The Silver Age continues with Young Miracleman, Dickie Dauntless, searching for answers about this new world he has returned to. He lives in a world where miracles are as ordinary as the air we breathe, and he has to deal with changes that were once taboo to him but are now commonplace. Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham bring their adventure closer to a conclusion with Jordie Bellaire’s colors and dedication to Garry Leach. As this creative team continues the future of Miracleman and company, why do they take us to the past for answers? And what is happening with the Warpsmiths?
This issue has quite a few settings for the stories within. The opening takes us to a church where they celebrate Miracleman as a son of God and goodness. It’s an interesting piece to open with, and it helps to remind readers, new and previous, that this world looks at Miracleman in an entirely different way. This view makes sense as their world is completely changed, and we can see how people can also become powered and live a superheroic life. Could this be part of Young Miracleman’s trouble? That Dickie is struggling to accept that others view him in such high regard?
The next part with the Warpsmiths raises quite a few questions. What is their overall mission, and why are they reporting to the Black Warpsmiths? These characters weren’t my favorite part of the first round of Miracleman, but they have started to gain interest here in Gaiman’s story. Phon Mooda’s nature is connected to the massive Dark Warpsmiths as it is revealed that she is reporting back to them about her interactions with Earth in the age of Miracles. There is a panel where Mark Buckingham’s art challenges Neil Gaiman’s writing on page five. She reports to another Warpsmith that she has never spoken to the Black Warpsmiths, yet the look Buckingham gives her makes me feel that isn’t true.
The way Mark Buckingham has her looking at the reader creates a sense of lying to her peer that adds to her mission. Is this a secret from the other Warpsmiths, or do they all spy and report back? Another possibility is that Phon Mooda might not even be aware of her actions, which takes this spying to a new level. I like how that look Buckingham gives the character takes Neil Gaiman’s writing to another level as it is ambiguous. The creative team turns the screws even more by having Phon visit Miracleman and Miraclewoman next to which Miraclewoman’s conversation takes a turn. Is that turn natural to their discussion, or was it because of the Warpsmith?
I like how Neil Gaiman has you guessing with the Miracles’ conversation. Why does Miraclewoman react the way she did? Are they talking about the Warpsmiths and Young Miracleman, or is it all about Young Miracleman? The pages with Dickie were great, as the talk he shared with the former Mister Master felt meaningful. Mark Buckingham showcased his characters’ facial expressions with many reactions and emotions in the panels that add to the mystery of Young Miracleman’s issues. Going into this series, I had questions about Young Miracleman, but now I am questioning everything, and this is fun. Quite a mystery that could tear down the world Miracleman built.
Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham, and Jordie Bellaire bring a deep issue that showcases events that will have an impactful intersection. The Warpsmiths might have other motivations and problems within the Miracle Family, and Young Miracleman doesn’t know what to make of the world. More questions and entertainment arise as we could be seeing the world fall apart.
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