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Middlewest #1-6
Middlewest, Book One
The lands between the coasts are vast, slow to change, and full of hidden magics. The town of Farmington has been destroyed sending an unwitting adventurer and his vulpine companion in search of answers to quell a coming storm that speaks his name. From author SKOTTIE YOUNG (I HATE FAIRYLAND, DEADPOOL) and artist JORGE CORONA (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET, FEATHERS, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE OLD MAN JACK) comes the tale of Abel, a young boy who must navigate an old land in order to reconcile his family's history.
Collects MIDDLEWEST #1-6
Collects MIDDLEWEST #1-6
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2019
44 people are currently reading
1703 people want to read
About the author
Skottie Young
649 books1,044 followersSkottie Young has been an illustrator and cartoonist for over ten years working for entertainment and publishing companies such Marvel, Warner Bros., Image, Upper Deck, Mattel, and many more.
He is currently illustrating the New York Times Best Selling and Eisner Award Nominated adaptions of L. Frank Baum's OZ novels with writer Eric Shanower. The series has gained acclaim from both fans and critics.
Skottie currently lives in Illinois with his family, Casey, Baxter and their Saint Bernard, Emma.
He is currently illustrating the New York Times Best Selling and Eisner Award Nominated adaptions of L. Frank Baum's OZ novels with writer Eric Shanower. The series has gained acclaim from both fans and critics.
Skottie currently lives in Illinois with his family, Casey, Baxter and their Saint Bernard, Emma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
August 27, 2019
That was super good!!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 22, 2019
Abel decides to run away from home and join a travelling carnival of magicians, talking animals and robots because his dad’s an abusive prick – and also a giant wind monster (and not the kind that shows up after eating a plate of beans)! But Abel’s not safe as wind monster dad sets out after him…
As you can probably guess from the premise, Skottie Young and Jorge Corona’s Middlewest is a super-realistic, grim’n’gritty take on growing up. Oh, I do like kidding around don’t I? And I kinda like Middlewest which is, ironically, a fairly middling new series.
I like the Miyazaki-esque fantasyland where the series is set, particularly as Young doesn’t even attempt to explain any of the magic – it just is! Young utilises his extensive dark fantasy experience from Marvel’s Oz and his more recent Image series I Hate Fairyland to create an understandable and intriguing background.
The story might be very underwritten – kid runs off, evil dad in pursuit for no discernible reason – but elements of it are compelling. There’s a scuffle atop a train with a hobo bird skeleton and a battle of wits with a troll on a bridge. Hobos and trains, trolls and bridges – these are clichés but Young writes them in a way that’s interesting. And I liked Corona’s art – it’s a bit like, but not as crisp or striking as, Rob Guillory’s but it’s still very appealing, helped too by Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s colours.
There aren’t many characters I’m crazy about either. I liked the talking fox (Young channelling Rocket Raccoon), but that was about it. The others are unmemorable and boring. Abel’s a very dull protagonist too – he’s basically just everykid – and his dad is your archetypical one-dimensional villain.
The first volume of Middlewest won’t blow anyone away but it’s a decent kid’s comic.
As you can probably guess from the premise, Skottie Young and Jorge Corona’s Middlewest is a super-realistic, grim’n’gritty take on growing up. Oh, I do like kidding around don’t I? And I kinda like Middlewest which is, ironically, a fairly middling new series.
I like the Miyazaki-esque fantasyland where the series is set, particularly as Young doesn’t even attempt to explain any of the magic – it just is! Young utilises his extensive dark fantasy experience from Marvel’s Oz and his more recent Image series I Hate Fairyland to create an understandable and intriguing background.
The story might be very underwritten – kid runs off, evil dad in pursuit for no discernible reason – but elements of it are compelling. There’s a scuffle atop a train with a hobo bird skeleton and a battle of wits with a troll on a bridge. Hobos and trains, trolls and bridges – these are clichés but Young writes them in a way that’s interesting. And I liked Corona’s art – it’s a bit like, but not as crisp or striking as, Rob Guillory’s but it’s still very appealing, helped too by Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s colours.
There aren’t many characters I’m crazy about either. I liked the talking fox (Young channelling Rocket Raccoon), but that was about it. The others are unmemorable and boring. Abel’s a very dull protagonist too – he’s basically just everykid – and his dad is your archetypical one-dimensional villain.
The first volume of Middlewest won’t blow anyone away but it’s a decent kid’s comic.
May 26, 2019
This book is tough one to review.
So it starts off simple enough. Abel lives with an abusive father who beats him and treats him like shit. One day the boy snaps and tells his father to go fuck himself. In this moment his father becomes a giant tornado and destroys the city they live in and Abel runs off. Sounds like a typical coming of age story, huh?
