A person often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it.
Buried inside all of us is a need for the world to have reason, to have meaning. To some, the ticking down of mathematics, the closing of probabilities as time moves toward infinity is the explanation of the world. For others, good things become godly, and evil things of the devil. The basis beneath this is our need for the world to have an order, so that we might take a place in it. But, what happens when the pursuit of that underlying truth becomes the life instead of the expectation? What happens when the thoughts become theories, and theories become dictoms, which in turn become dogma, and the exploration of the world becomes lost in the upkeep of that which came before? And, if the end of prosperity is prophesied, can you really be upset and surprised when the fall begins?
These ideas are explored in the first issue of Prophetica. Vince Twelve’s story focuses on a procession following the dictates of the titular holy tome, whereby what could be a typically difficult trek over desert terrain has religious trappings piled on, making it much more difficult and decidedly more deadly than it would be otherwise. Twelve’s perception of the religion he’s created is easy enough to divine, as he has the devout often assisting prophecy where it might be falling short; there’s no thought of examining the teachings, just simple and swift correction of aberration. What I appreciate most about this large issue is the deliberate and steady pace he lays out, allowing the slow build like Jaws or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The turn in the first issue is surprising, not in its content but that it’s such a major event and it happens so soon in the story. It makes me think there’s really big stuff coming along the way.
Tim Mayer handles the art side of this book and has created a very human, yet alien enough, world. Feeling a lot like Aeon Flux with a red-shifted palette, the lanky nature of man and beast is prevalent and goes to add to the unreal sensation when things get really weird. Mayer has a great sense of composition, allowing the reader to already have the sense of the scene before we hit the speech bubbles. There’s nothing gratuitous about the action, but there is a definite sense of horror and violence, as well as incredibly creepy creatures. You’ll think you’ll know what I’m mentioning as soon as stuff goes down, but just wait. Gave me the shivers.
This is a title that feels like a part of a very large, deep story idea, making it feel like there will be a lot going on that feels grounded and connected, but still can surprise. I have to give kudos to the fact that the principle characters are all women, and the Bechdel Test is passed easily and consistently. It’s a solid story with interesting characters all acting out for or against their perceived destinies. Fans of Dune and Aeon Flux will be right at home.
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