Middlewest-3-featured-image Reviews 

“Middlewest” #3

By | January 18th, 2019
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After an explosive start to the series and follow-up issue that added some key supporting characters, “Middlewest” #3 gives emotional depth to its two primary characters, further setting the stage for a series that already feels epic. (Warning: contains minor spoilers.)

Cover by Mike Huddleston
Written by Skottie Young
Illustrated by Jorge Corona
Colored by Jean Francois Beaulieu
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot

Abel and Fox learn that there may be someone who can help the boy’s worsening condition. But the road to reach her is long and unpredictable—and not everyone they run into along the way is anxious to let them pass.

Three issues into “Middlewest” it’s obvious that writer Skottie Young is setting things up for the long haul. Each passing issue, each passing scene, seems to plant more seeds, raise more questions and hint at different avenues for further exploration – even as some of the most obvious questions remain conspicuously unanswered.

What the heck is the ever-present neon pink liquid that fills glass tanks of various shapes and sizes throughout Middlewest? Where is the protagonist Abel’s mother? What are the tattoo-like, occasionally glowing patterns on the chests of Abel and his father Dale? Are they wounds, infections, witch marks…? Something altogether different?

Like I said, to this point, Young’s deliberately unhurried style seems to be more centered on presenting different plot strands and threads than it is following a single story beat by beat. To that extent, it definitely feels like the beginning of an epic quest, full of infinite possibilities and potential paths. Meanwhile, there is a whole world to build and numerous characters to introduce and Young simply refuses to rush the process, rely on shorthand or gloss things over. For those champing at the bit to get to “the plot,” it may feel a bit maddening and even meandering. I find it refreshing and incredibly intriguing. If anything, there’s definitely a side quest or two I wouldn’t mind checking out.

Visually, Jorge Corona’s inks and Jean Francois Beaulieu’s colors continue to excel. Truly, the work of both artists seems perfectly matched with the story and perfectly matched with each other. Corona’s bold, graphic lines feel completely in sync with Beaulieu’s rich, vibrant, saturated colors – and vice versa.

Interestingly, there is a strong pastoral aesthetic – with panoramic vistas full of lush green trees and rolling hills set against a backdrop of gorgeous deep blue skies and thin, wispy white clouds – combined with a subtle, understated, almost Steam Punk vibe. It’s not quite as heavy in this issue as in the past, but as you look down the railroad tracks or gaze at the covered bridge, you can imagine the sound of birds and buzzing insects, punctuated by the burble of that neon pink liquid somewhere in the distance. There’s also a really compelling carnival sideshow ambiance, not just in the scenes where the literal setting is that, but other places, too. As if the entire world where the story takes place is perpetually ringed and punctuated by a mysterious traveling show permanently passing through town.

In the end, “Middlewest” #3 is centered on characterization. Specifically, the father figure Dale. In the debut issue, Dale was an unrepentant, abusive jerk. He badgered, bullied and mocked his son mercilessly, for no apparent reason, to the point that he almost seemed like a cardboard cut-out villain with no real motivation for doing the things that he did. In this issue, stumbling naked into the shattered remains of his trailer park neighborhood, his vulnerability and sadness are palpable. We still don’t know what drives his anger, but it’s finally clear that underneath it all, he loves and cares for his son.

Similarly, through a brief conversation with his talking sidekick Fox, we learn that Abel still loves his dad. Finally finding a moment to think after hastily fleeing his father’s wrath, Abel quietly confesses his unsettled feelings of guilt, anger and confusion. Like so many children who suffer physical or emotional abuse at the hands of a parent, even after watching his father transform into a literal storm, Abel can’t help but feel like it’s somehow all his fault – like he deserved it and caused it to happen. Fox assures Abel he didn’t, but Abel still doesn’t buy it. “Then why do I feel so bad?” he wonders aloud. “Because you’re a good kid,” says Fox, “and even if it feels like you hate that asshole most of the time, he’s still your father. It can be tough to reconcile those two things.” It’s a profound sentiment and unrelenting dynamic that the book seems well positioned to explore throughout the coming issues.

As with any quest that matters and is worthy of writing about, the real journey is inward and that’s exactly where “Middlewest” #3 takes us.

Final Verdict: 8.4 The visual artists are completely in sync with a distinct, compelling aesthetic that feels perfectly suited to the story, even as writer Skottie Young turns the narrative inward to explore the complex emotions of the series’ two primary characters.


John Schaidler

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