Mister Miracle #12 Review

The End?

Written by: Tom King
Art by: Mitch Gerads, and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 14, 2018

Mister Miracle comes to an end and while a have received a lot of shit for not liking every issue of this series, my main problem has always been reviewing it as individual issues.  I've repeatedly said in my reviews and on our podcast that the nature of the book and the mysteries that seem to be going on throughout the series have kept me from saying it's an instant classic like most other reviewers, but that could all change with the last issue.  Well, here is the last issue and the question is, does Tom King stick the landing and answer the ton of questions that he has thrown out there?  Let's find out...

The issue opens with Mister Miracle performing a stunt while Tom King, Mitch Gerads and a bunch of real-world people watch on in amazement.  I don't know what you all think of breaking the Fourth Wall, but I hate it here.  It makes it all seem like a joke from the start here and it really rubbed me the wrong way.  It's not a big deal, though, because as you will see, I have many more things to get mad at in this issue.

First, though, there is a funny nod at Bobby Ewing getting out of the shower.  Me and Eric have joked that this was going to happen and it is funny...but it just ends up being thrown in here.  I am not sure how many people will get the joke so I won't consider it a full-on red herring, but I got a chuckle out of it.

Now, after the last issue, most fans of the book have been waiting and praying that Scott, Barda and especially Jacob will remain as a family.  I mean, last issue's cliffhanger had Metreon pretty much declare that everything Scott was involved with wasn't real so there was a reason for concern.  Until there wasn't!  After a glitched out Granny Goodness tells Scott nothing is real, we get to see that it is.  Or is it?  It is...or is it?!?!  That is one of the questions that will be left hanging.

After Funky arrives to babysit, Scott and Barda head off to continue fighting the war and while Barda fights Kanto, Scott talks to a glitched out Forager.  We get more cryptic dialogue about Hell and then the scene shifts to Barda and Scott finding out they are having a girl.  Okay. 

We continue with some scenes that are skewed versions of previous scenes from the series, and see more characters that are dead, but are now glitched out "ghosts" to Scott.  Orion, then Darkseid...but they just are never explained.  I know that some people will likely tell me that I shouldn't expect my hand to be held, but after twelve issues, I would like maybe one answer.  Jacob does seem to see these ghosts as well, but why?  Who knows?!?!?

We do get two big scenes near the end.  Scott gets to confront the glitch-ghost Highfather for being a father in name only and then gets some personal time with glitch-ghost Oberon who actually was there for him.  All of this felt like it was part of the tie-it-up checklist that Tom King wrote out for himself but that list was very incomplete!

Yea, Oberon does try to tie things up by saying that Scott shouldn't believe that other world of superheroes was the real one, but I never got the idea that was Scott's problem.  He just was told that last issue and it wasn't like he had a decision of which was real or better...in fact, Scott doesn't even reference it himslf in this whole issue.  And the idea of it being hunky-dory...he tried to commit suicide!  Plus, this issue has them return to Apokolips to continue the war as if nothing changed anyway.  This just felt like it was supposed to explain it all, but it just doesn't make much sense.  The issue ends with Scott trying to explain things to Barda and then it ends.  It just ends.

I personally don't think this issue lands the ending at all.  Going back through the series, there were so many things set up that aren't resolved, but really, my biggest problem is that all of this could have happened in 6 issues tops.  Having it string out over 12 issues and end with such a non-ending is ridiculous.  I did love the art throughout the series and do think that if you were all-in this entire time and don't care about resolutions in your story, you will likely think more highly of this finale.  That said, I pretty much hated it and am so glad this is over so now I never have to read or talk about it ever again!

Bits and Pieces:

A non-ending does seem like it was meant to be for this series, but it doesn't sting any less reading it.  After last issue's big reveal, this felt like a cop-out that I am sure every score above mine will praise as the best thing ever.  Whether anyone will believe me, I was hoping Tom King would nail this ending so that it didn't feel like I wasted over a year on this book.  While others will praise this as an all-time classic, I want my year back.

5.0/10