Proof Endangered #5

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo 

This arc/mini-series has been pretty nuts.  I've felt from the beginning that Grecian and Rossmo were trying to squeeze a little too much into the book, but then this final issue came along, and closed things off beautifully.

At the core of Endangered has been the conflict between Proof and Mi-Chen-Po, his adopted brother.  We have never been too clear on Po's motivation, although that is cleared up in this issue.  As well, we received some sense of closure on the activities taking place in the Lodge, and have time for another flashback to the time that Proof lived with Thomas Jefferson.  In between all of this, and a bunch of good character moments, are some pretty exciting scenes showing the fight between Proof's friends and Mi-Chen-Po's army of cryptids (creatures so rare on the Earth that they are believed to be legendary).

Sadly, it looks like this is the last issue of Proof we'll see for the next while, as sales have not been all that terrific.  This is a real shame, as Proof is an original, unique comic, and deserves to get more support.  Grecian has grown a great deal as a writer since starting the book, and clearly has a lot more ideas for this book (there are four separate 'to be continued in...'s throughout the book).  Rossmo's art is as unique as the concept behind the comic.  He is sometimes a little too scratchy for my liking, but I've really grown to enjoy his style (hence the reason I'm picking up The Green Wake).

If Proof sounds interesting to you, I urge you to give it a try.  The first trade is terrific, and is priced at a pretty low $10.  It's worth checking out and supporting.

Proof Endangered #1

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

Proof started out very strongly, with it's tales of a Sasquatch who lived and worked the Lodge, a government-run preserve for Cryptids - creatures so rare as to be thought of as fictional.  From the Lodge, Proof and his human associates traveled the world, dealing with Chupacabras, Thunderbirds, Faeries, baby dinosaurs, and any other number of strange creatures.  The comic started with a Fables meets Hellboy vibe, and it worked very well.

Then the creators started doing some weird stuff.  They showed us what was going to be happening in a year from now, and then had the Lodge come apart, as its leader disappeared, a woman long thought dead showed up, and Proof left to search for previously unknown family members based upon the sudden arrival of a Sasquatch finger, mysteriously mailed to him.  And the title ended.

Over the last arc, the comic was plagued with delays, so I wasn't surprised when the creators put the book on hiatus for a few months.  Now it's back, and supposedly 'new reader friendly', but having read every issue of the first volume, I'm not too clear on what's going on.  Proof is in some unnamed city (presumably New York, but I didn't know that it has a Little Tokyo), and so are all of his friends.  His enemies, in the form of Mi-Chen-Po and some unnamed Chupacabra are around too, and they're killing people (but we don't know why).  Proof's partner and his girlfriend go shopping and get attacked, and someone new takes over The Lodge.  It's all pretty uneven and cryptic - not the way to bring in a bunch of new readers.

Having seen this book at its best, I'm willing to give Grecian and Rossmo the benefit of the doubt, but I hope they get some serious direction into this thing quickly.  Jacking the price up to $3.99 gives this title a much lower abandonment threshold, so I expect to be impressed quickly.

Proof #28

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

This is the last issue of Proof.  At least, until it re-launches in December as Proof Endangered, in a mini-series format.  I think it's probably a good thing that the creators of this book are taking it on a bit of a hiatus.  While they were incredibly consistent with a monthly schedule for the first twenty-odd issues of this comic, they've really fallen off in the later part of the book (this issue was solicited for January), and it sounds like they could use the rest for a while.

The lateness has really hurt this book during this Countdown arc.  Proof has always been more complex than a casual reader would realize, but with the sheer number of revelations, twists, and surprises that the last few issues have brought, the book has become downright confusing.  This issue particularly so.  It's full of secret conversations and half-sentence dialogue that appears to signify a great deal, but somehow consistently eludes me.  Put simply, I'm not sure I know what's going on in this book any more, and even worse, I'm not sure how much longer I'll care.

And so my hope is that when the comic returns, the first issue is going to explain some stuff, and draw me back in to the story, because I really like Proof (both the character and the book).  One thing that struck me as I read this, especially at the end, is how much Proof is like Hellboy.  I think it odd that I never noticed that before.

Proof #27

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

Ever since its shipping schedule got shot to hell and the creators announced that the series was going to be finishing, Proof has gotten really good, with a lot more happening per issue than happened in some entire arcs earlier in the series' life.

This issue has some pretty major revelations about Leander and his (not dead) wife, including what was in the box she received, Proof's status as a singular being, and the death of the Dover Demon.  Also, Proof gets some action of a more personal nature, and the male fairies get up and start walking around.

Having given us a vision of the future in issue 25, Grecian is now starting to lay the groundwork of what led us there.  It's nice to see the momentum pick up some, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this is all going to lead when 'Season Two' starts.

Proof #26

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

I have no idea what is going on with this title anymore. The story here - about Proof's first date with Bella, was supposed to be printed in either issue 24 of 25 originally, and then wasn't. Then there was a huge delay in the publication of this issue, and we get instead a few pages of Proof's date, and a lot of stuff designed to move the book towards the grim 'one year later' new status quo introduced last issue.

