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The Prox Transmissions
A secret transmission from the far reaches of the galaxy falls into the hands of SETI radio astronomer Dr. Stephen Browning. His world begins to unravel as he discovers the cryptic message includes information on advanced technology and a dire warning from the future. After Browning seeks aid of brilliant-yet-impetuous playboy Dr. Aston Wise, the two set off on an epic journey to discover the meaning of the transmission, only to discover they are pawns in a much bigger game. Humanity hangs in the balance as powerful forces vie for control of the future, with only Wise and Browning to stop them.
88 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2017
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167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 27, 2017
Not quite as good as the novel. In fact, I would highly recommend reading the novel before reading this. That said, I enjoyed seeing the story in a different format.
August 27, 2023
"Who are you to change this world? Silly boy. No one needs to hear your words. Let it go."
January 8, 2023
I enjoyed this because I enjoy the album it's based on. If you're a Starset fan, go ahead and give it a read. There are some interesting sci fi concepts, but it's really fan service or a companion piece to the album Transmissions. For the uninitiated it begins to fall flat halfway through. There's also a romantic subplot that... Honestly just sucks. 0/10 for that part.
June 5, 2020
A greedy one-percent corporation who wants total control of humanity-saving technology? Check. That same corporation wanting to keep the masses ignorant and amnesic? Check. A secret society that wants to make the technology public so that we don’t live through an apocalypse? Check. And what about a couple of pawns who happen to be highly-esteemed engineers? Double check. When you strip away the sci-fi elements, this graphic novel begins to read like a prophecy. Unlike Mike Judge, Dustin Bates wasn’t off by 490 years. This is classic capitalist dystopia at its most dangerous. When profits come before people, the people won’t remain and they’re the most important resource we have. The loudest voices of our generation are being silenced, provided those voices don’t belong to the willfully ignorant or the economically powerful. If this graphic novel about decoding a space transmission doesn’t serve as a warning to humanity, I don’t know what will.
I know this book doesn’t seem like much of a message given it’s only eighty-eight pages and the first half of it is riddled with cheesiness. Sometimes the dialogue seems like an exposition dump or wholly unrealistic. The romantic relationship between Stephen and Dana happened way too quickly, which might have been by design considering what we learn about Dana. Some of the main characters are removed from the plot too easily and when they come back it almost seems like Deus Ex Machina. While I appreciate the scientific terminology being broken down into laymen’s terms, that too feels a lot like an exposition dump. The sob story that Stephen tells Dana about his ongoing divorce feels forced and only thrown in there as a ham-fisted attempt to garner sympathy. The fact that it was so endearing to Dana is a little bit sick. After this first half was over, I wrestled with myself about what grade I should give this book.
And then the second half came along and everything became as clear as day. The action got hot and heavy in a hurry when the assassination attempts on the main characters were taken more seriously. The cryptic text messages weren’t just a cliché plot device after all and actually led to the greater good. The technology that the evil corporation wants to get their hands on would quite frankly go a long way in rebuilding our economy in the real world. The anti-capitalist themes were more apparent and more urgent-sounding. There were twists and turns that made me forget about the Deus Ex Machina reinsertion of lost characters. The ending brings about a full circle effect that leaves the story open-ended, much like the uncertainty of life itself. I guess what I’m trying to say with this paragraph is that if you’re waiting for things to stop being cheesy and start being real, then your patience will be rewarded with a brilliantly-written story. The eighty-eight pages will feel jam-packed with everything you’re looking for in a dystopian journey.
The author of this graphic novel, Dustin Bates, also happens to be the lead singer and songwriter for the electronic rock band Starset. He doesn’t just write a neat little story; he lives the gimmick. He believes everything he says and we should listen to him. Does the sci-fi aspect seem silly to ordinary people? Absolutely. But does the genre make the message any less important? No way. Whether you think he believes his own gimmick too much or not, Dustin Bates is doing what every classic sci-fi storyteller has done before him: predict the future and call his readers to arms. For that, this graphic novel deserves four out of five stars.
I know this book doesn’t seem like much of a message given it’s only eighty-eight pages and the first half of it is riddled with cheesiness. Sometimes the dialogue seems like an exposition dump or wholly unrealistic. The romantic relationship between Stephen and Dana happened way too quickly, which might have been by design considering what we learn about Dana. Some of the main characters are removed from the plot too easily and when they come back it almost seems like Deus Ex Machina. While I appreciate the scientific terminology being broken down into laymen’s terms, that too feels a lot like an exposition dump. The sob story that Stephen tells Dana about his ongoing divorce feels forced and only thrown in there as a ham-fisted attempt to garner sympathy. The fact that it was so endearing to Dana is a little bit sick. After this first half was over, I wrestled with myself about what grade I should give this book.
