New Comic Reviews - Midnight Universe Descends

It was really surprising to see Marvel ending its very successful new Ultimate Universe line so suddenly, abruptly and unexpectedly.

But, they somehow decided to end it and start a new imprint, the 'Midnight Universe' from this month.

So I also decided to do a new thing and review the first issues of the three new Midnight series together here.

Name: Midnight Spider-Man #1

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: ScieTronc

Colorist: Neeraj Menon

Based on the first issues, this is my pick of the lot. It has a teenage Peter Parker with a much more tragic and horrific childhood, yet brought up with a healthy dose of principles who tries to fight the fascist and corrupt corporations as a social media activist.

The start has much room for maneuvering and the side characters that appeared so far seem to be presented in a very promising way so far. The new and twisted motto of 'Power makes monsters' also gives the setting an interesting nudge in a new direction.

I liked what the art on offer so far with its Asian manga inspired style and some unusual choices. The coloring also adds to the horrific effect and the stylistic charm.

I give this opening issue 4 out of 5 stars.

Name: Midnight Fantastic Four #1

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Kev Walker

Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Well, this is a bit unusual in its choice of direction so far. I loved the Lovecraftian bits and the jump scares, but some story bits like how Victor was taken to Latveria and how Reed is so uncaring regarding the harm that befalls others due to his whimsical attitude and the mysterious pills need some explanation in future to make this right.

I hope the author gives all the characters enough room for development rather than focusing too much on the reimagined dynamics between Reed and Storm, despite enjoying the changed roles.

The art is as unorthodox as the story at times, but the eerie drawings do add to the cosmic horror angle that the team tried to convey so far. Maybe it needs a bit more nuance in my opinion.

3.5 out of 5 stars, based on what's on offer here.

Name: Midnight X-Men #1

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Matteo Della Fonte 

Colorist: Arthur Hesli

What Hickman produced with 'HoX/PoX' was something I enjoyed quite a lot. Despite how Krakoan age has both fans and haters, the initial dual mini-series did something incredible, made use of the vast lore available, and made people interested in X-Men comics after a long time.

But, it was also very convoluted and required much prior knowledge to fully appreciate. What 'Midnight X-Men' starts in first issues is not so much old lore heavy. Rather it is a gothic and moody piece introducing readers to the new universe and its status quo. It doesn't do anything really spectacular or original, but it has time and scope it it's future issues for development.

This issue has the best drawing of the three so far, in my opinion. Matteo Della Fonte used his prowess with style to create quite an engrossing and dark atmosphere. I just hope he gets to draw more characters in the future and Hickman decides to use the depth of available characters in the X-Men universe to create something memorable.

So far, I am not overly impressed and will give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

New Comic Review - Aliens: Aftermath #1

Name: Aliens: Aftermath #1

Published by: Marvel comics

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artists: Dave Wachter

Colorists: Christopher Sotomayor 

Letterer: VC's Ariana Maher

This one shot celebrates and explores upon the 35th anniversary of the beloved second movie of the franchise, 'Aliens'. And we get to travel once again to the ruins of 'Hadley's Hope' with a new cast of doomed characters. 

The story is set 35 years in fictional time of the Aliens universe, as we see a group of renegade terrorists trying to explore what's left of LV-426, with some hidden agendas thrown into the mix. Things don't  go according to plan as always and we get to meet a new kind of Xenomorph, as the crew tries to survive the experience. 

There is a lot of story packed here for only a one-shot, even some backstories for characters and a surprise ending that leaves ground for exploration in the near future. The fast paced ride was a quick reading and left me wondering if it could have worked better as a mini-series with the addition of a bit more materials. 

Usually I don't talk about characters in a single issue of any comics, but here we get to meet the nephew of the one and only 'Vasquez' from the movie; and we also meet a mysterious employee of Weyland-Yutani. Aside from the other unexplored and expendable side characters, these two seemed quite interesting. 

There is nothing unique or extraordinary going on in the art department, but Dave Wachter did a fine job of detailing the atmosphere of the locations and the coloring by Sotomayor added to the overall feel of horror. The design for the new Xenomorph was quite eye catching as well. 

Overall, I will give this 4 out of 5 stars (.5  added due to my love for the movie and potential for the future).