It’s rough being the victim of the paranormal tower is beyond one’s control that causes mass destruction. But imagine how much worse it would be for the sentient red Fox who has taken up upon himself to follow such an individual around. Skottie Young gives the witty Fox his close-up in Middlewest #11. Jorge Corona’s gift for delivering subtle nuances of drama to the page are put to good use in an issue that pits boy against Fox. The two enter a run-down metropolitan city that might prove to be the most dangerous place the two companions have been thus far.

While Abel went into the snowy supernatural winter to discover something about his past. The Fox who had been following him stayed behind. Much to his relief, the boy returns from the cold totally unharmed. To his dismay, Abel isn’t talking about anything. The Fox’s concern grows until an ill-advised journey into a dangerous city prompts an argument. The two companions part ways, which proves to be hazardous for Abel as he almost immediately runs into danger in the form of human traffickers. Lost without Fox, Abel finds himself in a seedy community of lost children.

The Fox is one of the more appealing characters in the series thus far. Before this issue, he’s primarily been relegated to the edge of the panels. Little more than a street-smart wit who Abel talks to, to advance the plot and provide a window into Abel’s thoughts. Here the Fox finally gets the focus of the bulk of an issue. With Abel falling silent after the end of the last chapter, Young is free to shine a spotlight on the conflicted feelings that Fox has. In coming to terms with why it is that he’s been following Abel around this whole time. Young is very reserved with the dialogue and narration in this issue, allowing Corona to handle the delicate work of strained relations between boy and Fox in silence. 

Corona brings the panels down to Fox’s level with a strikingly apt characterization that amplifies a host of complex emotions in the face of the Fox. Unique angles and clever use of silence in rather defy pacing make this one of the more sophisticated issues in the series thus far. A talented artist is allowed a great deal of room o render drama and he does so brilliantly. When action sets-in around the drama, Corona sprigs the trap on the physical tension with a sly sense of motion and emotion.

Bringing the action into a decaying city has given the series new life that it didn’t seem to be lacking. The adventure bursts into new territory with a refreshing look at the most charming character in the whole series. Things are taken in a bold new direction with future issues as a lost Abel attempts to calm himself in the essence of a perilous world. For fear of letting the danger of the destruction within him out to mingle with that danger.

Grade: A