Middlewest vol 1 by Skottie Young

Illustrated by Jorge Corona

​Abel and his father live in a trailer in a town called Farmington in Middlewest. Abel decides to circumvent dad‘s controlling instructions and hangs out with his friends for a day. He is caught shoplifting, and the father completely loses his temper. This introduces an inexplicable monster to Abel’s life. He runs away from home to find someone who can help him with a strange mark that appears after the monster attack, and a kindly old man in a strange dilapidated home tells him to find his sister who works for a traveling carnival. The sister reveals that the magic eating away at the boy could result in another monster being born. She lacks the specific knowledge for how to help him but pledges to research for the solution while he works off his debts at the carnival

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This story sort of plops you in the middle of an established family dynamic in a town that seems similar to one in America, and it doesn’t explain too much. But, the intrigue immediately pulls you in, and it’s easy to go with the flow and forget your questions. In the end, I’m not quite sure if this is a post apocalyptic world, or a parallel universe so hopefully we get a little more world-building in the next volume. Corona has illustrated beautifully detailed scenes with some lovely full-page illustrations.  The colors are absolutely beautiful, as exemplified by the stunning cover.

​Abel’s dad is very abusive towards him, so this story might be difficult for some readers. Image rates this as mature, which is most likely for the abusive father, but there is also some mild language.

​Sara’s Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Magic, Action Adventure, Family