Prism Stalker Vol. 1

Prism Stalker (single issues) #1-5

by Sloane Leong

Far from the border of colonized space, a newly discovered planet teems violently with strange psychic life and puzzling telekinetic ecology. Vep, a refugee raised away from her devastated home planet as an indentured citizen in a foreign colony, is taken by a private military firm to assist in settling the new planet. What awaits her will test the limits of her will as she grapples with the strange power the planet exerts over her...Collects PRISM STALKER #1-5

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Speculative Fiction

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2018

About the author

Sloane Leong is a mixed indigenous cartoonist, artist, and writer. She explores themes of survival, displacement, relationships, spirituality, identity, and mental illness through genres like science fiction, horror, adventure, and slice-of-life. She is currently working on the second arc of her sci-fi adventure comic Prism Stalker and has a new book coming up in 2020 from First Second called A Map to the Sun.

Current projects: A MAP TO THE SUN (First Second, 2020), PRISM STALKER VOL 2 (Image Comics, 2021)

Reviews

[Nuno R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many weeks have passed since I finished it and I still don't know what to write about Prism Stalker. This is one of the most impressive comics I have read. It feels like a dream, an alucination, the memory of the story. I have to read it again and again. The pages are absolutelly stunning and the storytelling incredibly original. It will be an inspiration to me for years to come.

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first impression was that this book is weird. It throws all of the sci-fi conventions you know out the window and builds its world in a new and innovative way. The world of this story is bizarre and disorienting in an uncomfortable way, an effect that is heightened by the use of psychedelic colors throughout the book. I have to admit that I appreciated the story more after reading the author's interview at the end of the book. The author explains that the story draws on the experiences of native peoples facing colonizing powers. I hadn't thought of that while reading the story, but knowing that, the story makes a little more sense. I probably should reread it from that perspective.

[Literary Lusts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not understand anything going on after 15 pages and wasn't impressed by the art. Not for me.

[Mr. D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pioggia di recensioni entusiastiche, paragoni con Cronenberg, Sailor Moon, bio-punk, acidi e droghe varie.
E non c'entra quasi niente con nessuna delle summenzionate cose.
Con cosa c'entra allora? Con l'ennesimo plot di formazione scolastica guerriera sink or swim, dove tutti ti sono contro e i tuoi insegnanti ti sottopongono a prove speciali because reasons; un accenno di colonialismo e tensioni tribali gettati là a dare carattere ma mai più utilizzati se non come remota motivazione; tecnologia praticamente indistinguibile dalla magia che ha funzione di deus ex machina
facile e conveniente; poteri psionici misticheggianti che santa pazienza, son cinquant'anni che ci giriamo intorno.
Se non fosse per l'aspetto visivo del fumetto che è effettivamente gradevole, nella sua esagerazione, sarebbe una stella.
Diciamo che ci sono fumetti di fantascienza migliori in giro.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This wasn't the comic for me.
I appreciated the psychedelic art and the training academy/boot camp plot that the majority of the volume followed, but I wasn't engaged in the storylines. Our main character was really complex and nuanced and I think a lot of readers will see their own lived experiences reflected in her. The vast array of aliens and other humans/bipeds she interacts with were all insanely cool too. But much of broader worldbuilding/story-telling is a little confusing and you have to be willing to sit with that confusion (and that wasn't in the headspace I was in while reading, unfortunately).

However, I did really like the themes Leong was explored - my favourite part was actually the short interview in the bonus section (by Tessa Strain with Sloane Leong). Leong discusses the thematic inspirations from her own "ancestral past and present, specifically [as] a reflection on [her] Native Hawaiian and Native American ancestries" regarding colonialism, refugee status, the loss of language and culture through forced assimilation, and the use of "texture-forward" and biological-focused art and worldbuilding that are all present in her work.

I think this comic will really work for some readers, I just wasn't that person.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange, psychedelic trip through the initiation of a girl into a group that will colonize a planet.

Vep, our protagonist, is lost in a strange universe, away from her home and her culture. One thing Sloane Leong really gets across in this book is the need for the identity of "home". The knowledge of your people, it's traditional language, and the overall customs of the culture are all things that make up who we are, it anchors us to something and without that, we drift along unknown space. She begins to learn how to be part of this elite group, but the training is brutal and the tactics are strange and seemingly impossible. Only after rigorous and intense training does she begin to show the glimmer of possibly getting through the trial and becoming a member of this elite force.

The art is really interesting and well done. It swirls, contorts, and glimmers its way through the story, making it feel foreign and alien at all times. The technology used is completely different from what we know, being more biological or even metaphysical in nature and the art conveys this really well.

