Alien Nihilism And California New Age Philosophy Meet In Midnight Vista #4
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
The Men in Black have Oliver’s mom, Marisole, in their custody. They want to know where Oliver is, but she gives them nothing. The Men in Black resort to extreme measures on Marisole as a result. Meanwhile, Oliver has made it to Los Angeles in his search for Raj Barker. He’s been there for weeks and has been living as a homeless drifter. He’s run out of money and is researching Raj Barker whenever he has the chance. Back in Albuquerque, Detective Aldo receives some news from the Men in Black which convinces him that he no longer has any place on the force.
Midnight Vista #4 takes a few more dark turns in Oliver’s flight from the Men in Black. Marisole has been taken, Oliver himself is homeless, and Detective Aldo has finally seen the bizarre mess the Flores investigation has become.
It tempers the comedic tone Midnight Vista has kept so far, though that humor has not gone away completely.
We get to see more flashbacks to Oliver and Nomar’s time with the aliens, and the comic reveals more of how these aliens behaved. They are almost benevolent at times, but their will to keep Oliver and Nomar is firm, unshakable, and downright menacing.
This issue delivers a black line that will be stuck in my head for some time to come, and it even has some A Walk Through Hell vibes to it. While Aldo is quitting, he tells the Men in Black, “You better pray to God that I never find the truth of what happened.” The wormlike and goofy-looking Men in Black reply with, “God does not exist, Mr. Martinez, and neither does the truth.”
Once again, Clara Meath delivers her distinct style, giving the world of Midnight Vista the balance of expression, visual humor, and minor horror that it needs. I’ve mentioned this before, but the eyes are gorgeous and, at times, haunting. Mark Englert’s color work gives the book a mixture of warmth and creeping chill, and it looks good.
Midnight Vista #4 is another great issue for this alien abduction story. Oliver’s struggles continue, the Men in Black become more threatening, and Detective Aldo Martinez finally draws a line in the sand. All in all, it’s a damn good read, and it’s worth a recommendation. Check it out.
Midnight Vista #4 comes to us from writer Eliot Rahal, artist Clara Meath, color artist Mark Englert, letterer Taylor Esposito, and cover artist Juan Doe.
Final Score: 8.5/10