So, I love Tom King and Mitch Gerad's run on Mister Miracle a lot. It was my favorite comic of last year, and I even did a civilian cosplay of Gerad's take on Scott Free at Rhode Island Comic Con. So, when it was announced the series was going on a two-month haitus, I kind of wanted to die, especially after the incredible cliffhanger of #6. So, now that it's back, what did I think of #7?
Well, I liked it, but I'm a bit let down at the direction it chose to take. Rather than build on the reveal that Darkseid is back and Scott is the new Highfather, the series instead cuts to a few months later, with Scott and Barda on the way to the hospital. Barda is in labor, complete with all the usual drama of contractions, trying to name the child, and awkward appearances by family. (In this case, the family drama comes in the form of the Female Furies, who have called a brief truce.)
It's a surprisingly intimate issue, focusing on the relationship between Scott and Barda and choosing to go for character beats rather than big action moments like I had suspected would happen. (A particular favorite is the Furies supplying Scott with a knife that can cut through Barda's skin in case they need an emergency c-section, with them making it abundantly clear they intend to kill Scott with it once the truce is over.) What helps is the fact that both King and Gerads are fathers, with Gerards's son only a couple months old at this point, making all the little moments feel rather personal as well.
Outside of the more combat-focused issues, this is probably the most I've enjoyed Gerads's art on the series as well. The series does such an excellent job of mixing the fantastic with the mundane, with the fact that the Furies never leave the waiting room a particularly surreal touch.
But despite all this, I can't help but feel a bit letdown by the lack of follow-up from last issue. Sure, there's a few moments where it's clear Scott's ignoring his role in favor of witnessing the birth of his child, but the fact that Scott was borderline broken by Darkseid's reappearance never really comes up in any fashion. I'm certain that it'll come up next issue, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
Regardless, this was still a very good issue of a very good comic, and everyone should be checking this book out, especially given that the ending of this one is beginning to suggest some definitive answers to the larger questions that the books early issues posed. (I'd talk about them, but I'm still holding out for fear of looking foolish.)
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