14 – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Prime #20 (1995)

January 19, 2026January 17, 2026carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Ultraverse fans and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the Ultraverse to take a look at one of the many tales of Prime from the monthly series that first launched in 1993.

In recent times, I’ve been reading and reviewing Prime comic books I missed out before. For my most recent Prime retro reviews, click here, here and here. For the newcomers reading this, Prime is one of the most definitive heroes of the entire Ultraverse and his true identity is the teenager Kevin Green. Prime is also one of three major Ultraverse figures in the team UltraForce.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Prime #20, published by Malibu Comics in 1995 with a story written by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones, and illustrated by Greg Luzniak.

Early story

The story begins with a man and a woman on bed. They just made love with each other. As the woman goes to the bathroom to fix herself, the man tells her she will be perfect in a new project and they will be together all the time even though he is already married. He tells her that will be a real ultra-heroine and already a lot of things are being prepared for her such. She will also have a new partner and already they found a way to get him to Washington.

Feeling terrible, the woman lowers herself on the bathroom floor, pulls a piece of hardware very hard, and an explosion suddenly happens.

In New York City, Kevin and his mother attend an opera. Kevin still has trouble adjusting to life in New York and misses his friends and the community of Canoga Park. He still has feelings for Kelly but remains confused as he still struggles with managing his personal life being himself and being Prime…

Quality

*Kevin and Kelly talking to each other via a long distance call.*

I really enjoyed this issue of Prime mainly because the writing done by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones is really rich with depth. To make things clear, this is another Prime tale made to emphasize the title hero’s personality particularly with his personal life as Kevin Green who at this stage has turned into a really confused teenager. Not only is Kevin so far away from Kelly, he has not seen his father for a long time already, his mother has been working and is about to move to Washington for a new job, and public perception towards Prime has been tense.

As the cover already confirmed, the deadly villain Rafferty is indeed here although the traditional good-versus-evil conflict is not a major part of the story. Rafferty previously encountered Freex and The Strangers (click here, here and here) and it was only right to set him up for conflict with Prime.

When it comes to the art, I enjoyed Greg Luzniak’s style on Prime and the other characters. Luzniak is really good with the dynamic approach on visualizing superhero spectacle and acts. The way he shows facial expressions resulted in a wide range of looks and emotions.

Conclusion

*Kevin in New York with his mother. His father has been away for a long time at this point in the series.*

The character-driven approach done by the Strazewski-Jones duo made Prime #20 (1995) a very solid read. The story has a firm structure designed to open opportunities to emphasize Kevin Green’s development which in turn reflects his struggle with the changes of his life. This comic book also explores Kelly’s speculation that Prime and Kevin are one and the same, and the creators pulled off the right moves to add weight to that. By the time I reached the ending, I am convinced to go on to the next issue.

Overall, Prime #14 (1994) is highly recommended.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

A Look Back at Prime #14 (1994)

January 16, 2026January 13, 2026carlocarrasco

In recent times, I’ve been reading and reviewing Prime comic books I missed out before. For my most recent Prime retro reviews, click here and here. For the newcomers reading this, Prime is one of the most definitive heroes of the entire Ultraverse and his true identity is the teenager Kevin Green.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Prime #14, published by Malibu Comics in 1994 with a story written by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones, and illustrated by the Darick Robertson with ink work done by Barbara Kaalberg.

Early story

The story begins with Prime flying and deeply thinking about the group of powered social outcasts…Freex. Prime, who recently spent time with Freex and helped them fight monsters (click here and here). He wished to help them more but does not want to be like them. He wants to show the whole world that it cannot push him around only because of his youth.

Moments later, Prime arrives at Venice Beach in California to meet members and agents of the media…

Quality

*This should remind you to always behave yourself in front of any family member of your friend. Prime ends up being disrespectful to Kelly’s mother due to Kevin’s lack of maturity.*

As a long-time Ultraverse comic book reader, there is a lot to like in this tale of Prime. For one thing, it is a pure character-driven story with a strong emphasis on how Kevin Green’s personal views develop, why he keeps on struggling to understand society and why his way (in the form of Prime) of interacting with ordinary people remains awkward.

