Tag: Simon Roy

The Field 4 (September 2014)

The Field #4

Well, it’s definitely a predictable ending because Brisson sets it up for two possibilities. I had been hoping for a third result, but no luck. Instead, The Field concludes more visually than anything else. Brisson gives Roy something to do, but it’s not much. If it weren’t for Roy’s ability to stretch the material… it wouldn’t work out as well.

Nothing happens, of course, because Brisson goes with an all action finale. There’s no point to thinking too hard about the science–which I had sort of forgotten at the beginning exactly. Brisson deftly fills them in, then later on brings up the cultural ramifications of everyone living in Groundhog Day. And that idea is more potent than the series itself.

So, not the best finish, but well-executed from both Brisson and Roy.

It’s just too bad it doesn’t have more oomph. The protagonist is just too slightly rendered.

B 

CREDITS

Writer and letterer, Ed Brisson; artist, Simon Roy; colorist, Simon Gough; publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet: Strikefile 1 (September 2014)

Prophet: Strikefile #1

Prophet: Strikefile, after the entire relaunched series, explains a lot of what's been going on in the comic. The writers of Prophet always let in little details about the universe, without ever doing full exposition. Strikefile simultaneously has that full exposition, but writers Simon Roy and Brandon Graham still tell it in a reserved manner. They still rely on the art to subtly infer, for example.

The issue has a lot of different artists, most of them regular artists from the series, so they know how to compose an informative Prophet page.

Roy's opening history of the universe–with Grim Wilkins on art–is so dense, the subsequent pages covering various Prophet people, places and things is all gravy.

In their exposition, Roy and Graham maintain a somewhat playful attitude; it's like they know Strikefile is extraneous but they still want to have fun with it.

And, while entirely superfluous, it succeeds.

B+ 

CREDITS

Writers, Simon Roy and Brandon Graham; artists, Roy, Grim Wilkins, Graham, Sandra Lanz,Matt Sheehan, Malachi Ward, Bayard Baudoin, Onta, Giannis Milonogiannis, Joseph Bergin III, Ron Ackins and Tom Parkinson-Morgan; colorists, Sheehan, Ward and Amy Clare; letterer, Ed Brisson; publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 45 (July 2014)

Prophet #45

I can’t believe it… Prophet ends with a weak setup for the subsequent sequel series. I never would have guessed it, not even as the issue progressed and old John and new John started on their collision course.

They don’t exactly collide, they team up, which is kind of worse, because Graham and Roy are now playing towards a imagined reader expectation. I say imagined because I don’t think any reader wanted them to flush all their creativity and ingenuity in plotting for something predictable. At this point, I don’t think I’d be surprised if the lizard girl ends up with the android.

The pacing is all off on the issue, both narrative and visual. After a minuscule nod towards how they used to identify objects with footnotes, the action beings racing, then slowing to a full page spread, then racing towards the next.

For Prophet, it’s a stunning flop.

C+ 

CREDITS

Writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Farel Dalrymple, Giannis Milonogiannis and Roy; colorists, Joseph Bergin III and Sandra Lanz; letterer, Ed Brisson; publisher, Image Comics.

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The Field 3 (July 2014)

The Field #3

This issue feels incomplete. Not just because of Brisson’s plotting, but also because of the lack of grandiose art. While Roy gets to go crazy a few times, it’s always reserved in terms of space. For instance, the decapitations don’t get the page time they deserve.

Brisson saves himself time for the big revelation and it’s fine enough. It’s an easy one, just because it sounds vaguely plausible but it’s a familiar enough trope. It’s effective too. Easy and effective, but it takes Brisson page after page to get all the exposition done. Those pages are talking heads and who wants talking heads when Roy’s more than capable of going fully nuts on the art.

And, given certain aspects of the revelation, it seems like it’s coming a little late. In the third of four issues, there’s only so much time left for Brisson to play.

The issue’s too slight.

