Review: Middlewest: The Complete Tale
Let’s take a look at the ingredients of Middlewest. Writer Skottie Young, with some Marvel runs and a popular Image book behind him. Jorge Corona, a rising star artist with DC and Image in his portfolio. Jean-Francois Beaulieu, the colorist who took Ryan Ottley’s Invincible art from outstanding to god-tier. A story that wrapped up neatly in 18 issues. A release schedule that had no delays for the first year, and only a couple of short ones after that. It even came out mostly before the pandemic. All things considered, I cannot fathom why there wasn’t more buzz for this book on comics social media. Sure, there were fans who plugged it when asked for recommendations, but it deserved more. Because this is one of the best maxi-series I’ve read in recent years. There’s no single element that makes it stand out from the pack, it’s just a fantastic all-rounder.
Firstly, the writing. If I Hate Fairyland wasn’t your thing, don’t worry. The Skottie Young behind Middlewest is barely recognisable as the same writer. There’s a maturity here that no doubt comes from telling a story that was intensely personal to him. That much is clear from the insightful interview with Young and Corona that appears at the end of this hardcover. Few readers of his previous work would have expected him to cover the themes in this book so well. It’s a story about family, and about cycles of abuse and neglect.
The worldbuilding is also terrific. Jorge Corona deserves at least as much credit as Young here. We’re introduced to a world that is a bit like ours, but different in some highly intriguing ways. Homes and machinery are powered not by electricity, but tanks of a bubbling pink liquid. And then, of course, there’s all the magic. There are spirits, trolls, and talking animals. Fantastical forests, and physics-defying buildings. If you toned down the language, Middlewest would be an excellent all-ages book, ripe for adaptation into an Oscar-worthy animated feature.
And hopefully, such an adaptation would keep the wonderful art style. The art here is truly beautiful. Corona completely sucks you into the world of Middlewest with his minutely detailed scenery and locations. Characters look cartoony, but display incredible depth of emotion. Corona’s art is a perfect match for Jean-Francois Beaulieu, who is surely one of the best colorists around. As he did with Invincible, Beaulieu elevates Middlewest to another plane of greatness with his vibrant and detailed coloring.
If my opinion wasn’t clear enough: I think you should read Middlewest. This hardcover is pricey, but the complete series is also available as three trades. It feels like a story that could have come out of Disney at the height of their 80s-90s powers; just with added swearing and a little bit more darkness.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Publisher: Image Comics
Author Profile
- Yavi Mohan is a comic writer (and more frequently, comic reader) based in London. He is frequently overwhelmed by the number of comics in his reading list, to the extent that it sometimes delays his reading. This list includes every issue ever published with Spider-Man as the main character.
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