One Of The Best DC Comics Ever Is Becoming A Show (With One Game-Changer)

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James Gunn's DC Universe is kicking off on the silver screen with the icon of DC Comics, "Superman." But he's already making big swings with lesser-known characters, too.

The latest proof of that is "Mister Miracle," an adult animated series based on writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads' 12-issue "Mister Miracle" mini-series from 2017. Gunn has made it clear that DC Studios will be weaving together animation and live-action from the beginning; the universe's first official project was HBO Max's "Creature Commandos," which is basically an animated "Suicide Squad meets the Universal Monsters" adventure.

"Mister Miracle" has just been greenlit by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios, though on what platform or channel it will premiere has not been revealed. King himself will serve as the series' showrunner and executive producer. 

King is a highly acclaimed comic writer; in 2018 and 2019, he won an Eisner Award (think the comic equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Writer, in big part because of his work on "Mister Miracle." (His 2018 award was shared with Marjorie Liu of "Monstress.") You could even describe King as a comic book auteur, since all his works explore similar themes (before becoming a writer, he was a CIA agent, and his comics typically focus on how you live after serving in a conflict of some kind) and use similar style tricks (like nine-panel page grids). 

Like any auteur, King's work provokes strong feelings in people; if you love one of his books, odds are you'll probably like the rest. If you don't like one, he might not be for you. The writing in a lot of superhero comics is often anonymous, with the writer submitting themselves before the character, but Tom King comics all feel like they came from him.

King adapting his own "Mister Miracle" into an animated show is yet more proof that he's going to be a big player at DC Studios. The upcoming Supergirl movie, due in 2026, is directly adapting his and artist Bilquis Evely's 2021 mini-series "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow." He's also part of the writers' room on the upcoming "Lanterns" series on HBO Max. (Plus, he was going to write the screenplay for Ava DuVernay's now-canceled "New Gods" movie at DC.)

As a comic writer, King has worked almost exclusively at DC. He did write a "Vision" mini-series at Marvel in 2015-2016, about the android superhero moving to the suburbs and trying to raise an artificial family. That run influenced "WandaVision," and don't be surprised if the upcoming "Vision" TV series on Disney+ pulls from King's "Vision" as well. But unlike Marvel Studios, DC isn't just using King's work for source material, they're actually bringing him on board to help adapt it.

Mister Miracle is part of the DC mythos known as the Fourth World, home of the New Gods on dual planets New Genesis and Apokolips. The Fourth World is the work of comic artist Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Marvel Universe and one of the medium's most important artists. Kirby thought up the Fourth World and its characters like Darkseid while working at Marvel and brought the ideas with him when he moved to DC in 1970.

"Mister Miracle" was one of the original three Fourth World comics written and drawn by Kirby, along with "New Gods" and "The Forever People." Mister Miracle is the son of Highfather, the ruler of the utopian New Genesis. To end the conflict with Apokolips and its ruler Darkseid, the New Gods made a pact: Highfather and Darkseid would exchange sons.

Highfather raised Darkseid's son Orion with love as his own boy. Darkseid gave Highfather's son to his torturer, Granny Goodness. The boy never stopped trying to escape, earning him the nickname "Scott Free," and eventually, he lived up to his name. Making his way to Earth, Scott used his experience to become a professional escape artist: Mister Miracle. He's married to Big Barda, former leader of Darkseid and Granny's high guard, the Female Furies. (Kirby based Scott's career on Jim Steranko, another comic artist as well as an escape artist, and Barda was based on Kirby's own wife, Roz.)

But despite his new love and life, Scott is still haunted by his childhood and adoptive father. During King and Gerads' "Mister Miracle," the character is suffering from depression and tries to "escape" that with a suicide attempt. He survives, and the rest of the series follows him and Barda trying to enjoy a normal life. That life is interrupted by their on-off deployment to fight in a renewed conflict between New Genesis and Apokolips (notice King's military background popping up?).

The synopsis for the animated "Mister Miracle" sounds like is staying true to the comic: "[A] harrowing, hilarious, heart-wrenching journey across the pitfalls of the ordinary and extraordinary as the son of God raised by the devil tries to save his family, his world, and maybe even himself."

It makes sense that the series is being animated. Kirby's original colorful character designs fit that better than live-action. Animation in general is the cinema that's closest to comic books. (Both are about drawings brought to life.) King hasn't worked in animation before, but it's not uncommon for animators to start as comic artists. Storyboarding and comic drawing are similar art forms. The one question I have is how this story will work without being a comic. Each page of "Mister Miracle" is a nine-panel grid to show how Scott feels trapped. The flow of panels is often broken up by ones depicting a black void and the words "Darkseid Is," showing how he haunts our lead character. Can the show use different tricks for the same effect? Since King himself is at the helm of adapting his own story, I'm confident it will find a way.

Even before taking the big chair at DC Studios, James Gunn has been very upfront about which comics he loves. His upcoming "Superman" looks to be pulling from Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely's "All-Star Superman," and "Brave and the Bold" will be based on Morrison's "Batman," one of Gunn's favorites.

But comics and the characters in them would be nothing without the writers and artists who tell their stories. Gunn understands that, and by hiring creators like King to work on DC Studios' projects, he's going a step further than just recommending comics for fans to check out. He should keep it up and go even further: Get Grant Morrison to write the "Brave and the Bold," have "Swamp Thing" writers like Scott Snyder and Ram V work on the "Swamp Thing" movie, etc. 

Compare this with Marvel Studios, which has been pretty stingy about giving comic creators work and compensation. Ed Brubaker, co-creator of the Winter Soldier, got a cameo in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," but little else. Joe Casey, co-creator of America Chavez, got nothing for her appearance in the MCU (when she was played by Xochitl Gomez). Jim Starlin, creator of Thanos, Drax, and Gamora, initially got more royalties from DC for his Batman villain K.G. Beast showing up in "Batman v Superman." (Though there have apparently been changes since, and Starlin said in 2022 he was happy with what he's gotten.) Compare King being the showrunner on "Mister Miracle" with comic writer Zeb Wells just being one of many screenwriters on "Deadpool and Wolverine."

This new pattern under Gunn's management tracks with history. Of the big two American comic companies, DC is generally considered the more creator-friendly one. (Not that either is without its issues — "Watchmen" writer Alan Moore's experience working with DC in the 1980s drove him away from the big two superhero comics companies.) DC is the current home of Vertigo, a publishing imprint that let writers publish adult-focused and creator-owned titles, like Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's "Preacher."

If Gunn's DC Universe takes off, and he continues to bring real comic writers on board, one can hope that'll give those writers the opportunity to make more great work and push for better treatment by their publishers as they write and draw actual comics.

The "Mister Miracle" TV series does not have a release date yet.