I enjoy talking about the revival of pulp heroes in comics these days, and one of my very favorites is Captain Midnight from Dark Horse Comics.
If you have been reading Ghosted, Nailbiter and other books by Joshua Williamson, you really should include this monthly title as well. This author takes superhero comics on a different kind of journey, and I like it!
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #15
Writing by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Manuel Garcia
Inks by: Bit
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Previously in CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT: “The tech-obsessed madman Tempus has set fire to Captain Midnight’s local community and captured the hero, and now he’s about to pick his brain . . . literally! As the buildings burn and the buzz saw roars, can Captain Midnight save the day and mend his mind by being the hero and the man the people need?”
JOSH WILLIAMSON MAKES THIS A SPECIAL SUPERHERO BOOK
I first discovered Mr. Williamson’s writing in Masks and Mobsters from Monkeybraincomics.com, then followed him to Ghosted from Image Comics. (He also co-wrote a story in a recent issue of Detective Comics for DC.) However, don’t expect Captain Midnight to in any way resemble those books (except that it’s very well written). What makes Williamson such a terrific scripter is that he can adeptly handle many different kinds of storytelling, and this book is no exception!
I’m particularly intrigued by how this hero, Jim Albright, is what I refer to as “Captain America done right.” In the purest terms, Midnight is a soldier. He respects the chain of command much more than CA ever did, and he’s an amazing fighter that in my opinion outclasses Steve Rogers by a far piece. (I guess I’ve become really discouraged with how Marvel is handling Cap these days. Sigh.)
Just like Captain America, Jim had a partner during World War II, and when Captain Midnight discovers that his close friend has been making new associates, including a mercenary named Helios, Jim wants to learn more.
The characters continue to shine, as always, and I felt very strongly for Jim and his friends.
As always, Williamson balances dialogue with action extremely well, and Captain Midnight continues to be a real page-turner for me!
THE ART AND STORYLINE MATCH THE SCRIPT EXTREMELY WELL
Manuel Garcia’s art is easy to understand and matches Williamson’s story expertly. He easily shifts between the “heroic” aspects of the comic to the military parts and then to the “real” people! It’s very well done!
This issue wraps up the current storyline very well, but it also sets up what we can expect to see in the future in this title. Turns out not every menace from World War II has been put to rest, and Captain Midnight must begin to track down the other problems left over from his original era.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Captain Midnight Goes Where No ‘Cap’ Has Gone Before
I always wanted to see Captain America deal more with Hydra and other baddies from the Second World War, but it looks like it’s Captain Midnight who’s doing that instead!
Trades and digital issues are available, so if you’re new to this book, you can catch up pretty easily. I highly recommend that you check out Ghosted and Nailbiter as well, but Captain Midnight makes me enjoy a new take on the “longjohns” genre!
