s a kick to be able to contribute in whatever small way.)
Well, it’s about damn time!
Of course, if MM is going to be re-released in serialized form, we’ll be well into 2015 before we finally see Gaiman/Buckingham’s continuation of the story.
Kurt, I’ve got that double page last pages of MM #16 professionally framed, so I don’t know that a high res scan would be good without taking the framing and matting apart.
I have a page from issue 10, not a particularly sexy one, also framed. I may see if I can get in touch if the frame isn’t too tough to get apart. Luckily, my wife worked as a framer for several years.
So I haven’t seen anyone in ANY article ask why it’s being called “Miracleman” instead of “Marvelman” – with the exception of one or two commenters. You’d think that would be a pertinent question.
I went back and re-read Padraig’s “Poisoned Chalice” starting with chapter 11 (Eclipse’s bankruptcy), but couldn’t find out who actually owns or has possession of the original printing negatives (or film, or photostats, or whatever medium they used). Why couldn’t they use that, if it exists, rather than having to use these newfangled restoration techniques Alonso mentions?
I have 1 Rick Veitch page and 2 Totleben pages that they can scan if they’d like.
Ralph – you could always ask ’em if they’ll cover the cost of re-framing. It may well be worth it to them, and would make for a better book.
This is how a lot of the IDW Artist’s Editions are happening — fans with original art collections are making scans available. Scott Dunbier recently visited a friend of mine, bringing along a scanner, and spent several hours scanning goodies.
Michael – most of Eclipse’s printing film was destroyed in a flood. What remained, alas, was badly maintained and (I think) partly sold off for chemicals. I’m sure they’ll use the best-quality materials they can get their hands on.
Jonathan – e-mail someone there and let ’em know! Heck, ask ’em for a comp copy in trade…
Hurrah!
Even if the plates won’t be quite up to snuff. Just, hurrah! This is a series that deserves new fans. And I’m happy I’ll get to read a completed saga, even if it is in 2015.
From what I’ve heard from a reputable source, Marvel will keep “Miracleman” and use that to refer to the Moore/Gaiman/et al. run, which, if Marvel is smart, will keep in print until the end of time. Also, the Warpsmiths are also now owned by Marvel. That seemed to be the Drachenzähne in the way of full reprinting.
“Marvelman” will become “IP-Man” for Marvel, being recreated and introduced into the Marvel 616 Universe, where he can be exploited until the end of time.
Has Marvel trademarked “Marvelman”? I believe they’ve already used it, with the Anglo reprints.
Gaiman’s issues were written with “Miracleman” in mind, and I think all of the Moore stuff post-Warrior was as well, so it is easier (and probably preferable) to keep it as Miracle rather than having to go in and rewrite dialogue.
i’m almost surprised that i’m not bothered by keeping the Miracle, assuming Anglo never expressed an opinion about that matter.
Marvel’s horrible track record with shoddy reprints has me nervous though.
i predict bad re-coloring, computer lettering, cheap glossy paper, and a cheap perfect-bound binding.
i could be wrong. i hope i’m wrong. i doubt i’m wrong.
and a quick request whenever the Beat does one of these cut-and-paste press releases.
can you credit the cartoonists who made the promo images?
The Marvelman/Miracleman issue: by Book III and Gaiman’s run, which are pretty undisputably the best chapters of the story, the Miracle part of the name had become pretty key to the character. He was a miracle and he’d ushered in a world of miracles. There is, therefore, a decent creative justification for sticking with the latter name.
As someone mentions Poisoned Chalice above (and a wonderful series that is), does anyone know how Paidraig is?
Marvelman for the 616, Miracleman as an alternate universe take on the character. Love it.
Hopefully integrating this character into the main universe will be Captain Marvel/Shazam done right, as DC has no idea how to handle that character (one of my all-time favorites) at all any more.
And I’d also like to know how Paidraig is doing!
While I’m sure there might — might — be 1 or 2 people on this planet who doesn’t know something about the history, I think it is an important point that American audiences knew Miracleman, not Marvelman, through the Eclipse run.
It’s a funny situation similar to the Captain Marvel / Shazam ultimately making its way to DC. Had Marvel not raised a fuss, the character always would have been Marvelman at Eclipse. And now they own it lock, stock, and barrel apparently, but their largest US audiences grew up with Miracleman.
Silly but True
I imagine they don’t want it called Marvelman for the same reason they didn’t want it called that before – branding. By calling it Marvelman, it ends up defining their entire line and the thing has births and grisly murders and teeth being spat out and a group of superheroes becoming dictators of the world.
So… Assuming they do a monthly reprint, and skip the Apocrypha… New Miracleman in January 2016?
Keeping the Miracleman name on Miracleman will sure make it harder to mistake the book for the original Marvelman stories.
Yeah, it’s not going to happen, but I do wish that Marvel would commission somebody to redraw #9 –yes, the childbirth issue. Good lord, Rick Veitch hacked that one out. Probably the single worst issue of artwork he’s ever produced, and it wasn’t helped by Rick Bryant’s incompatible inks.
The best part of this news is that I sold my Eclipse Miracleman singles (minus ultra-rare, ultra-expensive #15 of course) for several hundred dollars.
I knew this announcement was only a matter of time and, like with any other high profile reprint of scarce comics, will drive the back issue prices into the floor. I bet that set of comics I sold will be worth $15-20 at most in a year.
Hi all,
Cory Sedlmeier, the editor of Marvel’s new releases of Miracleman. I’m just as enthused as all of you about finally bringing these stories back to print after their long time in limbo.
It’s an honor and a privilege, and we’re striving to present the creator’s work with the utmost care and the highest quality. Nothing can top the original art boards in terms of quality.
If you’re the proud owner of any art from the series, please get in touch with me at cmsedlmeier (at) marvel.com, especially if you have art from Garry Leach’s issues, since those are (obviously) needed the soonest.
The preferred format for scans is full-size, 600dpi color scans saved as TIF files. If a piece is larger than 11 x 17, as is the case with art from the Warrior issues, scans of each horizontal tier of panels (with a little overlap for alignment) are the best option.
Best,
Cory
Wait, was this announced before Marvel actually has the material to print for the earliest issues?
This Cory guy comes on with details of art scans that he thinks people should just do for free and doesn’t answer any of the nagging questions being thrown about?
And I still think it is a pretty sure bet that Marvel doesn’t own ANY copyright to the character at all.
Why don’t you think Marvel doesn’t own the copyright? Who do you think does own the copyright?
Whoops, double negative. Meant to ask, “Why do you think Marvel doesn’t own the copyright?”
He doesn’t say that people should do the scans for free, but this is hardly the place to discuss the process of getting the original art, that is presumably why he left his email address, so that people can contact him.
Kurt, I’m going to email Cory with a couple of photos of my professionally framed art and see if we can reach an agreement on how to best get scans.
Sounds like a good plan, Ralph.
Yeah, it is almost as if “that Cory guy” is an editor working on the project whose priority is to get a high quality product out and not to answer questions about things that Marvel is clearly hesitant to speak publicly about.
Comments are closed.