B- 

CREDITS

Writer and letterer, Ed Brisson; artist, Simon Roy; colorist, Simon Gough; publisher, Image Comics.

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The Field 2 (May 2014)

The Field #2

The Field gets better this issue because Brisson turns up the craziness. He also gives Roy a great action sequence–the kidnapping Christian versus some elderly bikers. That action puts the comic on its own level, where something should be funny but it isn’t. There’s no humor in way Brisson writes the comic and Roy never pauses on a comic moment. So to describe the comic, it might sound like there’s humor… and there isn’t.

But Brisson also goes ahead and hints at the big reveal. There’s some kind of time travel going on; time travel or mass hysteria. The protagonist is starting to piece things together. Brisson reveals to him and the reader at the same time. It’s not the most original device but it’s an effective standard to employ.

The hard cliffhanger should be scary and funny, but isn’t. Instead, it just promises further inventiveness from the comic.

B 

CREDITS

Writer and letterer, Ed Brisson; artist, Simon Roy; colorist, Simon Gough; publisher, Image Comics.

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The Field 1 (April 2014)

The Field #1

I have a very simple problem with stories where someone’s hallucinating or living the virtual reality or caught in a time warp and gets to repeat the same day over and over again. These stories are about the gimmick. They can run that gimmick out and be about something after it, but most don’t.

Will Ed Brisson have a real story with The Field after he reveals the mystery of it? Who knows. With Simon Roy on the art–my favorite image has to be this small corner of one panel of the protagonist running in his underoos–the comic will at least look good and Brisson’s writing is fine. It’s just about how he’s going to reveal the solution to his mystery.

There are undoubtedly clues this issue to the truth, but the way he layers the contradictions is more engaging. He’ll solve the mystery for the reader anyway.

B 

CREDITS

Writer and letterer, Ed Brisson; artist, Simon Roy; colorist, Simon Gough; publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 43 (March 2014)

Prophet #43

The difference between a divine Prophet and an excellent one? The divine one has less story. The issue opens with the tree-man on Old John’s team. Bayard Baudoin does the art for his story. It’s very stylized, very lyrical. In just a few pages, Baudoin is able to define how the tree-man sees the universe and his place in it.

Except the issue isn’t just his story. It starts with him, moves to the space battle–including another fun flashback to Youngblood. Even though Graham and Roy use such flashbacks more often now, they’re still surprising. For a moment Prophet all of a sudden becomes a comic about comics, a wild imagining of what could be. Then the moment passes–organically–and the story continues. It’s a very nice move the writers make.

The third part involves the slaves (from many issues ago); it’s setup. Good, but obviously setup.

B+ 

CREDITS

Writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Bayard Baudoin, Giannis Milonogiannis, Roy, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward; colorists, Joseph Bergin III, Baudoin, Sheean and Ward; letterer, Ed Brisson. Pieces; writer and artist, Daniel Warren Johnson; colorist, Doug Garbark. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 41 (December 2013)

Prophet 41 1

Wait… Did I really read the whole thing? It feels like there should be more. Graham and Roy are back to splitting the issue between new and old John Prophet–though here it’s mostly the sidekicks of the Newfather and not much for the old John’s team–and nothing gets resolved.

Even the cliffhanger is goofy, bringing in a new threat in the last couple pages and then the comic just stops.

Then comes Ron Ackins strange back-up about a black cop defending a city in the future where some African nation has built a new civilization for African Americans. Ackins can’t write–for the first two pages, I thought it was an ad for a music group–and he doesn’t draw well either.

Like I said, it’s an awkward issue. Even in the feature, Graham and Roy rush through their character moments, which they usually spend time on.

B- 

CREDITS

Writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Giannis Milonogiannis, Roy, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward; colorists, Joseph Bergin III, Sheean and Ward; letterer, Ed Brisson. Lancaster Bleu; writer and artist, Rob Ackins. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 40 (October 2013)

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Graham and Roy mostly just work towards bringing the New John together with the Old John, even though Old John doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on yet. He’s a pawn on the intergalactic chessboard, which this issue includes the return of Badrock–an old Image hero from some series or another–and a Cthulhu-like thing flying across the galaxy towards them.

