Advance Review: ‘Midlife (Or How To Hero At Fifty)’ #2 Is On Fire!

Of all the superpowers in comics – from flying to invulnerability – being fireproof is not the most coveted. Still, when you become a superhero at 50, you can’t be too choosy. Besides, when you’re a firefighter and there’s a massive blaze outside of Los Angeles, being nonflammable isn’t the worst idea in the world.

That is Reuben Kwan’s predicament at the second issue of Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty) kicks off. The man who has spent his life afraid of fire – his firefighter dad died in a blaze – leapt into the flames to save a dog. In the process, he realized the fire had no power over him. Now he wants to become the superhero that he and his friends from the 1990s always used to talk about.

At 53, writer Brian Buccellato understands the journey to middle age. The chance to start over again is incredibly tempting, and this story doubtlessly lets him live out that fantasy. Buccellato wisely uses flashbacks of Reuben and the younger version of his friends to poke fun of present-day predicaments – in particular the number of superhero movies. But more than just an ironic prank, these looks in the past help to inform readers about the characters and their motivations. He’s done it effectively in each of the first two issues and should continue until they are fully fleshed out.

Perhaps what is most striking about artist Stefano Simeone’s work is the color palette he chooses. Nearly every panel contains a red, yellow, or orange tone – the color of flames. The fire dominates Reuben’s life – and Simeone’s artwork brings that theme to the printed page.

Reuben has now found his great power; the great responsibility of bringing this gift to life and making it interesting for readers is now up to the creative team.

Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty) #2 will be available for purchase on Wednesday.