The thing here is that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVEEEEEEE the art. It's probably some of my favorite ever. I also enjoyed the bitter moments with the family drama. His father was a complete asshole, maybe too over the top at times, but it felt real. Abel's pain felt real. I also enjoyed Abel's talk with his Fox sidekick. All of that was good-great.
However, all the side characters come off as a complete bore. I didn't care about the carnival message, and yes I got it, choosing your family verses who you get stuck with. None of that was interesting and the ending felt kind of anti-climatic for me.
Overall, a interesting spin on things. Not everything panned out but the art is still amazing enough to read this book. A 3.5 out of 5.
So it starts off simple enough. Abel lives with an abusive father who beats him and treats him like shit. One day the boy snaps and tells his father to go fuck himself. In this moment his father becomes a giant tornado and destroys the city they live in and Abel runs off. Sounds like a typical coming of age story, huh?
The thing here is that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVEEEEEEE the art. It's probably some of my favorite ever. I also enjoyed the bitter moments with the family drama. His father was a complete asshole, maybe too over the top at times, but it felt real. Abel's pain felt real. I also enjoyed Abel's talk with his Fox sidekick. All of that was good-great.
However, all the side characters come off as a complete bore. I didn't care about the carnival message, and yes I got it, choosing your family verses who you get stuck with. None of that was interesting and the ending felt kind of anti-climatic for me.
Overall, a interesting spin on things. Not everything panned out but the art is still amazing enough to read this book. A 3.5 out of 5.
August 24, 2019
Another graphic novel by Scottie Young. He is just pumping them out now and what a time to be alive. Middlwest is by far my favorite graphic novel so far this year and I really don't see anything topping it.
It follows a young boy named Abel who lives in a small town called Farmington. He lives with his dad who treats him horribly. He is mentally and physically abused by him. One day, Abel gets involved in shoplifting with his friends when he didn't even want to participate. His dad finds out and kicks him out of the house but when Abel defends himself and speaks his true feelings, his father turns into a raging storm. No, seriously. He turns into a huge tornado, chases Abel and his companion talking fox (who I am dying to know the origins of) out of town but his dad leaves Abel with a physical mark on his chest that will change his life forever, giving him strange powers.. just like his father.
The world the story is set in is so interesting. It's verging on the edge of steampunk. There's robots, strange critters that resemble mice and rabbits that you'd see in our world but have 3 eyes and contorted anatomy, huge machines that power buildings. In fact the buildings/houses themselves are a hodgepodge of junk and scraps. Our characters even have a run-in with a troll at a bridge! I LOVE THIS WORLD. Although my feelings are hurt after that cliffhanger ending, I am so looking forward to the next volume.
It follows a young boy named Abel who lives in a small town called Farmington. He lives with his dad who treats him horribly. He is mentally and physically abused by him. One day, Abel gets involved in shoplifting with his friends when he didn't even want to participate. His dad finds out and kicks him out of the house but when Abel defends himself and speaks his true feelings, his father turns into a raging storm. No, seriously. He turns into a huge tornado, chases Abel and his companion talking fox (who I am dying to know the origins of) out of town but his dad leaves Abel with a physical mark on his chest that will change his life forever, giving him strange powers.. just like his father.
The world the story is set in is so interesting. It's verging on the edge of steampunk. There's robots, strange critters that resemble mice and rabbits that you'd see in our world but have 3 eyes and contorted anatomy, huge machines that power buildings. In fact the buildings/houses themselves are a hodgepodge of junk and scraps. Our characters even have a run-in with a troll at a bridge! I LOVE THIS WORLD. Although my feelings are hurt after that cliffhanger ending, I am so looking forward to the next volume.
May 17, 2022
Мова піде про першу арку мальопису «Мідлвест» сценариста Скотті Янґа і художника Хорхе Корони.
Події відбуваються у світі, сповнененим прихованою магією, які беруть свій початок у місті Фармінґтон, де хлопець Авель живе нестерпним життям. Його тато занадто вибагливий удома, а мама покинула їх за кілька років до цих подій. Батько вибухає за кожну дрібницю у бік сина. Трагічний ланцюг подій розпочинається, коли Авель випадково проспав одного дня і замість того, щоб зробити те, що сказав йому батько, вирішує потусуватися зі своїми друзями. І тут все стає настільки фентезійно-трагічно, що хлопець тікає з дому. Звідси починаються справжні фантастичні пригоди.
Янґ настільки вміло тримає читача сюжетом, новими героями, локаціями, як Корона це майстерно реалізовує у малюнку. Повсюди дивні монстри, розмовляючі тварини, роботи та магічні місця, які постійно захоплюють.
Українське видання є ідентичним до видання англійською мовою, але відрізняє сильно їх тільки те, що наше має палітурку. А англійське обгорнуте в м'яку обкладинку.Також видання українською мовою трішки менше навіть стандартних американських видань у м'якій обкладинці. Але великої біди в цьому нема, адже тексту там не те щоб багато, тому все гарно й комфортно читається.
