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The thread title is a bold statement, but it’s a serious one. And if you weren’t aware of just how good the recent relaunch of the various Extreme Studios comics were, then you must be hiding under a rock. Comic book critics have been going ape over two series in particular, Prophet and Glory and I now consider them two of the best comic books on the stands right now. I’ve been totally blown away by the high level of quality, and to be honest, I did not expect that at all.
I’ll get right to point: “Extreme Studios” refers to the properties published by Image Comics that are owned by Rob Liefield. I know next to nothing about them other than Alan Moore’s Supreme, and never followed them. But while those series may have been the epitome of what was wrong with comics in the 1990’s, this current batch of relaunches that began in January is the epitome of what is RIGHT with comics right now. And to clarify, owner Rob Liefield has absolutely nothing to do with the various series being published other than smartly sitting back and letting these creators take the bull by the horns and showcase why work-for-hire on creator-owned properties is a better approach than work-for-hire on corporate owned properties.
In some subsequent posts I’ll get into each series individually and include some reviews scattered here on Legion World. But let me reiterate again just how good these series are. Bravo to Image (and Liefield) for taking the chance to do this and giving the talents on the series so much creative freedom. Comic book “critics” (if there really is such a thing) on the various websites have been praising the series immensely for the past few months; additionally, a lot of creators have spoken up to say how impressed they are with what is coming out. Warren Ellis, for example, has been very public in saying he thinks Prophet is among the best new series he’s seen in years (which is what led me to check it out).
Getting back to that comparison to DC’s Silver Age. One thing people forget is that when DC relaunched the concepts of the Flash, Green Lantern, and then later Hawkman, the Atom and others, they were as different to the original incarnations as night and day in terms of the types of adventures, the tone of the series, the origins and the actual execution. Sure, the powers were a little similar (though not always—the Atom for instance) but everything else was different. Julie Schwartz was not afraid to discard the magic-related parts of Green Lantern and the pulpy ‘reincarnated from history’ parts of Hawkman. Because in the Silver Age, it was truly about NEW and FRESH ideas, even when applying them to old properties. Schwartz fully expected his audience to not even know there were similar heroes ten years earlier, and then was surprised to find out that many did. And that is what is happening here with these series. You don’t need to know about what came before, and frankly, I bet its better that you don’t, like me. What you need to know is there is something exciting brewing and something really creative is happening.
This can be a catch-all thread for the Extreme Studios comics, though I do point everyone over to the Supreme Thread for the actual Supreme comic itself!
You should note that each one of these series were almost instant sell outs and continue to do sell out every month. Prophet and Glory are particularly difficult to find in comic book stores, I’ve found. They were under-ordered and then all of a sudden a huge buzz built up on the internet around them.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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The first series to relaunch, and what I think is the best, is Prophet. I’m not big on summarizing, so you’ll have to check it out for exactly who John Prophet is, but what I can tell you is this is pure, visceral science fiction in a take no prisoners, embrace the genre type of way. It’s also one of the most original and fascinating new takes on sci-fi in the future; the words “dystopian” and “post-Apocalyptic” really don’t do it justice because its so much more than that. We’re so far in the future and so much is different and alien, that it’s like a whole new take on the genre.
The series is very much focused on the premise, the world-building and the montage elements; the character of John Prophet is always present and our intro into this world, but that should be kept in mind for potential readers who are surprised at the initial lack of character development.
The series is written by Brandon Graham and drawn by Simon Roy, who each do a fantastic job. They appear so in sync its hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The most comparable artist I can think of is Moebius; in fact, there is an ever present nod to the legendary creator in this series, which maintains a lot of his sensibilities taken to the logical next step. Colorists Richard Ballerman & Frank Teran add nice palette of subdued colors to enhance the overall tone of the series and then give a nice ‘pop’ when needed to enhance the growing tension.
Here is my original review of the first issue; I can only add that as each new issue has come out, it’s gotten even more crazy and better. Again, you don’t need to know anything about Prophet beforehand to enjoy this series.
