Promethea
by Alan Moore, J.H.Williams III, Mick Gray, Todd Klein, Jeromy Cox
Promethea Book 1
Promethea sees Alan Moore tackling the idea of myths and their passage through history and culture, and gracefully mingling this with Neil Gaiman-esque magical realms and some good old-fashioned super-heroics. In a present-day New York City dominated by scientific wonder, student Sophie Bangs tirelessly researches the origins of a mystic warrior woman called Promethea, whose legend has recurred throughout history in a variety of forms. When Sophie meets Barbara Shelley, the most recent chronicler of the Promethea legend, she becomes entwined in a strange, magical world called the Immateria, where myths are born. Facing a myriad of terrifying dangers, Sophie must learn the truth about Promethea and, to survive, embrace the legend itself. With a terrific central idea--that myths become "real" through their chroniclers--Promethea is another triumph for Moore, and will certainly satisfy anyone with a hankering for an engrossing adventure that errs on the realm of Sandman rather than Wonder Woman .
Promethea really hits its stride when the action moves to the dazzling, sorcerous world of Immateria, where Sophie learns of her mystical heritage, interwoven with some fine post-modern touches from Moore (a funny encounter with a foul-mouthed Little Red Riding Hood and Sophie "living" a 1920s Promethea comic book). Accompanying Moore's enticing and challenging stories is J.H.Williams III's vivid art, providing Sophie's mythical odyssey with a backdrop of considerable visual flair, befitting a world where myth and reality collide. For fans of Moore, this is a must, and this is a fascinating prospect for anyone wishing to experience Moore's typically combustible imagination.
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Promethea Book 2
Comics supremo Alan Moore's incredible and acclaimed synthesis of ancient myth and modern science continues as university student Sophie Bangs learns more about the amazing legacy she has inheirited from the demi-goddess known as Promethea! As Sophie struggles to comprehend the depth and complexity of her otherworldly self, so she must contend with a myriad of menaces who unfortunately know her only too well. There's 'celebrity omnipath' the Painted Doll, mysterious occult group The Temple and the Goetic demons of Benny Solomon. Sophie's apprenticeship is quickly coming to an end...one way or another! Another instant classic from the creator of Watchmen!
As before, the artwork is beautiful. Many pages are full two-page spreads, designed to be flattened out and appreciated as a whole. In the paperback edition this isn’t possible because of the binding, so some of the impact is spoiled. What we can see though is great looking, with Williams’s decorative attention to detail standing out.
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Promethea Book 3
Comics supermo Alan Moore's astonishing and critically acclaimed look at ancient myth and modern science continues, as student Sophie Bangs learns more about the amazing legacy she has inherited from the demi-goddess known as Prometheal Promethea and Barbara travel an unlikely, but not necessarily undreamt-of path. Their wanderings take them through the many and varied realms of Heaven and Hell, visiting the manifestations of both great visionaries and their visions. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Stacia is protecting and serving the people of New York as the acting Promethea - but things are not quite as rosy as the glasses she's wearing...Another instant classic from the creator of Watchmen!
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Promethea Book 4
Comics supremo Alan Moore's incredible and acclaimed synthesis of ancient myth and modern science continues as university student Sophie Bangs learns more about the amazing legacy she has inheirited from the demi-goddess known as Promethea! As Sophie struggles to comprehend the depth and complexity of her otherworldly self, so she must contend with a myriad of menaces who unfortunately know her only too well. There's 'celebrity omnipath' the Painted Doll, mysterious occult group The Temple and the Goetic demons of Benny Solomon. Sophie's apprenticeship is quickly coming to an end...one way or another! Another instant classic from the creator of Watchmen!
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Promethea Book 5
Book 5 takes us to the very end of the world, as Promethea - her great journey, now ending - faces the Apocalypse, not to mention the dissolution of her own personality. Can the other heroes of America's Best Comics save the day? With a 2004 Eisner Award and a 2004 Harvey Award under his belt, Alan Moore concludes this magical adventure in a way you'll never forget!
The story here, if that term can really be said to apply, concerns nothing less than the titular heroine bringing about the end of the world, or rather, a radical mass enlightenment that shows off what one can only assume to be Moore's complex and unconventional worldview. As he's done throughout the series, Moore constructs his tale (and the occasional dizzying conceptual lesson) like an elaborate series of puzzle-boxes, toying enthusiastically with the presentation of words and images, pulling characters and the reader out of the confines of the book itself. (The entire series, but especially this final installment, stands as an elaborate, metaphysical meta-fiction.)
This final glimpse into one of Alan Moore's most arresting and intriguing worlds proves that Promethea is indisputably a work of art -- as intricate, layered and thought-provoking a work as Moore, or comics, has ever produced.
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