Події відбуваються у світі, сповнененим прихованою магією, які беруть свій початок у місті Фармінґтон, де хлопець Авель живе нестерпним життям. Його тато занадто вибагливий удома, а мама покинула їх за кілька років до цих подій. Батько вибухає за кожну дрібницю у бік сина. Трагічний ланцюг подій розпочинається, коли Авель випадково проспав одного дня і замість того, щоб зробити те, що сказав йому батько, вирішує потусуватися зі своїми друзями. І тут все стає настільки фентезійно-трагічно, що хлопець тікає з дому. Звідси починаються справжні фантастичні пригоди.
Янґ настільки вміло тримає читача сюжетом, новими героями, локаціями, як Корона це майстерно реалізовує у малюнку. Повсюди дивні монстри, розмовляючі тварини, роботи та магічні місця, які постійно захоплюють.
Українське видання є ідентичним до видання англійською мовою, але відрізняє сильно їх тільки те, що наше має палітурку. А англійське обгорнуте в м'яку обкладинку.Також видання українською мовою трішки менше навіть стандартних американських видань у м'якій обкладинці. Але великої біди в цьому нема, адже тексту там не те щоб багато, тому все гарно й комфортно читається.
April 4, 2019
A beautifully realised YA-ish story with fantasy elements about a kid who runs away from home and his abusive father. Normally a story like this wouldn't really be my thing, but Skottie Young's rock-solid writing and Jorge Corona's sublime artwork made all the difference.
April 13, 2023
L’univers graphique de Middlewest est tout simplement époustouflant… même s’il y a certains clichés, je suis super intriguée par l’histoire dont l’introduction était top dans ce 1er tome!! Je pense bien lire toute la trilogie d’un coup
October 19, 2020
Intriģējoša pasaule, kur reālisms saplūst ar maģiju, galvenajam varonim Abelam ir draugs Lapsa!!!
Patīk ilustrācijas, sižets ir nedaudz paredzams, bet tai pat laikā rada vēlmi turpināt sēriju.
Patīk ilustrācijas, sižets ir nedaudz paredzams, bet tai pat laikā rada vēlmi turpināt sēriju.
January 10, 2021
There are some fantasy trappings, but at heart this is the story of a boy running away from his abusive father to join a carnival. That creaky old trope doesn't much interest me, even if you throw in some "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" Hulk-outs. And too much of the world, the magic, and the characters is left unexplained for me to care about coming back.
January 15, 2022
7.7/10
This dramatic tale of a boy running away from his abusive father is mixed wonderfully with supernatural elements.
The world building is nice, the characters are interesting and the art is gorgeous ( perfect fit for Young's writing ).
I will definitely buy the second book.
This dramatic tale of a boy running away from his abusive father is mixed wonderfully with supernatural elements.
The world building is nice, the characters are interesting and the art is gorgeous ( perfect fit for Young's writing ).
I will definitely buy the second book.
June 27, 2021
Skottie Young, writer and illustrator of I Hate Fairyland, is back with another fantasy tale, this time with illustrator Jorge Corona. I’m not gonna lie, Volume 1 is just okay. Like most quest fantasies it’s derivative, but I was hoping for a bit more for a first volume hook: A kid, with special abilities and from a broken home, heads out on a quest to fix his life. He’s got a wise cracking fox sidekick. There’s not one but two wise sages who hold the secrets to his powers. And of course there’s the larger than life baddie who’s hot in pursuit.
The Good:
Jorge Corona’s artwork is fantastic and deeply reminiscent of Young. Fine lines, sketchy, heavy inks, high contrast colors. It’s beautiful, elaborate, and perfectly compliments the story.
Other than the artwork, it’s the fantasy itself that’s intriguing. What is this strange power? Where does it come from? Is it good or evil? I wanna know!
The Bad:
The fantasy! There’s so little to it so far I’m wondering if it’s going to deliver. At the moment it feels like a supernatural metaphor for mental illness, which, okay, I guess, but I want more than mere metaphor. If you took out this fantasy element this story wouldn’t hold up as more than a derivative indie drama.
Characterization isn’t super deep. Abel is a runaway, traumatized by his mother’s leaving and his father’s anger. Hobbies? Aspirations? No idea. Friends? A few, whom we see for a few pages then they disappear. Personality? Abel is a hard worker, lonely, desperate for kin. And what about Dad? Well, he’s angry a lot. Mom? She’s gone. Which makes it hard to empathize or care for Abel if we don’t know who he is or what he cares about.
This volume ends right in the middle of a scene! That’s not a cliffhanger. Takeaway: It’s ok. But a long way to go. The fantasy needs to become more complex, much like the characters.
