Middlewest #7 Tears It All Down
by Tony Thornley
The first arc of Middlewest ended in tragedy as Abel lost control to his strange abilities. As the second arc begins, he faces the consequences of the disaster.
Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos kick off the second volume of the series with this issue.
Abel’s storm-elemental form tears through Maggie’s carnival, completely out of control. Bobby and Fox try to calm him, while others try to make it out alive. Can Abel return to normal, and what will his life be like in the aftermath?
Young’s story is brisk, action-packed, and emotional. The metaphor of the storm representing adolescence is powerful and heartbreaking. He gives Abel, Bobby and Fox all solid beats within the story. However, it’s a very quick read, and is probably going to read better in a binge or collection than it did as the single issue here.
Corona and Beaulieu’s work is the star in this issue. They are able to make a storm elemental emotional and sympathetic, both through linework and the moody colors. The aftermath is also horrifying but wonderfully rendered, especially in the issue-closing heart-to-heart between Abel and Fox.
Abel’s future is bleak, and it appears to be leading directly back to his father. It’s going to be fascinating to see where the second arc takes him.
Middlewest #7 is available now from Image Comics.
