talentedcain's review

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adventurous challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

tmhwrd's review

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4.0

Alan "The Original Writer" Moore's legendary 1980s Miracleman run stands up pretty well. It's certainly more than just a dry run for Watchmen, although it shares themes with that book. If anything, it's darker than Watchmen, perhaps to its detriment.

ndpmclean's review

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3.0

A truly incomparable graphic novel. Intense, bizarre, a bit disturbing, but kind of beautiful and tragic.

danpalooza's review

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adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

macthebrazen's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mattstephen's review

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 "... in all the history of Earth, there's never been a heaven, never been a house of gods that was not built on human bones."

Most artists wrestle with slight variations of the same theme throughout their lives. Alan Moore is no exception. While Miracleman is one of Moore's first major works, he's basically playing the greatest hits here: there's government conspiracy, superhero deconstruction, fascism, übermensch mythology, and no fewer than two major plot points that revolve around rape.

At this point in my life, I see Moore as a conspiracy-minded genius. There's brilliance in most of the prose-heavy sections of Miracleman, but the rest of it is incomprehensible. Unexpectedly, I found Miracleman less accessible than Watchmen or V for Vendetta.

Moore uses the Superman concept to explore how power can heal, harm, or pacify. Of course, he doesn't do this without extolling the virtues of free love and taking a few blessed shots at Maggie Thatcher, but who would want it any other way?
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