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Prophet #3
Prophet, Volume 3: Empire
The Earth Empire is now rebuilt and gaining a stronger grasp on Earthspace. Facing an even more menacing new threat, Old Man Prophet and his team look for the help of an old ally.
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2014
About the author
Brandon Graham
197 books202 followersBrandon Graham (born 1976) is an American comic book creator.
Born in Oregon, Graham grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he was a graffiti artist. He wrote and illustrated comic books for Antarctic Press and Radio Comix, but got his start drawing pornographic comics like Pillow Fight and Multiple Warheads (Warheads would go on to become its own comic published by Oni Press in 2007). In 1997, he moved to New York City where he found work with NBM Publishing and became a founding member of comics collective Meathaus. His book Escalator was published by Alternative Comics in January 2005, when he returned to Seattle. His book King City was published by Tokyopop in 2007 and was nominated for an Eisner Award. In May 2009 Graham announced that King City would continue publication at Image Comics and his Oni Press title Multiple Warheads would resume publication after a delay, this time in color. Also at Image he is the writer on Prophet, the return of a 1990s series, with the rotating roster of artists Giannis Milonogiannis, Farel Dalrymple, Simon Roy, and himself.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Born in Oregon, Graham grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he was a graffiti artist. He wrote and illustrated comic books for Antarctic Press and Radio Comix, but got his start drawing pornographic comics like Pillow Fight and Multiple Warheads (Warheads would go on to become its own comic published by Oni Press in 2007). In 1997, he moved to New York City where he found work with NBM Publishing and became a founding member of comics collective Meathaus. His book Escalator was published by Alternative Comics in January 2005, when he returned to Seattle. His book King City was published by Tokyopop in 2007 and was nominated for an Eisner Award. In May 2009 Graham announced that King City would continue publication at Image Comics and his Oni Press title Multiple Warheads would resume publication after a delay, this time in color. Also at Image he is the writer on Prophet, the return of a 1990s series, with the rotating roster of artists Giannis Milonogiannis, Farel Dalrymple, Simon Roy, and himself.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 15, 2014
I love Prophet even though I could not tell you what the plot is.
September 26, 2014
People need to stfu about Saga & Y the Last Man, this here is what us real sci-fi lovers have been sitting around and craving; instead of humanizing all the aliens into hackneyed anime hentai and wanna be Buffy the Vampire Slayer yuck-yucks, this does a fair sight of alien-i-zing all the humans and giving you meaty plots (literally & figuratively) that you can sink your teeth into and GOD BLESS YOU unapologetic seriousness that assumes you have brains in your skull or perhaps have already read a smidge of good fiction.
I'm a little confused and I'm loving every second of it!
It's also well drawn and not over-colored (there is something left to the imagination; coloring takes "mood" into effect like an old time comic and it's not done in any "trendy" techniques either). I'm floored. Shocked anything this original got published in this day and age.
By the same token, the tale isn't just yanking your chain, you can tell there is serious storytelling and plot going on here; it's not just weird for the sake of weird.
I actually started with #3 and am working my way to #1 and #2. I don't recommend that, but if you can read #3 without the others, then my son you are indeed a hardcore sci-fi geek. Be proud. And drop me a line.
I'm a little confused and I'm loving every second of it!
It's also well drawn and not over-colored (there is something left to the imagination; coloring takes "mood" into effect like an old time comic and it's not done in any "trendy" techniques either). I'm floored. Shocked anything this original got published in this day and age.
By the same token, the tale isn't just yanking your chain, you can tell there is serious storytelling and plot going on here; it's not just weird for the sake of weird.
I actually started with #3 and am working my way to #1 and #2. I don't recommend that, but if you can read #3 without the others, then my son you are indeed a hardcore sci-fi geek. Be proud. And drop me a line.
July 9, 2016
This shit has gone completely crazy. I just can't follow it anymore. Just nuts.
May 15, 2019
I said "Boux" when startled at work the other day...
I can't say I understand all or even most of what is going on in this arc, but I still like it. At times now I can't remember if I'm actually high or not while I read Prophet. I think I saw a space vagina in this volume.