The Good:
Jorge Corona’s artwork is fantastic and deeply reminiscent of Young. Fine lines, sketchy, heavy inks, high contrast colors. It’s beautiful, elaborate, and perfectly compliments the story.
Other than the artwork, it’s the fantasy itself that’s intriguing. What is this strange power? Where does it come from? Is it good or evil? I wanna know!
The Bad:
The fantasy! There’s so little to it so far I’m wondering if it’s going to deliver. At the moment it feels like a supernatural metaphor for mental illness, which, okay, I guess, but I want more than mere metaphor. If you took out this fantasy element this story wouldn’t hold up as more than a derivative indie drama.
Characterization isn’t super deep. Abel is a runaway, traumatized by his mother’s leaving and his father’s anger. Hobbies? Aspirations? No idea. Friends? A few, whom we see for a few pages then they disappear. Personality? Abel is a hard worker, lonely, desperate for kin. And what about Dad? Well, he’s angry a lot. Mom? She’s gone. Which makes it hard to empathize or care for Abel if we don’t know who he is or what he cares about.
This volume ends right in the middle of a scene! That’s not a cliffhanger. Takeaway: It’s ok. But a long way to go. The fantasy needs to become more complex, much like the characters.
August 12, 2019
Pretty good graphic novel about a young boy who runs away from his dad after he kicks him out of his house for stealing so he and his fox friend go away to find out what's wrong with him. Can he survive? Read on and find out for yourself. This graphic novel is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.
July 15, 2022
Middlewest är en grafisk roman (eller seriealbum? Vet aldrig vad det händer) där jag fastnade för den fantastiska tecknarstilen på en gång! Handlingen var också riktigt intressant och hade hela tiden ett driv framåt. Handlingen tog också några oväntade vändningar vilket jag inte var beredd på.
När den var slut ville jag bara läsa fortsättningen så jag måste nog köpa hem volym två och tre riktigt snart.
Middlewest var oerhört bra och en av det bättre grafiska romaner jag har läst! Rekommenderas varmt!
När den var slut ville jag bara läsa fortsättningen så jag måste nog köpa hem volym två och tre riktigt snart.
Middlewest var oerhört bra och en av det bättre grafiska romaner jag har läst! Rekommenderas varmt!
August 24, 2021
Star Rating: —> 4 Stars
Fun first installment!!
Fun first installment!!
May 27, 2019
It's modern urban fantasy (but not very fantasy). It's the YA story of a boy going on a journey (and perhaps too Y and not A enough). It's a meandering story about running away from home, without too much else going for it.
Overall, an entirely OK book until you get to the end, which is a super-annoying cliffhanger.
Overall, an entirely OK book until you get to the end, which is a super-annoying cliffhanger.
April 22, 2021
Premièrement, les illustrations sont magnifiques.
Ensuite, c’est l’histoire d’un jeune garçon qui vit avec son père. Les deux ne se comprennent pas et Abel a l’impression que son père ne l’aime pas. Un jour, le père d’Abel se met en colère et cette colère crée des dommages épouvantables. Le jeune garçon s’enfuit, fait la rencontre de plusieurs personnages et est accompagné d’un jeune renard qui est son ami. C’est doux et c’est dur et ça fait bien réfléchir.
j’ai bien aimé et je suis contente d’avoir lu cette BD.
👉🏼 Il y aura deux autres tomes
Ensuite, c’est l’histoire d’un jeune garçon qui vit avec son père. Les deux ne se comprennent pas et Abel a l’impression que son père ne l’aime pas. Un jour, le père d’Abel se met en colère et cette colère crée des dommages épouvantables. Le jeune garçon s’enfuit, fait la rencontre de plusieurs personnages et est accompagné d’un jeune renard qui est son ami. C’est doux et c’est dur et ça fait bien réfléchir.
j’ai bien aimé et je suis contente d’avoir lu cette BD.
👉🏼 Il y aura deux autres tomes
April 30, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Middlewest book 1 brings together volumes 1-6 of a comic book about the wonderful world of Middlewest, a magic filled, steampunk inspired land riddled with farming communities. Abel is a likeable kid with some not so pleasant people around him. When his abusive dad takes things too far he heads out with Fox, his talking fox, to escape his family history. For a journey story I really fell in love with this world and many of the characters. We get to explore, meet and experience as Abel and Fox explore, meet and experience and its a lot of fun.
The fact that mental health and abuse is the center of Middlewest book 1 intrigues me! I was taken with the first volume's story right off as Abel is impelled to go on his journey. The situation is so real and raw and then suddenly outrageous!! This is the beauty of a graphic story... we can SEE that its quite organic how everything goes sideways and we're captured by the extremeness of events. My only subtle problem is that a few times events seemed random. This is the "monster-a-chapter" plot flaw... but I was happy to see it happened only briefly before we got back on track.
