Broken Frontier

The most dangerous man in the world broods, kills some people, and faces off against an enemy even he might not be able to beat.

I know very little about Midnighter. I’m sorry, I never rode that train. But with all the hype and Garth Ennis, I just had to take a taste. The character of Midnighter isn’t exactly likable. He’s a jerk with too much power. What he does, he does because apparently, that is what he does. A very existential existence, I know. Despite all these downfalls, he is fun to read. In his inaugural issue he gets bored with life on the satellite base of the Authority and ventures out to Afghanistan to kill some Mujahs about to destroy a small town full of women and children. After his successful mission he tries to return home only to be diverted by a mysterious and powerful man who wants Midnighter to work for him. There are a few people he would like to see killed . . . .

Among other things, Garth Ennis is known for his gratuitous violence. With Midnighter, he is still delivering. In his first interaction Midnighter breaks some necks, cracks some skulls, and blows up some tanks—all in a day’s work. Then, however, the plot thickens. This is where Ennis gets the bulk of his fans. Anyone can think of horribly violent scenes and throw some tight-wearing hero-type into the fray. Ennis places a fair amount of story on top of it though. Midnighter, a powerful, arrogant man, finds himself trapped in a situation unlike any he has ever been in. He is actually and legitimately at the mercy of another human being. This is a unique situation for Midnighter and leaves room for much speculation as to what will come next—just the right formula for a first issue.

Adding to that formula is the art of Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Sprouse, whose lines are fine, simple, and sharp, gives readers a sense of completion. They are the pencils of a storyteller. The paneling is appropriate for the fast paced adventure, jumping from splash pages to no more than six paneled scenes of grotesquely rendered fighting and explosions (wherein everything is shown in all its gory glory) to eerie conversations between Midnighter and his captor. Story’s inks are also a nice fit with Sprouse as well; they are not too flashy or dramatic, but let the action do the work.

Midnighter’s story may not be up everyone’s alley. But Ennis does have a unique fan base who can appreciate the gory as well as the story of a comic and Sprouse delivers almost classically. Together they create quite an interesting beginning to the series, and with the final shocking page, this reader’s curiosity was indeed piqued.