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Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Release on: December 18, 2013
Yep, Captain Midnight (a.k.a., inventor-extraordinaire Jim Albright) is back, thanks to a handy time vortex that puts him again at the center of all sorts of interests.
He has a new support team now, with capable fanboy Rick Marshall, Maj. Charlotte Ryan (the granddaughter of his old flame) and Agent Jones, who's demanding a great deal of answers. This is due to the Captain's revelation that he had worked closely with the now-villanious Black Sky group. Jones is also prying into that group, much to their chagrin and too much for their liking so, at this story's open, they hire enormous assassin Hollow to take care of him.
Midnight is meanwhile resurrecting his old plane, the Skyrocket, that came through the time vortex with him. As his team soon learns, Midnight's involvement with Black Sky long ago was actually for a benefit, to discover what powers could be harnessed from their then-recently discovered alien technology. Midnight reveals that's behind the majority of his revolutionary inventions - those that have been perverted to evil military use after his disappearance in 1944.
Charlotte also goes to visit her grandmother, Joyce, to try and find out more about Midnight. It's clear they had something but as Midnight has yet to even visit her, they're not sure what exactly is going on with them all. During this time, Midnight sets out with Jones, to prove to the agent he's being truthful and to get his help in bringing down Black Sky. However, as they ready themselves to sneak into those nefarious offices (at midnight, naturally) they encounter Hollow.
Hollow has clear orders not to damage Midnight but, rather, to silence Agent Jones. But Captain Midnight just won't let that happen and takes on Hollow in a clearly one-sided fight that sees Captain get his cape handed to him. As Jones is about to run Hollow over, Agent “Brain Boy†Price shows up and “convinces†him otherwise - so they head off together, presumably to Black Sky's HQ. Price notifies them of this but recommends sending backup since the enraged Hollow is going to take out his frustration at losing Jones on Midnight…
Taking an old, out-of-time character that had a lengthy series run previously can't be easy but writer Joshua Williamson manages to do so with aplomb. Captain Midnight is the same heroic, upbeat, undaunted personality he ever was but, now, he's clearly getting a bit more grounded in how the world works. Eduardo Francisco's artwork is nicely detailed, giving this character a level of detail and expression he never really had before. This series is definitely one to pick up for fans of the original series.