One of the things that I ADORED about Middlewest book 1 is FOX!! Yes, the sidekick totally steals the show. Abel is genuinely a real kid who doesn't always do the right thing but also just wants to grow up happy. You really feel for him... but Fox makes caring for Abel FUN! This is all because Fox is like a skewed conscious gone rogue. He doesn't exactly steer Abel in the right direction (Fox is soooo morally grey) and like all kids, Abel isn't always willing to listen when Fox does suggest something that makes sense... it makes for disaster but also allows us to meet sooooo many neat characters.
Bobby and her self-made sidekick robot is one of these many characters and their design is stellar!! She's been taught right and has a bit of a mouth on her which gives her so much personality. In fact I LOVED all of the character and monster designs. The visuals make this totally come to life. Abel's father's part of the journey is absolutely incredible because it so captures anger and what it does to a person emotionally in a visual way. I haven't even talked about the settings yet either... They are so detailed that I really felt like I was a part of the carnival, the storm and near the end Abel's struggle to control himself. Middlewest book 1 is gorgeous.
Middlewest book 1 takes us on a journey through a magic filled, steampunk inspired land with robots, monsters and carnivals! It's a fun, heartfelt story about abuse and power relationships that is made snarky and morally grey because of a delightful Fox.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
Thanks to Edelweiss and Image Comics for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this manga review and many others on my book blog every Monday @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews at the bottom of the page.
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December 13, 2019
So I Hate Fairyland ended and this is what we get now? I’m disappointed.
What’s it about?
Basically this kid has an asshole father who gets angry and becomes a tornado. Yeah... So the kid decides to get the hell away from that and has some weird glowy thing on his chest.
Pros:
The art is pretty decent. At first I was disappointed to hear Skottie Young wasn’t the artist because I love his cartoony style however this book’s artist works better for the tone of this story I think.
This book ain’t too predictable.
There are a few fun, exciting action scenes in here.
Some of the comic relief stuff is good. Definitely can’t deny that Young knows how to write some humorous stuff.
Cons:
The story is lame IMO. It could have been kinda cool and creative knowing the writer’s work but instead it felt like a children’s fantasy book but with more annoying characters and swearing... yay?
Fuck these characters. Okay so the fox is cool but other than that... fuck these characters. The kid is uninteresting and a bit of a prick. The kid’s dad is a completely psychotic abusive cunt that honestly by the end of the first scene I was hoping Gert (from I Hate Fairyland for those of you who don’t know) would show up and dismember. The other characters range from slightly annoying to boring.
There is a terrible lack of world building. It takes place in a world that has fantasy elements and realistic elements which should be fun but overall is just confusing because nothing about this strange world is really explained.
While there are a few action scenes a lot of this book is kinda boring.
The dialogue is often pretty bad.
The ending is kinda stupid TBH.
Overall:
I consider Skottie Young to be talented. When Goodreads recommended this based on other books I gave 5 stars this year I thought that this would be a very likely addition to the books I’ve given 5-stars this year. Sadly not even close.
This book is a boring story with poor writing and shitty characters that annoyed the fuck out of me. Sure, there are some things I liked about this book but I left feeling more annoyed and disappointed than impressed so... yeah, I wouldn’t recommend this.
2/5
What’s it about?
Basically this kid has an asshole father who gets angry and becomes a tornado. Yeah... So the kid decides to get the hell away from that and has some weird glowy thing on his chest.
Pros:
The art is pretty decent. At first I was disappointed to hear Skottie Young wasn’t the artist because I love his cartoony style however this book’s artist works better for the tone of this story I think.
This book ain’t too predictable.
There are a few fun, exciting action scenes in here.
Some of the comic relief stuff is good. Definitely can’t deny that Young knows how to write some humorous stuff.
Cons:
The story is lame IMO. It could have been kinda cool and creative knowing the writer’s work but instead it felt like a children’s fantasy book but with more annoying characters and swearing... yay?
Fuck these characters. Okay so the fox is cool but other than that... fuck these characters. The kid is uninteresting and a bit of a prick. The kid’s dad is a completely psychotic abusive cunt that honestly by the end of the first scene I was hoping Gert (from I Hate Fairyland for those of you who don’t know) would show up and dismember. The other characters range from slightly annoying to boring.
There is a terrible lack of world building. It takes place in a world that has fantasy elements and realistic elements which should be fun but overall is just confusing because nothing about this strange world is really explained.
While there are a few action scenes a lot of this book is kinda boring.
The dialogue is often pretty bad.
The ending is kinda stupid TBH.
Overall:
I consider Skottie Young to be talented. When Goodreads recommended this based on other books I gave 5 stars this year I thought that this would be a very likely addition to the books I’ve given 5-stars this year. Sadly not even close.
This book is a boring story with poor writing and shitty characters that annoyed the fuck out of me. Sure, there are some things I liked about this book but I left feeling more annoyed and disappointed than impressed so... yeah, I wouldn’t recommend this.