I would love to hear the creative team behind Prophet discuss each panel. We need that DVD extra. I need to understand.
I can't say I understand all or even most of what is going on in this arc, but I still like it. At times now I can't remember if I'm actually high or not while I read Prophet. I think I saw a space vagina in this volume.
I would love to hear the creative team behind Prophet discuss each panel. We need that DVD extra. I need to understand.
September 9, 2019
Strangest of all for what has been up to now a very strange book, volume 3 of Prophet is disappointingly conventional. Like a horror film franchise, the longer Prophet goes on, the more its weird mysteries get explained away and lose their allure.
May 10, 2015
Great art, chaotic story...
June 8, 2017
So, I'm 2 books into this five book series, and I have to say, I'm not too sure what is going on. I don't know if I'm just not following along or if it just isn't clear. What is the storyline here? So Old Man Prophet is the good guy (?) and he wants to stop the earth Empire from rebuilding, so he is gathering together some of the main stars of the 90's Image universe. But wait, is New Father John on the same side as Old Man Prophet? They seem to be taking to the same person about what is going on? So, maybe, the Mind Sisters are the bad guys? They seem to be pushing towards a violent solution to the war. Or, is there a war? Who are they supposed to be taking thr earth Empire back from? Or, are they replacing someone? I don't know.
The arts pretty cool though.
The arts pretty cool though.
July 1, 2022
I didn’t enjoy the second volume of this series quite as much as the first, but this third part is a return to form. Like the first volume, everything here is drenched with mystery, but it’s never too confusing. I can’t promise that I fully grasp all the minutiae of the plot, but it doesn’t feel like I’m supposed to; it leaves me feeling intrigued, not lost or frustrated. A major strength of this volume is that most of its art is by Simon Roy, who’s emerged as my favourite artist on the series so far, thanks to his awesome character designs and his talent for dynamic action sequences. The colours deserve a special mention – throughout this volume they’re absolutely stunning. I don’t really have anything else to say other than repeating what I’ve said in my reviews of the previous two volumes: strong worldbuilding, intelligent storytelling, cool art. Great stuff!
February 25, 2015
Reprints Prophet (4) #32 and #34-38 (January 2013-August 2013). Brain-Mother continues to rule the John Prophets, but the arrival of Newfather could mean change. Newfather finds himself in contact with Troll who also is working with Old John Prophet to help combat a threat that could destroy the entire empire…might force Newfather and his allies to make a decision about their place among Brain-Mother’s ranks.
Written by Bradon Graham, Simon Roy, and Giannis Milonogiannis, Prophet 3: Empire is the follow-up to Prophet 2: Brothers. The collection features art by Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, Malachi Ward, Matt Sheean, Zachary Baldus, Aaron Conly, Fil Barlow, Jim Rugg, and Bayard Baudoin. The collection does not feature Prophet (4) #33 (January 2013) which was collected in the previous trade paperback.
Prophet continues to just be a weird, weird series. The story is a story, but you must wade through a lot to determine what the story is. It doesn’t have much direction as to the path of the story and that is both exciting and frustrating. Readers (myself included) sometimes like the little bones that the writers toss out in stories that does give you direction…I wish there were a few more however.
The story is set in the future, but classic Youngblood characters do pop up over and over again. Diehard is now a regular character along with Troll and this feature features an appearance by Suprema (who was a favorite of mine in Alan Moore’s classic run on Supreme). It’s these tiny cameos which help anchor the story in the Image universe and are fun for readers who have been around awhile (and the promise of Badrock is coming).
The main story seems to be shaping up more. The basic idea is that Old John Prophet and his crew is now teaming up with the rogue Brain-Mother crew led by Newfather. The introduction of Brother John Agro also sets up another storyline which I’m sure will be woven into the main storyline at some point (but you never know with this comic).
Like the writing, the art is also very interesting and challenging. The story features a lot of picture panels without dialogue. You not only have to figure out what is going on from the writing, but from what you are seeing. It isn’t easy, but it is fun.