There is so much stuff here, it can be challenging to realize the main themes of the story written by Jones and Strazewski. To make things clear, at this point in the Ultraverse, worldly authorities are very aware of the Ultras who seem to want to help people with problems but they are compelled to use force to confront them as those super powered beings are capable of making their own rules, violate laws with impunity and cause trouble in societies.

Prime is already in the middle of a troubled American society and the government as well as secret societies have other Ultras to deal with. Being a teenager himself, Kevin Green is able to relate with members of Freex who have no families to return to and are always on the run being chased by the authorities and being hated by the world. Along the way, Prime is acting impulsively with the adults and members of the media since Kevin himself lacks maturity and has yet to fully understand society and its norms. Kevin also forgets how to behave properly as he fails to control his emotional impulse.

When it comes to the art, Darick Robertson did a really fine job visualizing Prime and in most pages of the comic book, he uses dynamism to make the reading experience look very lively. He also did a good job with the facial expressions.

Conclusion

*Prime recalls the time he spent with Freex.*

It is very clear that the writing in Prime #14 (1994) done by the Jones-Strazewski duo is rich and deeply layered. Being a self-declared fighter and supporter of young people in this issue puts Prime into deeper trouble as he does not realize yet the consequence of the moves he made. The creative team really excelled in dramatizing Kevin Green – in the physical form of Prime – being impulsive and immature to adults while acting as a helpful adult to teenagers he meets. This story also sheds light on broken families which will instantly remind readers about poverty, vices and long-lasting negativity in unchecked parts of American society. That being said, this Prime story is a great read and its social commentary remains very relevant. This is also a great development of Prime’s personality.

Overall, Prime #14 (1994) is highly recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at X-Men Adventures Season II #7 (1994)

April 12, 2024March 30, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore the adaptation of the second season of the X-Men animated series in the form of the X-Men Adventures comic book series.

Before getting to the new retro comic book review, I should state that decades ago, the use of future timelines was implemented on the X-Men comics. I’m talking about the possible future where Cable and Stryfe came from, another possible future where Phoenix/Rachel Summers came from, and the more established future of the classic Days of Future Past storyline. Time travel and possible future timelines are the themes in the next X-Men Adventures comic book I reviewed recently.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men Adventures Season II #7, published in 1994 by Marvel with a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Scott Rosema.

Early story

The story begins on Earth in the far future of 3999 AD. Cable, who is fighting for the rebels, battles the deadly forces of the powers that be. It turns out, he and his teammates have been struggling a lot and their team suffered several deaths already. Even though they are very tired and heavily outnumbered, Cable refuses to give up and bravely calls for a frontal assault against their enemies.

Suddenly, Apocalypse appears on the battlefield and commands his robotic troops to destroy Cable and his fellow rebels. To Apocalypse’s surprise, a temporal storm appears and Cable notices it appearing so close to them. One of his teammates got caught by the storm which pushes Cable away. After receiving computer updates, Cable decides to get away from the robotic troops.

Meanwhile in another time period and place, Bishop returns from his mission (his interactions with the X-Men of the 20^th century – click here and here) only to discover from Forge that nothing has changed and the plague still rages on…

Quality

*The X-Men have a new problem to deal with.*

Having read X-Men Adventures #13 and #14 of season 1, I found this particular tale (clearly a sequel to Bishop’s interaction with the X-Men after traveling through time) relatable and enjoyable. There is a strong science fiction vibe here and the time travel aspect added a lot to the build-up of tension.

Bishop here is almost the protagonist as the story showed an altered future in which Forge has no memory of the X-Men and only made a reference to a plague that has lasted for a long time. This compels Bishop to go back to the 20^th century again hoping to meet the X-Men and somehow prevent the plague from bringing down society.

The impact of the mysterious virus is tremendous as so many people got infected and authorities suspect mutants to be the carriers. At this stage, the social aspects inserted by the creators really started to grow stronger within the narrative and you will see the X-Men struggling with not only the increased scrutiny on mutants but also with the manipulative tactics of anti-mutant activists who can’t help but see golden opportunities to wipe out mutants in a more clever fashion.

