Midnight Society: The Black Lake #1 Review
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Created, Written, and Drawn by: Drew Edward Johnson
Colored by: Lizzy John | Lettered by: Steve Dutro
Midnight Society was born out of creator and artist Drew Edward Johnson's love of pulp stories. The collision of practical science and the human imagination can be seen throughout Midnight, and the affection Johnson has for the era shines brightly in each page.
The art makes a huge first impression. Johnson’s pencils and Lizzy John’s colors are just terrific. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the look of this book; its bold colors and rich detailing completely pulled me in to Finn and Kaycee’s world. There is a great deal of time-hopping that goes on in the first issue, but the subtle changes in style and presentation help to keep you centered and aware of what period you're in.
The book also excels on the story front. Johnson weaves a fun and inventive tale of adventure and legacy. Even the heart strings get pulled a bit here, and maybe that’s what surprised me the most. The way they set the foundation for the story while also developing the leads, all in the initial issue, was impressive. More books should take notice of how that’s done in one issue, as opposed to dragging things out 2 or 3 issues deep before we start getting to know the lead characters in any meaningful way.
A little less than halfway through, we meet (presumably) the main character of the book, Matilda Finn, daughter of Arcturus Finn. She is setting out on a rescue mission to find her father's old friend, who was last seen on an expedition dedicated to unearthing the Loch Ness monster. You had me at Loch Ness, but throw in an intriguing mystery and I’m good and sold.
Granted, it would even be better with a Yeti, but hey, things can’t be perfect.
Who am I kidding? I don’t want just any Yeti, I want this Yeti:
Yeah, good times.
I can’t say enough good things about this book, so make sure to grab a copy when it releases on June 10th.