MIDNIGHT WESTERN THEATRE #3 – Review

In MIDNIGHT WESTERN THEATRE #3, available from Scout Comics on August 11th, 2021, a wise man tells a campfire tale of his youth to his grandchildren about his search for destiny and the monsters he encountered on his path.

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The Details

• Written By: Louis Southard
• Art By: David Hahn
• Colors By: Ryan Cody
• Letters By: Buddy Beaudoin
• Cover Art By: Kalman Andrasofszky
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: August 11, 2021

Was It Good?

It was different.

This third issue in the series takes a little bit of a departure by telling a tale from a third party’s point of view. Instead of getting a story continuing the adventures of the mysterious Ortensia and her reluctant vampire partner, Alexander, we get a story about a young man’s search for destiny and meaning where he encounters the odd couple along the way.

In other words, Alex and Ortensia serve a purpose in the story, but only briefly.

Thankfully, the content of the grandfather’s journey continues to hold up the weird Western/Gothic tone of the previous issues and perpetuates Ortensia and Alex’s legend. Their appearance is brief and memorable.

The pacing of the story is excellent, and the dialog (mostly between the grandfather and his grandchildren) feels natural.

The one minor down point is the soft ending. The grandfather’s tale ends with a standard lesson about living life and appreciating what you have, but it comes across as a little safe, and to be blunt, Ortensia and Alex’s brief appearance really didn’t add to the grandfather learning his lesson.

The art is decent enough to tell the story. The high point or standout creative choice is the use of an indigenous border design around the pages and a newsprint texture filter where the grandfather’s tale is played out. It’s a subtle and unique way to project age and some cultural flair in what’s effectively an extended flashback.

In all, you could argue this is a filler issue for the series, but this is one of the best examples of a filler done right because it keeps the tone and the spirit of the title intact.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

If you’re unfamiliar with the names ‘Ortensia’ and ‘Alex’ from this series, head on over to our MIDNIGHT WESTERN THEATRE #2 review for a little refresher.

An old man and his three grandchildren sit around a campfire at night to spin a tale of his youth. He remembers a time when his lust for adventure drove him to leave his family and find whatever destiny awaits.

Eventually, his travels take him through the desert where he encounters a strange tent, occupied by a man wearing strange clothes. The strange man offers food, drink, and rest, and he tells the young man the destiny he seeks will be found when he seeks out and confronts a Skinwalker terrorizing the Northern lands.

The young man heeds the stranger’s advice and sweets out in the advised direction to hunt down the skinwalker. As the desert turns to the forest after many days of travel, the young man finds what he seeks. However, the skinwalker is not so easily confronted by a simple human.

We conclude the issue with a confrontation, a command by Ortensia, and a lesson learned.

Final Thoughts

MIDNIGHT WESTERN THEATRE #3 takes readers on a different path to explore a young man’s quest for destiny with Ortensia and Alex only showing up at the end to teach a valuable lesson. Despite feeling like a filler issue, the writing and art are both strong and maintain the tone of the series.

Score: 9/10