2/5
May 13, 2022
Я очікував, що це буде така ж безбаштова, провокативна та епатажна історія, як попередня робота Скотті Янга "Я ненавиджу Фейріленд", але "Мідлвест" виявився милою казковою історією про стосунки батько-син, дуже барвистою та привабливою. Втім, Місцями сюжетні рішення аж надто шаблонні, настільки, що ти підсвідомо очікуєш твісту, типу "ну нє, так не може бути, це надто наївно" - але так є, і ніяких твістів.
Хороше чтиво, яке зайде вашій дитині (мій у захваті), але для дорослого, то радше годинка відпочинку з яскравими сторіночками
Хороше чтиво, яке зайде вашій дитині (мій у захваті), але для дорослого, то радше годинка відпочинку з яскравими сторіночками
June 19, 2022
Scottie Young really does have a knack for taking seemingly mundane, average things and making them unique, interesting, and magical. In Middlewest we have a seemingly boring kid just living life with his over protective and very strict father.
But here in Middlewest, we quickly learn, everything is not as cut and dry as the weather or land. Vicious storms come in; wiping out and damaging swathes of areas. Especially in our lead boys town. Every so many years there’s a large, epic event.
I love the mystery that evolves here. While we know what causes the storms; we don’t know why or how it happens. There’s an element of passed down genetics to explore here too. As though we are all destined to be our parents (which I’m scares a bunch of people, including me!!).
The biggest drawback? This book collects the first 6 comics and has a huge cliffhanger. Which I tend not to love. While cliffhangers are fairly common in comics; this cliffhanger is about as big as they come. Good thing I have the next book and set of comics to read right away! But be forewarned that you’re going to want to be read with book 2 as well.
But here in Middlewest, we quickly learn, everything is not as cut and dry as the weather or land. Vicious storms come in; wiping out and damaging swathes of areas. Especially in our lead boys town. Every so many years there’s a large, epic event.
I love the mystery that evolves here. While we know what causes the storms; we don’t know why or how it happens. There’s an element of passed down genetics to explore here too. As though we are all destined to be our parents (which I’m scares a bunch of people, including me!!).
The biggest drawback? This book collects the first 6 comics and has a huge cliffhanger. Which I tend not to love. While cliffhangers are fairly common in comics; this cliffhanger is about as big as they come. Good thing I have the next book and set of comics to read right away! But be forewarned that you’re going to want to be read with book 2 as well.
May 15, 2024
I absolutely loved this graphic novel. The storyline is so fascinating and the artwork is spectacular. I immediately ordered volume two once I finished this one.
Abel and his father have a rocky relationship. When his dad turns into something horrid and unbelievable, Abel, along with his pal, Fox, run away. This leads Abel on a journey through Middlewest... and what a journey it is! Through interesting landscapes, dangers untold, and makeshift family that he always wanted, it was such a delightful expedition.
Abel and his father have a rocky relationship. When his dad turns into something horrid and unbelievable, Abel, along with his pal, Fox, run away. This leads Abel on a journey through Middlewest... and what a journey it is! Through interesting landscapes, dangers untold, and makeshift family that he always wanted, it was such a delightful expedition.
July 19, 2019
Little Abel is growing up in a quiet farming town in the middle of nowhere with his father, who has serious anger management issues. One day he loses his shit, turns into a giant tornado and levels the whole town to the ground. And this is where Abel's journey starts.
Middlewest was a pleasant surprise. The world is rich and full of interesting characters. The art fits the whole concept very well and I am looking forward to the second volume.
Middlewest was a pleasant surprise. The world is rich and full of interesting characters. The art fits the whole concept very well and I am looking forward to the second volume.
October 9, 2023
Skottie Young, known for his fanciful stories, does it again with Middlewest! It is an intriguing graphic novel that is a mash-up of the classic hero’s journey, steampunk and The Wizard of Oz.
Abel is a young teen living with his single Dad in the town of Farmington, and is going through the usual stages of teenage angst. But when he gets caught up with some friends and makes a poor choice his father overreacts and kicks Abel out of the house for an evening. They have words and his father flies into a fury transforming into a powerful tornado. Abel and his sidekick animal, Fox, escape onto a train but not before the tornado grabs him leaving a strange mark on his chest. Abel and the wisecracking Fox meet a hobo wizard who helps them escape from yet another bad situation, and eventually, they end up joining a traveling circus. All the while, Abel’s father is searching for him, and a mysterious woman at the circus might be able to help when chaos looms.
