Review – Prometheus: Fire & Stone TP (Dark Horse/Turnaround)

June 16, 2015

7–10 minutes

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Release Date: April 8th, 2015

Issue #1 Review

This issue serves as the first chapter of Dark Horse’s eagerly anticipated shared universe featuring Aliens, Predator, Aliens versus Predator, and – of course – Prometheus. And while the other strands of this tangled web are blessed with (more or less) evergreen franchises, the Prometheus arc is undeniably a bit of a tougher sell. Ridley Scott’s 2012 movie took a lot of flak for what was perceived as a rambling, borderline incoherent storyline filled with gaping plot-holes, so the comic was always going to have some serious work to do if it wanted to erase the bad feeling a lot of fans have towards this particular franchise.

Step forward Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra, who perform a more than admirable job of trying to straighten everything out in this impressive debut issue, laying the groundwork for what promises to be a sprawling, interconnected storyline. Yes, there’s a lot of set-up and exposition in this issue. And I mean a lot. The fallout from the movie is dealt with (to a point, anyway), new characters are introduced, concepts are established, groundwork is laid… you get the general idea. And in a less capable set of hands, it could potentially come across as a little dry. Fortunately however, Tobin keeps things moving forwards as briskly as possible, focusing primarily on the characters who are likely to play a larger role in the future while glossing over others who – most likely – won’t.

It also doesn’t hurt that, even when drawing completely unknown characters having relatively innocuous conversations, Juan Ferreyra’s artwork is still absolutely beautiful to behold. He keeps the exposition section as eye-catching as you could hope for, but really gets a chance to flex his artistic muscle once the crew touches down on LV-223, bringing his own unique approach to the native flora and fauna. I can’t really go into much detail without spoiling the book, but there are a lot of subtle nods to the other strands of this tangled web, and it’s clear that there’s a far larger plan afoot here in terms of bringing all the different franchises together.

Oh, and that final panel? Oh god yes.

A bit of a slow start perhaps, but consider me on board for the foreseeable future – as if there was ever any doubt with this particular creative team at the helm.

Issue #2 Review

Xenomorph sharks.

Wait, are you still here? Surely those two words alone should be enough to convince you that the latest chapter of Dark Horse’s stellar ‘Fire and Stone’ event is most definitely worth your heard-earned cash. No? Okay then, for those of you who aren’t already convinced (and are, presumably, dead inside), I guess I can go into a little more detail…

After a relatively slow-paced start in issue one, the second issue of Prometheus: Fire and Stone hits the ground running with a frenzied back and forth battle which perfectly encapsulates the sheer terror and chaos that typically goes hand in hand with a Xenomorph attack. While writer Paul Tobin took his time in the first issue to establish our supporting characters and their mission, here he gleefully dispatches these same characters at an almost dizzying pace, ably assisted by the utterly spellbinding visuals of artist Juan Ferreyra. Seriously folks, Aliens have never looked better, and Juan’s gift for creatively horrific set-pieces gives this book an undercurrent of tension and a visual appeal that few artists these days can ever hope to emulate.

It’s an interestingly structured conflict, given that we pretty much know what the end destination is going to be for our main characters. However, the journey is still genuinely intriguing, as we get to see the mistakes of the crew playing out before our eyes and find ourselves practically screaming at the pages – “No! Why would you do that?!” – Like a sorority girl creeping into the basement with a flickering torch in a slasher movie, we know that things are definitely not going to end well for the majority these characters, but in a lot of ways, that’s part of the appeal of this series – especially when you know that the spiralling chain of events are going to be illustrated by Ferreyra, who is rapidly becoming my favourite artist of the moment (assuming he hasn’t earned that accolade already).

Once again, there’s a lot going on here, but rather than becoming overwhelming, Tobin’s frantic pacing actually enhances the drama of the situation. Menacing new faces are introduced, existing characters are developed and slaughtered in equal measure, and everything is gradually starting to tie in to the events of the other series’, not to mention the pre-existing Prometheus movie canon.

