Writer: Tom King / Artist: Mitch Gerads / DC Comics
I’m just the God of everything else…
New God Flow, fuck everything else”- Pusha T
I’ve been waiting for this shit. I been fiending for this new take on Scott Free (Mister Miracle) since it was first announced. My peak interest?/kink?/fetish?/ is seeing obscure characters or heroes that aren’t a house hold name get a second chance at the spotlight. My friends dog me over it (mostly Jordan …friend is strong word) but there’s so much freedom you can take with characters that can be considered lesser known to the mainstream for amazing stories from RKO (outta nowhere).
First off, Tom King and Mitch Gerads deliver Mister Miracle as a well timed haymaker punch to wake the audience up for the new era of the New Gods. All you need to know about Scott Free is that he was raised on Apokolips as part of a peace treaty with New Genesis where Darkseid and Highfather exchanged sons. Scott grows up to be the universe’s greatest escape artist. Proving so by escaping apocalypse and then finding a place on Earth with his love Barda (who was raised on Apokolips as well). There ain’t a cell, contract, or obligation that can hold Scott Free aka Mister Miracle.
Presently, we join Scott Free post what appears to be a suicide attempt. Scott is rushed to the hospital and from there on it’s a flood of nurses, doctors, and Barda talking around Scott as he stares off into the void (or should that be The Source since we’re dealing with New Gods?). Scott explains that this wasn’t an attempt at suicide but an attempt at his greatest escape yet, death. The question then becomes if he actually did escape death. We get a glimpse at Scott’s… play cousin? War treaty brother? Let’s go with war treaty brother, Orion, coming to show his concern for Scott’s recent actions…in his own way.
There’s so much to unpack with scene. Orion trying to get Scott Free battle ready and Barda having to step in and let Orion know he isn’t the one that can give this lesson of standing tall no matter what you’re getting hit with because he’s Highfather’s kid. Sure, Orion got anger issues and violent tendencies from being Dakrseid’s kid genetically but he grew up in the Marriot on New Genesis compared to Scott and Barda (having grown up in the worst one bed Airbnb ever on Apokolips).
Barda getting in Orion’s face and setting that record straight is enough to give anyone life at first glimpse (and enough to send you to the afterlife if you know the history between these two). However, Orion’s appearance and departure allude to the war that is still taking place between gods and is getting more dire.
A visit from Highfather talking to Scott about what happened gives these gods a down to Earth (Earth -1 that is, get it? cause the multiverse?) feel. They talk about their relationship, Orion and Scott’s connection let’s say and that Darkseid finally has the components he needs for the Anti-Life equation. From here out life becomes a spiral for Scott Free and he begins to recognize something is wrong with him internally as it’s time for him to come back home to the war.
What I love about this iteration so far is through King workings, we’re unsure if Scott is experiencing depression, mental issues, a break down or suffering through the Anti-Life equation’s effects as “Darkseid is.” hauntingly repeats throughout this issue. Mitch Gerards makes sure of that with this gorgeously and strategically placed visuals and depictions of Scott Free’s struggle.
Gerads gave a beautiful father son moment one minute visually (and Barda killing the causal leisure look which we don’t see her in often) and then raw emotion when Scott beliefs he’s talking to his mentor, only to be reminded By Barda that he has passed. That expression on Barda’s face and Scott trying to make sense of everything, which you can tell even through his mask? You want to get me at my heart strings? You want to get me feelin? That’s what the fuck you do on art. That’s what the fuck I’m talking about.
King makes Mister Miracle accessible from jump but he doesn’t spoon feed the audience. If you don’t know the history, cool, this is just a day in the life of a kid that’s the son of a god having to step up. If you’re familiar with the story then Gerads gives you so many easter eggs through visuals to brush you up on these characters that you haven’t seen for a spell and their relation and reactions to one another.
Aye, all I’m trying to tell you is this shit is worth a look right here. The new gods are back at it. Our girl Big Barda is back at it, Scott Free aka Mister Miracle is going through it, and finding his way to be back on his bullshit.
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