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Mister Miracle 2 Page 1
Artists: Jack Kirby (Penciller) , Vince Colletta (Inker)
23 Comments - 2,485 Views - 4 Likes
Additional Images:
Extracted Kirbytech
Artwork Details
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DescriptionIt is really hard to believe that I own this: the first page of the first Fourth World comic I ever bought. The rewiring of my ten year old brain commenced immediately. I vividly remember the sensation of being plunged into a higher order version of the medium I thought I knew. I began my lifelong Kirby study with a misreading that seems so well supported by the work that although I don't think Jack consciously intended a double reading, I certainly credit him with the artistry of it, as a by-product of the tumult of mythic themes he had bottled up at Marvel. Here's how I read it, the first time: Panel 1: "I AM OVERLORD". We see a man, centered in the panel, giving commands to an offscreen man with a king's name. Clearly, he is Overlord, we are reading his interior monologue. Panel 2: "I CREATE...I DESTROY". We see Overlord and his servant, Oberon. Overlord appears to be in Creation mode today, building something called a "pseudo-unit". We learn that his name is Scott Free. Panel 3: "NOW I DESTROY!" For the first time the caption seems to contradict the action, as Scott Free speaks of assembly, not destruction. But this is just a bit of literary note-bending, as the contradiction is startlingly resolved in Panel 4: "SCOTT FREE DIES!" Overlord is suicidal. He is creating a ghost, as Oberon makes clear. His OWN ghost. Of course as I read on I realized that Overlord (his name was rich in ironies) was not Scott Free, but as the Fourth World books unfurled, my misreading did not lose its suggestiveness. Scott Free created an elaborate suicide attempt in nearly every issue of Mr. Miracle, the most death-obsessed character in the mythos. I also have some thoughts on Kirby's use of the panel gutters on this page, but I thought I would stop babbling and do something useful instead, so I've extracted the interstitial tendrils of Overlord from Scott's backyard. You can enjoy them in all their alien glory in the additional image. Did I mention that I really, really, love this page?Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Filmore W. Bedwick
Member Since 2003
Posted on 6/16/2012
Magnificent page! Colleta's inks truly work to inspire and enhance Kirby;s pencils with a minimalist quality! PERFECT!!!!
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
Posted on 6/16/2012
This was my first 4th World comic, too! Congrats on picking up a personally meaningful page.
Nick Katradis
Member Since 2005
Posted on 6/16/2012
Aaron, a superb Bronze Age splash! Kirby/Colletta on Mister Miracle is pure magic!
David K
Member Since 2008
Posted on 6/16/2012
What a significant piece of comic book history. Congrats!
Rob Stolzer 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 6/16/2012
Puttering around the yard, indeed. Love it! Congrats Aaron, on a wonderful and key page.
steve roden
Member Since 2011
Posted on 6/16/2012
amazing...! love the extraction you did... that framework is one of kirby's best... the whole page is so freaking strange and wonderful... genius genius genius.
Lars Teglbjaerg
Member Since 2005
Posted on 6/17/2012
A true gem and another proof that Vince Colletta's inks were perfect for Mr. Miracle.
Don Raskin
Member Since 2010
Posted on 6/18/2012
Not sure which is more significant.. a great Kirby/Colletta page or a page that you fondly remember from your youth. Four panels and the gutter to show off the mastery of Kirby and why he's as highly regarded as he is. Just great all around.
Dennis De Pues
Member Since 2010
Posted on 6/29/2012
Wow what a great page!Love the extraction.Truly showcases Kirbys amazing design ability!Congrats!
Lorenzo Fratini
Member Since 2008
Posted on 8/2/2012
Around this page I can smell here the very very thin air that surrounds the impossible heights of late Kirby art. It's a blasphemy to say that his 70's work was better than the 60's? Maybe it's just me - but it's just like with the Beatles: I prefer "Let it be" to "Love me do". Great story in your description. Thanks for sharing.
Vincent Zurzolo
Member Since 2005
Posted on 7/5/2013
I loved reading your description. Great page. Wow! Thank you for sharing.
Al Simpleton
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 6/16/2019
How can I have missed commenting that page until now? With the Fourth World, Jack Kirby opened so many doors I'm pretty sure - correct this: I'm absolutely sure I still have a lot to discover. Whatever, the sense of artistic freedom and the fierce drive to deliver meanings in a myriad ways made for an uncomparable reading experience. Even in its unfinished state (or is it, really?), it stands as a unique humbling herculean masterpiece!... Only Kirby could come up with this... And it will not be repeated...
Frederic Lorge
Member Since 2007
Posted on 12/7/2019
It not only put a smile on my face, it made me laugh just now. Because of how incredibly gorgeous this is. Congrats !
Bill J
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 12/22/2022
Mind. Blown. I love this Mister Miracle page and I enjoyed reading your thoughts about it. I never read Mister Miracle but you've intrigued me enough that I'm going to have to check it out. Thanks for sharing your collection and your musings.
Kavi H
Member Since 2018
Posted on 9/4/2024
Amazing, some of my favorite Kirby stuff by far. Congrats!
Steven Dilworth
Member Since 2012
Posted on 5/14/2025
Oh, ho, ho. I am weak at the knees. You are SOOOOooooo lucky to have this.
Congratulations.
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