Midnight Vista #1 / $3.99 / 32 pages / Full Color / ON SALE 9.04.2019
Writer: Eliot Rahal
Artist: Clara Meath
Colorist: Mark Englert
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Cover: Juan Doe
1:10 Incentive Cover: Rahzzah
Oliver Flores and his stepfather, Nomar Perez, were turning right onto Midnight Vista Road when they were both abducted by aliens.
To Oliver’s mother, they were both just missing. To the police, they were declared legally dead. And to everyone else growing up in Albuquerque, Oliver Flores was the “Milk Carton Kid”. His life was the cautionary tale of an eight-year-old who was kidnapped and killed by his stepdad while out for some ice cream.
But now — years later — a fully grown adult Oliver walks back into town. He has been returned…and he remembers everything.
Based on a very personal, true story from writer Eliot Rahal (HOT LUNCH SPECIAL), with out-of-this-world art from Clara Meath, MIDNIGHT VISTA will make you believe in little grey men.
ELIOT RAHAL ON WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT AND WHY HE IS EXCITED FOR IT TO COME OUT:
“At its core, Midnight Vista is about loneliness, love, and the lost. It’s a simple story about the extraordinary. Late one evening, on a school night, the eight-year-old Oliver Flores and his stepfather, Nomar Perez, are abducted by aliens. They disappear completely. Nobody has a clue as to what happened to them. Everyone assumes Oliver was kidnapped by Nomar. And Oliver essentially becomes the milk carton kid of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now, almost nineteen years later… Oliver is back — he’s a fully grown man — And although not everything makes sense, or is clear in his head, Oliver remembers what happened to him: He was abducted by aliens and his step-dad is still with them. The problem is… no one believes him. And basically, after a series of events, it’s decided Oliver can’t take care of himself and his custody is handed over to the state. And so in order to prove his sanity, Oliver must escape police authority and find a way to reconnect with stepfather — actions which only prove the public’s narrative that he’s not in healthy mental state.
I’m excited for people to read this because my entire goal was to take pure science-fiction and make it feel real. That and, of course, because of Clara’s work. The level of detail and artistry that she is bringing to this project matches my emotional intensity. It’s obvious that she’s put everything into this. Plus, not to mention Mark Englert’s gorgeous color work. And the nuance of Taylor Esposito on letters. This book has a great team. And working with Aftershock is always a sincere pleasure. Both Mike Marts and Christina Harrington, and everyone else behind the scenes has helped elevate this material to something special.”
ELIOT RAHAL ON HOW HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HELPED TO INSPIRE THE BOOK:
“Yes. It’s a weird thing to type on the page… but when I was a child I believe I had a close encounter and, as a result, have a couple of hours of missing time. It’s a much longer and complicated story than that — one that I’ve been telling for a really long time. And Midnight Vista is the latest incarnation of it. That event — whatever it was — was the most important thing that ever happened up until meeting my wife and getting married. It has shaped a lot of my personality. It’s a vital part of my experience. And the craziest part all of it is… I barely remember any of it.”
CLARA MEATH ON 3 REASONS WHY COMIC FANS SHOULD ADD THIS TITLE TO THEIR PULL LIST:
“It’s a multi-genre fusion: Midnight Vista combines the accounts and famous elements of alien abductions scenarios with aspects of crime drama in a real-world context.
It challenges the happily-ever after: Being returned to earth after over decade in the hands of other-wordly beings is not the end, but the beginning, as the questions and ramifications pile up for everyone involved.
It’s got all your favorite weirdness: Fans of true crime, the paranormal, and unexplained phenomenon will find a lot of familiar details in both small references and primary plot elements.”
CLARA MEATH ON HOW HER EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN SO FAR WORKING WITH ELIOT AND THE REST OF CREATIVE TEAM:
“Everything has been stellar (pun intended)! Mike and Christina are great editors, very encouraging and communicative. Eliot is awesome, hands down; he goes out of his way to be engaging, validating and supportive. Full time creative work can sometimes be isolating and exhausting, and Eliot gets that my wellbeing is directly tied to the wellbeing of the project, and keeps an eye out for both. His writing is clever, poignant, and very funny at unexpected moments; he gives just the right amount of information to leave me free to be creative and really lean into visual storytelling.”
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