Happy Father’s Day: We Made Our Dads Read Afterlife With Archie, Midnighter & Wonder Woman: Earth One
After asking our Moms to review comics last month for Mother’s Day, Paste debated: was it still a good idea to merge the world of parents with sequential art? We found our Moms volleying out some harsh language in their pitiless reviews, with at least one contributing Mom getting an offer from Vice in the aftermath. Whatever, Moms. You push boundaries like you pushed us into existence some 20-and-a-halfish years ago.
In honor of Father’s Day, we gave our Dads the benefit of the doubt. After all, many of these gentlemen were devouring comics decades before we did the same. And it’s also an interesting sociological experiment: if these guys were used to Archie and pals eating fast food at the drive-in movies during the ‘50s, how are they going to cope with the Riverdale crew eating one another in a zombie apocalypse? Or Batman evolution Midnighter getting freaky and gleefully busting heads (double entendre intended)? Or a Wonder Woman returned to her bondage roots? Read on to see whether our cultures clashed or we ended up bonding over domestic beers during a canoe sunrise on Lake Michigan surrounded by fishing poles and awkward silence. In this reverse bring-your-kids-to-work exercise, editing was kept to a startling minimum. Also: we love you, Dads. 
Neal Reviews Midnighter Vol. 1: Out by Steve Orlando, ACO, Stephen Mooney and Alec Morgan
Whose Dad is He? Sean Edgar’s, Editor
Occupation: Retired Social Worker
Likes: Bill Murray, Bourbon, Dogs, The ‘60s, Taking His Son’s Comics
Dislikes: Litterers, Cheap Wine, Crowds, That Time Richard Donner Was Kicked Off a Superman Movie
By the third panel of Midnighter Vol. 1, you know this is an adult comic. On the floor lie condoms (four) and underwear. One wonders… those four condoms, still unused, and obviously at least one has been used already. Rock and Roll for the gay super sex machines.
Midnighter is a gay superhero. Much of his origin seems to be presented in this comic. My first reaction: I have a fair amount of gay friends and acquaintances, none of them is violent or ragey. Though, like Batman, this character exerts a controlled rage. Midnighter, unlike Batman, is OK with killing and seems to thrill in it. He makes it kind of fun.
I’m likely stereotyping, but my friends who are gay are social, gentle and most certainly non-violent, so the image of a violent, tough, gay superhero took some getting used to. Not that there aren’t tough gay people. Not that there shouldn’t be tough gay people. Some past comics came through my mind as I read it: Mike Baron’s The Badger from the ‘80s, as does The Punisher, though Midnighter is certainly funnier.
I recall when Marvel outed Northstar. A bit over-the-top and benign, though maybe not for the time. Midnighter hits you pretty full-on. The book was mostly (a few times I found myself wondering “what’s happening?”) well-paced and entertaining. The dialogue is compelling, witty. We suspend belief in comics anyway, like characters having dialogue while punching each other out. Given that, I found myself waiting for him to get in another conflict to hear his taunts.
Some creative stuff: he deliberately, and violently, defends himself in a physical conflict by literally deafening himself. Well-plotted, a twist now and then. The crossover with Dick Grayson was fun, what a crossover should be. And more “fun-to-read” dialogue. A touch of science fiction, but you can still relate to our current time. It’s more than eye candy. It took a bit for me to get into it, like a good song. Recommended, unless you’re homophobic. A-/B+