Really, there's nothing wrong with this issue. I can see Grecian trying to maintain the strong sense of character I've come to expect from this series, but getting a little snowed under by plot. We have the army show up to tell Leander that Obama is shutting him down, we have Leander's wife appear, Joy moves to the big fairy tree thing, and the Dover Demon makes his last predictions for the future.

I'm intrigued by all the stuff that is going on in this book, and hope that they can return to a more regular schedule.

What's a Pallas cat?

Proof #25

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

Proof returns to the comics shelves with an extra-sized, 25th anniversary issue. It is worth commenting on how notable that is - not many independent comics make it that far, and up until recently, the book was remarkably dependable in terms of its publication schedule.

In this issue, perhaps as a tribute to how much time has passed, the story is set one year in the future, where the Lodge has become a war zone, and Wayne (Proof's old partner) is fighting against the Colonel. Each side has a number of familiar faces on it, although there is no sign on Proof.

I'm not sure if this is a 'Days of Future Past' kind of thing, which might never come to pass, or if Grecian is outlining his plans for the re-launch of this title later in the year. Regardless, it's an interesting, if unconventional, issue.

Also included is the first ever Proof story, along with a note explaining why it can't be considered canon. It's good stuff.

Proof #24

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Chris Grine
This is not the issue of Proof I was expecting. I think that issue - which is supposed to be about Proof's first date with the psychiatrist - is now going to be issue #26.

Instead, we get this rather strange one-off featuring the male fairy child that the Chupacabra has adopted. Apparently male fairies grow much larger and quicker, and due to the iron in their system, eventually become so stiff they can't move, until they get eaten during sex. Or something like that.

The exposition is rather lacking in this story, and all explanation comes towards the end of the issue. It's not a bad issue, but after the lengthy 'Julia' arc, I was looking forward to seeing something of modern-day Proof and friends.

The art, by Grine, is nice to look at in a Bone sort of way. In all, an okay issue, but I'd have rather read the one originally expected.

Proof #23

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

The 'Julia' arc wraps up in this issue, and it's probably the best single issue of Proof to come out this year. I was surprised last month that there would be another issue to this storyline - it seemed like things were being padded a little, but then this month, the creators provide a conclusion to their story that is pitch perfect in its depiction of the different characters' emotional states, both in the past and in the present.

The nicest part of the book is in the shift in who Proof is narrating his story to. I hadn't seen that coming, but I felt that it was a very fitting way to end things. Also, this issue captured better than any other in the series the conflict between Proof's all too human emotions and his non-human provenance. In many ways, he's more human than the average person, and that comes across in this issue.

This book ends off with a text piece on the real-life story of Julia Pastrana, which is not all that different from what is portrayed in this comic. I hadn't realized that she had been a real person, and the well-researched and explained article about her makes me want to start back at the beginning of the arc, and read it all through again.

Sometimes I question where this book is going, but issues like this one make certain that I'm going to stick around as a loyal reader each month.

Proof #22

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo and Wes Wedman

This 'Julia' arc has been moving at a glacial pace. After last issue dispatched Springheel Jack, I figured this issue would be used to bring some closure (such as it is) to Proof's relationship with Julia, which did happen. But there's still another issue to go....

This is still a great book, it's just getting a little more decompressed than I would like. One thing that worked really well in this issue is the way the story jumped up to modern day, as Proof was telling the tale to his friends. It added a sense of reflection to the story.

The back-up tale, as usual, was cute and enjoyable. I wouldn't have thought that the Chupacabra would stick around in this book so long.

Proof #21

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

This issue of Proof is basically a full-sized story (with the usual Archie Snow back-up and a text-piece). This gives Grecian and Rossmo a little more time to let their Julia story play out (not that she appears in this issue), as we finally get to learn about Springheel Jack, and see Proof/Gulliver begin to drift away from his brother, Gilgamesh.

I still don't understand a lot of what happened between this story and the present day, but trust that all of that information is coming.

Proof #20

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo and Marck Labas

I have been enjoying the 'Julia' arc in Proof, but have found it slow going. Most likely, this is due to the fact that each issue has had back-up stories, slowing down the main story considerably.

In this issue, we learn a couple of hints about Springheel Jack, and see Proof get shot down by the girl he loves. He also has a chat with his 'father', during which, weird lights float through the sky, but I don't know why.
I find this flashback arc to be very interesting, but it is, at this point, raising many more questions than it is answering.

The back-up story features Autumn Song's first meeting with Mi-Chen-Po. This is another quick story wherein very little happens. It does look nice though, as it spotlights newcomer Marck Labas, and has been coloured to a bare minimum, creating a lot of atmosphere.

I'm still enjoying Proof, but I would like to see a nice, wordy issue that clears a few things up, and takes a while longer to read.

Proof #19

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo and Dave Casey

This issue continues the Julia arc, featuring a confrontation with Springheel Jack, and a scene in the hospital following it.

