Prophet 31 (November 2012)

This issue has to be the most traditional Prophet yet. Maybe Graham was just taking his time establishing everything. By traditional, I don’t mean “normal” in terms of Prophet issues. I mean “normal” as compared to other comics.

Prophet–Old Man Prophet–and his crew end up on a planet for some trading and for Prophet to attend a meeting. Graham writes Prophet as a solitary guy, but the other crew members talk and hang out. There’s comic relief with Jaxson the drone too. The plant guy and the lizard girl bond. It’s all very well done, with Graham’s return to the characters unexpected (but welcome).

He’s also got some interesting things going on with Diehard the robot.

Prophet is still picking up steam, its best issues ahead.

Olivier Pichard and Cécile Brun’s backup concerns a space traveller stranded on an unfamiliar planet. The art’s lovely, but the story’s slight.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy; artist, Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Waveless; writer and colorist, Olivier Pichard; artist, Cécile Brun. Editor, Eric Stephenson; publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 28 (August 2012)

Graham and company keep up the crazy and camaraderie, but continue to tone down the grossness. Prophet and his living tree sidekick are now traveling the galaxy (or at least the solar system) to find pieces of their other friend. For most of the issue, the other friend is a hodgepodge of parts. It makes for a very interesting supporting cast member.

Towards the end, Humpty Dumpty does get put back together again; Milonogiannis has a good time illustrating it. The character, Diehard, seems like it should look slick (and lame) but Milonogiannis makes the organic android lumpy and awkward.

Most of the issue takes place on a moon. Shattered pieces of planets hang in the atmosphere. Milonogiannis takes no time to beautify, instead suggests enough with his lines the reader fills in the majesty.

The Zooniverse backup is a cool discussion between Graham and Fil Barlow about Barlow’s technique.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy; artist, Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Zooniverse; writers, Graham and Fil Barlow; artist and colorist, Barlow. Editor, Eric Stephenson; publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 27 (July 2012)

This issue of Prophet is positively touching. It’s something of a quest story, with Prophet–old man Prophet–searching a planet for his friends from long ago. Of course, Prophet gets to this planet on a giant space worm.

Milonogiannis’s art doesn’t really get great until the planet. It’s an amazing place, full of strange creatures and gigantic, intricate landscapes. The inhabitants are tied to these landscapes too, which makes it all the more visual. Graham isn’t being gross in the details anymore. It’s implied more than shown; instead he lets the art overwhelm the reader.

And it’s Graham who makes the touching stuff so good. He never goes too far with Prophet and his friend, using a single line to make the friendship so powerful.

It’s a wonderful issue.

Lin Visel’s backup mildly amuses, sort of David and Goliath with aliens. The art’s in a cartoony style and underdeveloped.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham, Simon Roy and Giannis Milonogiannis; artist, Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Backup; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Lin Visel. Editor, Eric Stephenson; publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 25 (May 2012)

Graham seems overjoyed to knock the reader’s expectations for Prophet around each issue. This one, with Giannis Milonogiannis on that art, changes things up once again.

It’s entirely possible Graham and company might have hit on their actual plot, but after two or three change-ups–I can’t even remember how many it’s been–I imagine most readers would be cautious.

Here’s the great thing though.

It doesn’t matter.

I don’t care if Graham changes it up every two or three issues, because each issue is this fantastic comic book. Milonogiannis’s artwork isn’t the best the series has seen, but it’s quite good. His rough on the people–a bunch of other John Prophets–but his alien world work is outstanding. And the ending is a big surprise.

Graham creates these intricate situations, only the decimate them for effect.

I love it.

Teran’s initiate back-up returns with decent success.

A-

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy; artist, Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. initiate, Part Two; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Frank Teran. Editor, Eric Stephenson; publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 23 (March 2012)

Graham does something interesting here–he gives John Prophet a nemesis, but doesn’t dwell on that relationship except a quick reference. Graham charts Prophet’s progress in the narration boxes, marking each day. Occasionally, it makes Prophet feel a lot fuller. Graham never quite encourages the reader to imagine what’s been going on between issues, but it’s always clear something did.

Probably something gross, even though Graham and Roy continue their lack of grossness this issue. The worst it gets here is a dismembered arm.

A dismembered arm isn’t much in the world of Prophet.

One strange thing about Graham’s approach to a future story is the lack of references to modern-day settings. Prophet has to climb an impossibly tall mountain and Graham avoids implying its anything extant in the reader’s modern Earth. It’s a nice, mature move.

initiate, from Frank Teran, backups the feature. Nice art but measly story.

B+

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artist, Roy; colorist, Richard Ballermann; letterer, Ed Brisson; editor, Eric Stephenson. initiate, Part One; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Frank Teran. Publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 22 (February 2012)

I guess Brandon Graham and Simon Roy got their gross out during their first Prophet issue because besides the protagonist shoveling shit, there’s nothing too out there in this one.

There’s a lot of detail to the story–and to Roy’s artwork–even though John Prophet himself barely says anything. Most of the issue is setup for the finish, when he makes a cultural mistake (which he never learns) and things get out of hand.

Graham’s script has a lot of humor to it; though Prophet’s the protagonist and in most of the scenes, Graham doesn’t give any insight into his thoughts. Well, except the confusing one. Graham mentions, in a postscript, he wants Prophet to be an adventure comic. He and Roy definitely succeed–Prophet‘s high adventure, just really uncomfortable gross high adventure.

A short reprint of Fil Barlow Zoons strip finishes the issue. It’s rather funny stuff.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artist, Roy; colorist, Richard Ballermann; letterer, Ed Brisson; editor, Eric Stephenson. Zoons; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Fil Barlow. Publisher, Image Comics.

Prophet 21 (January 2012)

Prophet is crazy even before the titular protagonist has sex (consensual sex) with the hideous alien. She also confirms Prophet is eating a human drumstick, adding genial cannibalism to the list of the issue’s crazy.

Like most people who aren’t completely insane, I never read Rob Liefeld’s original Prophet series and have no idea how this new one fits into continuity. Writer Brandon Graham seems to be starting from scratch. Prophet wakes up; he’d been in a time capsule, buried in the Earth. He’s got the save the planet, of course, from the alien invaders who seem to have reduced the humanoids to cattle. Hence his drumstick.

Graham’s script and Simon Roy’s art turn Prophet into a true indie book, not just in the disgusting details, but also in the visual storytelling. Roy simply creates some lush landscapes.

Prophet is icky and amazing. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

B+

CREDITS

Prophet; writer, Brandon Graham; artist, Simon Roy; colorist, Richard Ballermann; letterer, Ed Brisson; publisher, Image Comics.