REVIEW: Midnight Menagerie #5

Midnight Menagerie #5
Story and art by Bwillett
Published by BwillettComics

Let’s judge this book by its cover… Hunky shirtless guy in basement…nuff said. The fun publisher logo is too cute, a duck with glasses. Plus we get a look at the back up story of Gary the tentacle monster, if you’ve seen Drawn together he looks like Princess Clera’s Octopuswa.

Recap of issues 1-2 Welcome to Midnight

So Shawn is a horror movie fan a son of a big shot movie producer, his mum wants him to get out more so on one of his walks he comes across a store that host midnight horror movie screenings. At the screening he meets the store owner Romero a goth looking young man who owns the original reels of some of the earliest horror movies. Night after night Shawn goes to each screening and grows closer to Romero. On more than one night a man shows up trying to purchase the movie reels from Romero for his private collection and is turned down each time. On one heated night the man threatens Romero’s store if he doesn’t sell the reels to him, after making sure Romero is OK Shawn heads home and bumps into a young woman feeling dizzy with two small puncher holes on her neck. The next at the store Shawn helps Romero tidy up when a customer arrives and purchases a lunchbox, as the man leaves Romero heads out for a “bite” to eat, when he returns Shawn heads home and sees the customer passed out again with two puncher holes in his neck. The next day Shawn meets some fellow horror movie fans and asks if they will be attending the store that night, they inform him of the Vampire hunting the area around the store and that they won’t be back. Shawn tells Romero about the stupid rumour and how vampires might be cool and that he would love to meet one but they aren’t really real. That night after the movie Shawn heads home and is attacked by Mr Davidson the that wants to buy Romero’s films, Davidson pulls out a syringe and tells him that it will make him forget and leave two small marks on his neck, Shawn fights back and two struggle as Romero comes from nowhere and pulls Davidson off of him, the police arrive and arrest Davidson who has been attacking customers to scare off business so Romero would need money and sell him the movies. Back at The store Romero takes Shawn upstairs to where he lives to show him his movie collection and reveals to him that he is in fact a Vampire and lunges for Shawn and kisses him.

Recap for issues 3-4 Mad Dog.

Shocked at both the kiss and the fact vampires are real Shawn tells Romero he’s not gay and the pair get really embarrassed, to show that their friendship is still in tact Shawn asks for a job so he can hang out with Romero more often. A few days later while getting snacks for his job he bumps into a large scarred stranger that tells Shawn not to trust Romero, that he will betray him, ignoring the stranger Shawn heads to work and tells Romero what happened, not wanting him to walk home alone Romero gives him a lift and Shawn notices the full moon when the pair are attacked by a werewolf. Romero manages to subdue the werewolf and chain him up.Romero tells Shawn he won’t be able to take him home as he has to take the werewolf home. Confused that Romero knows the name of the werewolf and where he lives he goes along with it. At the home of the werewolf Romero has to hide in the closet to escape the rising sun telling Shawn not to go into the basement until the sun rises and it’s safe. Once the sun rises Shawn goes down into the basement and sees that the werewolf is the stranger from before… Rob. Rob and Romero go back a ways, Rob thinks Romero tried to turn his boyfriend and the pair fell out.

This title could easily be overlooked because of the art, it’s not the best and the writing isn’t great it’s the story that makes this title worth reading, not just because it’s a supernatural series but also because of its homosexual tones with both the vampire and werewolf being gay, there are not too many titles for gay men out there that don’t include gratuitous sex, this is more about friendships and helping people. I don’t care about the sexual orientation of characters in books I read but it’s nice to read a book about gay men being friends and not sex mad party goers. Shawn and Romero’s friendship is true reason to read this book, I look forward to seeing it grow as the issues continue.

This is a 4 star book for the characters and the story.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Do you agree with my review? Comment below or find me on Twitter @DawnOfComics and let me know what you thought of this book.

Bwillett’s Official Site: www.bwillettcomics.com
Twitter: @BwillettComics
Tumblr: bwillettsketches.tumblr.com
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Author Profile

Dawn of Comics

Hey, I'm Shane.
Been into comics since I was about 5. Loved watching Wonder Woman and superboy in the 80's.
I Started reading seriously about 10 years ago. Began to collect a few comic series, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Teen Titans, Justice League of America and Superman Batman all pre flashpoint. Being honest that was my favourite run.