Jorge Corona pulls out all the stops visually in this issue. The action and fury of Abel's final struggle with his father is beautifully done from panel to panel and the resolution of the story is filled with heart and emotion. Read Full Review

Ending the story without completely shutting the door on a fascinating world of small-town American magic and mystery. Young and company could do so much more in the world of Middlewest that witnesses the simple power of the climactic clash of this final issue. The world of small-town magic has played out here in an amplification of the cycle of familial domestic violence. It's a powerful magical amplification, but there are so many other small-town midwestern American themes that could be explored in a world like this. It's too bad Young and company have chosen to end the story after only 18 issues. Read Full Review

"Middlewest" #18 is a fantastically executed finale to the rollercoaster ride that Abel's journey has been. Read Full Review

MIDDLEWEST #18 was the conclusion readers have been waiting for since this unprecedented series began. Read Full Review

It is not an ending to be missed, and Middlewest opens the door to a new start for Abel, his father, and all the readers who have journeyed alongside him. Read Full Review

A powerful end to an emotional tale about familial abuse, trauma, forgiveness, and personal growth/healing. I liked this as a conclusion, although I think I would've liked it more if Abel had fully reunited with his father at the end (although I understand why he wasn't ready for that). It seems that while Abel found it in himself to forgive his father, he wasn't yet ready to go back to living under the same roof with him. Again, I understand that, but I also feel for Abel's dad since he too was the victim of abuse at the hands of his own father. It sucks that he has to be alone for a time now while Abel goes off with his new "family". I think I would've liked to have seen Abel's mother come back into the picture somehow at the end, maybe showing remorse for having left Abel and his dad. That could've been a way to give Dale a more hopeful ending while adding to the theme of trauma and forgiveness. We got an explanation as to why Dale ended up the way he did, but it would've been cool to delve into the Mom's trauma and how that led her to leave her family, and then we could've had a resolution that saw Dale find it in himself to forgive her just as Abel found it in himself to forgive him. Oh well. Something of a missed opportunity perhaps, but this was still a decent little story with some great art that tackled some important themes. Glad I read it. more

*** Reviews the Entire Series ***

Man, I will be sad to see this series go. This is easily the best fantasy series I have read in the past year. This is definitely Skottie Young's best work I have read from him. The basic story is a boy named Abel running away from his father with a talking fox, while dealing with a internal problem where when he loses control of himself, he turns into a tornado monster. Sounds wacky, but man does it feels so real. This book for all the shenanigans it pulls talks to the heart of what it means for a kid to run away from his father. That is the very core of this book, how a broken relationship morphs our young Abel to go out and be his own person. Man, I love this book.

The art by Jorge Corona, OMG. His art just by looking at the cover is so textured, wild, cartoony yet surreal all at the same time. Its like living in a dream. And its matched by some of thee best coloring I have seen in a comic book. Beaulieu coloring in this book just makes the entire comic book so mesmerizing to look at. Sometimes, I can't even process whats going on, its just so damn pretty. Their two pages spreads and a jaw-dropping experience. And the lettering by Piekos. Man, I never talk about lettering. But this book wouldn't be where it is without Piekos. Especially in the big emotional climatic moments, the words itself pulls a rainbow of emotions out of me.

And the man of the day, Skottie Young. Known for young adult/kid centric projects, Middlewest is a hybrid of Young's flare with a modern more adult twist added to the mix. And man, it works so well. Fantasy is one of those genres I bore, but that does not get in the way of me reading this series. Corona modernizes the genre by putting Abel's journey front and center and cutting off as much exposition as possible. There are things that are not explained, but they don't have to for the story to work, and Young recognizes that. And it makes reading Middlewest an intense, emotional, climatic journey read in 2 and a half minutes. His dialogue, it is driven with passion and emotional stakes of who Abel is and where he is going, and it resonates throughout this entire journey he has embarked.

And the side characters. Oh yeah. From the fox, to the girl, to his gang me meets in " prison ", to the old lady and her brother, this cast just adds to the adventure Abel is on and really brings him to an understanding of who he could be and rounds out this excellent book. And the dad, oh the father. Young makes you hate him for how he treats Abel, but also subtly provides you why he is so abusive towards Abel, that you actually feel for the guy.

Some problems I had was the ending was a little rushed given a sudden conclusion to a grand and climatic journey to that point, and I did feel it was melo-dramatic for a few moments throughout this series. I also would have like to see more character work on Abel's dad, especially on his side of the story where we can see him slowly redeeming himself. But overall, this was fun, heart-felt, emotional and crazy roller coaster with many personal moments riddled throughout this book. This team has done a damn fine job bringing me back into the world of fantasy.

9/10 more