Ruben Kwan has loved superhero stories all his life, and now he has superpowers of his own… and he has no idea what to do with them. Your Major Spoilers review of Midlife #2 from Image Comics awaits!
MIDLIFE (OR HOW TO HERO AT FIFTY) #2
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Stefano Simeone
Colorist: Stefano Simeone
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 8, 2023
Previously in Midlife (Or How To Hero At Fifty): The story of the world’s oldest new superhero continues! A confused but empowered Ruben navigates the discovery of his special ability and must choose who to confide in and how to express himself in a meaningful way. But at the age of fifty, is it too late to seize this new gift as an opportunity to become a hero… and reclaim his self-worth?
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS EARLIER
This issue begins in the year 1998, as Ruben and his friends, Shaun and Robert, discuss their futures, why Wesley Snipes isn’t playing Luke Cage, and the promise of superhero movies, toasting to the first time they all have jobs at the same time. In the here and now, Ruben finds himself unharmed after being trapped in a wildfire, and the sheer fire damage to his uniform and gear amazes the other firefighters. Returning home, he makes a few calls (all the while testing his new asbestos body with the gas stove), meeting his best friends at the storage unit where he keeps his dad’s effects. One of those is the antique fireman’s helmet seen on the cover as part of his superhero suit, leading Shaun to guess his secret and Bob to offer his services in creating a fireproof suit. Reuben’s first attempt to help people starts out underwhelming until he remembers something that they used to say about his firefighter father… how fire used to “Just get out of the old man’s way.”
MORE THAN JUST POWERS
It’s always a difficult proposition to put together a truly realistic superhero story, and the ones that have succeeded seldom last long, at least in that form. This story allows Reuben to help people get themselves and a lot of horses out of the way of the ongoing fire from the last issue, addressing the problem in one way, but raising the question of what might happen next. The story avoids some of the major pitfalls of this kind of story so far (and Buccellato mentions in the back matter the matter of Seattle’s real-life superheroes, which makes it clear that he’s aware of them), ending with agents of an unknown agency interviewing the people that our hero saved. Therein lies one of my larger issues with the comic, as both agents wear bow ties, and the art makes those ties look large and puffy, like a sixties cartoon character. The unnerving visage of Ruben’s helmet is another moment that takes the art into the realm of the bizarre and disconcerting, making him look like a gold-tinted Jason Voorhees in certain panels.
BOTTOM LINE: PLAYING THE LONG GAME
That said, not vibing with Simeone’s style isn’t exactly a flaw, as Midlife #2 has strong storytelling, good dialogue and character relationships, and a premise that has nearly endless promise, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. It is a book that feels personal and meaningful to the creators, and resonates with me as a fan-person over fifty, making for an engaging read. I look forward to the reveal of Captain Kwan’s crime-fighting alias.
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Captain Kwan's discovery of his powers is interesting, and the story balances "grounded" with "superhero" pretty well, though I'm not the biggest fan of the art. Still a pretty good comic.
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Writing7
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Art5
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Coloring8