There’s time for some character stuff with Old John, but it’s only a page or so and not as affecting as the conversation between two of New John’s team. One forgets Graham and Roy were able to take Prophet so far in such relatively few issues.

The main story ends up suffering from a lovely little back-up from Nerd O’Reilly. A wizard gets mad at his crystal skull (it’s animate, of course) and it’s a touching, funny little story.

The feature’s just too rambling in comparison.

CREDITS

Writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Giannis Milonogiannis, Roy, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Crystal Wizard; writer and artist, Paul Bohm. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 39 (September 2013)

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It’s the Diehard issue, which is an easy pick for favorite Prophet issue but maybe only because Graham and Roy get to do a summary story covering about 10,000 years.

They open with a retelling–I assume, I have no idea–of Diehard’s origin on Earth in the twentieth century. The art, by era, is from one person or another (or a team). It’s all awesome, with Lando’s standing out the most because it’s such a sad story.

Anyway, there’s a first act, a second act, a little third act. Even though the issue moves fast, across the galaxy (and beyond) and through thousands of years, Graham and Roy show the the effects on Diehard and how he changes. Graham is doing so much with Prophet already, I guess he figured he had to do amazing things with forgotten superheroes too.

Lovely, muted Paul Bohm backup too.

Truly exquisite stuff.

CREDITS

Diehard; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Giannis Milonogiannis, Joseph Bergin III, Matt Sheean, Malachi Ward, James Stokoe, Aaron Conley, Lando, Ron Wimberly, Graham and Roy; colorist, Bergin; letterer, Ed Brisson. Backup; writer and artist, Paul Bohm. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 38 (August 2013)

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What an issue. With Roy and Milonogiannis splitting the art–basically between Old John and New John–it’s a visual feast to be sure. It’s also exceptionally confusing.

The Old John stuff is simpler. It’s a tie-in with Supreme, which most Prophet readers can’t be familiar with, right? But Graham runs with it.

He doesn’t give enough time to the sidekicks though, especially not with the middle issue changeover to New John. And New John doesn’t really do anything–he gets a new arm–before Graham moves on to some planetoid.

At that point, the issue becomes completely incomprehensible. I think a planet gets broken up to free a planet-sized Prophet from a gravity well. Or something.

The backup, from Kate Craig, is cute. It’s a little too cute, with a white koala bear looking guy on a distant planet playing with the weird indigenous lizards. It’s fine.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Bayard Baudoin, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy; colorist, Joseph Bergin III, Jessica Pollard and Roy; letterer, Ed Brisson. Catch and Release; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Kate Craig. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 36 (June 2013)

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So New John is just Newfather now. Very easy. Oh, and nice cameo again–Graham really seems to enjoy the winks. He’s able to put them in and move right along. It helps Old John’s crew is so personable. Wouldn’t work without them.

There’s a little on Diehard’s crushing again this issue. Nothing ominous but it’s hard to say how it’ll work out. You can never guess with Prophet.

Graham now has Newfather set up his own crew. They’re not as personable–they are just clones after all–but he’s making the juxtaposing between the two Johns more similar in delivery while maintaining difference in texture. Very cool. They’re on the same mission too, so a meet-up is inevitable.

The Care backup is positively distressing this time. The art’s grossness hurts the strip big time. One fixates on the ick factor, not the delicate profoundness of the actual story.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artists, Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, Matt Sheehan and Malachi Ward; colorists, Joseph Bergin III, Roy, Sheehan and Ward; letterer, Ed Brisson. Care, Part Three; writers, artists and colorists, Sheean and Ward. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 35 (May 2013)

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Graham has seemingly hit a lull issue. Not a bad issue, but definitely some kind of a bridging one. It’s always hard to say with Prophet, since Graham and his collaborators often do something unexpected.

