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Mister Miracle Reading Order

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During his brief but influential stint at DC Comics in the 1970s, Jack Kirby introduced revolutionary ideas that continue to affect the DCU to this day. He was the king of comics for a reason.

His most notable work for DC Comics was known as “The Fourth World“, which consists of several interconnected series based on a new mythology surrounding the New Gods. The core titles of the Fourth World saga were New Gods, The Forever People, and Mister Miracle. The latter is the focus of our article today.

Introduced in Mister Miracle #1 (April 1971), Scott Free is the son of the sage Highfather, ruler of New Genesis, the positive counterpart to the hellish planet Apokolips ruled by Darkseid. To stop the war between the two planets, heirs were exchanged. As a result, Scott Free was raised in the brutal “Terror Orphanages” overseen by Granny Goodness on Apokolips, without knowledge of his true origin. Despite his indoctrination, Scott rejected the oppressive regime and eventually escaped.

While part of the underground Resistance movement on Apokolips, Scott encountered Big Barda, a formidable warrior who would later become his wife. He ultimately fled to Earth, where he met Thaddeus Brown, a retired circus performer known by the stage name Mister Miracle. Following Brown’s death, Scott adopted his mentor’s identity and continued the legacy of escape artistry, aided by Brown’s assistant Oberon.

Though residing on Earth, Scott remained engaged in the broader struggle against Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips. Alongside Big Barda, he continued to oppose their tyrannical influence and later aligned himself with the Justice League. Like the other New Gods, he died at some point and was later resurrected.

Mister Miracle Reading Order

Mister Miracle and The Fourth World (Pre-Crisis)

During the 1970s, Mister Miracle was primarily part of Jack Kirby’s development of the Fourth World mythology. Following Kirby’s departure from DC Comics in the mid-1970s, the character of Scott Free began to appear more frequently outside the confines of the Fourth World narrative. Subsequent writers integrated him into the broader DC Universe, positioning him alongside other established superheroes and incorporating him into team-based storylines and crossover events.

Those issues are also collected with the other Fourth World stories in Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus. For readers interested in exploring the Fourth World in its entirety, I invite you to consult our comprehensive reading order. This includes not only Mister Miracle but also the interconnected titles New Gods, The Forever People, and Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, all of which were written and illustrated by Jack Kirby as part of his unified mythological vision.

Following Jack Kirby’s departure from DC Comics, Mister Miracle made several appearances in the team-up series The Brave and the Bold, where he was featured alongside Batman. The character was subsequently revived in his own title written by Steve Englehart and later Steve Gerber, marking a transitional period in which Mister Miracle was more fully integrated into mainstream DC Comics continuity. These post-Kirby stories have been collected in the following trade:

Mister Miracle during the Modern Age era (Post-Crisis)

In 1985, DC Comics undertook a major continuity overhaul through the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, which restructured the multiverse and established a unified, streamlined history for its characters and settings. Within this revised continuity, the place of the New Gods was reaffirmed and more clearly integrated into the larger DC Universe. This recontextualization is outlined in History of the DC Universe (1986), written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by George Pérez, which offers a post-Crisis account of the revised cosmology.

In the wake of this reboot, Scott Free received renewed attention in a special one-shot issue that depicted his return to show business alongside Oberon and Big Barda.

Subsequently, Mister Miracle, along with his longtime companion Oberon, became a member of the Justice League during the Justice League International (JLI) era, a period characterized by a more character-driven and comedic tone. This version of the team, by writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, marked a change in the way Mister Miracle was portrayed within the superhero world. For a detailed guide to navigating this period, we have already covered in detail how to read these books in our Justice League International Reading Order.

The era of the Justice League has not yet been fully collected.

  • Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Justice League #1-6, Justice League International #7-25, Justice League America #26-30, Justice League Annual #1, Justice League International Annual #2-3, Justice League Europe #1-6, and Suicide Squad #13.

Following Justice League International #25, the series “ended” and was replaced by “Justice League America” and “Justice League Europe.” Around the same time, Mister Miracle received a second ongoing solo series, written by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Ian Gibson.

After that, Mister Miracle appeared in some DC Events, including Zero Hour, not doing anything of note. And then, John Byrne used Scott and Big Barda for a questionable storyline:

In 1996, DC Comics launched a third Mister Miracle series as part of a broader effort to revitalize the Fourth World line following the events of the Cosmic Odyssey miniseries (1988–89). Written by Kevin Dooley, these comics sought to reestablish Scott Free’s role within the evolving cosmology of the New Gods, but it didn’t last. Like the new New Gods series, it was cancelled, and both comics were replaced with Jack Kirby’s Fourth World by John Byrne.