There's a lot hinted at in this issue - who and what Jack is, the connection between Proof (Gulliver) and all of these other characters, and how it connects to what is going on in the modern day, but this issue really just provides teases, and no real revelations. That's fine, considering this is only the second chapter of an arc that looks to be four or five issues long.

Increasingly, I get the feeling that Proof is being written for the trade, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. This issue seemed to fly by really quickly, and while it's all very enjoyable, I would have preferred a little more meat to it.

I'm also confused - does modern-day Proof remember this time? In the back-up story, he finds the Dover Demon, and doesn't give any hint of recognition.

Proof #18

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

This is a very different issue of Proof, as it flashes back to the Gulliver days, when Proof was living with a traveling freak show which traveled to 1859 London, at the same time that the city was being terrorized by Springheel Jack, a grasshopper legged creature that spit fire and cut up local ladies.

It's interesting to see which members of the current cast of the book were around with Proof back in the day - I don't remember there being much discussion about this up to this point in the book, and I wonder what some of the implications of this knowledge will be. Most interesting is the character of Julia the Baboon Lady. I'm not sure if she's of the same species of Proof, or is just very very hairy - that hasn't been explained yet.

This book continues to pique my interests, although with so many different sub-plots running, I hope the creators don't stay too long in the past.

Proof #17

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Kelly Tindall and Riley Rossmo

This issue of Proof borrows a page from the Elephantmen Guide to Ongoing Series, and has a done-in-one story (okay, technically two) about the Chupacabra, who was the antagonist in the first story arc. We see how she got from Mexico to Minnesota, and get some idea about how her presence in the Lodge is at the behest of Mi-Chen-Po, who is shaping up to be the Big Bad of this series. The back-up story features the Chupacabra meeting with Colonel Dachshund, and fitting him into her plans.

There are elements of both stories that don't really make sense to me. I don't understand how exactly the Chupacabra managed to get hired at the meat processing plant, or how her pet fairies were able to live in her purse, with it being full of iron horseshoes.

Other than that, this is a good issue, especially within the context of other recent issues, that are showing that something very important is coming up in this series. Tindall did a decent job of handling the art on the first story, but I still prefer Rossmo's look, as these are his characters that we are reading about.

Proof #16

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo and Paul Fricke

This is the type of issue I like best in Proof - it's part of the larger tapestry of the book, and progresses the overall plot, but doesn't necessarily belong to any particular arc. It's kind of like those old issues of the X-Men, where after a long and complicated story or cross-over, the characters hang out for a bit, and things slow down for some character development (except, no one plays baseball in Proof).

Many of the sub-plots progress in this issue, but nothing feels rushed or out of place. The strength of this series is in the characters - normal and cryptid alike - that make the Lodge such an interesting place to read about. While I'm interested in the Mi-Chen-Po storyline, I'm just as interested in Proof's upcoming date with 'Bella. It might be a little confusing for a new reader to start here, but I jumped on this title with the first 'Lodge-only' issue (#5 or 6 I think), and was overwhelmed with curiosity as to who all of these characters are.

As well as the main story (nice last page!), there is a back-up featuring Elvis and the Ink Monkey. It's cute, but a little more cartoony than I usually like - it's an enjoyable story nonetheless.

Proof #15

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

This finishes off the 'Thunderbirds are Go!' arc, and sets a lot into play for subsequent issues. As I said in reviewing the last issue, I think this arc bit off more than it could chew, as Grecian tried to squeeze a lot of events and character development into one arc, and it felt pretty disjointed at times.

This issue worked better, as the 'Ginger in the sewers' story left a new status quo for the Golem, and has introduced the idea that Po is going to be a major antagonist in the future. The Thunderbirds plot sort of limped to an end, and didn't fully resolve much - where did the Savage Dragon get to? I did like the bit where Proof almost got up enough nerve to ask someone out, then backtracked.

Finally, what I think worked best in this issue were the scenes at the Lodge, dealing with the Ink Monkey, and the injured werewolf from last issue. There are intimations that things are 'out of balance' - a theme for this week, seeing as I read the Final Crisis Secret Files immediately before this - although there's no real explanation as to what that means.

Proof #14

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

I really like the idea behind Proof (Bigfoot works for a secret government agency tracking down Cryptids - creatures generally thought to be fictional), but this arc doesn't seem to be working as well for me as the previous two.

All of the parts of the story, and this issue in particular, work well as individual parts, but aren't really adding up to anything. I'm concerned that Grecian and Rossmo are biting off more than they can chew, and are cramming way too many sub-plots into each issue.

In this issue we get: Autumn's House of Horrors; the Titanic history of Joe the Golem, Ginger and friends in the sewer, white trash outside a cave, and, in the best part of the book, Proof and the Savage Dragon sitting around the same cave waiting for Dragon's legs (and a certain other part) to finish growing back. Strangely, for the middle of the Thunderbirds arc, there are no living Thunderbirds around.

I'm sure this is a story that will read better in one sitting or in a trade.