I would argue that Prophet is one of the most challenging comics out there. It is a story that needs intense focus, but it is sometimes difficult because part of the joy of the comic is just getting lost in it (and losing focus). Prophet is one of those series that really benefits from trade paperbacks because it helps for you to read (and re-read) issues, but it also suffers from trade paperbacks because you forget some of what is going on by the time you get the next one. Take a chance with Prophet for a weird and different sci-fi fantasy. Prophet 3: Empire is followed by Prophet 4: Joining.
Written by Bradon Graham, Simon Roy, and Giannis Milonogiannis, Prophet 3: Empire is the follow-up to Prophet 2: Brothers. The collection features art by Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, Malachi Ward, Matt Sheean, Zachary Baldus, Aaron Conly, Fil Barlow, Jim Rugg, and Bayard Baudoin. The collection does not feature Prophet (4) #33 (January 2013) which was collected in the previous trade paperback.
Prophet continues to just be a weird, weird series. The story is a story, but you must wade through a lot to determine what the story is. It doesn’t have much direction as to the path of the story and that is both exciting and frustrating. Readers (myself included) sometimes like the little bones that the writers toss out in stories that does give you direction…I wish there were a few more however.
The story is set in the future, but classic Youngblood characters do pop up over and over again. Diehard is now a regular character along with Troll and this feature features an appearance by Suprema (who was a favorite of mine in Alan Moore’s classic run on Supreme). It’s these tiny cameos which help anchor the story in the Image universe and are fun for readers who have been around awhile (and the promise of Badrock is coming).
The main story seems to be shaping up more. The basic idea is that Old John Prophet and his crew is now teaming up with the rogue Brain-Mother crew led by Newfather. The introduction of Brother John Agro also sets up another storyline which I’m sure will be woven into the main storyline at some point (but you never know with this comic).
Like the writing, the art is also very interesting and challenging. The story features a lot of picture panels without dialogue. You not only have to figure out what is going on from the writing, but from what you are seeing. It isn’t easy, but it is fun.
I would argue that Prophet is one of the most challenging comics out there. It is a story that needs intense focus, but it is sometimes difficult because part of the joy of the comic is just getting lost in it (and losing focus). Prophet is one of those series that really benefits from trade paperbacks because it helps for you to read (and re-read) issues, but it also suffers from trade paperbacks because you forget some of what is going on by the time you get the next one. Take a chance with Prophet for a weird and different sci-fi fantasy. Prophet 3: Empire is followed by Prophet 4: Joining.
November 18, 2015
Prophet Vol. 3: Empire is a unbearable graphic novel that left me appalled with how bad it was. In fact, while I was reading it and trying to understand what was going on, my mouth was hanging open in shock most of the time. The writing was so bad, and so hard to follow, that I stopped reading it after sixty-six pages. I rarely stop reading a book, no matter how bad it is. But I just couldn't do it anymore. I had to put it down. I read the synopsis I wrote to my wife and she said didn't make any sense and that I needed to rewrite it. But then I explained to her that this is what happened and I read her some passages from the book. At that point she understood that this book makes absolutely no sense to anyone with a rational mind. As I was reading this book and trying to understand it, I thought to myself that the writers must have been on some sort of drug-infused psychedelic dream because this book is just bonkers.
Well, Image, which used to be one of my favorite comic book publishers, has really fallen down with this one. I just don't understand. Before I stopped collecting comic books back in the mid 1990's, I had every comic book Image printed. So, I have the following Prophet comic books neatly stored away in a long box in my garage:
PROPHET 0
PROPHET 1 OF 10
PROPHET 1 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 2 OF 10
PROPHET 2 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 3 OF 10
PROPHET 3 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 4 OF 10
PROPHET 5 OF 10
PROPHET 6 OF 10
PROPHET 7 OF 10
PROPHET 8 OF 10
PROPHET 9 OF 10 (2)
PROPHET 10 OF 10
PROPHET 1
PROPHET 2
PROPHET 3
PROPHET ANNUAL 1
I am familiar with the original character, and I liked him. He was awesome. But the drivel in this book just makes me angry. Forcing me to quit reading a book after only 66 pages is takes a special talent. This book is something I never want to see, hear about, or even remember. I am so disappointed by this. Come on Image, what are you guys doing here?
