The Prescriptions for 10/19/16
Pick of the Week:
Black Panther No. 7 made me wish that the Crew had its own book. The characters worked well with each other in this team dynamic and the banter felt natural and followed. I loved the fact that T’Challa whupped but with his hand literally tied behind his back.
Black Widow No. 7 made confused about who to root for with the full reveal of the Weeping Lion and his cousin’s origins via tragic flashbacks. I am not sure if it is cognitive dissonance or denial that allows Natasha to sleep at night with her actions or past. I thought Logan had done some messed up stuff before and after walking with the angels. Nat may be his rival in that regard.
Captain America – Sam Wilson No. 14 makes me hope that this heel turn is a permanent one. Rogers seems to be fully utilizing his tactical expertise as a Hydra agent and is unleashing villainous plots that would make the likes of Wilson Fisk and Herr Skull applaud.
Infamous Iron Man No. 1 delighted me to see Von Doom to go into something new. I hope his tenure as an Iron Man is a lasting one. There is no need for him IMO to return for him to return to his old ways because Reed is out of the picture.
The Mighty Thor No. 12 delighted me with the creative team’s addition to the overall mythos of Thor & Mjolnir. I love how a different artist is used to illustrate scenes that took place in ancient time.
Worth the read:
A-Force No. 10 infuriated me because the series has ended and the final issue is a tie-event for Marvel’s attempt to rehash Minority Report. This series had promise and the creative team gave us genuine feel and appreciation of the cast. I especially loved when Ben Caldwell filled in as the artist. But it’s over… Why can’t we have good things?!
All-New X-Men No. 14 was a bland filler issue in my opinion.
Amazing Spider-Man No. 20 reminded me of the Venture Bros with the banter between Miles and Otto. Miles filled in for Rusty Venture and Otto played the part of Billy the Quizboy with a dash of JJ Venture.
Batman No. 9 was Bruce more or less forming his own Suicide Squad from his rogue gallery. I enjoyed the bizarre camaraderie between Bats and Bronze Tiger because it reminded me of Grayson’s interaction with Raptor/Midnighter.
Carnage No. 13 made Kletus more than one note villain. It fleshed him out into a more developed character, he experiences fear and harbors bitterness and tangible discomfort over feeling genuine human emotions.
Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye No. 1 has to be the trippiest title so far from Young Animal. It reminded me of a blend of Tom Strong, Disney’s Atlantis and a bit of the Secret Saturdays (which isn’t a bad thing).
Civil War II – Kingpin No. 4 is a perfect illustration of Fisk’s brilliance and determination. Wilson will not have anything or anyone lord over him.
Cyborg No. 3 annoyed me in the sense that Vic is trapped in this cycle of being fully cybernetic then looking more human experiencing some balance of the two then becoming fully cybernetic then more human. I enjoyed the development with Vic and his new ability to blend in.
Dark Knight III – The Master Race No. 2 seems like a rehash of Miller’s old ideas replacing an oppressive government with an invading alien army.
Deadpool – Back in Black No. 2 surprised me that Power Pack and Wade actually worked well together conceptually. Guess if they can team up with Logan, they can pair up with Wade.
Death of X No. 2 irks me on one level to see what level both sides will go to accomplish their agenda. Ororo and Crystal were just working together, then Crystal take that extreme measure.
Doctor Strange No. 13 reminded me of Bram Stoker’s Dracula with Stephen filling in for Keanu and those succubi filling in for the Brides. It’s nice to see the master of bad dreams again. I like seeing the crafty side of Strange, the one that has to think on his feet because he doesn’t have great power to rely on.
Green Arrow No. 9 intrigued me with the green technology subplot, the science geek in me loved the tidbits!
Green Lanterns No. 9 found Laminski to be an interesting character. His desperation to be great led to his greatest fear and disqualified him. Volthoom is an interesting character.
Horizon No. 4 is excellent in the sense how the creative team is taking their time to introduce each character and fleshing out their importance to the mission and their nakama. The scifi nerd in me found the robotic bug bombs interesting.
I Hate Fairyland No. 10 had a time travel story that didn’t make my head hurt with convoluted timelines (I am looking at you, X-Men & Heroes)! We also learn how Larry deals with the madness that he is trapped in.
Justice League No. 7 made me wonder if this is a trope – a fear/psychic entity feeds on heroes’ emotions and divides the team.
Mockingbird No. 8 was an interesting issue with mermaid corgis, feminist ghost pirates, and a spirit horse whisperer.
Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat No. 11 seems like it would work well on the CW or on MTV.
Powers No. 7 reminds me of the Kung Fu films that I watched religiously on Saturday as a kid.
Raven No. 2 reminds me of a mix of the Teen Titans cartoon mixed with Legend of Korra.
Rumble No. 15 was surprisingly touched by the moment between Asura and his beloved hydra, Lerna. Lerna’s reaction to her regrown heads and her faithful devotion in watching over Asura’s body were sweet. Even though, Rathraq is trapped in a scarecrow, the last panel radiated some powerful feels.
Silk No. 13 delighted me in the way they closed one plot point and connected to an ongoing plot.
Spider-Gwen No. 13 made me wish that the Scarlet Spider and Rocket Racer were actual characters in the book and not Halloween costumes.
Spider-Woman No. 12 made me dig Roger even more. I enjoyed his overall evolution and growth on this title. It’s interesting that he faced off against Flint since he was where Roger is now.
Superman No. 9 gave us a real tender moment between Clark and Jon, illustrates what kind of man Pre-52 Clark has become since we last saw him.
The Astonishing Ant-Man No. 13 gave an exceptionally neat ending especially where Scott Lang is concerned. It’s good to see him legitimately get something good but part of me wonders what the next writers will do to pour Scott.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl No. 13 more or less cements Brain Drain as my favorite new character of 2016. He’s like an amalgam of the brain in the jar trope and Superman pastiche. The overall story has a mellow Venture Bros vibe.
Trinity No. 2 made me wonder why Mongul never allied with Poison Ivy to mass-produce the Black Mercy. It seems like the perfect weapon.
Uncanny Inhuman No. 14 reveals the culprit for one of the most boring aspect of Marvel’s Minority Report Mega Event.
X-Men ’92 No. 8 gave me some geek moments with the “newer” X-characters like Bastian, Marrow & Maggott interacting with characters seen in the melodramatic animated series.
Nah, Just Nah:
Nothing was that horrid this week.
This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found at their website www.popculturenetwork.com
