Prescriptions for 2/15/17
Picks of the Week:
God Country No. 2 reminds me of books like Valhalla Mad & Jersey gods because they share the Kirby as a Genre lineage. Like the books mentioned they deal with cosmic and very human issues. Dug the fact that Valofax is sentient and chooses its partner and is more or less every legendary magical sword.
Dr. Strange No. 17 had me at Man-Thing fighting Vampire Nazi Ninjas. I love how being depowered led to Strange becoming more resourceful and adaptable. I am also glad that the movies didn’t lead to the restoration of his full power.
Nightwing No. 15 continues to be the best Bat Book. It truly illustrates the strength of Dick’s bonds and relationship with the Titans and the Bat Family.
The Mighty Thor No. 16 reminds me of the god butcher run in the sense it dealt with callous gods who were not concerned with the plight & suffering of their worshipers. It also made me wonder how powerful the Shi’ar gods are since they could damage Gladiator so brutally and keep his son at bay with threat of their reaction.
Savage No. 3 & 4 delighted me with the fact that he wasn’t just another feral child. He had some Conan the Barbarian level tactical genius and used the terrain to his advantage. Also glad that they didn’t drag on the revenge subplot.
Spider-Man No. 13 had a very metal cover moment with Apocalypse riding a giant mutant spider with an army of spider mutants behind him. Gwen and Miles have such an organic and natural chemistry.
Super Sons No. 1 reminded me of those shonen friendship/rivalry such as Krillian-Goku, Natsu-Gray, Sasuke-Naruto etc. I am curious how they arrived at robotic dopplegangers.
The Wild Storm No. 1 is a delight for an old fan of the Wildstorm Imprint. I am not to familiar with Craven outside of him being the dude who had his fingers in everything & setting many of the books into the motion, But I love that almost Ultimate Iron Man redesign of the Engineer (bulky & probable vs sleek & improbable). I also dug Zealot as more or less Black Widow & wearing real clothes.
Ultimate II No. 4 No. 16 makes me wonder what it will take for the One-Above-All to act? Chaos & Order murdered the Tribunal, purged the Celestial Host, and established themselves as the new authority. I wished his stint as Life Bringer lasted longer & a new cosmic devourer was created in his place. It’s interesting to see the New Universe folk serving as foils for the Ultimates as well.
Worthy Mentions:
Aquaman No. 17 provided a unique villain for Aquaman, can’t recall any previous battles with telepaths. I hope this will eventually expand his overall telepathy and not limit it to aquatic life.
Batman No. 17 serves as a reminder that Bane is Bruce’s foil & opposite number.
Batwoman Rebirth No. 1 reveals that Kane’s origins remain largely unchanged but I wonder if this means she is truly her father’s daughter
Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye No. 5 felt like someone sprinkled Lovecraft into Disney’s Atlantis.
Green Arrow No. 17 gave us an unexpected twist and I hope that they explain it full detail ASAP!
Green Lanterns No. 17 delighted me with the outcome and we finally have a Lantern that Bats respects.
Invincible Iron Man No. 4 illustrates Pepper’s strengths and her probable role as RiRi’s mentor.
Mother Panic No. 3 illustrates that someone can’t operate in Gotham without running into the Bat Family
The Odyssey of the Amazon No. 2 made me realize that Amazon-Valkyrie-Viking tales are missing from my life.
Poe Dameron No. 11 makes me wish that Terex will appear in a movie or an animated series because he’s a compelling villain.
Silk No. 17 & The Clone Conspiracy No. 5 gave us an ending to a fairly tolerable event book. I wonder what the future holds for Doctor Octopus. I also wonder why the Jackal never contacted geneticists like the High Evolutionary or Mr. Sinister or even Dark Beast to overcome his cloning limitations.
U.S. Avengers No. 3 showed a creative application of Cannonball’s powers and use of the SHIELD. I also wonder if the creative team forgot about Sam’s wife & kid or did the whole reality reboot undo that whole thing.
Uncanny Inhumans No. 19 reminded me that Maximus is a delightfully mad villain who doesn’t veer off into Joker/Carnage country. He’s a brilliant tactician whose instability doesn’t negate his value.
The Burn Pile:
Won’t taint your beings by mentioning these offensive messes!!
This review was written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found on their website: www.popculturenetwork.com
