Advance Review: Muddling Through ‘Midlife (Or How To Hero At Fifty!)’ #3
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
Here’s a refreshing story: A middle-aged man from a normal family discovers he has superpowers and wants to use them to help out the world. The only existential pain he’s feeling is in his knees! While illustrations work well with the story, the colors are a little too close to each other, which can cause some confusion when trying to decipher some panels.
Overall
8/10There are midlife crises, and then there’s what 50-year-old Ruben Kwan is facing.
The middle-aged husband and father in Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) is just trying to navigate life as best he can when he discovers that he is invulnerable to fire. Following his firefighting dad’s death, Ruben followed in his footsteps to join the force. But he’s scared to death of flames. Or he was anyway, until he discovered his power. Now he’s trying to be a hero.
But as the series subtitle infers, middle aged heroing is not for the faint of heart. Ruben is banged up and needs ice and knee braces after his adventures. And then there are the mysterious Maroon Suits, two agents who seem to know more about Ruben’s power than he does and who are looking to bring him in.
Writer Brian Buccellato – a 50-something himself – crafts the story, which no doubt hit a bit close to home. Buccellato portrays Ruben, his family, and childhood friends as normal people, which is pretty rare for comic books. There’s no billionaire with a superpowered suit or a dark vigilante meting out justice in the night. Just a regular guy who is trying to do some good in the world with the gifts he’s given. Things will undoubtedly become more complicated as the series progresses but for now, it’s nice to see a good people and a healthy family dynamic.
Artist Stefano Simeone’s manga-influenced style works well with the story. The characters’ angular features stand out in every panel. His color work, though, could use some variety. Several of the pages are dominated by shades of purples and maroons, making it a bit difficult to distinguish one item from another.
Growing older is not for the faint of heart. It’s not an easy task for many superheroes either. It’s nice to see at least one try.
Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) #3 will be available for purchase on December 6, 2023.