Jorge Corona’s art is reminiscent of Young’s I Hate Fairyland series, yet it is all his own. Abel’s world is an interesting mash-up of steampunk, fantasy and Midwest reality. The people are drawn with an exaggerated style that matches the fantasy aspect of the story. Corona includes details that will make you do a double-take, as he juxtaposes the everyday with the fantastic. Containers of some sort of pink liquid are everywhere, and while you assume they are fuel of some sort, it is never explained. The colors that Jean-Francois Beaulieu add are eye-popping, as they can veer between subdued colors of the surrounding countryside, and then they become bold, especially in later sequences at the circus.
I was pleased with book one of this new series and will be interested in finding out what happens to Abel and how the toxic masculinity that his father has modeled will affect him as the dangerous magic begins to transform him.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/08/1...
Abel is a young teen living with his single Dad in the town of Farmington, and is going through the usual stages of teenage angst. But when he gets caught up with some friends and makes a poor choice his father overreacts and kicks Abel out of the house for an evening. They have words and his father flies into a fury transforming into a powerful tornado. Abel and his sidekick animal, Fox, escape onto a train but not before the tornado grabs him leaving a strange mark on his chest. Abel and the wisecracking Fox meet a hobo wizard who helps them escape from yet another bad situation, and eventually, they end up joining a traveling circus. All the while, Abel’s father is searching for him, and a mysterious woman at the circus might be able to help when chaos looms.
Jorge Corona’s art is reminiscent of Young’s I Hate Fairyland series, yet it is all his own. Abel’s world is an interesting mash-up of steampunk, fantasy and Midwest reality. The people are drawn with an exaggerated style that matches the fantasy aspect of the story. Corona includes details that will make you do a double-take, as he juxtaposes the everyday with the fantastic. Containers of some sort of pink liquid are everywhere, and while you assume they are fuel of some sort, it is never explained. The colors that Jean-Francois Beaulieu add are eye-popping, as they can veer between subdued colors of the surrounding countryside, and then they become bold, especially in later sequences at the circus.
I was pleased with book one of this new series and will be interested in finding out what happens to Abel and how the toxic masculinity that his father has modeled will affect him as the dangerous magic begins to transform him.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/08/1...
March 4, 2020
This was fun. A boy tries to figure out some weird changes going on in his body and ends up running away from home and going on an adventure across the land with his talking fox.
I got a real Wizard of Oz vibe from this, and it's not just because of Skottie Young. There's kind of a weird mashup of an old 1930's or 1950's aesthetic with retro-futuristic designs that reminds me of pre-apocalyptic America from the Fallout series.
I didn't love this as I was hoping, but I did like it. The story doesn't feel particularly unique, but there's an interesting spin on the whole concept so I'm interested to see where it goes.
I love Skottie Young's artwork. He has this amazing cartoony style that fits this world, but it seems like he's made a conscious effort not to replicate the style he used in the Wizard of Oz series to give this world it's own feel. It definitely helps give this world a more unique feel which is needed since the story doesn't really strike me in the same way.
Overall a solid read and I'll be picking up the next volume to see where things go next.
edit: So, the reason Skottie Young's artwork doesn't replicate the art from The Wizard of Oz is because Jorge Corona is the artist! I guess I just didn't realise because it still looks a lot like Young's style.
I got a real Wizard of Oz vibe from this, and it's not just because of Skottie Young. There's kind of a weird mashup of an old 1930's or 1950's aesthetic with retro-futuristic designs that reminds me of pre-apocalyptic America from the Fallout series.
I didn't love this as I was hoping, but I did like it. The story doesn't feel particularly unique, but there's an interesting spin on the whole concept so I'm interested to see where it goes.
I love Skottie Young's artwork. He has this amazing cartoony style that fits this world, but it seems like he's made a conscious effort not to replicate the style he used in the Wizard of Oz series to give this world it's own feel. It definitely helps give this world a more unique feel which is needed since the story doesn't really strike me in the same way.
Overall a solid read and I'll be picking up the next volume to see where things go next.
edit: So, the reason Skottie Young's artwork doesn't replicate the art from The Wizard of Oz is because Jorge Corona is the artist! I guess I just didn't realise because it still looks a lot like Young's style.
June 19, 2019
While well written this is not a pleasant read. The art fails at times and it is hard to tell people (or animals) apart - but otherwise the art is cool
September 13, 2021
Nu tik mīlīgi!!! Un sidekick ir sarkastiska lapsiņa.
Iesaku!
Iesaku!
April 21, 2019
Misturando elementos reais e mágicos, Middlewest é uma poderosa graphic novel que acompanha a fuga de um garoto de seu pai abusivo. Ao lado de sua raposa de estimação, ele vive uma intensa jornada marcada por sofrimento e dor para tentar encontrar conforto em algum lugar. Com ilustrações de tirar o fôlego, a história emociona ao falar de dramas tão reais e se destaca na arte do storytelling.
Acompanhei o lançamento desde a primeira issue e mal posso esperar pela próxima. Uma forte recomendação.
Acompanhei o lançamento desde a primeira issue e mal posso esperar pela próxima. Uma forte recomendação.
