The long-rumored, but until now never consummated acquisition of Marvelman by Marvel Comics is apparently a done deal.  At the San Diego Comic-Con Marvel announced the acquisition of the rights to the Marvelman character created in the U.K. in 1954 by Mick Anglo as a replacement for the Captain Marvel comics that Fawcett had to discontinue after losing a lawsuit to DC Comics.  Intended as a U.K.-only substitute for Captain Marvel, the character lasted until 1963, but was revived in 1982 in a brilliant, typically deconstructionist way by Alan Moore, (with art by Gary Leach and Alan Davis) and then continued by Neil Gaiman.

This latter version of Marvelman, was published in the U.S. under the title Miracleman by Eclipse Comics, and with the dissolution of Eclipse, the character became the subject of a longstanding legal battle between Gaiman and Todd McFarlane (see “The Final Verdict: Gaiman Wins”).

Now Marvel has gone back to the source, 94-year-old artist Mick Anglo and acquired the rights and it appears that the legal dust-up may finally be over.  Marvel has hinted at big things for the character, possibly even including the top flight creators who have already made Marvelman one of the most interesting superheroes in comic book history, but for now the only Marvel release is a striking Miracleman poster design by Marvel EIC Joe Quesada, which will be released in September.

For fans of the character this is good news indeed, especially since in Marvel’s hands, Micky Moran’s superhero alter ego can be called “Marvelman” once again.