Overall, Prophet Vol. 3: Empire is horrendous science fiction graphic novel that I couldn't finish reading because the storyline is just too are messed up to follow. A reader shouldn't have to struggle to understand what is happening in a comic book. As a lover of comic books, when I open a comic book, I want to be blown away by the art and story, which should be fairly easy to follow. I was left sadly disappointed by this one and it makes me wonder how Image ever let this come to print.
I rated this book a 1 out of 10.
Well, Image, which used to be one of my favorite comic book publishers, has really fallen down with this one. I just don't understand. Before I stopped collecting comic books back in the mid 1990's, I had every comic book Image printed. So, I have the following Prophet comic books neatly stored away in a long box in my garage:
PROPHET 0
PROPHET 1 OF 10
PROPHET 1 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 2 OF 10
PROPHET 2 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 3 OF 10
PROPHET 3 OF 10 (without coupon)
PROPHET 4 OF 10
PROPHET 5 OF 10
PROPHET 6 OF 10
PROPHET 7 OF 10
PROPHET 8 OF 10
PROPHET 9 OF 10 (2)
PROPHET 10 OF 10
PROPHET 1
PROPHET 2
PROPHET 3
PROPHET ANNUAL 1
I am familiar with the original character, and I liked him. He was awesome. But the drivel in this book just makes me angry. Forcing me to quit reading a book after only 66 pages is takes a special talent. This book is something I never want to see, hear about, or even remember. I am so disappointed by this. Come on Image, what are you guys doing here?
Overall, Prophet Vol. 3: Empire is horrendous science fiction graphic novel that I couldn't finish reading because the storyline is just too are messed up to follow. A reader shouldn't have to struggle to understand what is happening in a comic book. As a lover of comic books, when I open a comic book, I want to be blown away by the art and story, which should be fairly easy to follow. I was left sadly disappointed by this one and it makes me wonder how Image ever let this come to print.
I rated this book a 1 out of 10.
April 21, 2018
Prophet is... grim, and disgusting, and incredibly alien, and it amuses me endlessly.
The premise of the comic is as strange as it is hilarious: take an old Rob Liefield character from the 1990s glut of disposable superheroes, and extrapolate an entire far-future world from him, a world in which every human being or thing (and a lot that isn't even recognisably human anymore) is physically and spiritually descended from him. It's all more than a little Mastaba Snoopy...
In the universe of Prophet, people don't travel in spaceships, they travel in Star Prophets - starfaring vessels bioengineered from John Prophet's body. The Earth Empire's main base is created from John Prophet's tissues, and people are taking baths in his tear ducts. The base is entirely manned by Prophets, of course. Who, for recreational purposes, are having sex not just with assorted aliens, but also with bioengineered catamite versions of John Prophet. Of course. (There are some women in this future, too. They're all cloned from John Prophet, naturally, and are all called John - like everybody else. One of them was an intriguing presence in part of volume 1, only to be killed at the end, so I'm happy to see another female Brother John make an appearance here in volume three. Let's hope she stays around a bit longer than her sister or rather brother.)
Prophet plays its bizarre scenario entirely straight, and wrings a tale of falling/reviving empire very much in the vein of Dune from it. In volume 3 the plot begins getting a bit more intelligible, which is actually a bit of a shame because its very impenetrability added to the fascination, in previous volumes. The main attraction however always was, and remains, the world building, and on that count this volume delivers as spectacularly as previous ones.
The premise of the comic is as strange as it is hilarious: take an old Rob Liefield character from the 1990s glut of disposable superheroes, and extrapolate an entire far-future world from him, a world in which every human being or thing (and a lot that isn't even recognisably human anymore) is physically and spiritually descended from him. It's all more than a little Mastaba Snoopy...