June 20, 2019
3.75
More promise than follow-through on the story, I think, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Art and coloring are fantastic, and the surreal elements are really well done.
More promise than follow-through on the story, I think, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Art and coloring are fantastic, and the surreal elements are really well done.
July 9, 2022
Fantastic art and character design, but the story is a bit of a bummer.
June 10, 2019
It’s a familiar childhood refrain: “I’m gonna run away and join the circus!,” usually delivered in a defiant, petulant tone but rarely ever made good on. Except, in Skottie Young’s latest adolescence-is-hard graphic novel, “Middlewest,” his preteen protagonist, Abel, basically does just that. However, he really had no choice. I mean, his abusive storm-monster of a father (literally, he’s a psychotic force of nature) tried to kill him so what else could he do but hook up with his talking fox sidekick and join a traveling carnival full of similar misfits? Filtering the whimsy of his “I Hate Fairyland” series through his extensive superhero work for Marvel, Young’s latest project is sensitive, wildly creative, and fun despite its rather heavy subject matter.
A sort of mythical heartland of desolate farms, steampunk-y contraptions, and hardscrabble working class folk, Middlewest (specifically the town of Farmington) is everything a tween would be expected to complain about: monotonous days, back-breaking labor, and moody adults. “Middlewest” starts kind of slow - in fact, I didn’t notice the more fantastic aspects of the setting until the fox started talking - but it gives Young a few pages to establish the prickly relationship between Abel and his gruff single parent father. One particularly heated argument results in his dad’s transformation, which also affects Abel, and then the book is off and running. As wild as Young’s imagination can get (woodland hobos, sarcastic robots, and I mentioned the talking fox, right?), Jorge Corona’s expressive, animated art matches him panel for panel. I really liked his work on “Feathers” but his drawings in “Middlewest” are on a whole different level (partially due to Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s gorgeous coloring). This volume collects just the first six issues so it seems like there’s a significant amount of story left to tell, and A LOT more of Abel’s family history to delve into, but “Middlewest” is off to a very good start. It features some excellent world-building, snappy dialogue, and gives equal weight to issues of abuse and the exhilaration of going on an adventure with your friends. It’s a much fresher concept than the nostalgic tone would lead you to believe.
The last thing I want to mention is that I’m so glad there’s a company like Image that’s giving space to creator-driven projects like “Middlewest.” Of course Marvel and DC have their (large) places in the so-called “mainstream” comics marketplace, but I’ve been really impressed by how Image has consistently given creators free rein, regardless of content or tone, while maintaining a high level of quality. A story like “Middlewest” could’ve maybe found a home in some corner of the Big Two but I doubt the inciting scene where Abel snaps and screams “fuck you!” at his abusive father would’ve survived intact if it had; most likely it would’ve been censored or neutered, thus dulling its impact. I hope Kirkman and company continue to give Young and Corona the freedom to tell their unique story in the way it deserves to be told.
A sort of mythical heartland of desolate farms, steampunk-y contraptions, and hardscrabble working class folk, Middlewest (specifically the town of Farmington) is everything a tween would be expected to complain about: monotonous days, back-breaking labor, and moody adults. “Middlewest” starts kind of slow - in fact, I didn’t notice the more fantastic aspects of the setting until the fox started talking - but it gives Young a few pages to establish the prickly relationship between Abel and his gruff single parent father. One particularly heated argument results in his dad’s transformation, which also affects Abel, and then the book is off and running. As wild as Young’s imagination can get (woodland hobos, sarcastic robots, and I mentioned the talking fox, right?), Jorge Corona’s expressive, animated art matches him panel for panel. I really liked his work on “Feathers” but his drawings in “Middlewest” are on a whole different level (partially due to Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s gorgeous coloring). This volume collects just the first six issues so it seems like there’s a significant amount of story left to tell, and A LOT more of Abel’s family history to delve into, but “Middlewest” is off to a very good start. It features some excellent world-building, snappy dialogue, and gives equal weight to issues of abuse and the exhilaration of going on an adventure with your friends. It’s a much fresher concept than the nostalgic tone would lead you to believe.
The last thing I want to mention is that I’m so glad there’s a company like Image that’s giving space to creator-driven projects like “Middlewest.” Of course Marvel and DC have their (large) places in the so-called “mainstream” comics marketplace, but I’ve been really impressed by how Image has consistently given creators free rein, regardless of content or tone, while maintaining a high level of quality. A story like “Middlewest” could’ve maybe found a home in some corner of the Big Two but I doubt the inciting scene where Abel snaps and screams “fuck you!” at his abusive father would’ve survived intact if it had; most likely it would’ve been censored or neutered, thus dulling its impact. I hope Kirkman and company continue to give Young and Corona the freedom to tell their unique story in the way it deserves to be told.
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