Reviewer: Mathan “I Almost Got the Midnite Facial Hair” Erhardt
Story Title: Chapter I
Written by: Mat Johnson
Penciled by: Tony Akins
Inked by: Dan Green
Lettered by: Phil Balsman
Colored by: Brian Miller
Cover by: Ronald Wimberly
Editor: Jonathan Vankin
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics
Our story begins with two students from Howard University who are excavating a slave burial site in New York City. Meanwhile Papa Midnite is getting a ride to his club in his limo. His driver asks him for a favor. Before Papa agrees he warns the driver who he is getting in league with.
Back at the dig, the students find a coffin with a strange symbol on it. It turns out that the symbol is African and has a link to the past, literally. Then we find Midnite in a meeting with some people who control the vices of Staten Island. Midnite suggests that they give him 50 percent of the money produced. Since they already have 100 percent, they aren’t too receptive to his offer. As he tries to convince him of the wisdom of the offer, he sees the effect of magic and takes leave.
When he gets outside he sees the spirit of Fortune a long dead compatriot. Fortune then transports them both to New York in the 1800’s, where we find a young Midnite who plays the role of a pimp for his sister. He offers her services to a white man, who gladly takes the offer only to be overwhelmed by the evil acts he’s committed against Blacks. He’s so overwhelmed that he runs away in terror.
As that happens a slave auction is being held and one of those being auctioned off witnesses the power Midnite welds. Cuffee, the slave, is then sold and briefed on slave life by a fellow slave.
Back in the present the two criminals who run Staten Island are following Midnite, waiting to strike. In the past, again, we see Cuffee is plotting a slave rebellion, and turns to Midnite and his sister Luna to help, with providing guns. Midnite also sells Cuffee magic to protect him and his fellow rebels from bullets, only the magic is more sleight of hand than true magic.
Cuffee returns to his family and proclaims that his son Fortune will be a free man. Later after the rebellion starts Luna regrets fooling Cuffee with the faux magic. Midnite tries to convince her that it will never return to haunt them, just as Luna looks out the window to see enraged Black faces.
Johnson does a fine job brining Midnite back from the dead. This was obviously an editorial decision, yet he takes the chance to give Midnite a deeper, more involved origin. The inclusion of an HBCU was a nice touch, as were the ties the slavery. It’s a solid introductory issue.
Akins and Green provide some powerful visuals. The atrocious acts committed by white “john” are very brutal and difficult to look at. Fortune’s spirit has a very cool look about him and I’m really diggin’ Midnite’s facial hair.