Also, one disclaimer: when I say ‘visceral science-fiction’, I mean it. It’s not gratuitous, but there are some moments that are almost a bit disgusting almost every issue as Prophet interacts with evolved aliens.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: So the surprise hit of January / February for me was Prophet. I had heard the buzz surrounding it and how quality it was, and then was even more curious once I started reading some big names (e.g. Warren Ellis) really complimenting and praising it. So, checking it out for myself, I was totally blown away by how unique the series is, and how interesting and good that made it. This was a fantastic comic! And by issue’s end, I wasn’t sure if it was so much that I wanted to continue reading, or if I just felt compelled to.
Prophet is by Image Comics via Rob Liefield’s extreme studios. It was a major Image comic in the 90’s and the epitome of everything wrong with comics then; but I actually never read any of those stories and don’t really know all that much about it. And I think this relaunched series is exactly for readers like me in that regard, who have no great knowledge or love of what came before. Rob Liefield made a very smart decision in finding some creators with real indie cred and letting them just run with the concept in their own direction. Writer Brandon Graham and artist Simon Roy do exactly that and its really like nothing I’ve seen before.
Prophet takes place at some far point in the future, when the lead character John Prophet has reawakened to find a very alien Earth. And by ‘very alien’, I mean it! It’s almost impossible to describe the contents of what is within without resorting to summarizing, so I’ll just try to focus on the tone of the series. There is an incredible sense of uneasiness throughout, and I felt myself getting continually more on edge. Prophet is a true sci-fi series in every sense, but it is one of the much more visceral ones to come out in awhile. In that sense, its very much like Ridley Scott’s Alien film in that it presents the reality of the situation and shows nature at its most pure and horrifying, and especially when it something entirely unlike anything we’ve seen before. There are moments where I found myself disgusted by what I was seeing but fascinated at how it subtly made sense within a much broader picture of the world Prophet is set in.
The writing and artwork create a steady forward pace that never once alleviates the tension but also does not give you the satisfaction of bringing things to a head. So you’re left feeling anxiety and awe at what you’re seeing, much like the character John Prophet.
I’m pretty darned impressed by this issue. This is a Liefield character and he’s done a pretty bold thing in staying totally out of it; instead we get something really fresh and unique to the comics world. Like I said before, at the end of the issue, I knew I had to buy the next one. Not because I was ready to put myself through that again, but because I feel like I have to know.
The series relaunched with #21 and is now on #24. As with all Extreme comics, they are hard to find because they were vastly under-ordered and then the buzz around them caused instant sellouts. The first three issues were self-contained, and now the latest, #24, launches the next crazy ass sci-fi arc.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
The next series to launch, and the other one that is equally good, is Glory, which launched in February. Much like Prophet, this series has been nothing short of excellent and has totally blown me away. I had no expectations and actually didn’t even really consider buying it until I started to see reviewers at CBR, newsarama, etc. flipping the fuck out because it was so good. A fantastic review on Legion World by Sarcasm Kid then convinced me to check it out and I’m glad I did (you rawk Sarky!). I was instantly hooked and am here for the long haul.
Glory was originally created as a Wonder Woman analogue by Liefield in the 90’s with the added bonus of as much T&A as possible. Which makes the central thing you notice immediately all the more ironic: namely, the creators have made the seriously bold choice of depicting an Amazon-ish female warrior as she probably would really look: a somewhat brutish ass-kicking soldier complete with muscles, weapons and dominant, masculine poses. It takes a lot of balls to go there, but they smartly don’t stop there and make sure the series itself is loaded with strong concepts, a great story, fantastic characters and really just the complete package.
The series itself is a mix of mythology, science-fiction and war all rolled into one and works in that regard on every level. It also has maintained the street-level viewpoint of the POV character, which keeps it nicely grounded in reality, actually causing it to be a really nice counterview of how Prophet.
Writer Joe Keantinge and artist Ross Campbell are firing on all cylinders. They clearly knew that to take such a risk by not making Glory the typical bent over, thong-wearing, cleavage popping heroine most comic companies like to publish, they had to make sure the content and delivery of the story was enough to retain anyone brave enough to check it out. They succeeded. Readers are presented with an excellent POV character that is freshly introduced and instantly likable, and then are drawn into the mythology of Glory (which is fascinating), the recent events of her life (which is a mystery I want to know more about) and the larger premise / story of the series, which continues to unfold. Recent issues had a nice game-changing twist that show this series has big plans to take the reader on a pretty crazy ride.