The story is very confusing at times, and does have the detriment of losing focus - only to have you snap back into place once the story grounds itself a bit more. But for a lot of the time, the situation and landscapes are so alien, that as a reader, I was lost for quite a bit. It's similar to the newest volumes of Prophet, where everything feels just this side of having some kind of psychedelic drug experience.

I would recommend this for people who don't like linear stories. More for people who can enjoy the ride and enjoy the visuals more than a straight forward story. It's there too, but the ride is really what this book is about. Unfortunately, the story ends abruptly, and I don't know if the author has plans of continuing it, but I hope there is more as I am along for the ride.

[mantareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lush and important book (i also liked that it somehow smelled like Pokémon cards?!). The appended interview with Leong made me appreciate in more detail what she was trying to do visually and thematically.

As a person a little disconnected from my "culture", I empathised much more with the protagonist's alienation from hers; and how Leong visually represented this.

Really liked the vivid organic representations of space too, itself a response to the cold, polished aesthetics of earlier scifi

REREAD: Coming back to this after living in Hawaii allowed me to appreciate the deeper nuances of Vep's story. Again, the artwork was so beautiful, and provided such a different, more 'organic' vision of science fiction.

[Den · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this if you like books about: graphic novels, pastels, colorful artworks, space operas, aliens and humans, reclaiming your freedom, fighters in training, secrets, books with weird aftertaste

I feel so weird after reading this one. There's a certain je ne sais quois in this story (and the panels, of course) that reels me in, at the same time, it feels so convoluted I almost gave up on this.

Huh.

[Bogi Takács]

This was supposed to be really up my alley and yes! I thought it was great. (Thank you Sandstone for the rec!) I would like Volume 2, yes please.

I want to write something longer later on, and also listen to the soundtrack - I was reading on Shabbes so I couldn't.
_____
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best comic I've read in years.

[Jesús · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn't who Sloane Leong's influences are that matters when reading this absolutely incredible first volume (of what I hope will be a long-running book), it's how naturally her disparate influences all fit together (Butler, LeGuin, Herbert, etc). Not only that, but the protagonist, Vep, is one of the few protagonists in the sci-fi genre who I feel personally connected to.

As a consequence of cosmos-wide colonization, Vep has been cut off from her parents' language, culture, knowledge, and so on. She tries to reconnect with that lost culture in whatever way she can, but it amounts to no more than learning a few words and phrases in her mother tongue. Further, Vep has been impressed into military service fighting on behalf of colonizers against indigenous populations much like her own. Her desire to reconnect with her past puts her directly at odds with her role as an elite soldier impressed into service.

The bummer is that the book ends just as the scene has been set. Despite working on other big projects, writer/artist Sloane Leong has repeatedly said that she intends to return to this story and this character. I have no doubt that the wait will have been worth it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychedelic, organic, neon-flavored sci-fi. There's so much thought put into the crafting of this, the disorientation of the art and world-building play well into the themes of colonization. Vep is both estranged at the Academy and among her people, not having the same cultural touchstones of either. We're given a similar experience as readers with so many little touches throughout; the dizzying art style, the other species looking similar-but-not-quite features to Earth animals, being unable to read Vep's mother tongue when she can't understand it. The level of detail is just wonderful.

Also really loved the references to Nature of Nature's Art (!) and am definitely here for the promised anime-inspired tournament arc in the next volume.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic sci-fi, perfect for fans of Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis. Explores issues of diaspora, cultural genocide and other themes through a sci-fi lens. I also love it when sci-fi can create truly alien aliens (aka, not just sexy blue women). The world in this comic feels very unfamiliar, yet has traces of our reality.

Trigger warnings/squicks: Some body horror, cultural genocide
Representation: MC is POC, Author is mixed indigenous (of Hawaiian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Native American and European decent).

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of reminded me of the Prophet revival (and I see that Leong has contributed artwork to that title), with its weird vision of aliens and alien worlds. The artwork is generally pretty good, although there are times where it's hard to know just what the heck is going on. The story is only getting started here, though, as we follow students at an academy of sorts being trained to become warriors or protectors or something (this part wasn't all that clear). The main character, Vep, appears to be human and comes from a planet where her people are slaves to horse-like creatures. She sees this training as a possible way to break free from that oppression, for her and her clan. It isn't the easiest comic to read, but there is definite potential here and it looks like the story is going to continue past this first volume.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Art and the story just didn't do anything for me. Was hoping for an epic sci-fi read.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, not quite a 4

I am absolutely in love with the art in this book; it is so engaging and drew me in; however, it is worth noting that if it weren't for the art, I wouldn't have kept reading due to the story's start. For a story, I need context about the world as what most appeals to me about a story is world-building and lore. Unfortunately, the story's start felt a little confusing due to the lack of context, and there were too many exciting ideas introduced that were not given a backstory. Still, I would encourage people to read this! Keep up with the story; it's worth it; I enjoyed how themes were explored in this story and will seek out other instalments in the series; I'm hoping to see further world-building.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting ride this was.. This comics surely developed in me some kind of admiration for it. Story was so unique. First of all, I had a little problem to look at that art, because it was too colourful, but after first issue I somehow got used to it and even started to love it! Some panels were really stunning and I spent a lot of time examining every inch of it.

