Review: MIDNIGHTER #1

MIDNIGHTER #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Steve Orlando
PENCILS: Aco
INKS: Aco with Hugo Petrus
COLORS: Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
LETTERS: Jarek K. Fletcher
COVER: Aco with Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
VARIANT COVER: Bryan Hitch with Alex Sinclair
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

“Midnighter”

Midnighter is a superhero created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch.  The character first appeared in Stormwatch (Vol. 2) #4 and later became a member of the superhero team, The Authority.  Midnighter has superhuman abilities and is known for killing his opponents and is Batman-like, although Warren Ellis apparently based him on The Shadow.  The Midnighter is also gay.

As part of the “DCYou,” Midnighter stars in his first solo comic book series since his 2007 Wildstorm series.  The new Midnighter is written by Steve Orlando; drawn by Aco with Hugo Petrus assisting on inks; colored by Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and lettered by Jared K. Fletcher.

Midnighter #1 (“Midnighter”) opens with an attack on “The God Garden,” some kind of orbiting platform, and the attacker wants its secrets and “toys” (biotech weapons).  Meanwhile, terrorists from the country(?) of Modora attack the restaurant where Midnighter is entertaining a guest.  This is a time of transition for the hero, but duty calls even when he is on a booty call.  Who is Lucas Trent?

Writer Steve Orlando is so cryptic in Midnighter #1.  Either he assumes that there are a lot of Midnighter fans who just want a book featuring the character or he plans on mostly starting from scratch with the character.  I hope its the latter.

Series artist Aco is talented; I must admit that he draws pretty pictures, but in Midnighter #1, his storytelling is only average.  He litters the page with a smattering of tiny panels.  I think that Aco does this to depict Midnighter's tactical ability to see multiple points of view and to predict his opponent's every move.  In terms of storytelling, splattering panels across the page creates static that disrupts the ability of a series of static images to tell a story.

My prediction is that this new Midnighter comic book series is a short-timer.  I would be surprised if it lasts a year.

C

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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Leroy Douresseaux on ABATTOIR #5

ABATTOIR #5 (OF 6)
RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATOR: Darren Lynn Bousman
CONCEPT: Michael Peterson
WRITERS: Rob Levin and Troy Peteri
PENCILS: Hugo Petrus
COLORS: Andrei Pervukhin and Drazenka Kimpel
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
COVER: Tae Young Choi
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

American filmmaker Darren Lynn Bousman directed Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV. His latest creation is Abattoir, a horror comic book miniseries from Radical Publishing.

Set in the late 1980s, Abattoir follows real estate agent, Richard Ashwalt, who was struggling to sell a house where a brutal massacre took place. Richard falls into a murderous conspiracy involving a strange old man named Jebediah Crone who buys the house in spite of Richard’s best efforts to stop him. Soon, Richard is also the lead suspect in a homicide investigation.

In Abattoir #5, Richard’s friend and former colleague, police Detective Al Sperry, continues his investigation of Crone. Sperry receives a visit from a very strange old man with intimate knowledge of just how much darkness is behind Crone. Meanwhile, Richard finds the horrible mansion Crone has built, or has he?

I said before that Abattoir is a comic book that reads like a horror novel or suspense thriller. I’ve also said that the series improves with each issue, but #5 is the least of the series yet. The part of #5 that deals with the old man recounting his past with Crone to Detective Sperry is riveting and intriguing, and I wanted more. The half of the story that belongs to Richard’s surreal journey into manse Crone is part good and part story padding. Still, it does set up for a potentially great final issue.

B

Leroy Douresseaux on RYDER ON THE STORM #3

RYDER ON THE STORM #3

RADICAL PUBLISHING

 

WRITER: David Hine

ARTIST: Wayne Nichols and Hugo Petrus
COLORS: Feigan Chong and Sansan Saw of Sixth Creation
LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
COVER: Francesco “Matt” Mattina
56pp, Color, $4.99 U.S.

Ryder on the Storm is a three-issue comic book miniseries from Radical Publishing. The concept rides several subgenres: supernatural-detective, horror fantasy, and action comic.

Written by David Hine and drawn by Wayne Nichols, the series focuses on Ryder, a private eye hired by a mysterious beauty to investigate the bizarre suicide of her lover. The crime is apparently tied to the Daemons, an ancient race that once ruled over the entire world, but now rules the city from behind the scenes and from beneath the streets.

As Ryder on the Storm #3 begins, the truth about the case that Ryder is investigating, the murder of Michael Hudson, is revealed. The number one suspect is Ryder’s client, Hudson’s lover, Katrina Petruska, and she has a gun pointed at Ryder. But the real action is yet to come. Ryder joins Charles Monk, the last Daemon hunter, in a final showdown with Rebecca Danton, the matriarch of the Dantons, a Daemon clan. Secrets, lies, and family ties are revealed.

Because of its smooth Film-Noir detective story and dark, urban fantasy vibe, Ryder on the Storm shocks with its sudden violent ending. As he did with FVZA: The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency, writer David Hine delivers grit and edgy horror and slick action side by side. Hine can take a hokey concept and use his dark imagination to transform it into an inventive, engaging comic book.

However, in the praise department, I cannot short artist Wayne Nichols. Nichols is quickly becoming one of the best artists of horror comic books. Nichols visualizes all the aspects of Hine’s script through his art, while making Ryder on the Storm’s gross horror go down smoothly like an extra-creamy milkshake

A-

http://www.radicalpublishing.com/