And then the second half came along and everything became as clear as day. The action got hot and heavy in a hurry when the assassination attempts on the main characters were taken more seriously. The cryptic text messages weren’t just a cliché plot device after all and actually led to the greater good. The technology that the evil corporation wants to get their hands on would quite frankly go a long way in rebuilding our economy in the real world. The anti-capitalist themes were more apparent and more urgent-sounding. There were twists and turns that made me forget about the Deus Ex Machina reinsertion of lost characters. The ending brings about a full circle effect that leaves the story open-ended, much like the uncertainty of life itself. I guess what I’m trying to say with this paragraph is that if you’re waiting for things to stop being cheesy and start being real, then your patience will be rewarded with a brilliantly-written story. The eighty-eight pages will feel jam-packed with everything you’re looking for in a dystopian journey.
The author of this graphic novel, Dustin Bates, also happens to be the lead singer and songwriter for the electronic rock band Starset. He doesn’t just write a neat little story; he lives the gimmick. He believes everything he says and we should listen to him. Does the sci-fi aspect seem silly to ordinary people? Absolutely. But does the genre make the message any less important? No way. Whether you think he believes his own gimmick too much or not, Dustin Bates is doing what every classic sci-fi storyteller has done before him: predict the future and call his readers to arms. For that, this graphic novel deserves four out of five stars.
November 14, 2017
I bought this graphic novel purely because I love Starset, the band, and was interested in finding out more about the message behind the music.
The premise of the book is that a transmission is received from space from the future warning of an impending disaster for all humankind, should an advanced piece of technology fall into the wrong hands. Doctors Stephen Browning and Anton Wise set out to stop that from happening.
The story was interesting but felt a bit rushed, and I had the feeling that I was missing out on vital pieces of information. It turns out that there is a novel of the story and this is the graphic adaptation of said tale. The upshot is that I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I’d read the novel first. 3.5 stars
The premise of the book is that a transmission is received from space from the future warning of an impending disaster for all humankind, should an advanced piece of technology fall into the wrong hands. Doctors Stephen Browning and Anton Wise set out to stop that from happening.
The story was interesting but felt a bit rushed, and I had the feeling that I was missing out on vital pieces of information. It turns out that there is a novel of the story and this is the graphic adaptation of said tale. The upshot is that I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I’d read the novel first. 3.5 stars
September 10, 2024
While I find this an interesting ironic story. I feel it doesn’t go deep enough with the world-building.
Here we have the story of a mysterious signal that apparently comes from the future, containing information with new technology that could change the world.
A group of scientists are on the run with part of the information as they’re being followed by an evil corporation wanting to use said technology for profit.
It’s an intriguing tale with a very funny twist at the very end. But I don’t think it’s needed, the bands music videos expand much more without any kind of dialogue.
Here we have the story of a mysterious signal that apparently comes from the future, containing information with new technology that could change the world.
A group of scientists are on the run with part of the information as they’re being followed by an evil corporation wanting to use said technology for profit.
It’s an intriguing tale with a very funny twist at the very end. But I don’t think it’s needed, the bands music videos expand much more without any kind of dialogue.
January 20, 2020
I knew this was adapted from a full-fledged novel (which I haven’t read), but so much was very clearly lost in the abridgment that the final result borders on nonsensical. Huge time jumps occur in the narrative, characters rush into actions without buildup, and even the production design seems to change from page to page. I’ll stick to Starset’s music, thanks.
November 10, 2022
I wanted to read this because it was written by Dustin Bates of Starset. I borrowed the only copy in my library's whole system. Unfortunately this was the graphic novel, and not the original novel. It wasn't bad, but I feel like a lot had been left out. I'd still like to read the original novel at some point.
April 20, 2024
Some things are better in one format than another.
The prox transmissions is based on an album by my favorite band, Starset. It's a fine story, but was a little convoluted at times. Characters remained pretty flat throughout with little to no development.
I don't think I could fully recommend this to anyone unless they are pretty big fans of Starset. Even then...I don't know.
The prox transmissions is based on an album by my favorite band, Starset. It's a fine story, but was a little convoluted at times. Characters remained pretty flat throughout with little to no development.
I don't think I could fully recommend this to anyone unless they are pretty big fans of Starset. Even then...I don't know.
