The best book you've never read

It's been real quiet on the comic front for the past few weeks, but I had a shipment coming with a bunch of interesting books that got a bit delayed. So I decided not to buy any more comics until I received that particular package which eventually arrived last week.

One of the highlights of the package was a very nice high grade run of Miracleman.
If you don't know your Miracleman from you Marvelman or even from your Captain Marvel (gasp) then Wikipedia is your friend.

In short it's a crying shame that MM is not in publication today, you can't even get the TPBs..
Next to Watchmen it's Alan Moore's seminal work, and let's not forget it predates Watchmen and TDKR... a lot of people consider it to be the first realistic (and dark) superhero series. A lot my comic friends consider it to be better than Watchmen..I just can't make up my mind, but yes it's THAT good.

Is MIRACLEMAN worth the hype? I certainly think so. This is the book that began the revisionist superhero movement. You can trace Alan Moore's growth as a writer throughout the series as the idea grows from taking a lame superhero with a ridiculous origin and creating a mythos around him. I've had the first 10 issues for a few years now, and was lucky to be able to read the rest of the series in TPB form.
The single comics are very hard to find, and most of them cost an arm and a leg, Mile High comics has issue #15 on sale right now....for $180

They weren't really on my want-list, but when Chrisco (who has several sets, bastard) told me he was letting go of one incomplete run I jumped at the chance. The dude knows high grade and he always gives me good deal. So in the end I ended buying Miracleman 11-16 + 18/19/21/23 from him. So the hunt is on for issues 17,20,22 and 24.

And what of the future ? Some people think that the series will never be republished, others say it will and once that becomes a reality the MM issues will plummet in value. While believing that the series will one day be reprinted I tend to think the original print will never lose its value....they are after all first prints. I don't think the TPBs will get the same money they are getting now, as they are basically reprints of the original comics and the only reason they fetch so much $$$ is because people want to read the series. The hard covers on the other hand will always be in demand.

If you get the chance, even if you have to download them as digital comics, read Miracle Man..it's THAT good