Scott Free briefly appeared in the Final Night event (in Final Night #1 and The Flash #119)

At that time, Mister Miracle appeared as a guest star in multiple series, nothing of note though, except maybe in the Orion series by Walt Simonson (in issues #5, 13, 15-16, & 25). After that, Scott’s apparitions became scarce. We saw him during the Identity Crisis event. After that, Scott’s apparitions became scarce. Following the conclusion of Orion, Scott Free’s presence in the DC Universe diminished significantly. One of his few noteworthy appearances during this period occurred in the Identity Crisis (2004) crossover event, though his role there remained limited.

Shilo Norman is Mister Miracle

Shilo Norman, a character created by Jack Kirby, first appeared in Mister Miracle #15 (August 1973). Introduced as a protégé of Scott Free, Shilo served as his apprentice and later as a professional escape artist in his own right. Over the years, the character made sporadic appearances in other Mister Miracle series, often in supporting roles. However, it was not until Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers (2005) that Shilo Norman was significantly reimagined and positioned as the new Mister Miracle.

  • Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison Omnibus
    Collects Seven Soldiers #0-1, Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Guardian #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Klarion The Witch Boy #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle #1-4, Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #1-4 and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #1-4.

After that, Shilo made brief appearances, like in Infinite Crisis and Morrison’s Final Crisis.

In 2007, Jim Starlin wrote the limited series Death of the New Gods, which depicted the systematic assassination of numerous New Gods characters, effectively putting an end to the Fourth World. However, the impact of this series was relatively short-lived, as many of the New Gods were subsequently resurrected during the events of Final Crisis (2008–2009), which reestablished their presence and significance within the DC Universe.

  • Death of the New Gods
    Collects Death of the New Gods #1-8.
  • Final Crisis
    collects DC Universe #0, Final Crisis #1-7, Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1-2, Final Crisis: Submit #1, Batman #682-683.

Mister Miracle during the New 52 era

In September 2011, following the Flashpoint event, DC’s continuity was once again rebooted. It was the launch of The New 52 era. During that time, Mister Miracle and Big Barda were not part of the regular timeline, they were on Earth 2. It’s not the Scott Free we know.

In September 2011, following the Flashpoint event, DC Comics introduced another major continuity reboot, launching the New 52 era. During this period, Mister Miracle and Big Barda were reimagined as inhabitants of the alternate universe designated Earth 2, rather than being integrated into the primary DC Universe timeline. This version of Scott Free differed significantly from the traditional characterization established in earlier continuities.

Later in The New 52 continuity, Mister Miracle was reintroduced into the main DC Universe during the concluding phases of the Darkseid War storyline, where he joined the Justice League in their conflict against Darkseid. Before this, Scott Free appeared in the Futures End event, a story set in an out-of-continuity timeline that explored possible futures for various DC characters.

Mister Miracle during the Rebirth era

Although Rebirth was another significant relaunch of the DC Universe continuity, its impact on Mister Miracle was minimal. Similar to the New 52 era, the character remained underutilized. Nonetheless, Scott Free and Big Barda were featured in a Mister Miracle miniseries written by Tom King and illustrated by Mitch Gerads. This series, however, presented a story that was not explicitly integrated into the ongoing DC Universe timeline.

Following that, the character appeared in Dark Days: The Forge #1, a one-shot tie-in to the Dark Nights: Metal event. Additionally, both Scott Free and Shilo Norman featured in The Black Racer and Shilo Norman Special #1, published as part of the celebration of Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday.

With Big Barda as one of its main characters, it’s no surprise that Mister Miracle appeared in the Female Furies miniseries:

  • Female Furies
    Collects Female Furies #1-6, plus Jack Kirby’s Mister Miracle #9, the issue that inspired this series.

And then, the Dark Nights: Death Metal event put an end to the Rebirth Era. This time, Mister Miracle appeared really briefly here and there. Like with the previous Dark Nights crossover, this is not a must-read if you want some Mister Miracle.

Mister Miracle during the Infinite Frontier era

Infinite Frontier largely serves as a continuation of the Rebirth era, maintaining much of the established continuity and character dynamics. As a result, appearances by Scott Free remain limited. However, Shilo Norman, who appeared in the Superman issues of the Future State event, was given his own Mister Miracle miniseries, written by Brandon Easton with artwork by Fico Ossio

  • Future State: Superman
    Collects Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2, Future State: Worlds at War #1-2, Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex #1-2, Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #1-2, Future State: Legion 5000 #1-2, and Future State: House of El #1.
  • Mister Miracle – The Source of Freedom
    Collects Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1-6.

Mister Miracle during the All In era

While Big Barda had become a member of the Birds of Prey, when DC Comics transitioned to the All In era, Scott Free made his return in the relaunched New Gods series by Ram V and Evan Cagle. The series opens with the death of an ancient god, an event whose repercussions ripple throughout the cosmos. These developments have been foretold through cryptic visions delivered by the Source to its agent, Metron. As Metron conveys this prophecy to the inhabitants of New Genesis and Apokolips, both realms descend into turmoil and conflict. Amidst this cosmic upheaval, Scott Free and Big Barda are largely unaware of the looming chaos, preoccupied with the challenges of parenthood.

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