DC Comics; $19.95
Since the debut of the Stargirl TV series, a larger audience has discovered (or rediscovered) the character of Doctor Mid-Nite. With no offense intended to the intriguing new incarnation of the venerable name, fans who don’t check out the late 1990s version are missing a fantastic, atmospheric ride.
In September 1999, DC Comics finally released a long-gestating three-issue mini-series by writer Matt Wagner and artist John K. Snyder III. Best known previously for their collaboration on Wagner’s Grendel and most recently for their creation of Lady Zorro (in Zorro Rides Again) at Dynamite, this miniseries saw them seizing the opportunity to reinvent a Golden Age character for the modern era.
Doctor Mid-Nite #1 introduced readers to a brand new Doctor Mid-Nite, Dr. Pieter Cross. A crusading physician and foe to the city’s drug trade, Cross eventually ran afoul of the trio behind the influx on a secret new drug called A39. Robbed of his sight and pumped full of a mystery drug intended to kill him, Cross instead ended up with the ability to see in darkness.
As an artist, John K. Snyder III had been one of my favorites since the 1980s. I knew his name from Tim Truman’s wonderful, underrated graphic novel Time Beavers, so when he launched Fashion In Action as a back-up in Truman’s Scout at Eclipse Comics, I recognized the name and checked out his work. With FIA (which unless someone can point me elsewhere, was the first all female action-adventure team in comics), he made the most of his few pages each issue and did some very innovative work.
By the time Doctor Mid-Nite #1 rolled around in 1999, he had established himself on monthly comics, trading cards and posters. But none of that prepared readers for this exquisitely painted miniseries. If you’re not familiar with it, seek out the trade paperback.
The cover for #1 set the tone for the whole series. In the murky darkness, representative of the title character’s reality, there are still a ton of details. Doctor Mid-Nite is resolute among the shadows. The cover grabs the readers, stakes out territory for this new version of the character, and demands attention.
The rest of the mini-series in this collection lives up to that start.
– J.C. Vaughn