In the universe of Prophet, people don't travel in spaceships, they travel in Star Prophets - starfaring vessels bioengineered from John Prophet's body. The Earth Empire's main base is created from John Prophet's tissues, and people are taking baths in his tear ducts. The base is entirely manned by Prophets, of course. Who, for recreational purposes, are having sex not just with assorted aliens, but also with bioengineered catamite versions of John Prophet. Of course. (There are some women in this future, too. They're all cloned from John Prophet, naturally, and are all called John - like everybody else. One of them was an intriguing presence in part of volume 1, only to be killed at the end, so I'm happy to see another female Brother John make an appearance here in volume three. Let's hope she stays around a bit longer than her sister or rather brother.)
Prophet plays its bizarre scenario entirely straight, and wrings a tale of falling/reviving empire very much in the vein of Dune from it. In volume 3 the plot begins getting a bit more intelligible, which is actually a bit of a shame because its very impenetrability added to the fascination, in previous volumes. The main attraction however always was, and remains, the world building, and on that count this volume delivers as spectacularly as previous ones.
May 11, 2014
'Prophet Volume 3: Empire' is a throwback to the earlier science fictional works of Michael Moorcock, Philip Jose Farmer and others of the psychedelic SF era. Which is to explain that it's pretty weird. So weird, that it's probably not for everyone, but for those nostalgic for the strange SF of the late 60s and early 70s, this might be just what you are looking for.
I'll attempt to describe it, but at times, it seemed to want to defy that for me. It is a sort of post-human age, but humans are genetically modified and all named John. They all have different functions, so they all look a bit different. Are you following this? I didn't think so. It's best to just recommend it for those who like the work of Moebius and thought the Isaac Asimov animated film Gandahar was good.
The art is a very 1970s throwback, with crumbling planets, strange alien-like humans and a strange color palette. It's trippy and strange, but I don't think it's always a bad thing to read something that doesn't completely seem to make sense. I feel that way about books, film and music. If you do too, you might check out the Prophet series.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this strange graphic novel.
I'll attempt to describe it, but at times, it seemed to want to defy that for me. It is a sort of post-human age, but humans are genetically modified and all named John. They all have different functions, so they all look a bit different. Are you following this? I didn't think so. It's best to just recommend it for those who like the work of Moebius and thought the Isaac Asimov animated film Gandahar was good.
The art is a very 1970s throwback, with crumbling planets, strange alien-like humans and a strange color palette. It's trippy and strange, but I don't think it's always a bad thing to read something that doesn't completely seem to make sense. I feel that way about books, film and music. If you do too, you might check out the Prophet series.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this strange graphic novel.
July 5, 2015
Bueno, pues vuelve Simon Roy al dibujo (casi todo el volumen es obra suya) y da gloria verle porque el único problema de este tebeo es que carece de cierta solidez en el arte. Me gusta muchísimo la fuerza bruta de este dibujante, y su enfermiza obsesión con la carne y la nueva carne, con esos personajes caníbales devorando continuamente grandes trozos de carne alienígena o humana, esos Prophets posthumanos convertidos en gigantes de batalla o en naves espaciales de aspecto insectil y esas loquísimas fusiones humano-alienígenas. También me ha gustado mucho el homenaje a Tsutomu Nihei que se marca Milonogiannis. Por lo demás, la colección sigue en su línea de actualizar las aventuras espaciales del pulp de toda la vida para los fans más bregados, incorporando elementos tan dispares como la historia de liberación y venganza a lo Espartaco del espacio de Jonathan Prophet, un Imperio fascista enloquecido como salido de Warhammer 40K o el universo superheróico de Image, a través de Badrock, Troll o Diehard.
December 16, 2015
In this volume of Graham's Prophet, the actual relationship to the prior Rob Liefeld comic becomes clearer--and there is a relationship. As well as the identities and motives for many of the characters within the series. Several clones start to develop distinct personalities, and the stakes of the past and current world-building start to really add into a coherent picture. It is still utterly alien, but the familiarity that was hinted at in earlier volumes becomes clearer and clearer beyond the repetition of names for Rob Liefeld's earlier comics. Furthermore, one definitely gets the feeling that Graham is pulling from Alexandro Jodorowsky's work in Incal and the Metabarrons for inspiration.
