Midnighter vs. demons in Hell: Who ya got? We’re going to take Midnighter, but is it good?
Midnighter and Apollo #4 (DC Comics)
So what’s it about? The summary reads:
Apollo’s in Hell, and the only weapon that can kill his captor has been destroyed! Does Midnighter have a plan? Why are you even asking that question?
Why does this book matter?
Steve Orlando pits Midnighter up against the demons of hell to save his lover Apollo–I can’t think of a more romantic thing for a hero to do. Meanwhile, Fernando Blanco is capturing some wild weirdness in the hellscape. This issue also contains a major fight sequence, which is one of the main reasons we read Midnighter comics, right?
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
This dude needs to step off.
Apollo continues to fight Neron’s mind games while Midnighter attempts to find Apollo and bring him back to the real world. Orlando has two strong storylines going on in this issue and the juxtaposed battles they’re encountering help mix things up. Midnighter continues to be a badass and he proves the mantra “I’m what children see when they first imagine what death is like” true. The story’s tension rises quite well as Midnighter takes on a demon (without his fight computer since he’s in hell) and Apollo fights Neron in a battle of wits. Both stories culminate to a cliffhanger that’ll make you want to see the climax next issue.
Blanco’s art is quite good in this issue–especially some fantastic double page layouts, one of which takes Midnighter through hundreds of demons every which way. Fun, side-scrolling panels are in store for you too (a staple of Blanco’s work) as well as one hell of a fun double page headbutt. Blanco also does wonders with grins. So many characters grin in this book (I guess that’s the attitude this book is going for), which help capture the badass nature of the characters.
It can’t be perfect can it?
There’s a scene later in the issue where Apollo appears to be grinning as if he thinks he won against Nero. This grin doesn’t add up given where we see Apollo next. It’s the only bit of this book where I was confused and unsure what was going on. Maybe the next issue will explain things further, but it left me scratching my head.
Bloody much?
Is It Good?
Tensions rise in this excellent issue that juggles the trials of Midnighter and Apollo well. The art brings the big action and will have you on the edge of your seat!
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