The colors are by Ms & Satia Hamilton and they are a wonder to behold as the cover to #25 reveals.
quote:Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid: Glory #23 by Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell.
I have only bought one issue of Glory, a Christmas special which had a story about her by Liefeld, and a Youngbloods story Todd Nauck did the artwork on. At least, I think it was the Youngbloods. I've been trying to get issues of the Avatar run, but I haven't seen all the covers.
This reworking of Glory...
Ross Campbell doesn't draw a waif thin, back caving in on itself porn star knock-off of Wonder Woman. Glory is beautiful, but it's not in the cleavage. She doesn't show off cleavage. This woman is a body builder. The first page of her in action has her simultaneously ripping a Nazi's arm off as she's throwing a tank. She has a discussion with Supreme, who has also received a redesign which we don't fully see. He's talking about how there are other super heroes popping up, but, he doesn't trust them or Glory. Because in his words she's second only to him in terms of power, reckless, lacking respect in higher authority, and that, her behavior is "unacceptable".
This is her response.
Glory: Unacceptable? By whose standards? Yours?
She then talks about her upbringing, a union between two warring nations which united her mother's people and her father's people, and how since she was born they trained her either to rule those two races or destroy one if they broke the peace. And how, despite that, she left and took her training to the human world because she saw their potential to be great.
Glory: Let's talk about all this and really think if I give a damn about what you command. You want to determine my role? I'll tell you my role. I'm here to stay and make this world a better one. Despite everything. Especially you.
Supreme: ...
Glory: Right. That's what I thought. In a way, I appreciate it. You care about the greater good. Despite somehow having narcissistic motives. If anything, you amused me. Finding something to laugh about is rare during wartime. For that I thank you, but I've got work to do. You should do the same. Be good.
Supreme: Hm.
I admit it, I love this woman.
This whole issue brings the reader up to speed on Glory and her life, through the eyes of Riley Barnes, a young woman who has been dreaming about Glory all her life and has started to search for her. Her journey leads her to a small French town, where she meets American Gloria West. For anyone who'll remember, Gloria West was Glory's alter-ego in Alan Moore's run. Joe Keatinge blends together Glory's original run with a touch of revamp and reboot, connecting it with Alan Moore's short lived run and adding in a satire of Wonder Woman's comic book history. Joe has taken Gloria and transformed her from Glory's secret identity to being a human woman who shared her consciousness with Glory. Glory and Gloria had fused because Glory wanted to truly know what it was like to be a human being. Glory existed in Gloria's subconscious without stealing her life from her, and Gloria came to embrace the fusion and the excitement of Glory's life. Then one day, she stopped becoming Glory. This issue shows what happened to Glory after all of these years, and I won't reveal what.
The highlight is Ross Campbell's artwork. His redesign of Glory, her people, and has ability at body types and giving people distinctive features is amazing. I was expecting something along his fascination with Big Beautiful Woman, ala "Water Baby" and "The Abandoned". I was wrong.
Glory was conceived as an anti-hero Wonder Woman. With one issue they've taken her beyond that. There is no cheesecake in this book. There is violence, but it's not quite over the top 90s violence. Glory does not snarl or rant about how much of a bad ass she is, but she is confident and strong with hope for humanity, beautiful, and refuses to bow before the so-called authority of people like Supreme without threatening to disembowel him.
“With Hell Yeah and Glory, Joe Keatinge has established himself as the latest new writer I want to undermine and destroy. It’s just top class stuff.” - Mark Millar
The series relaunched with #23 and is now on #25, which just came out (with perhaps the best cover of the whole month).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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1) The fourth series to launch in April was Supreme, which kicked off with the final Alan Moore issue at long last, drawn by Eric Larsen (and well inked too). From there, Larsen will take the series to a new place. It’s currently being reviewed at the Supreme Thread as mentioned above.
2) The fifth and final relaunch (for now) is Youngblood, perhaps Liefield’s best known property. This launches in May and it’s actually being written by the guy who wrote the screenplay for the recent critical darling Black Swan. I actually had no intention of picking it up, but considering how good these have been, and the guy who wrote Black Swan is writing, I’ll at least sample.
