Neil Gaiman left a distinct mark on Miracleman, and now the first part of his seminal run is being reissued in a new softcover trade from Marvel.

In the mid-1980s, Neil Gaiman took over writing Marvel’s dark version of Shazam, Miracleman and now his run is being reprinted for the first-time in softcover this fall. Gaiman replaced Alan Moore, who helped redefine the character for the modern era; Gaiman would leave his own distinct take on the Miracleman family, and curious fans can read it in Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham Book One: The Golden Age this October.

Miracleman’s history is extensive. In the early-1950’s, Fawcett Comics, the original publishers of Shazam, ceased publication after a decade-long lawsuit against DC Comics. The Shazam comics were reprinted in Britain as well, and when Fawcett folded, a replacement was needed. Creator Mick Anglo created “Miracleman” who, like Shazam, accessed his powers by saying a magic word; Miracleman also had an extensive family of similar characters—just like Shazam. The characters slipped into limbo, but were revived in 1982 by Alan Moore, who flipped Miracleman's mythology on its ears, crafting a dark and revisionist take that still resonates today. After Moore’s run concluded, Neil Gaiman, a few years shy of his American breakthrough, took over writing the character, pairing with artist Mark Buckingham for a new take on Miracleman. After Gaiman’s run was forced to end prematurely, the character’s rights became tied up in a lengthy legal battle that culminated with the rights to Miracleman being sold to Marvel in the early 2010s. Marvel has since reissued both Moore and Gaiman’s runs in a variety of formats, and now the first Gaiman volume gets a new printing.

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A press release on Marvel’s website revealed more details about the upcoming trade, as well as a look at cover art, shared below. The book will reprint the classic Gaiman and Buckingham issues; after London was destroyed, Miracleman forged a new and better world—but is humanity ready for a new “Age of Miracles?” The reissue of Gaiman’s seminal run comes on the heels of the 40th anniversary of the character’s modern era. Marvel is celebrating it in style, reissuing Alan Moore’s run in an omnibus, as well as finally integrating the character into its universe in Timeless #1.

Gaiman and Buckingham’s Miracleman run was the perfect counterpoint to the darkness of Moore’s tenure. Whereas Moore depicted a world of superhumans run amok, using their powers to destroy innocent lives, Gaiman looked forward—to a world where heroes used their gifts and abilities to better humanity. However, Gaiman’s run was not all sunshine—he still continued the intelligent explorations of what it means to be a superhero that Moore began before him. This stellar run was long out of print and inaccessible to fans, but Marvel’s new edition corrects this error, just as the character’s modern era celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Miracleman, Marvel's dark riff on Shazam, is a character that brings out the best in the creators that work on him. Both Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman’s runs are considered seminal. Both writers left their mark on the character, and now Gaiman’s contributions are being reprinted in a new softcover edition.

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Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he's turned his attention to writing about comic books--his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.