It's a Miracle

It's a Miracle
or: Whither goest Vinnie

This weeks grab bag, Mister Miracle #1.

While hardly as traumatic as Ditko leaving, Kirby's departure from Marvel was quite the surprise. Long before the internet, the fan press little more than mimeographed pamphlets, it's not as though we had warning or gossip. By the time he left, Thor was the only Kirby title I was following, still...

Just as surprising as his disappearance was when he reappeared at DC on, of all titles, Jimmy Olsen!?! More surprising, he wasn't allowed to draw the title character or his pal Superman! Murphy Anderson, Neal Adams, Al Plastino, who knows who else, took whiteout to the faces of the King. Guys! You got Kirby, you put his name on the cover above the title… what the heck were you thinking?

For a wide variety of reasons, Kirby's Fourth World run didn't last long. My run collecting was even shorter. Jimmy Olsen, New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle all started out with Vinnie Colletta on inks. I realize I'm one of maybe three Colletta fans on Earth but, there it is. After 4-5 issues Vinnie was gone and so was I.

This is not a rejection of Mike Royer. Personally, I don't think he got a fair shake. His work on Russ Manning was beautiful. He was one of the few that could ink Ditko. Here, he was told to leave his good stuff at home and stick to what was there as though he were a human Xerox machine. Who knows what could've been if he'd been turned loose like Woody, Sinnott, Giacoia…

So, allow me to introduce Scott Free as Mister Miracle and his ol' buddy, Odin… no wait, Santa Claus, uh… hang on, book's still here somewhere… Brown! Thaddeus Brown!

Happy Trails
Smitty

P.S. Sorry about the no layout thing. I plum forgot to scan the blueline :(