The House of Ideas is pulling out all the stops when it comes to their new “Midnight” imprint, including debuting the three new books on Wednesday, October 7.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
In what appears to be a response to DC’s “Absolute” Universe, Marvel has changed course regarding the release of their three initial “Midnight” comics—Midnight X-Men #1 from Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte, Midnight Fantastic Four #1 by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker, and Midnight Spider-Man #1 from Phillip Kennedy Johnson and ScieTronc on Wednesday, October 7. In fact, those three books will be the ONLY ones released by Marvel that day!
In a news release from the House of Ideas, here’s how it is being described:
“The light had its turn. Dark. Unpredictable. Unmissable. The ‘Midnight Universe’ draws in longtime fans and newcomers alike to enter a terrifying new world where anything can happen. Interconnected by rich lore, Marvel’s most acclaimed modern creators are given free rein to reimagine heroes with shocking twists and chilling transformations in boundary-less storytelling that will keep readers on edge issue after issue. The X-Men no longer fight for acceptance, they hunger for blood. The Fantastic Four venture into the unknown not to save the world—but to unleash terror upon it. And Spider-Man discovers that with great power… comes something monstrous. Midnight Spider-Man.”
Initially, these books were going to be released separately on different days along with regular Marvel titles. But Dan Buckley, the Midnight Universe Executive Editor, said, “The more we talked about ‘Midnight,’ the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another new universe—it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term promise.”
After seeing the scripts from other Midnight creators, Hickman said, “I haven’t been this excited about a book in a very long time. There are certain kinds of projects that I, and I think most fans, prefer for me to be working on: Ambitious stories with intricate plots and long-form payoffs, which is exactly what Midnight X-Men is.”
Johnson recently signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, and he added, “The Midnight meetings with Jonathan and Ben continue to energize me, every time. I want my readers and fans to know I’ve never written a longer series outline than the one for Midnight Spider-Man. By the time the first issue comes out, I’ll have written two 50-plus-issue series for Marvel and DC, but I want and expect Midnight Spider-Man to be the longest, most epic series of my career… the series on which I bring everything I’ve learned to bear.” That’s saying something, given his work on Marvel’s Hulk and DC’s Superman.
“The world these creators are building is truly special and the passion behind the stories they’re envisioning was palpable,” Buckley said. “We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right from the start. When the clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that we hope echoes throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.”
The main covers of the “Midnight” titles will be presented in what is called a Cloaked Cover trade dress, only revealing the full artwork when turning to the first page. With the exception of the debut issues, the full artwork will remain hidden, only revealing themselves to readers who pick them up on stands.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THESE ISSUES?
While some of the details of these new books remain shrouded in shadows, we do have some descriptions of the initial issues:
Midnight X-Men #1: “The shadows of New York City are stalked by vampires and the mutant empyres. The sword of Damocles hangs over the peace between these two species and the factions within them. An outright war is brewing, and the unturned will be caught in the crossfire.”
Midnight Fantastic Four #1: “An obsessive scientist delves into the secrets of the universe perhaps best left unknown to humankind, leaving himself and three others warped in strange and horrifying ways. What horrible secrets lie in the new dimensions they have discovered? And can humanity survive the discovery?”
Midnight Spider-Man #1: “A young man is transformed into a hideous spider hybrid by the ruthless Oscorp Corporation in their pursuit for eternal life. When Oscorp begins to use the secrets unlocked by his mutation to create more human-animal hybrids, he must embrace his grotesque new form to fight back.”
I find it interesting that Marvel usually lists them in the above order. Honestly, with Spider-Man being the most popular hero at the House of Ideas, and Kennedy’s style of being able to balance the humanity with the heroic aspects of the character, that’s the one I have the highest expectations for.
That’s not saying that the others won’t be appealing. It’ll be something to see the situations literally coming from a different perspective, a more horrific one.
IS THIS MARVEL’S ANSWER TO THE ‘ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE?’
A lot of comics fans have been surprised by what they have perceived as a lack of Marvel response to DC’s very popular and continuing to grow “Absolute Universe.”
In my mind, the “Midnight” imprint bears some striking resemblance to the DC alternate reality. For instance, the three books all have a much darker, weirder view of what a lot of fans have felt was a brighter, more heroic Marvel Universe. That sounds very much like the “Absolute” version DC has been using, growing out of Darkseid’s take on the DCU heroes.
Scott Snyder has done what I consider to be a masterful job of aligning talented creators with the various books in “Absolute.” It seems like Marvel is following a similar formula with “Midnight,” with three of the biggest names in horror and darker sagas writing the new books.
As a longtime comics fan, I can’t help but wonder when the “Midnight” characters will come up against the MCU versions in some big crossover event. DC has done some of that in their “DC K.O.” books. Also, the inevitable comparisons will be made between “Midnight” and “Absolute” universes, and that will lead to a LOT of great discussions among fans, hopefully leading to even bigger sales numbers and excitement, which the comics industry still could use more of.
Percy had some interesting comments about his writing the FF: “Let’s be honest: Any other circumstances, Marvel wouldn’t let me write the Fantastic Four because I’m too mean and evil for the first family. But this is the dark continuity of the ‘Midnight Universe’—a fresh origin story for the characters that channels cosmic, Lovecraftian terror—which makes it a perfect match for me. Mad science and cults and hidden realities await. The pacing is patient and full of dread and mystery and rich with a mythology that will feel both familiar and uncanny.”
Obviously, Marvel thinks they have a huge success on their hands or they wouldn’t be releasing them as the only offerings on the first Wednesday of October, known as the month for horror among many.
Will they be worthy competitors for DC’s “Absolute” books? The House of Ideas certainly seems to think so! Ultimately, the fans will decide, so I’m anxious for these titles to come out so we can all read the stories many of us are excited to delve into!
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