The dialogue here is noticeably gripping to read and the dramatization worked accordingly. There is also a good amount of superhero spectacle to enjoy here even though the X-Men have no super villains to fight with.

Conclusion

X-Men Adventures Season II #7 (1994) looks like a repeat or even a remake of what happened in X-Men Adventures #13 (Season I) but its concept turned out to be not only unique with strong social commentary and sci-fi elements, but also became really engaging thanks to the fine execution by the creative team. On the aspect of social relevance, this comic book will remind you about the internment of Japanese Americans in America (1942-1946) and the COVID-19 restrictions and the quarantine on communities imposed by governments that disrupted people’s lives. As this comic book marks the first part of the Time Fugitives, I can say that I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

Overall, X-Men Adventures Season II #7 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15 (1994)

October 24, 2023October 21, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore another notable chapter of Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams during the creator’s time with Image Comics.

For any fan, witnessing a change of creative direction can either be alienating or engaging to follow. As clearly done in the WildC.A.T.S.-Huntsman storyline done by Chris Claremont and Lee, there was a serious change of direction of the team as it involved in-depth redevelopment of Zealot, the introduction of Claremont’s creation (Huntsman), the introduction of new characters and moving certain WildC.A.T.S. members into the background. Read my retro reviews by clicking here, here, here and here.

After the publication of Erik Larsen’s creative handling of WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams with issue #14, a new creative team came into the picture with several new stories and the further redevelopment of the titular team in mind.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by James Robinson and drawn by Travis Charest.

Early story

The story begins at Jacob Marlowe’s high-end place in Aspen, Colorado. In presence of Spartan, Grifter, Void, Zealot, Voodoo, Maul and Warblade, Marlowe tells them he has important matters to attend to as he, along with other heads of corporations, has been asked by the new government to run an energy commission. The said commission is part of the government’s plan to repair the damage that was done by the possessed US Vice President Dan Quayle.

Suddenly a heavily armed helicopter arrives out of nowhere and fires at them causing a lot of damage. During the attack, Voodoo gets hit and suffers a serious injury. Grifter fires a barrage of bullets at the helicopter which causes it to explode and crash. With Voodoo out of commission, the team just lost its advantage to spot Daemonites.

The next day at the headquarters of IO (International Operations), the team Black Razors hold a meeting as their member Ben Santini has been elevated as their new leader. He leads the briefing and informs the members of the assassination attempts on the members of the commission…

Quality

*Meet Ben Santini (left), the new leader of the Black Razors. At right are the members.*

When I first read this story way back in 1994, I was alienated a bit by the creative team’s approach to emphasize the Black Razors at the expense of the titular team. And yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the Robinson-Charest creative direction as the Black Razors turned out to be a sensible and strong parallel team to the WildC.A.T.S. without becoming another force of evil. While it is clear that the Daemonite threat is strong with several of the aliens hidden among members of human populations, there clearly had to be another force of opposition for the titular team to face-off with and the Black Razors (which serve IO) clearly fit in well with the concept.

Any dedicated fan of this franchise will realize that the Black Razors first appeared in the original 1992 mini-series but it was only in this issue when Ben Santini (who was shot on the knee by Jacob Marlowe) was realized as a character.

Ben Santini’s introduction here was engaging and his motivations to lead the team were made clear while other Black Razor members had their own small slices of the spotlight. Santini is not exactly evil but he has a clearly defined goal in serving his superiors at IO. This means he intends to make an impact as he struggles with the responsibilities of leading the team even as the other members are not so trusting towards him.

While the paramilitary influence within the WildC.A.T.S. series has often been present, it was noticeably revived strongly by the Robinson-Charest duo in this comic book. The story also served as a creative update of IO for readers to absorb complete with elements of espionage and geo-political developments. In some ways, this comic book made the series more grounded with reality while still maintaining some fantasy concepts to keep readers entertained.

