Spinning out of DC Future State, the story of how Shilo Norman became the Mister Miracle of tomorrow starts here. The Mister Miracle show used to be the hottest ticket in town, whether you caught him onstage escaping from perilous traps or spotted him on the streets of Metropolis taking out bad guys. What Shilo Norman forgot is the first rule of both showbiz and super-heroing: always leave them wanting more. Now it’s time to start showing the world what a miracle man can do. Showbiz/superhero rule #2: timing is everything. There’s a new performer in town who wants to knock Mister Miracle off his pedestal and stake a claim to his famous moniker! Can Shilo break free of this trap? (Why yes, that is a clue.) Art by: Fico Ossio, Written by: Brandon Easton
What I Thought
Cover-Where do I even begin? Yanick Paquette drew this beauty. I am in love with this cover! Red, Yellow, and Green are the dominant colors while in all-black across the top we have the name of the title. Mister Miracle has always used these colors but with Shilo Norman, a black man wearing them they become a potent and powerful symbol. For the uninformed Red, yellow, and green, are the traditional colors of the flag of Ethiopia and it has been adopted globally to represent Pan-Africanist ideology/Pan-Africanism or even black nationalism. Even the Rastafari movement which originated in my native Jamaica has also adopted these colors as part of its most potent symbols. With this series written by African-American Brandon Easton I am left wondering if I’m reading too much into these colors in light of Black Lives matter, racism, and the idea that “Critical race theory” should not be taught at the tertiary level? Only time will tell!
Art- Fico Ossio is the artist for this series and I am quite pleased. Shilo Norman has strong African facial features throughout the issue. His thick lips and broad nose in particular men that even in black and white he could not be mistaken for anything other than a black man. He’s also rocking that Mohawk I been dying to for a while now but based on the backlash of how “unprofessional” my current Mohawk is, I can’t…but that’s a talk for another time. Fico Ossi’s art also captures certain facial expressions very well. A standout panel shows the look on Shilo’s face when his date says he looks so ‘normal’ was hilarious and perfectly captured. Some parts were uneven but did not detract from the overall story. The panel where he’s flying away has minimal detail and just looks like it should be in another book or was drawn but someone else.
Colors- Rico Renzi, my man! Considering how much I gushed over the colors on the cover you know he deserves his respect. The interior colors are not as smooth but fit perfectly with distinctive darkness that just seems fitting. The use of shadows is complementary overall with Shilo’s silence while his face is cast in shadow one of the strongest moments in the book.
Story–Shilo Norman is Mister Miracle, the former apprentice to Scott Free of New Genesis. He is a superhero and a modern-day Houdini. He successfully survives reentry to Earth strapped to a chair while it’s being streamed and televised. Elsewhere a mysterious figure is upset at Shilo’s use of the Mother box. His agent is concerned their brand is losing popularity. He wants Shilo to reveal his identity as a black man publicly but Shilo disagrees noting how Thaddeus Brown, mentor to both himself and Scott Free suffered tremendously from being exposed. To boost his brand he needs to do more heroic deeds, beneath Superman’s level in the metropolis. Is Easton taking a dig at how Black heroes are seen as beneath Superman by default or that as a general rule they typically deal with “street-level” crime or community-level problems? He apprehends an arsonist but his mother box malfunctions leaving his only option as grabbing the criminal and fleeing. Outside he is greeted by a firefighter, an attractive young black woman, Denise Dorian. Shilo has his agent bring her an NDA before their date. He gets roasted by online trolls then goes on his date. He spends the entire date talking about him. Is that a dig at celebrities who are so “in” the lifestyle that they just assume everyone is only interested in them as a commodity and not as a real person? He is later attacked by the child of New Gods Scott Free and Big Barda, N’Vir Free.
Humor- Firemen vs. Firefighter, political correctness police on deck. When Shilo’s heart rate increased while speaking with the attractive woman and the mother box was busy talking in his head and he said “shaddup” while passing it off as talking with the Justice League was pure freaking gold! You sir get an extra star for that alone!
Brandon Easton– Congratulations my friend! Brandon has been on my radar for years! Interceptor which he wrote made it on my 15 Comics to Read in 2015: Black Superhero Edition, Shadowlaw which he also wrote was on my 13 Comics to Read in 2013: Black Superhero Edition, Miles Away which he co-wrote with Anthony Montgomery was also on that list, Watson and Holmes #6 which was written by Brandon Easton and Illustrated by N. Steven Harris went on to be nominated for multiple Glyph awards and even Eisner. In 2015 he joined the writers of Marvel’s AGENT CARTER on ABC. I am a fan! He has superstar potential and I am overjoyed with his work here!
Shilo Norman– Black superhero on deck and showing powers in a few subtle ways, Superhuman strength and durability thanks to his re-enforced molecular shell/suit, Flight discs and Mother Box, etc. Expect an updated biography by the end of the week!
Wordy– It’s been a while since I read a comic this dense and packed with story details and world-building. Celebrity lifestyle and all its trappings, Super heroics, Love interest, mysterious villain, powers on the fritz, personal life in shambles, condo repossession. Bloody hell mate, there’s a lot going on right here.
Black in America– He’s a celebrity, rich, save people regularly and the white woman still clutches her purse when she sees him alone in the park. The mask gives him a level of anonymity and freedom which he can’t have if he’s revealed as black. Those who pass also have that situation where they hide in plain sight. His agent tries to show that he understands Shilo’s plight because he grew up on the wrong side of Brooklyn and is half Jewish and half Italian. It comes across as rather pretentious and condescending. He does bring up a good point, however, the idea of passing for self-preservation as opposed to passing because you think you’re better than anyone else. Mutants without physical tells do this all the time and it does affect how they move through the world. Fitting in is something that human beings strive for. It takes a strong person to stand up and be different regardless of the consequences. So many layers with Easton’s are writing.
Legacy– When the new 52 came around the biggest issue I had was the loss of legacy. Tim Drake lost all his character growth of becoming Red Robin, Connor Kent was gone, and Wally West and his family were gone. Here Brandon Easton pays homage to legacy with Shilo Norman seemingly holding onto his history and now facing the child of New Gods Scott Free and Big Barda, N’Vir Free.
Verdict
Upon reading this issue all I could say was wow. Just Wow! Brandon Easton and Fico Ossio take Shilo Norman and turn him into a star! Take my money! All my money! If you’re a fan of good comics you owe it to yourself to read Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1! 5/5 Stars
