Mister Miracle #7 Review

Writer: Tom King

Pencils, Inks & Colors: Mitch Gerads

Published by: DC Comics

Sometimes, you just have to trust a writer when they throw you a curveball - because this is exactly what happens in this new issue of Mister Miracle. When we last left our heroes Scott Free and Big Barda, they were fighting for their lives after Scott was condemned to death by Highfather Orion and somehow managed to escape with their lives. With this issue we get a time jump into the future as Big Barda is about to give birth to their first child.

What follows is a very intimate look at childbirth and everything that it entails. The rush to the hospital, the nervous parents as they await the birth, the nervous family members waiting in the hall, even the fright of birth complications - it’s all there.

As far as comics are concerned, the only other time that I remember reading about childbirth was in Saga “way back when” and haven’t really seen it since (side-note: of the comics I’ve read). It’s an interesting topic to tackle, especially in: 1. A mainstream Big Two book; 2. In the middle of a maxi-series almost entirely out of nowhere.

What King does best here is add little wrinkles to the whole situation throughout the issue. We first get the visit from the “family”, which if you look at the cover of the issue, you’ll automatically know it’s the Furies from Apokolypse. King also relies on a nice little repetition of Scott trying to come up with a name for their soon-to-be newborn, getting wilder and wilder as the issue progresses.

Keeping King’s script tied together is the continually amazing work that Gerads brings to this book. Doing everything himself, the care he takes in bringing out pretty much everything from his art is spectacular and one of the main driving forces of this series.