How many years has it been since the first issue of this series came out?  I remember reading the first issue, but after that it gets a bit fuzzy.  Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Midnight Nation is a story of a man on a cross country search.  This is a philosophical religious debate in comic form.

Midnight Nation is a thought-provoking story with religious overtones about a police officer in limbo who goes on a cross-country search for his soul but encounters some mighty obstacles along the way. When it first came out in 2000, J. Michael Straczynski’s (Superman, Wonder Woman) provocative storytelling and the fantastic art of Gary Frank (Superman: Secret Origin, Supreme Power) captivated readers with its mix of action, horror and drama built around a message of hope, loyalty and sacrifice.

As the description says, there’s a fantastic mix of genres including horror, drama, action with a religious mix.  It’s a great read and one that gets you to think.  This is a cross country journey who’s goal is to make you think, along with telling the story.  If you don’t come out of reading it thinking about religion, or discarded individuals, I’m not sure you really read it.

This is a trade paperback that’s worth the purchase, especially if you’ve never read it before.

Plot: It’s clear this is a personal story from Straczynski.  It’s not a typical action comic, there’s a deep inner reflection and debate about religion, and a person’s purpose in life.  What’s great is, throughout reading it, you begin to ask yourself your own thoughts on it’s weighty topics.  That’s a sign of a good story.  Rating: 8.75

Art: The art by Gary Frank is fantastic.  There’s just some beautiful visuals and Frank shifts the feel when he needs to.  It’s hard to visually mix drama and horror, as there’s so many “quiet” moments along with moments of fear and dread.  Frank pulls it all of really well.  Rating: 8.75

Overall: Midnight Nation is a great read and a definite buy.  A great story, some fantastic visuals, and it gets you to think.  All these things are impressive, and make for an easy decision when it comes to purchasing.  Overall rating: 8.75

Recommendation: Buy

Page count: 304 pages    Price: $24.99     Release: Out now

Top Cow provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.