He splits the issue between Old John and New John. Old John is traveling to meet The Troll, a warlord of some kind apparently, who occupies a moon of Mars. There’s some great stuff with his crew, some oddly touching moments and some funny ones. Very grand scale sci-fi stuff.

New John, on the other hand, should have grand scale too–he’s part of an attack to defeat these aliens who Graham leaves obscure–but Milonogiannis never amps up the huge battle. There are establishing shots, some quick interludes, some expository help, but it feels oddly small. Even though it’s obviously huge.

The Care backup continues to be weird. Better this issue than last.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artist, Giannis Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Care, Part Two; writers, artists and colorists, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 34 (February 2013)

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It’s another excellent issue. Whatever Graham’s got planned for Prophet, he’s also figured out a way to draw it out but never get boring.

This issue, featuring some great art from Roy, does establish a little more with the New Father John Prophet–he’s the one from the first few issues of the relaunch; seems like he’s been gone for a while and even though he’s sort of a bad guy, it’s nice having him back.

Anyway, what Graham and Roy do here is move him along baby steps but do so in a way to show all the variations of the John Prophet clone. Not all the Johns appear human, not all are equal, some are quiet alien. It’s wacky and wonderful.

The backup, from Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward, disappoints a little. It starts really cool but then turns out to be a Logan’s Run knockoff or something.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham and Simon Roy; artist, Roy; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Care, Part One; writers, artists and colorists, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 33 (January 2013)

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Awesome issue, just awesome. Graham ends it with this awkward silence–he only hints at the big events going on–with a focus on Old Man John Prophet’s reaction. Milog does a beautiful job on the art for these pages too.

A lot of the issue is spent with the crew in this strange hive mind fleet. Hive suggests bugs but there are no bugs. It’s all ethereal and beautiful, some kind of Amazonian space fleet. There’s an unexpected cameo too. Graham integrates it beautifully.

He also has a lot of humor. There’s a wonderful running joke about Rein-East and her discarded biological mass. Graham doesn’t do a lot of the detail callouts–he does a few–but something about the pacing of Rein-East’s biological mass reminds of them. It’s matter of fact, but hilarious.

The backup, from Sloane Leong, is rather impressive. Poetic, visceral stuff.

Fantastic issue.

CREDITS

Prophet; writers, Brandon Graham, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy; artist, Milonogiannis; colorist, Joseph Bergin III; letterer, Ed Brisson. Backup story; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Sloane Leong. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 32 (January 2013)

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I always except Prophet to do something completely weird with its narrative. Simon Roy tells the tale of a female Prophet–still John, of course–and her adventures on a planet where the human populace has devolved.

There’s a lot of action, a little exploration, some of the regular Prophet grossness with nature, and then Roy gets to the unexpected conclusion.

It’s unexpected because Roy makes a bunch of judgements about the rest of the series so far. He shows things from the other side–there’s a lovely page where he juxtaposes panels showings the devolved humans on the planet and the female John’s childhood–and it gives an unexpected perspective.

Prophet is full of wonders–gross and not–and Roy takes the time to show the side effects. All while doing awesome sci-fi too.

Really fun backup from Daniel Irizarri. It’s fast-paced, consistently funny, rather nice artwork.

CREDITS

Prophet; writer, artist and colorist, Simon Roy; letterer, Ed Brisson. Greetings From Verde Luz; writers and colorists, Daniel Irizarri and Andrea Pecinkas; artist and letterer, Irizarri. Publisher, Image Comics.

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Prophet 31 (November 2012)

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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.

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Prophet 28 (August 2012)

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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.

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Prophet 27 (July 2012)

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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.

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Prophet 25 (May 2012)

Prophet #25

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.

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Prophet 23 (March 2012)

Prophet #23

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.

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Prophet 22 (February 2012)

Prophet #22

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.

B 

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.

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Prophet 21 (January 2012)

Prophet #21

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.

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