Conclusion

*Grifter successfully defeated the armed helicopter but Voodoo remained seriously injured from the attack.*

I can say out loud that WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15 (1994) is still great to read and the debut of James Robinson and Travis Charest as handlers of the comic book series remains rock solid in terms of quality and creativity. While the titular team and fan-favorite characters had a very limited presence in this comic book, the introduction of Ben Santini and the stronger emphasis on the Black Razors as a group of trained members (as opposed to being faceless during their appearance in the mini-series) more than made up for it. In fact, the build-up of the Black Razors has a lot of variety and nice quality work by Robinson and Charest. Ultimately, I was entertained with this comic book and it proved effective to make me look forward to the next issue.

Overall, WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams #15 (1994) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Ravage 2099 #15 (1994)

April 29, 2021November 28, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, comic book collectors, 1990s culture enthusiasts and fans of Marvel Comics! To those who read my previous retro comic book reviews related to the 2099 universe of Marvel Comics, you know fully well that I found the first eight issues of the Ravage 2099 monthly series to be lackluster even though they all involved the writing of the late legend Stan Lee. After Lee stopped working, the Ravage 2099 series was taken over by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner for the writing duties and those two were in-charge of the Punisher 2099 series.

Eventually, a crossover storyline of the 2099 universe was published titled The Fall of the Hammer. It was told in five parts and each of the existing 2099 monthly series at the time – Spider-Man 2099, Ravage 2099, Doom 2099, Punisher 2099 and X-Men 2099 – had one issue forming it. The Fall of the Hammer kicked off with Spider-Man 2099 #16 which had solid writing by Peter David.

Part 2 was told in a Ravage 2099 issue. To find out the story and its quality, here is a look back at Ravage 2099 #15, published in 1993 (cover dated 1994) by Marvel Comics with a story written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, and drawn by Grant Miehm.

Early story

The story begins at the place of Paul-Phillip Ravage who is now in human form. In his presence are X-Men 2099 members Meanstreak, Krystalin and Bloodhawk. Suddenly Bloodhawk comes after Ravage and tries to make him give out information in relation to the disappearance of Jordan Boone, a friend of Meanstreak. Boone disappeared after compiling data related to Alchemax’s problem with Valhalla.

Ravage then transforms into his monstrous form which surprises Bloodhawk. After the winged X-Men member mentioned Valhalla, Ravage calms down and decides to talk with the team. Soon enough, they fly above the city streets in a vehicle heading towards Valhalla. As they approach the floating city, armed flying personnel move in to attack Ravage 2099 and the three X-Men.

Elsewhere in New York, Spider-Man 2099 finds himself at a disadvantage as Punisher 2099 has a gun pointed at him…

Quality

*2099’s Spider-Man and Punisher together.*

To put it clearly, this 2^nd part of The Fall of the Hammer storyline is where the 2099 heroes begin to actually cross over with each other and the first panel showing Ravage with the three X-Men members is symbolic of that. The plot here is actually simple…Ravage and the X-Men make it to Valhalla which is their common destination. The mutants want information about Jordan Boone while Ravage tries to meet Doom 2099 (whom he met in Ravage 2099 #14). Apart from those objectives, there is a lot of action scenes laced with dialogue designed to move the narrative forward little by little. If you are looking for character development of Ravage, you won’t find much here. What you will find, however, are some scenes of intrigue that show Ravage getting disturbed temporarily as a result of realizing the presence of a certain someone he got close with.

As for Valhalla, the city here is more of a technical playground than an actual threat to the people and societies it flew over. What weakens the story here is the absence of 2099’s Thor.

Conclusion

To a certain extent, Ravage 2099 #15 (1994) is a somewhat entertaining read mainly due to the mix up of 2099 characters together here. The story is pretty light but at the very least fans of Ravage 2099 will find their monstrous hero in a somewhat interesting misadventure here. The concept that started in Spider-Man 2099 #16 showing Valhalla as a floating danger is weaker here but at least this comic book sets the stage for the next chapter of the storyline decently.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Ravage 2099 #15 (1994), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $16 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $48.

Overall, Ravage 2099 #15 (1994) is satisfactory.

+++++

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