That fantastical world Sloane created is something that will pull you in when you least expect that. I thought in the beggining of this it will bore me but I caught myself like I was smiling reading every word.

Characters are amazing, uncommon, fascinating.. The only thing I was sad about here and there was that I found Vep (main character) sometimes a little bit annoying, almost unbearable. No matter if it was purpose or not, in the end I liked it in some way. Can't wait for more..

As I said - excellent art (colour work wonderful), it's different, it's something everyone should try even if the result will be negative opinion.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating kaleidoscopic sci-fi about refugees and the moral compromises that can present themselves as imperfect survival opportunities. Its near absence of conventional exposition or world-building means the story is bewilderingly told at times (in a good way) that emphasizes the alien-ness of everything and the main character’s inherent lack of a stable foundation. The art is often incredible, but especially the more avant garde scenes; human faces and forms can sometimes look more like a very talented amateur’s notebook doodling than the spectacular organic alien imagery.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of Prism Stalker is fantastically colored. That's the first thing that will strike any reader. And it's messy, not just with the gooey, sticky, snotty, slimy alien stuff everywhere, but also with plot. The disorientation I felt as a reader was engineered to parallel the disorientation displaced people feel, so in that respect it was very successful. But a few places could have used a bit more explanation, just to keep my understanding of the plot on track. This was done well with how the main character was "rescued" (lifted off from her dying planet, only to become a slave on an astroid), first the dreamlike imagery, then the actual knowledge of what happened (the giant birds covering the sky = rescue ships, mother running towards giant blackness = mother being rescued, etc.) Some basic facts were unclear, like the whole mother thing. Who is mother and just how were these humanoids "born" wasn't clear to me. At some point, it almost became clear, but then I lost it...

Perhaps what's most interesting is the inter-cultural struggle Vep faces. True, the new, strange planet, the weird psychokinetic stuff, all of that is challenging, but when she recognizes the language spoken in her refugee world and tries to make friends, she is shunned as a lowlife refugee who doesn't even understand the language or the cultural norms (she calls them "sisters," while they chide her for not even understanding what she is saying or the hand gestures she is doing to greet them.)

The series has potential to be very interesting and engaging. It does need a tad bit more clarity, though. I agree to the comparisons to Monstress, both in terms of the unusual style or art and the subject matter.

Recommended for those who like slime, the psychedelic color scheme, singing, elite academies, and glowing eggs.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly surreal. It operates within a conventional story arc, but it jettisons everything that is familiar about training stories or biology or psychology. The stories are wildly inventive and the artwork is equally alien. One of the best things published last year?

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I still enjoyed this overall despite not understanding what was happening for literally any of it.
This is HARD sci-fi. Like, the hardest. There were concepts in here that didn’t make sense to my puny human brain.
But the art was great and there were some really great lines.

[Edward Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels very much like a SAGA knockoff, which doesn't quite do justice to the interesting color schemes and representation that Sloane Leong brings to this story. But the problem that befell Leong's later work, A MAP TO THE SUN, is hear in droves. Leong is an interesting artist, but not a very good storyteller. This is a murky volume with paper-thin characters, but it does look very interesting. But looks are not the only thing that should drive a comic book.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this comic are amazing. If you go to the author’s website , for each issue a track was made to listen to and it really makes you feel like your are in this world.

I did find the story a little hard to follow and hope that the next issues and volume clear up things on what exactly is happening in this world. I think think the lack of details is intentional though.

[Jere Pilapil · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is brilliant, but I don’t know what’s going on. Not in a fun way, like Wicked + Divine but in a bummer way like life in general

[Peter Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bold and unique. At its very best, it captures the same sense of alien wonder I got from reading the Prophet reboot. At its worst, it relies on some cheesy common cadet-in-training story tropes. But put it all together and it's well worth your time - I'll be snagging vol2 as soon as it drops.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need MORE!

[Sean Goh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising start with the space colonisers academy, reading the author's notes at the end helps the reader figure out the influences and intended themes.

[Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writer/artist/creator Sloane Leong has created a liminal space that can’t be contained in a simple elevator pitch or Wiki summary. So instead of plot or story or characters, I'll just attempt to encapsulate instead some of the reasons why I find it great (hence: no spoilers, no worries!).

PRISM STALKER is bio-punk space opera on the speculative scale offered by things like Iain Banks' CULTURE novels or Alejandro Jodorowsky's THE METABARONS, buoyed atop similar thematic depths plumbed in such writers as Ursula Le Guin or Octavia Butler: diasporic identity, cultural imperialism, colonization, estrangement. There are no quick diagrams or maps tucked away to help navigate this sci-fi universe (unlike so many contemporaries in the genre nowadays); information gained about things like Eriatarka wildlife or the Chorus Academy is not bombarded upon us in clunky exposition, but elicited inside poetic asides and illustrative action instead. Which is not a criticism but a compliment. It feels like a journey, in the proper sense of world-building: discovery, learning a place by travelling through it, expectations subverted.

And PRISM STALKER’s setting is indeed an uncanny environment worth discovering, a place where (borrowing a phrase from Galen Strawson) the world of ideas is as solid as the world of seas and mountains, if not more so: synaptic corridors and pulsating hallways, oozing cities, will-to-power as weaponized pneuma, alien bodies in all shapes and sizes. (Oh so many shapes, oh so many sizes – from a horse-like nematoid-faced race called the Sveran or a regal chimera-with-draconic-mane named Sozerin, to an utterly adorable itsy-bitsy rhino-horned ladybug with shimmering mauve-carapace, along with anything and everything in-between).

But... the real nexus of appeal here, I think, is the layouts and coloring. If every comicbook could be construed as a block universe, a bound continuum of moments suspended tenseless from front-to-back, then PRISM STALKER interlaces each page into a wild enthalpy of wavelengths forcing form into motion. Sloane Leong’s composition on any given page is truly a sensual exercise in attaining a sustained dynamic of flux. Master craftmanship as chaos control: everything glows, everything breathes, even when you aren’t looking at the thing.

I cannot overstate this enough, it is one of the central lures underlying the reading: more hues of color are present and accounted for in a single issue of PRISM STALKER than probably any leprechaun tripping LSD at the end of the rainbow has ever seen. Plasmic pinks? Somnium blue. Radioactive greens! Cosmic tangerine. GAMMAMETHYST. Panels morph, coloring shifts like a speed or a temperature or a heartbeat escaping earthbound spectrums in the direction of extreme ultra-violet, neon landing among the bandwidth of psychedelic dreams. This? This is gorgeous stuff. There is a constant process of ebullition, fulmination, condensation, crystallization within the overall imagery and page designs, fluidly changing in accordance with emotional magnitude and moment-to-moment narrative substance (an ambience or gradient captured pitch-perfect as well in both lettering provided by Ariana Maher and synth-vibes composed by neotenomie -- yes, PRISM STALKER even has an accompanying soundtrack!). It jives perfect with how Sloane’s overall technique appears to fuse a symbiotic gamut of influences, too: it’s a comic as much predisposed to using the speeds lines of shōnan manga or resonant spacelessness in shōjo panels when storytelling need arises, as it is busting out psychedelia often only seen in the likes of Jim Starlin, Andrei Tarkovsky, Philippe Druillet, college dorm room posters.

In a recent book, cultural critic and philosopher Steven Shaviro offered a rather concise definition for science fiction as something which operates by speculation, extrapolation and allusion: pragmatic and exploratory, emotional and situational. “By telling stories, the genre asks questions about all sorts of things: consciousness and cognition, the future, extreme possibilities, nonhuman otherness, and especially the deep consequences – the powers and limitations – of both our ideologies and our technologies.” In the wake of the Image Comics boom there has been a plethora of science fiction in mainstream comics, more than a few of which have been quite enjoyable (East of West, Saga, Infection). And they are certainly telling stories, sure. But six years on, it feels like a dearth has taken stranglehold on much of any real novelty inherent to the genre and medium. World-making, in the grand sense of extrapolating new ways of thinking which push against the boundaries or ideas of how we perceive the world, doesn’t seem to be a real concern.

PRISM STALKER feels different. A speculative spectacle of socially conscious storytelling, it pushes not only the imagination of the sci-fi genre but the boundaries of the comics medium itself a little bit further. If you love either of those two things, you owe it to yourself to take a journey and check it out.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous. Fantastic but intelligible illustrations pair perfectly with a story that slowly unfolds while sucking you in.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't rally understand much of what was going on, but the psychedelic artwork was gorgeous