Prescriptions for 3/22/17
Pick of the Week:
Doom Patrol No. 5 continues to be a weird and captivating ride. It is a paradox and presented to the readers as palatable ordered chaos. A sentient street that became an ambulance and birthed other characters; Flex Mentallo being revived by a massage; Lotion’s transformation, etc. almost seems like too much to process but never comes off as overwhelming.
Birthright No. 23 continues to present us with a morally gray world where the lines between good and evil aren’t distinct/clear. We guess a deeper sense of Lore’s motivation and learn a bit more about his true form. It also gave a sense of hope to see love remain so resilient in the midst of such chaotic darkness.
The Flash No. 19 gave Wally a sense of closure and deepened/strained his relationship with Barry. Partially annoyed that an overused villain (thanks to the TV series) has made his return. But I ultimately trust the creative team to make him work.
Spider-Gwen No. 18 made me want the Morales-Stacey kids to meet Anna May Parker. I wonder what their powers are like being that their parents are Spider people.
The Unworthy Thor No. 5 gave an unexpected yet satisfying ending. I am torn about the identity of War Thor; I am ruling out Loki but he would also make the perfect choice since he still seems to yearn for redemption. Old Man Fury also seems like a likely candidate.
Ultimates 2 No. 5 made me wished that this happened a year or two ago so I could enjoy the completed project now. The reimagined Engineer and Void stand out to me both visually and characterization-wise. Void reminds me of Astrid from the Alternate Universe and the Engineer reminds me of a mix of Olivia and Bolivia. I am curious to see more of Bendix.
Worthy Mentions:
Extraordinary X-Men No. 20 brought back something that I loved about the old X-Books — the baseball games!
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows No. 5 made me realize I haven’t seen a child character this creepy since Damien Wayne.
Darth Maul No. 2 reminded me that Cade Bane and Maul existed around the same time. It was cool and odd to see them share screen time.
Teen Titans No. 6 reminded me of the Teen Titans cartoon (prior to Teen Titans Go) with Garfield being a vegan and Kid Flash being a foil for Robin.
Action Comics No. 976 resolved the mess with the 5th Dimensional Imp.
Loose Ends No. 3 feels like an awesome cable crime drama in the vein of Sopranos/Boardwalk Empire.
Transformers vs G.I. Joe: Movie Adaptation No. 1 made me wish that this was an actual movie (live action or animated). It is already superior to Michael Bay films and the recent G.I. Joe live action films.
Savage Dragon No. 222 pretty much cements Erik Larsen as the American Akira Toriyama with a dash of Go Nagi.
The Burn Pile:
Many books were extra meh but nothing worth burning or mentioning.
This review was written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found on their website: www.popculturenetwork.com
