Dark Horse’s new Superhero line continues with the first issue of Captain Midnight, featuring a healthy dose of time travel, Nazis, and patriotic super-heroism. Considering that the premise is similar to Captain America, are there enough fresh ideas here to make it worthwhile?

Here’s the official description from Dark Horse:

Piloting a World War II dive-bomber, Captain Midnight—fighter pilot extraordinaire and expert inventor—hurtles out of a freak storm in the Bermuda Triangle and into the twenty-first century, where he’s in for more than one surprise as he enters the modern era! Collects the three stories from Dark Horse Presents #18–#20.

Captain Midnight disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle during World War II. Trapped in time, he reawakens in 2013, ready to take care of unfinished business. Luckily, this series is more than just Dark Horse’s version of Captain America. Captain Midnight 0 collects three stories from Dark Horse Presents and acts as both a thrilling mystery and a perfect introduction to this new pulp hero, even though he’s probably only featured in half the pages. As a prologue this issue perfectly sets up the larger story arc. In addition to Captain Midnight, we’re introduced to Nazi bad guys and the last living member of the Secret Squadron, an elderly woman who gives us a first-hand account of what happened on the night of Captain Midnight’s disappearance.

This is a great first issue, which kept me thoroughly entertained. Even though the story is broken into three parts, the pacing is smooth, thanks to the skillful scripting of Joshua Williamson, and the story never gets bogged down in exposition, which often happens in origin stories.

Victor Ibanez’s art is great. His realistic style perfectly complements Williamsons’ powerful script. The first time I read this issue, I didn’t even realize that there was a second artist, Pere Perez, who draws the last story arc. The transition between artists is seamless.

Captain Midnight #0 serves as both an exciting mystery and a unique origin story, which leaves a lot of questions unanswered.   Looks like Dark Horse has a hit on their hands. I can’t wait to read the next issue.

4/5