Prodigy Is 2019’s Answer To Blaxploitation
by Tito W. James
In Prodigy by Mark Millar, Edison Crane is the world’s most brilliant man on a mission with a rogue CIA officer to stop an invasion from a parallel earth. Will this thriller appeal to Fans of Kingsman: Secret Service or is this mission better kept a secret?
THE BAD
Much like with Millar’s work on Chrononauts, Prodigy is an enjoyable story but feels more like a pitch for a film. Seeing as there’s a Prodigy film in development as part of Millar’s Netflix deal, this is to be expected.
THE GOOD
Prodigy has everything I wanted to see from a contemporary spy story; super villains, femme fatales, and a charismatic African American protagonist. Edison Crane is the contemporary equivalent to Blaxploitation heroes like Shaft or Black Dynamite. He can outsmart any opponent when he’s not kicking their butt with gun-fu.
THE VERDICT
Prodigy is an unapologetic power-fantasy. Therefore the story won’t appeal to everyone. But, if your down with it, Prodigy is a terrifically fun ride. I’m looking forward to the film adaptation.
