Captain Midnight… The Man… The Myth… The Legend… Kicking ass and working to save the world from the very technology that he developed. It has been a sensational run from top to bottom in this revamp of the classic Golden Age superhero that was at one time in the 1940s the most popular comic going. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics’ commitment to creating a superhero brand (Project Black Sky) as well as the superior writing chops of Joshua Williams with super artist Francisco Dagnino, this ageless Captain is bringing some serious competition the world of comics in today’s world. And if for some reason you haven’t had an opportunity to follow this title as of yet, you are in luck as we begin a brand spanking new story arc that looks to continue to build on the fun that has been developing way back in Issue #1 and through today. Up next for the Captain? He must handle the complexities…of…dating…(record scratches)
Well, our hero does go on his first real date since being teleported from the past. But that is but just a mild little tidbit offered up in this issue. Thanks to Joshua Williamson’s writing, our good Captain gets to do a little bit more than that fortunately. And he takes the reader along to witness.
Issue #17 is one of the busiest issues for Captain Midnight since maybe back during the inaugural issue. First date aside, there is a hell of a whole lot going on to start this new arc. For one, someone is utilizing some of Jim Albright (aka Captain Midnight)’s older technology that simply does not make sense to him as there is no discernable pattern as of yet. Also factoring into play here, is that former best friend and new A 1 enemy Chuck Ramsey is still on the loose, perverting the good Captain’s legacy and pushing forward with some bold new scheme. Only problem is, Albright has no idea where he might be or what he is fully up to. Lucky for him though, he still has other friends in his Secret Squadron who are assisting in investigating and they have now come back to render an offer to Albright that might be too good to pass up. But of course the offer might cause our squeaky clean hero to have to become a little bit soiled if he is to reach his goal he is trying to obtain.
Even though there isn’t a whole lot of action per se in this issue. As an opening one, it hits the ground running and looks to set into motion some huge events that will take our hero into some serious confrontation as well as into a serious Project Black Sky crossover event in the near future. We are given a few little tastes in this issue, but the promise for larger morsels are there. And Williamson delivers the goods big time. This is one of his bests in the title to date.
Everything works in this issue to perfection. The writing has just the perfect amount of comedic and serious elements without really trying. The dialogue is well done and opens up the characters to really demonstrate some increasing depth that is being explored. There is some serious substance to the story that comes through shining brightly in this issue.
And even with the writing so well placed here, I believe that Francisco Dagnino’s razor glitz art style makes the day and completes the balance. His chiseled features and looks have evolved during the course of the series that is beginning really add to the chemistry that he has with Williamson and his writing style. It is fluent, electric, and easy on the eyes throughout. It certainly does not disappoint and should be pull list material for any fan of hero stories.
After a modest little Halloween special issue, Captain Midnight has returned stronger and better than ever. If you haven’t had a chance to check this series out, now is the absolute perfect time to jump in. You will be entertained.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Joshua Williamson Artist: Fernando Dagnino Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 11/26/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital