REVIEW: ‘Midnight: X-Men’ Issue 1

Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Jonathan Hickman, art by Matteo Della Fonte, colors by Arthur Hesli and letters by Cory Petit.

In Midnight: X-Men Issue 1, a young girl called Hope is caught in a war between regular mutants and mutant vampires. Of the three Midnight Universe comics released, Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 might be the tamest. That’s not to say it isn’t scary or dripping with horror; it’s just not as gory as the others. Many of the X-Men have been transformed into vampires, and there’s a war between various covens and factions. This means the series has become both a supernatural horror and a biblical one on top of that.

We are placed in the middle of that war. It makes trying to figure out what’s happening somewhat bewildering, but that’s part of the discovery. There’s a lot of action within this book between people who are normally allies. The history that Hickman creates makes the story feel full and developed by the end. A war has already ended, but the peace is precarious. It’s very telling that Hickman sacrifices some of the horror for huge world-building instead, because it’s what the writer is best at.

Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 makes the heroes the scary part. The largest cast of any of the Midnight books makes it impossible to know who the good guys are for so much of this book. A vampiric plague had spread across the mutant population, turning them into hungry predators. It is a spin on the concept of hunting mutants, as they have now become the vicious hunters. Learning new relationships is fascinating.

Those that have turned are deliciously evil, revelling in talking about violence and feeding. There are also faction and groups, which young Hope gets caught in the middle.

Nightcrawler hasn’t been turned; instead, he’s a priest. He gets caught up in a conversation with a man called Cardinal Stryker, as the Purifiers have become more like biblical fighters than mutant hunters. The word sparring among multiple figures inside Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 is sensational, from the blessed to the damned, and the lines between them blur.

The art displays a wide variety of vampires. Some aren’t based on mutants, and they are genuinely disturbing. Their skin is ghoulish, and their faces are ravenous. But they’re also wired up, adding techno-horror elements to the comic. Their feeding is the most gruesome moment within Midnight: X-Men Issue 1, as they strip the flesh from their victims.

The vampiric mutants are different. They’re cooler, with an ominous appearance. They are immediately recognizable in the uniforms; they just have fangs. And although they look like they should be friends, they have no qualms about delivering brutal injuries to each other.

The colors are crucial to Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 because the darkness is paramount to their survival. Much of the issue takes place in extreme darkness, even using solid black at times. And the shadows need to be watched, because anything can be hiding within them. When things get bright or intense, it usually follows with a vampire burning. The lettering uses the standard font commonly associated with Hickman comics.

Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 reinvents the mutant world into something monstrous. Of the trio of Midnight stories, this one may be the most cohesive. Hickman immerses the reader in the end of a world, one where so much damage has already been done. This history provides depth and strength. It’s not explosive in its shock value; instead, it ensures the characters and the world are engrossing first. Horror wears many hats, and this series is one that encapsulates who Hickman is as a writer.

Midnight: X-Men Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.