Alan Moore Comes to America, Signed

Miracleman No. 1: Rebirth [Signed, Numbered]

Moore, Alan and Gary Leach

Publication: Guerneville, CA: Eclipse Comics, 1985. First Edition.

Notes: The comic book that introduced Alan Moore (author of the Watchmen graphic novel) to American audiences, present here in the limited edition of 400 copies signed by Moore for the San Diego Comic-Con.

The Miracleman series first appeared in Moore's native UK, where it was called Marvelman. Moore takes the idea of a normal person suddenly transformed into a superhero seriously. "The superhero genre has great potential if it can escape from the cliches, and Miracleman is one title that realizes this potential. Think of it as a horror prose poem, for it certainly crosses into the horror genre, but it also explores the concept of superhero as mythological hero or as god"—Aviva Rothschild, Graphic Novels: A Bibliographical Guide, 395.

Moore remains best-known for Watchmen, which continues to top most lists of the best graphic novels almost forty years after its first publication.

32 pages. Originally published in Warrior #1 to 3, and Marvelman Special #1. Artwork by Mick Anglo and Gary Leech.

Edition + Condition: First edition (first printing). This is number 3124 of 400 numbered copies signed by Moore at the base of the first page. Call it about Very Fine in comic-book grading terms. There is a small crease at the fore-edge of the front cover, directly to the right of Miracleman's head. All, or virtually all, of the first printing of 1000 copies have this flaw. The upper right corner has small color breaks, and there are thin color breaks at the staples.

This copy is accompanied by the original "gold" (but really cream-colored) certificate of authenticity with a matching number, as issued. There are known variant copies with "Sunrise Comics" and "Fact, Fiction & Fantasy" added to the COAs along with the store owners' signatures. This copy is marked "They Walk Among Us" and is signed by Mark (?) Bay on 9/16/85. They Walk Among Us was a well-known British comic shop but I don't think it was open in 1985, making this copy something of a mystery and a previously unrecorded variant.

Item No: #366362

Price: $950