And once again, people, in case you’ve forgotten… Xenomorph. Sharks. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Issue #3 Review

Following on from the shocking final panel of the previous issue, Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra’s Prometheus hits the ground running here with the stakes being raised exponentially by virtue of scientist Francis Lance’s (somewhat foolish) decision to filter some of the mysterious accelerant through his synthetic assistant Elden. The crew are separated and scared, the Xenomorphs are significantly greater in number than previously anticipated, and there may be another creature on the surface of planet with its own sinister agenda.

Tobin manages to build several impressively cinematic moments into this issue; moments where you can practically hear the orchestral score swelling in the background as the events unfold. Dialogue remains his strongest tool, however, doing an excellent job of allowing us to relate to these characters even in spite of the rapid pace of the story. Once again, the level of intrigue caused by us already knowing how this all ends up adds a deeper level of nervous hesitancy to the proceedings. We know things aren’t going to end well, but at the same time, we can’t help but look.

I think I’ve pretty much said all that needs to be said about my opinions on Juan Ferreyra’s artwork in the past, but just in case you guys didn’t get the memo – this guy is hands-down the absolute best horror artist going right now. His moments of calm are expressive and detailed, but when things start to get a little twisted, a little violent or a little gory, there is nobody who can make your skin crawl quite like Ferreyra. His depiction of Elden’s transformation in the early pages of the book is nothing short of stunning, and he maintains that same high standard throughout, particularly in his chilling reveal of the swarming Xenomorphs.

In almost a complete reversal of their cinematic counterparts, Prometheus remains the undisputed crown jewel in Dark Horse’s Fire and Stone event. Compelling characters, tense, gripping situations and – I’ll say it again – the best horror artist on the planet right now, all combining to make something truly special. Highly, highly recommended.

Issue #4 Review

Tobin and Ferreyra have done a truly outstanding job on this series, managing to tie their story into the overarching ‘Fire and Stone’ narrative and the existing movie canon while still managing to tell a compelling, exciting story in its own right. This final issue exemplifies precisely what makes this creative partnership so special; Tobin dreams up sickening, gut-wrenching situations and Ferreyra brings them to life in eye-watering detail. Simple.

The Geryon crew’s last desperate surge for survival is tinged with a sense of futility, but as always, Tobin still manages to draw us in and make us actually care about what happens to these people. From the very beginning, we’ve been invested in their plight. We pump our fists when they seem to score a victory, no matter how slight, then gasp in horror as that victory is cruelly snatched away. This has been the clear pattern for the arc so far, and it’s one which works to absolute perfection in this final instalment.

It also bears mentioning that this issue also features one of the best Juan Ferreyra splash pages I think I’ve ever seen. Which, if you’ve been monitoring the man-crush I have on the work of the Argentinian artist over the last couple of years, is definitely saying something.

To give you an idea of where this arc stands in terms of the ‘bigger picture’, here’s a comparison for you; if the Fire and Stone event is Star Wars, then the Prometheus arc is The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, there are some incredible mind-melting moments and action set pieces, but when the dust has finally settled, it’s all a bit of a downer, really. There are no happy endings here, and while there is still a brief glimmer of hope for later down the line, right now, our human protagonists are looking at a heavy, painful loss.

Prometheus is the first arc to wrap up from Dark Horse’s Fire and Stone event, and it does so in style, going out in a blaze of glory and featuring some truly jaw-dropping moments or horror and gore. Completely undaunted by the overloaded, plot-hole filled and ultimately confusing Prometheus movie, this creative team have managed to spin off a brand new story that manages to retain several of the positives from the film but simultaneously add so much more in terms of excitement, drama and – well – actually having it make sense.

Ideally, I’d love to live in a world where Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra created every comic on the shelves, but for the time being, this is more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Overall Rating: 5/5.

You can purchase Prometheus: Fire & Stone TP from Turnaround Publisher Services (who generously provided the review copy of this title) via their official website.

INTERIOR ARTWORK
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