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Underground > Comic Books >

Midnighter...

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19:52 / 13.12.06

I think not, Quants; the world's greatest hand-to-hand fighter and gunman tearing up the apocalyptic post-human landscape?! It's the American myth writ large, surely.

Hard to fail, but then I thought that about Aliens v. Predators.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

06:31 / 10.01.07

Chuck Dixon's interview at Newsarama is worth it for a few moments of comedy gold...

The best way to describe [Midnighter's] personality is that he embodies left wing rage...There are scenes in his own book and in Authority where he’s seen murdering right wing caricatures. He also seems very frustrated with social injustice. But rather than hold a sign in front of an embassy or organize a boycott, Midnighter tears someone a new one. There’s a lot of liberal wish-fulfillment wrapped up in the character.

as you’ve identified yourself as clearly not coming from the left, do you think you can present Midnighter’s views in a “fair and balanced” manner?

I absolutely can. I’m neither gay nor a liberal.

OK, I'm taking that last bit out-of-context, but that's because I'm evil.

08:19 / 10.01.07

I'm not directly familiar with Chuck Dixon's work (I've just heard the things that people say about him, really,) but would it be fair to say that he gives a good account of himself in that interview, in terms of expressing where he's coming from artistically?

If so, he seems like the kind of writer who's not afraid to deal with some of the feelings of confusion, alienation and general cultural bewilderment that I suppose we all have to face up to in today's fast-moving world, if we've had eight or so beers before it's 'politically correct' to do so.

Anyway, it looks as if he'll be taking The Midnighter to the next level in this series, and that the character (or 'the property' - let's not be sentimental here, guys!) may never be quite the same again. Garth Ennis has arguably done some sterling work with regard to portraying, realistically, how military men would feel about somebody like The Midnighter - one can only hope that Chuck Dixon will take the ball and run with it.

08:51 / 10.01.07

From that interview:

So Clark and Lois can be seen kissing and being affectionate and there’s no need to explain it. The sexual aspect of their relationship doesn’t have to be explored. But if Wonder Woman and Supergirl are seen kissing then that does call for an explanation. The sexual aspect of a relationship like that will call forth questions from the kiddies.

One might suggest that the more non-het relationships are explored in various types of media then the greater the chance that such things will eventually considered nothing to get aggravated about. I don't really see why an explanation to a child about a same-sex couple sharing a kiss requires any more sexual explanation than why a het couple is kissing.

Essential Dazzler

12:56 / 15.03.07

Chuck Dixon's Grifter/Midnighter Came out yesterday, and boy, it's something special.

Highlights include Apollo being sprayed with huge jets of thick white liquid, and then being devoured by a giant toothed sphincter. Yep.

Midnighter's "Left Wing rage" manifests itself as being angry at everyone, calling people "bitch", mentioning emotion, and whinging about being weak.

Grifter is a manly man who mind controls suicide bombers into blowing each other up. He isn't proud of himself, but he does what he has to for his country.

Aha! I am Klarion

13:53 / 15.03.07

Did anyone read the last issue? it had a great parody of boy commando's in it

14:36 / 15.03.07

I only read the first issue of MIDNIGHTER. I only read the one because I thought it was just bad. All of it: homophobia, another fucking Hitler story, Ennis-as-a-writer-paying-the-bills as opposed to Ennis-as-a-writer-with-a-vision, etc. etc.

Do bad comics really warrant such discussion? Are bad comics really worth investing so much attention and energy? (and, yes, I realize that there have been posters who like MIDNIGHTER, and "bad" is subjective, but, come on, is it worth trying to convince people that it was bad?)

(For me, the best part of this thread has been the discussion of which writer had the best run on HELLBLAZER. Let's have more of that, eh? Ennis has my vote, by the way)

11:08 / 22.05.07

Do bad comics really warrant such discussion? Are bad comics really worth investing so much attention and energy? (and, yes, I realize that there have been posters who like MIDNIGHTER, and "bad" is subjective, but, come on, is it worth trying to convince people that it was bad?)

My only real issue with it is the fact that every bad guy has to make some kind of reference to Midnighter's sexuality (Ennis must have been brought the Bumper Book of Euphemisms for Homosexuality for Xmas). Aside from that I think the stories have been okay so far (although I missed the final issue of the first story).

I quite liked the "outside-of-continuity" Apollo and The Midnighter go Kurosawa (although, again, marred by constant need for the bad guys to show disgust for homosexuality). Thought it was relatively romantic considering who was writing it.

Maybe my standards have dropped because all the other writers of note can't get their shit together to put out monthly comics (it's only this and Stormwatch that, apparently, made it out of the Worldstorm event).

Dan Fish - @Fish1k

20:24 / 22.05.07

issue 7 (guest written by BKVaughan) was interesting, using a Memento-like format to suggest the way on which Midnighters powers work. Worth looking out for, if you're interested in storytelling stuff.

09:46 / 05.11.07

So is anyone still sticking with Midnighter?

I'm enjoying the comic much more since Ennis left. Both Gage and Giffen have written entertaining storys about Midnighter which don't require gay "jokes" every five seconds. I'm especially liking the on-going storyline with Midnighter returning to his home town of Harmony and dealing with the weird private security force that shoots people for letting the flag touch the ground.

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