Prime #3

Prime #3 August 1993

Writer: Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones

Artist: Norm Breyfogle

Letters: Tim Eldred

Color Designer: Keith Conroy

Editor: Chris Ulm

Cover Art: Norm Breyfogle

Variants: None Known

My summary/review (Just as a note of warning, there are all kinds of spoilers in this review):

Title: Dead Again…and Again

We pick up directly after last issue where Prime was captured by a creature that seems to share something in common with him.  He is trapped inside of the creature and thinks of the first time that he turned into Prime.  He had been ill (or so he and his mom thought), his father seems to know what is happening though.  He was put to bed and turned into Prime.  He awoke and broke free and got rid of the shell by cutting it up and flushing it down the toilet.  I bet no other hero has these kinds of problems…

Meanwhile, Kevin’s parents are at odds on how to handle his seeming disappearance.  His mother is frantic with worry, yet his father seems to know that there is more going on…and that Kevin is really on his own.

Prime awakens strapped into a chair by Doc Gross.  He is electrocuted when he spouts some classic ‘hero’ language. 

It seems Kevin is just one of numerous experiments that the good Doc has done over the years.  Under the guise of a fertility Doctor, he experimented on women in the attempt to create Ultra-powered soldiers for the military.

Prime breaks free and attacks Doc Gross. Duey, who it turns out has similar origins, bulks up and fights Prime.  He rips part of Primes cape off, which leads Prime to realize that his clothing is part of his body and not an outfit.

Duey is thrown into some equipment and the resulting damage electrocutes Doc Gross.

Prime flies off confused and guilt ridden, and sees a tank falling toward some people.  He intercepts the tank and is confronted by Prototype, who is there filming a commercial.

Doc Gross is alive, and in really bad shape.  Duey is going to take him to the hospital, but the Doc wants to be taken to the Vat.

Well, not a bad issue.  We learn more of Prime’s back story, and see the plot continue to move along.  Norms art is great as always…if you’re a fan of his style.  His action is easy to follow and makes sense.  The story itself is again growing on itself and keeps the child in a man’s body theme going really well.  You can believe that there is a 13 year old in Prime’s body.

Also, with this issue, as well as we’ll see with several others, there are character crossovers happening soon.  There was always a shared universe feel to these books, and kudos to the creators involved (writers/artists/editors/et all) for keeping things