Prophet Volume 4: Joining

Joining is gloriously indecipherable. I’ve followed this series since the beginning, and its utter disregard for the audience’s sensibilities and needs are refreshing.This is science fiction at its frustratingly best. When you open a volume of Prophet, you are doing so on the narrator’s terms. You are entering a universe you do not recognize, and, such as with the real world, life goes on and has always done so despite your opinions on the matter.Prophet has some of the most detailed technology, alien life forms, and religion I’ve ever read in a book, yet the narrator delivers only the surface level of these things. Most of it confuses the reader, yet, at my core, I believe there is great depth to everything the reader encounters – we simply don’t understand. In Prophet, we are the true aliens.In the hands of different writers or artists, Joining could be an absolute mess. But it’s not. There is something beautiful about it, something otherworldly and transcendent. However, if you asked me to tell you what it’s actually about, I wouldn’t have a clue.Take heart, though, there is a little guide at the back of this volume that offers accounts of things we’ve previously wondered. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it explains anything clearly, but it does offer a new perspective.I’m afraid I am not completely happy with Joining, though. The characters from Youngblood continue to make appearances in this title. And while I know they all originate from the same place, Prophet has entered a world all its own and it’s jarring to see characters like “Shaft” and “Badrock” in such an otherwise original work. Keep in mind, I said the same thing about “Diehard” when he first appeared, but he has now won me over.I don’t know where this title is going, nor do I particularly care. I’m simply glad to experience it.

At once indecipherable and yet also where the narrative is the most clear, Graham really lets his Alexandro Jodorowsky style world building really show through. The disregard for convention is, indeed, a breath of fresh air, but it is actually building towards a narrative and that is clearest in this book. However, it is impossible to tell if this is the end of a series or really the beginning of it. Graham is definitely operating on the ice-berg theory: most of the detailed religions and history are only shown as surface. Only through the flash-backs of Old Man Prophet and Diehard's collective memory do you get the most coherent hints at the development of the universe in which Graham is operating. Liefeld's creations are important to mythos though and some of this reads like a thought experiment on what would happened if such over-powered beings were allowed to exist for eons and how time would warp them. Again, despite the high number of artists, this comic still has coherent atmospherics and consistency in art style.The inclusion of Prophet: Strikefile at the end does actually clarify what some of the Liefeld creations have morphed into, although how and why still remains somewhat arcane. The upcoming Prophet: Earthwar will probably clarify the stakes and give an ending to the entire series.

Prophet, its one of the great sci-fi comics, deserving multiple readings. And you'll probably gain new insight on every reading. The series has been all over the place, cosmically and even spiritually. At times it might be difficult to fully comprehend, but the story is out there, it really asks you to immerse yourself in what could be. The themes, the characters, the flow, they play in the realm of obscurity meets imagination, meets possibility, meets what the hell just happened? There's one more trade coming, and probably about a year away, it can't come soon enough. The art is by various artists and such an integral part of the story. For something different than most stuff out there, try Prophet.

Prophet wont hold your hand. It's like getting on a wild bronco... absolutely brilliant.

Radical volume. Sometimes distressingly hard to follow. I'm not sure if the lack of narrative is artful or careless but if you've followed the other volumes, then you should be on board.

Not as good as Vols 1-3.The quality of the artwork is inconsistent (I bought Vol I for the art alone) and the callbacks to the corny, hideously ugly and poorly written 90s Image Comics universe detract from what has otherwise been a good title.

GREAT continuation of the Prophet story. This volume clears up a great deal of the origins for all the characters. The entire book winds up feeling a bit disjointed since it deals with each story in turn, but definitely a must have.

This is an ODD series......that I can't stop reading lol

As good as ever, though confused if this is the last volume considering the last few pages of sketch/descriptions?

I love this series. They dredged up an old Liefield character from the 90s and gave him new life. The creativity and imagination in the series is fantastic and brings to mind the works of Mobius and Jodorowsky. It is bizarre, dark but at the same time light hearted in its own way. The art style changes as focus shifts between storylines and eras giving every part of the story its own unique feel.From what i have read this will be the last book in the series at the moment which is a shame. It ends leaving you wanting more.

Tiene más contenido que los otros cuatro volúmenes y aclara muchas interrogantes que habían surgido en las ediciones anteriores de la saga.