Review - Midnight Island Vol. 1: The Automaton Awakens
From Papercutz
A mysterious new adventure from Papercutz with Midnight Island Vol. 1: The Automaton Awakens out now.
Mysteries unfold in this adventurous series set on an enigmatic island full of secrets and wonders - it’s Lost for a younger generation.
Four children wake up on a deserted island. After taking refuge in an abandoned boarding school, they find an automaton who, every night at midnight, gives them a mission. If they fail or refuse to take up the challenge, the consequences could be terrible. From mission to mission, the children explore their surroundings, encounter other participants, and try to discover the reasons behind their presence on this island…
Author: Lylian
Illustrator: Nicolas Grebil
I never got into Lost, although I heard a lot about it and saw many, many memes. This seems like a much more entertaining version of that, filled with some interesting ideas, a good threat of danger (from many sides) and an overreaching mystery.
The first part of this initial volume does a good job in not only introducing the main characters but also the island itself. As far as the characters are concerned, we get a good mix of personality types and possible histories. The lack of memory for the kids makes it a more fluid idea, as they learn more about themselves and each other. There are different types of strengths and weaknesses too.
The island is generic in what you would expect, and the story does an excellent job in making it vague as to where it is. There is the flora and fauna that makes it habitable, along with dangers of wild animals and poisonous plants. The geography is mixed and again makes a good setup for various adventures across the island.
After a good buildup, the second half of the volume makes some great gains. We discover the automation of the island and what it does. It’s very mysterious, and it does an excellent job in setting short-term action along with the long-term storytelling to keep you hooked. There are other characters, too, about whom we are still to learn what they are up to and how they even got onto the island.
Crossing Lord Of The Flies with Lost and adding a bit of the Famous Five/Secret Seven, this makes a thrilling read, with some excellent hooks to get you into the characters and the deeper aspects of the story. There is some well-crafted art here, showing the cartoony style, along with the darker aspects involving the godlike automation. The colouring is perfect for the style, showing the tropical aspects along with dark scenes.
Midnight Island Vol. 1: The Automaton Awakens makes an excellent start, providing some mystery, thrilling adventures and some intriguing characters to learn about. Making this a well-done beginning to a mystery you want to learn more about.