3) Meanwhile, before this series of relaunches even began, Liefield himself was trying to get one of his old properties off the ground in 2011 with his oft-used co-writer Mark Poulton. This was Avengyline which started with a new #1 (unlike the rest of these series, which BTW was a statement to DC and Marvel I think, likely spurred on by Image publisher Eric Stephenson), and its probably on like #6-7 by now. I have not tried this series at all. It launched before Prophet and Glory peaked my interest and actually feels more like a Rob Liefield comic than the rest, which is not really the type of thing to get me to buy a series. I’m interested in anyone’s thoughts on it or if anyone has reviewed it, but I’ve never seen a review nor read an issue.
4) And lastly, the third series to relaunch in March was Bloodstrike; this one I’m still on the fence with—I have the second issue but have not read it yet. I actually remember Bloodstrike #1 from 1993 or something and it’s the comic that made my father and I both say “okay, no more Image Comics” back then. Here, the series relaunches (smartly) with just a focus on the main lead, Cabbot, in a very strait-forward ‘here is the premise, lead character, type of battle you’ll see’ way. It’s written by Tim Seeley, who is best known for creating Hack / Slash, which I thought had moments of brilliance but also wasn’t quite strong enough to keep me coming back for more.
Basically, this is what it comes down to. The new Bloodstrike, as written by Seeley, is very much embracing its 90’s superhero roots and having fun with it. At the same time, it is including a string of black humor that is actually really reminiscent of the movie Army of Darkness; that is perhaps the strongest most interesting aspect of it, made all the more funny by how Seeley has Cabbot play it strait-faced. Meanwhile, the rest of the series includes elements I’m sold on: Government agency resurrecting dead heroes & villains for espionage wetworks type missions; uber-violence with intestines being ripped out, etc.; a depressing and cynical view of humanity. Basically, it has a lot of elements I’m not sure about, though that black humor part could help scale back what might be a depressing premise. I’ve decided to give the second issue a try and make my decision from there.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid: Thanks for using my review as a reference, Cobalt.
Glad to do it! A great review and you deserve credit for getting me interested in the series (which I hope I can subsequently do with others).
In fact, I always enjoy when you review a series (whether you like it or not)!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Overall, Rob comes off pretty badly, even though I can see how the DC situation could be creatively frustrating. The digs at editors and fellow creators seems a little over the top. But it made for some fine entertainment! If you haven't read about this take the time and do so--it's kinda fun! Bleeding Cool RULES!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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BTW, I've been picking up the relaunches of Glory and Prophet and have enjoyed them well enough, though not extraordinarily. However, both are increasing to a $3.99 price point, so it's unlikely I'll continue with them. I'll pay that price for a book that's exceptional, but these two haven't hooked me enough to pay a dollar more per issue. A shame, because I would've continued indefinitely otherwise.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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I was online when the Snyder / Liefield thing went down and was following both on Twitter--it was crazy! Simone, Lemire, Higgins, Capullo, Busiek, Woods...all of them were weighing in! Twitter made it feel like I was in the room at a meeting with them! Wild!
Rob has a point about DC editorial but he crosses the line and was way too big a jerk to Snyder, Brevoort and worse, Scott Clark. I used to get annoyed at the nonstop dogpile on Rob that goes on the interwebs, and felt the sure, his art was awful but he seemed like a nice guy. Don't feel that way anymore.
Regardless of all that, I'm still enjoying Prophet and Glory! Rob has nothing to do with either and they are both brilliant. I didn't realize about the price increase but I'll still stay on. Prophet especially does it for me for some reason. The insane approach to the storytelling is so odd that it works.
I'm also enjoying Supreme. Recommend to everyone to skip Bloodstrike and Youngblood.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Rob has been very lucky in the industry, but NOT so lucky that he can afford to burn bridges like this.
There's a reason why his co-IMAGE founders kicked his adorably hyper ass to the curb years ago, and we may be seeing a part of that reason now through the miracle of social media.
Give me just 15 percent of the luck Liefeld has had, and I guarantee you I'd be Geoff Johns and Dan DiDio's BFF in 6 months.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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