The art is stunting, and more varied than in other trades, although the bio-technological atmospheres are maintained as well as an hugeness of scope that is rare. All four artists involve vary the art and yet maintain a consistent feel to the world.
The art is stunting, and more varied than in other trades, although the bio-technological atmospheres are maintained as well as an hugeness of scope that is rare. All four artists involve vary the art and yet maintain a consistent feel to the world.
January 15, 2019
Like Vol. 2 I found this visually stunning but utterly impenetrable story-wise. I'll admit that hard sci-fi is not typically what I end up reading but is that why I'm stuck? It seems like Graham isn't really interested in holding the reader's hand but the result is so far on the other side that I do question whether it's just me and if others are following along with clarity. A quick perusal of the other GR reviews tells me that I'm not alone in my assessment. Maybe I'll give Vol. 4 a shot, even if it's just to look at the cool designs.
December 5, 2019
I hate it when this happens with a graphic novel. The art this volume is much better than the previous two, but now the plot is so convoluted, that it makes no sense. We have finally come full circle to the characters from the very first issue, but whatever they are doing is a complete mystery to me.
On the plus side, this book has helped me realize that I do not like this type of story. So now I know that when I see some story about the sad future of the human race, I can just steer clear. There are plenty of more rewarding and interesting topics upon which to read.
On the plus side, this book has helped me realize that I do not like this type of story. So now I know that when I see some story about the sad future of the human race, I can just steer clear. There are plenty of more rewarding and interesting topics upon which to read.
September 9, 2014
Prophet continues to be the most unabashedly cosmic comic book in today's market, but I get the feeling periodically dropping in to the world and story Graham and others are creating works against Prophet. By the time I feel reacquainted with the world that is presented, the trade paperback is over.
March 27, 2023
The Imperial War is winding up.
A good place holder trade. It's got some backstory and a standalone, button-pusher John issue, but is still essential to the full story. Things should have coalesced for you now, the strange writing finally making sense due to the previous trades/issues.
A good place holder trade. It's got some backstory and a standalone, button-pusher John issue, but is still essential to the full story. Things should have coalesced for you now, the strange writing finally making sense due to the previous trades/issues.
July 24, 2014
Okay, I give up.
March 27, 2017
I love the psychadelic artwork, and was impressed that the writing was so terrible that it could so completely ruin an otherwise beautiful book. I couldn't read past Volume 3.
October 12, 2020
I don’t get it.
December 25, 2023
I’m continuing to read volumes of this as natural breaks between each large book which, besides being a way to juice my reading stats for the year, does do a great job of testing how good my memory is. In general this feels like a pretty consistent continuation of volume 2, with sharper characterization and an utterly overstuffed plot.
The comic continues the saga of a revived Earth Empire, entirely populated by the revived (and no also being once again mass-produced) effectively-posthuman clones of one John Prophet. Specifically, the story is mostly split between following the ‘Old Man’ Prophet who defected and led the rebellion which toppled the first empire, and the newest Father, the prophet who was the star of the frst volume and is responsible for resurrecting the empire to begin with. Beyond continuing on the story from previous volumes, these issues introduce a new threat invading from the edge of known space which is the ostensible new driver of the plot and what both leads are left scrambling to try and find a solution to.
Now, it might just be that I’m failing to adapt and meet the medium where it is, but my overall feeling really is that there’s far too much plot (and just, stuff) stuffed into far too little space. This volume did do a lot more touching on and sketching out real character dynamics and fun little beats for the cast, which really only kind of drove home the fact that there just isn’t the page count to do more than touch on them. In terms of plot my feeling is that this whole psychic pain nebula or whatever is a needless distracton from a story that already had plenty going on, especially since as of the end of the volume it’s stll no where close to being resolved. Will see where volume 4 goes with it, I suppose.
