After war comes peace. The bloody battles that waged across New Genesis and Apokolips have come to an end, and now Mister Miracle and Kalibak must sit down and discuss a truce.
Author: Tom King
Artist: Mitch Gerads
Colorist: Mitch Gerads
Cover Artist: Nick Derington
Publisher: DC Comics
What you need to know: Scott Free and Big Barda are leading the assault on Apokolips following the death of Orion, leaving Mister Miracle in charge of the armies of New Genesis. But the couple don’t want to be part in the war. With a baby, Jacob Free, to take care of, they just want to end the war and go home.
What you’ll find out: Mister Miracle and his team of diplomats of Big Barda and Lightray, meet with Kalibak, the son of Darkseid, on Apokolips to discuss terms for peace. Scott is taken to the restroom by assassin Kanto during which time they discuss Kanto’s past in Renaissance Italy. He claims to have met Leonardo Da Vinci and even had a thing with him, though at the time he had a boyfriend. Da Vinci tells Kanto a story of a painter and his apprentice who enter in a competition with each other as to who can make the best painting in a year. The apprentice draws back the curtains and shows that he has made grapes in a bowl. Unimpressed the crowd calls for him to leave. The apprentice then looks up at the sky and a group of birds swoop down and start pecking at the picture believing them to be real grapes. The apprentice turns to the master and asks him to draw back his curtain, only for the master to reply, ‘What curtain?’
On the second day of peace talks, the two commanders discuss withdrawals, ending in an outburst from Lightray showing his disgust at the Apokoliptans. No one is impressed. On the third day, Scott and Barda discuss Granny Goodness’ secret recipe for bonewine- fermented bone marrow from captured gods. Barda used to harvest the ingredient from the gods and deliver it to Darkseid herself.
On the fourth day, Kalibak and Mister Miracle discuss the prisoner exchange leading into a fight. Kalibak is angered by Miracles deception in the Sunsword Commision and claims that Scott betrayed his people, as he was raised on Apokolips. Kalibak swiftly removes a good from under the table an throws him against the wall, killing him. Mister Miracle then calmly claims that he is ‘Granny-raised’ and will not waste time on dead people, telling Kalibak to obey the commision, to which he reluctantly agrees.
On the fifth day, Kalibak offers Scott Granny’s mirror of goodness, which shows you what you really are without her repeated skin grafts and repairing and healing. Scott adn Barda appear before the mirror as burned and bruised bodies. On the sixth day, Mister Miracle and Kanto talk again, with Kanto saying that he had done well with the meeting though Darkseid keeps the Anti-Life Equation. Kanto then reveals that he lied about Da Vinci because he felt uncomfortable around the son of Darkseid.
On the final day, Kalibak returns and announces that Darkseid has rejected the terms and has made an alternative proposition. He is willing to withdraw all forces immediately, would disarm and allow a New Genesis force to inspect Apokolips, with him finally surrendering the Anti-Life Equation. In return for this he requests only custody over his grandson, Jacob Free, to be raised on Apokolips and be the heir to Darkseid.
What just happened: After reading this I can say that Tom King knows how to write an amazing comic. King has grabbed the reader at the start of the first page, with a dark and humorous beginning. His humour coninues throughout the comic whtout interrupting the main narrative, especially Kalibaks pink spectacles King has managed to write Mister Miracle as he was meant to be, and makes big political and legal meetings into a normal gathering of people who just don’t like each other very much.
King’s dialogue is on point with making Lightray come off as an extremely unlikable character, close to that of Damien Wayne (he’s just generally unlikable). He makes every page and panel in the comic into an enjoyable one, so that this comic can truthfully be called a page-turner. His capture of Kalibak is also perfect as a very angry man. King has made Kalibak a frightening yet fun character to read about. Of course how could I not talk about that stunner of an ending, with Darkseid wanting Mister Miracle to give up his child.
Mitch Gerads continues his psychedelic art style in spectacular fashion and it works as remarkably on Apokolips now as it did back in #3. His style works in tandem with Kings writing, and his depiction of Darkseid, with him gradually smiling is chilling and exciting and makes you desperate to read the next one.
Rating: 10/10
Final thoughts: Kind and Gerads have delivered us yet another spectacular issue surrounding the war of the gods and the family that Scott Free has created for himself. The joining of these two stories makes for a thrilling comic that is flawless. ‘Mister Miracle’ is emotional and action packed and deserves the highest rating.