Advance Review: Pondering What’s Next In ‘Midlife (Or How To Hero At Fifty!)’ #1

For many of us, turning 50 is a momentous – and pretty scary – occasion.

It unofficially marks the beginning of middle age. Aches and pains take longer to go away, if they ever do. Some men have issues with their plumbing (so I’m told). And hair begins sprouting from places it really has no business sprouting from.

For those of us who have been there – in particular those forgotten souls known as Generation X – Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) tells a tale that hits very close to home.

Ruben Kwan lives a pretty unremarkable life. He turns 50 at the beginning of the story (before a hilarious prologue set in 1997 in which the young Ruben and his friends pronounce that heroism is dead following the debut of the atrocious Batman & Robin film) and is taking stock of his life. He’s a captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department, but he’s petrified of flames. His firefighter dad was killed while on the job, so despite his rank, Ruben is little more than a paper pusher.

The ex-wife is a drunk, and his kids from that first marriage are a handful. Just as he is planning his retirement from the force, Ruben’ learns his new wife is pregnant. It’s a lot for a quinquagenarian. But by the end of this premiere issue, life gets turned upside down again when he discovers he has super powers.

If you’re looking for action and adventure, though, look elsewhere. There’s very little of it to be found in this first issue as Ruben doesn’t discover his powers until the end. (Not a spoiler. Publisher Image Comics has mentioned Ruben’s power in its promotional materials.) But if you are interested in a slice of life story – a tale of an everyman who is just trying to deal with the garbage that life throws at him – then there is a lot to like in Midlife.

Writer Brian Buccellato has been there. As someone who is on the other side of 50, Buccellato gives a great perspective on what Ruben is going through. He instills with Ruben an inherent optimism that prevents the story from getting too heavy and dour. You’ll find yourself rooting for the fireman because you genuinely like the guy. It’s quite an accomplishment for just a single issue.

Artist Stefano Simeone’s illustrations, like the story itself, are slice of life. There’s nothing remarkable about his visuals because we’re dealing with real life. The only out-of-the ordinary scenes are a dream sequence in which Ruben remembers his dad’s fiery death and another fire in modern times when he discovers his power.

One nit is Simeone’s use of colors. Nearly every page has muted tones. It fits the style and the story, but a little variety would be welcome.

Creating a comic book squarely aimed at the over-50 crowd seems like a risk. Based on this first issue, it was one worth taking.

Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 will be available for purchase on October 11, 2023.