One thing the book did set aside a bit of time for was giving a sense of what the society of a bunch of wildly distinct posthumn clones of some guy from thousands of years ago now engineered into a brutal imperialist engine of militarism with genetically defined castes actually looks like. Which was absolutely great fun, and I dearly wish there’d been whole issues devoted to the question. Especially since the book actually commits to it being weird. Also, as far as world-building tropes goes, I absolutely adore the whole conceit of a society of engineered soldier/slaves/automata upholding an empire long after the creators their theoretically imperializing for are long gone. Gets into fun themes of inheritance and legacy, if nothing else.
Also, points for having a sleazy sci fi brothel scene and having zero conventionally-attractive-human-woman-with-blue-skin to be seen. I think the feature most vocally sexualized was gills? Truly a breath of fresh air compared to most sci fi. Really there’s probably something to be said about how resolutely unsexualized and un-Male-Gaze-ey the art is compared to most big comic books, but I really don’t have the background to make it.
Less pleasing uses of the pagecount where the points where you could really feel it become obvious that this is part of some wider superhero comic universe – the improbable number of characters who are ‘ancient beyond reckoning’ or similar who are clearly introduced and given instant narrative significance as fanservice gets old incredibly quickly. (Also, superhero names are dumb in a way that’s noticeably distinct from the way space opera names are dumb, and they don’t necessarily go together well. Suprema?)
The comic continues the saga of a revived Earth Empire, entirely populated by the revived (and no also being once again mass-produced) effectively-posthuman clones of one John Prophet. Specifically, the story is mostly split between following the ‘Old Man’ Prophet who defected and led the rebellion which toppled the first empire, and the newest Father, the prophet who was the star of the frst volume and is responsible for resurrecting the empire to begin with. Beyond continuing on the story from previous volumes, these issues introduce a new threat invading from the edge of known space which is the ostensible new driver of the plot and what both leads are left scrambling to try and find a solution to.
Now, it might just be that I’m failing to adapt and meet the medium where it is, but my overall feeling really is that there’s far too much plot (and just, stuff) stuffed into far too little space. This volume did do a lot more touching on and sketching out real character dynamics and fun little beats for the cast, which really only kind of drove home the fact that there just isn’t the page count to do more than touch on them. In terms of plot my feeling is that this whole psychic pain nebula or whatever is a needless distracton from a story that already had plenty going on, especially since as of the end of the volume it’s stll no where close to being resolved. Will see where volume 4 goes with it, I suppose.
One thing the book did set aside a bit of time for was giving a sense of what the society of a bunch of wildly distinct posthumn clones of some guy from thousands of years ago now engineered into a brutal imperialist engine of militarism with genetically defined castes actually looks like. Which was absolutely great fun, and I dearly wish there’d been whole issues devoted to the question. Especially since the book actually commits to it being weird. Also, as far as world-building tropes goes, I absolutely adore the whole conceit of a society of engineered soldier/slaves/automata upholding an empire long after the creators their theoretically imperializing for are long gone. Gets into fun themes of inheritance and legacy, if nothing else.
Also, points for having a sleazy sci fi brothel scene and having zero conventionally-attractive-human-woman-with-blue-skin to be seen. I think the feature most vocally sexualized was gills? Truly a breath of fresh air compared to most sci fi. Really there’s probably something to be said about how resolutely unsexualized and un-Male-Gaze-ey the art is compared to most big comic books, but I really don’t have the background to make it.
Less pleasing uses of the pagecount where the points where you could really feel it become obvious that this is part of some wider superhero comic universe – the improbable number of characters who are ‘ancient beyond reckoning’ or similar who are clearly introduced and given instant narrative significance as fanservice gets old incredibly quickly. (Also, superhero names are dumb in a way that’s noticeably distinct from the way space opera names are dumb, and they don’t necessarily go together well. Suprema?)
December 2, 2023
Brandon Graham's vision for sci-fi comics breaks the conventional norms by delving headfirst into some pretty enigmatic and esoteric stuff. Graham's storytelling is engaging, endlessly creative, and even hilarious at times, with a wide array of talented artists bring their own unique touch to the series. Giannis Milonogiannis’ contributions continue to center around Old Man Prophet and his companions, but it's Simon Roy's segment that really carries Vol. 3 - "Empire".
