Review – Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artwork: Stefano Simeone
Lettering: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Release Date: 11th October 2023

On sale this week from Image Comics, the brilliantly-titled Midlife (Or How to Hero at Fifty!) introduces us to Ruben Kwan, a fifty-year-old firefighter who, due a lifelong fear of fire, has found himself trapped behind a desk pushing papers for his entire career. Constantly struggling step out of the shadow of his heroic father who tragically died on the job during an act of heroism, Ruben is nearing the end of his tether, contemplating early retirement as the combination of abusive work colleagues, his alcoholic ex-wife and his resentful teenage son have finally ground him all the way down.

I absolutely love the slow burn approach that Buccellato adopts here, spending the vast majority of this first issue establishing Ruben, his family, and the relationship with his father – or rather, his father’s legacy. He’s an immediately engaging character despite none of his traits being particularly flashy. He helps people, loves his wife, is frustrated with getting old with nothing to really show for it, and hated George Clooney’s Batman with a passion. What’s not to like?

Simeone’s stylised artwork does fantastic job of delivering this remarkably grounded first issue, packing copious amounts of emotion into every character he brings to the page. From Ruben’s dead-eyed stare as he awakens on the morning of his 50th birthday to his slightly glazed-over, checked out expression as he deals with everyone else’s bullshit throughout the course of the day, everything here feels perfectly pitched to hammer home the foundation of the story.

This isn’t an issue with much in the way of physical action, although Simeone’s colours do a great job with the brief flashes of fire which it feels like we’re going to be getting a lot more of at this series unfolds. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou also does a typically standout job with the lettering, using it as a way to deliver emotion and nuance just as much as the dialogue itself, the way all truly great letterers do.

The final pages take this beautifully realised character study into a truly unexpected direction (unless you happen to have read the solicitation blurb beforehand), and promise to put Ruben in some extremely challenging (but possibly uplifting?) situations moving forwards.

This is a character-driven, slow-burning masterpiece, no pun intended. Buccellato, Simeone and Otsmane-Elhaou deliver a story of everyday heroism that promises to become truly extraordinary before all’s said and done. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]