Michael Jackson….remember him. The guy who left the stage as “Wacko Jacko” and mysteriously self-exiled himself to several Middle Eastern countries. You know, because they are so accepting of deviant lifestyles…right? Yea right!

Well, whatever the case may have been, he was, and may still be, one of the most talented and electrifying entertainers in modern history, a consummate showman whose musical brilliance brought him fame and fortune unmatched by his peers — artistically and financially — throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

But that was then — who can forget that first moon dance by the 24-year-old Jackson in 1983 on a televised music special — and this, as they say, is now.

Today, as the reclusive troubled 50-year-old singer announced his first major concert dates in more than a decade, there comes only wistful sadness with the news.

Facing years of public scorn after child molestation charges in 2005 (which were dismissed), and grappling with failing health and bankruptcy as his Neverland empire crumbled, Jackson retreated several years ago to Bahrain and a life of self-imposed exile.

On Thursday afternoon in London, the once-adored superstar re-emerged to announce his return for a series of summer concerts in London, and while there was much excitement over the news, there is also a sense of foreboding and even pity that this odd genius is trying to reinvent himself, and pick up some fresh cash, when common sense would dictate that he stick to his original retirement plan, resting his reputation on his musical laurels and unwavering fan equity.

It’s too early to say whether he’s back for good, or just for a moment in time, but he raised the question with his usual flair for the dramatic, stepping off a big silver tour bus with a banner that said This Is It! and taking the stage at the 20,000-seat O2 Arena in London, slim and relatively healthy looking in aviator shades and a black and silver military-style outfit, pageboy hair and pale plastic face intact.

“I love you. I really do,” he told the cheering mass. “You have to know that. This is it. I’ll see you in July.”

Word is that Jackson wants to settle in England to raise his three children, Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II, and the U.K. press is reporting he could receive more than $140 million for the 10 concerts, starting July 8.

Jackson last performed live in the 1997, and recorded his last record in the studio in 2001.

He took the pop world by storm with the release of Thriller in 1982, the best-selling album of all time, which contained classics like Beat It and Billie Jean.

It’s estimated the Jackson has sold more than 750 million albums in his career.

Whether it’s just a one-off cash grab, or whether he’s testing the waters for a comeback world tour, Jackson has chosen wise words in his This Is It! slogan.

Let’s hope he sticks to them.