“Yesterday’s” Comic> Prototype #7

Discount Iron Man versus a discount kabuki dancer?

Prototype #7

Malibu Comics/Ultraverse (February, 1994)

“Arena Of Doom”

WRITERS: Tom Mason & Len Strazewski

ARTISTS: Roger Robinson & Jeff Whiting

COLORING: Conroy/Pulve & Violent Hues

LETTERER: Tim Eldred

EDITOR: Rowland Mann

Even after Arena finally realizes this isn’t Bob, he still wants to fight the new Prototype. The pair fight all over New York before coming back to Ultratech. Finally sick of hearing about Bob all the time, Jimmy really gets serious. Meanwhile, someone found Arena’s energy sword, a little girl is killed in an unrelated drive-by, James is cured of Veil’s poison, while Veil is revealed to us as being Jimmy’s handler (and she isn’t happy about it), Jimmy’s ex hasn’t given up on him, and the city official meet their new hero, Manhattan Project, 1994.

And if it wasn’t for all that nonsense the focus might have remained where it was supposed to! Okay, let’s do this properly, but I needed to vent.

What they got right: I like Arena’s design. He looks like a fighter and a good match for Prototype. Thanks for keeping up with Bob and Jake, and with Jimmy’s ex.

What they got wrong: This could have been a really cool all-fight issue, but all this extra stuff pads things out and distracts us from the important story. Revealing Veil is secretly Jimmy’s watcher and probably the girl he’s knocking boots with in a previous issue is unnecessary here. The drive-by shooting is really unnecessary here just so they can kill a child. It better be important later but this was not the story to put it into. I also don’t care about this new hero, and as far as Rudi Giuliani being treated as a do-nothing mayor so they can take a shot at Republicans, that doesn’t really match with his record even before 9/11. Like him or hate him or what he did, he actually did things in his administration.

Look, I don’t want to get political around here, even if that’s getting harder to do all the time, but if they’re going to drop this stuff, I’m going to call it out. If you’re going to be bias, at least try to be accurate.

What I think overall: I am not against character development or worldbuilding, but this issue really should have been Prototype and Arena with maybe the check-in with Bob and James and with Angella, who so far hasn’t done much to even be memorable outside of carrying Jimmy’s kid and being yelled at by her angry mom for trying to talk to Jimmy. Only because I want to care about her, but this should have just been a big fight issue.