January 29, 2026
I do understand the people who said the Novel version is better than the Graphic Novel. I did like the main story but the pacing is clearly sped up here. I also feel like some characterization is missing. It does seem like a relevant story and I am glad to have the quick read.
October 11, 2017
I love the art in this. And a comic about my favorite band? fantastic.
October 13, 2017
I'd give it 3.5 if possible. Interesting story and beautiful artwork. Story bounces around a lot from one "big reveal" to the next and can get slightly mixed up on characters roles and significance.
November 22, 2017
Cool concept in the vein of contact. But it went off the deep end a little bit.
November 22, 2017
It was ok.
May 23, 2018
Campy/ comicy sci-fi
Decent read if you're into B sci-fi stories. If you're into starset go ahead and pick it up. It's not bad but it won't blow you away.
Decent read if you're into B sci-fi stories. If you're into starset go ahead and pick it up. It's not bad but it won't blow you away.
August 6, 2023
Its ight i guess. Read this on a train and it entertained me enough. Can get kinda corny.
December 24, 2023
brb gonna listen to vessels again for the 858927th time
December 7, 2019
THE FOLLOWING DRAMATIZATION IS COMMISSIONED BY THE STARSET SOCIETY.
So this graphic novel is tied in with Prox Transmissions, which was originally a novel by the founder of Starset, a cinematic rockband with edgy, sci-fi sound. It's the same story, just in comic form and interesting to see how the characters look and how the story develops as an art form.
The plot is all about Stephen Browning, who wakes up with no memory and a tattoo with coordinates on it. It leads him down a crazy path of messages from the future, assassination attempts, and saving the world (and the future) from a power-hungry corporation that could enslave it. Along the way, he gathers a few friends and even more enemies.
The ending is rather, open-ended. I've always had my own ideas about what could happen after these events take place in Transmissions, so I really hope one day the Vessels and Divisions albums get their own stories to see which ideas could be confirmed.
I wasn't so sure what I thought of the artwork itself. The style isn't my style, which of course, isn't a bad thing. Just not aesthetically pleasing like I prefer. However, the style fits what's going on in the story, which in the end, is all that matters. It doesn't focus too much on details, which gives it that mysterious feel. And all the sci-fi panels are just how I imagined, glorious and rough on the edges, which translates the dark feels Prox Transmissions delivers. I rated it a four - now let's get back to rocking out to some Starset!
So this graphic novel is tied in with Prox Transmissions, which was originally a novel by the founder of Starset, a cinematic rockband with edgy, sci-fi sound. It's the same story, just in comic form and interesting to see how the characters look and how the story develops as an art form.
The plot is all about Stephen Browning, who wakes up with no memory and a tattoo with coordinates on it. It leads him down a crazy path of messages from the future, assassination attempts, and saving the world (and the future) from a power-hungry corporation that could enslave it. Along the way, he gathers a few friends and even more enemies.
The ending is rather, open-ended. I've always had my own ideas about what could happen after these events take place in Transmissions, so I really hope one day the Vessels and Divisions albums get their own stories to see which ideas could be confirmed.
I wasn't so sure what I thought of the artwork itself. The style isn't my style, which of course, isn't a bad thing. Just not aesthetically pleasing like I prefer. However, the style fits what's going on in the story, which in the end, is all that matters. It doesn't focus too much on details, which gives it that mysterious feel. And all the sci-fi panels are just how I imagined, glorious and rough on the edges, which translates the dark feels Prox Transmissions delivers. I rated it a four - now let's get back to rocking out to some Starset!
April 20, 2024
Now this was just as fun to read! But being a much shorter and more condensed version of the novel, while entertaining, you lose a lot of the story with this one. I did enjoy being able to see some of the more notable scenes illustrated. It really helped visualize those scenes. But I would recommend reading the full novel first and then following it with this graphic novel!
January 28, 2020
I didn't think this thing made any sense. You could rip out pages from unique graphic novels, stitch them in a random order, and that would make more sense than the plot of this one.
October 15, 2017
I had been looking forward to reading this since it was announced. Honestly I am not a huge comics reader, but the science side of it, and the connection to Starset was enough for me to be interested. I can see this transferring very well into a TV series or movie. I'm thinking a series might work better. Looking at you, Marvel! I'd love to see even more in depth looks at each thing that happened. It flows well, and goes quickly, so maybe I'd just like to have more to read! I am really glad this got published, and look forward to what follows in the storyline!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews