Midnighter and Apollo

On review aggregator site Comic Book Round Up, the first issue got an average score of 8.7/10, based on twelve critic reviews.[9] Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the first issue at score of 7.9 out of 10, saying: "Steve Orlando's already enjoyable Midnighter comic is made even better now that Apollo is a central player. In many ways this book serves as a direct sequel to Midnighter, building on loose threads and escalating the conflict in a logical, organic way. Orlando shows a real flair for showcasing the weird, wacky side of the DCU while simultaneously keeping the focus on Midnighter's personal struggles and relationship with Apollo. The latter character doesn't see quite as deep a focus here, but hopefully that will change before the end of the series."[10] C.K. Stewart of Newsarama gave the comic a score of 9 out of 10, stating "Midnighter and Apollo #1 is a strong debut issue for the miniseries, building on the world Orlando created in his groundbreaking Mindighter solo run but teasing a perhaps more supernaturally-imbued tale than we saw in Midnighter’s first battle against the military industrial complex run amok."[11] John Babos of Comic Nexu gave it a 7 out of 10, saying "This was a compelling debut issue with magic likely being able to harm to Apollo ala Superman. So that cliffhanger works. Solid, but at times a bit inaccessible, story and great art."[12]

For the second issue Schedeen gave it an 8.3 out of 10, saying: "The book [celebrates] their bond even if it devotes most of its attention to Midnighter. He's at his most tough and bad-ass in this issue, even as his connection to Apollo puts him in an unusually vulnerable state (physically and emotionally). Steve Orlando packs this issue with just the right blend of humor, heart, weirdness and ultra-violence."[13]

For issue three, Stewart gave in a high 10 out of 10 score, saying "Midnighter and Apollo #3 is the strongest issue yet, packing a powerful narrative into gorgeously illustrated pages. It’s a gory but heartfelt romance, and a smart superhero update on a classic myth that captures the spirit of the tale without being so literal it broadcasts the ending upfront. It’s riveting without being overwrought, and Orlando and Blanco leave enough light touches throughout to keep the book firmly planted in the camp of darkly humorous rather than just dark - the western turn the issue takes towards the end is a particularly nice touch."[14]

For issue five, Schedeen gave an 8.0 out of 10 score, saying "At this point readers just have to accept that this series, despite its name, doesn't offer much in the way of Midnighter and Apollo actually interacting. It's a little too direct a continuation of the previous Midnighter book in that regard. But writer Steve Orlando does highlight the strong love that unite the two heroes, even if Apollo himself shares but a fraction of his lover's page time. This issue also showcases Midnighter at his most bad-ass."[15] David Pepose of Newsarama gave it a score of 9 out of 10, saying "If there's one critique I might level against this series, it's that Midnighter's headstart against his boyfriend in the characterization department has only continued to increase since the first issue - for a title called Midnighter and Apollo, the latter character still doesn't feel as wonderfully defined as his dark, brooding and witty counterpart. But if having too much Midnighter is the worst complaint I can give, I think this book is still in the running for one of the best superhero titles of the week."[16]

The series has also been nominated for Outstanding Comic Book in 28th GLAAD Media Awards.[17]