The story follows the original John Prophet who has taken on the role of New Father and leads a colorful group of allies - John Ka, Magnus John, Long John and Greenknife. The kicker is that these are all Prophet clones, but each with distinctive designs and personalities to make them a fun crew to follow along with. The story is quite winding and dense, populated not just be heavy doses of lore, but also by immensely detailed artwork by Roy. Though Graham and others have crafted some elegant compositions, it's Simon Roy's work that really stands out in the series, and "Empire" benefits by having Roy as the primary artist involved.
Prophet isn't for everyone due to the oddball energy of the storytelling, but if you're looking for something a bit outside of the typical Image Comic series, this is a prime candidate for those seeking something a bit weirder.
The story follows the original John Prophet who has taken on the role of New Father and leads a colorful group of allies - John Ka, Magnus John, Long John and Greenknife. The kicker is that these are all Prophet clones, but each with distinctive designs and personalities to make them a fun crew to follow along with. The story is quite winding and dense, populated not just be heavy doses of lore, but also by immensely detailed artwork by Roy. Though Graham and others have crafted some elegant compositions, it's Simon Roy's work that really stands out in the series, and "Empire" benefits by having Roy as the primary artist involved.
Prophet isn't for everyone due to the oddball energy of the storytelling, but if you're looking for something a bit outside of the typical Image Comic series, this is a prime candidate for those seeking something a bit weirder.
August 24, 2020
This volume scrolls back a bit from the serial style in volume two, and once again has us following a new Prophet clone as they go to discover their mission. I much prefer this to the overarching story, which they do also revisit in this volume but it's more vague here, and vagueness really plays to the strength of this story.
The art is still the star of this run of comics but the story here is fun and weird and not as referential to the 90s series as volume two.
Overall, this series is one of my top sci-fi comic recommendations for people willing to try things with untraditional comic narrative structure.
The art is still the star of this run of comics but the story here is fun and weird and not as referential to the 90s series as volume two.
Overall, this series is one of my top sci-fi comic recommendations for people willing to try things with untraditional comic narrative structure.
November 24, 2017
I think this might be where the tide starts to turn back against Graham and Prophet a little bit - while the minimalism and starkness of the first two books made them a real wonder, it's gotten to the point where it's hard to track exactly which Prophets we've seen are still alive, where they are, and what they're doing. I'm hoping that some of the bits toward the end of this indicate that there's a winnowing of sorts coming.
May 27, 2020
This comic certainly veers close to incomprehensibility with some frequency. Here, one of the biggest problems is the ever-growing cast of clone characters.
But, it stays just this side, and so remains a strange and intriguing comic. It's particularly great to finally start returning to some of our past characters, so that we can (hopefully) see their stories start to dovetail.
But, it stays just this side, and so remains a strange and intriguing comic. It's particularly great to finally start returning to some of our past characters, so that we can (hopefully) see their stories start to dovetail.
December 3, 2020
More weird goodness from Graham and an art style that's growing on me from Roy & Milonogiannis.
The narrative is really starting to come together and I'm happy that "New Father" John came back from the previous volume and is involved in something else here. Very enthused about all of that.
Looking forward to more strange, gross, but imaginative sci-fi!
The narrative is really starting to come together and I'm happy that "New Father" John came back from the previous volume and is involved in something else here. Very enthused about all of that.
Looking forward to more strange, gross, but imaginative sci-fi!
October 19, 2020
While the art continues to be phenomenal, I completely lost track of the plot. Couldn't make heads nor tails of it. It didn't help that 3/4 of the characters were clones or different versions of one another. I quit about halfway through.
January 28, 2022
Ya están todos los actores y todas las líneas de la trama. Ya se perfila com una historia más abarcable y comprensible. Die hard sigue siendo lo más atractivo. Hermosas pequeñas referencias al pasado y a Rob!
January 28, 2024
This was a bizarre trip, and half the time I have no idea what was going on… but honestly it doesn’t matter because there are so many cool ideas packed into this. A lot of weird “biomaterials” and technology merged together.
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