Customer Reviews

Promethea (Book 3)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the second collected volume of the series. It's probably best to start with volume one. :-> That said, this continues the story of the living legend Promethea, as currently embodied in an alternative, technologically-advanced 20th Century. The 1999/2000 New Year's Day celebrations take place in this volume, for those wishing to keep score.

Each issue is becoming more jewellike and perfect, it seems to me (though I haven't gone on to the third compendium yet). One entire issue/chapter in this volume is given over to an exploration of humanity's history through the metaphor of a modified tarot deck, as told by the snakes on Promethea's caduceus, Mike and Mack (Micro and Macro - who speak in rhyming quatrains of iambic pentameter, flawlessly, each keeping his recognizable viewpoint towards either the big picture or the minutiae). Along the bottom of each page is both an anagram of Promethea's name that is pertinent to that page's content, and a serialized joke whose phrases again echo and reinforce the other three threads on each page. Another issue is given to an extended tantric sex scene (nothing is explicitly shown but boobies, though MUCH is implied), with a discussion of the theory and practice of magical symbolism and chakras ... which leads to a priceless last-page joke.

It's not a traditional narrative comic book. It's not even as traditionally-narrative as the first volume. It's ... dreamlike, and dense, and strange, in a way that is entirely appropriate for a work purporting to be about the world of imagination, and how that world interacts with our own through its avatar. It's not everyone's cup of tea, no. But if you like Neil Gaiman, you might well enjoy this too.

When I reviewed the first volume in this series, I described the general idea in the following way: 'Promethea' is an attempt to render the female super hero in an archetypical form. This book has a strong mystical or spiritual theme, with the female lead cast in a pluralistic role: she is both Sophie Bangs, student, and Promethea, imagination personified. Our Promethea is not the first, there is a whole line of Prometheas stretching back to ancient Egypt, and we get to know some of the earlier ones in this book.

This volume collects issues 7 through 12 of the series. If anything, it tops the previous volume.

Alan Moore and JH Williams III are firing on all cylinders here - we get quite a detailed examination of spiritual themes, contrasted and compared to quantum physics; some superheroing; one of the most sensual comics you're likely to see, and a diverse cast of characters.

Alan Moore is perhaps the most groundbreaking and innovative comic book scribe in the history of comics. Sure, the field has provided many groundbreaking and innovative comic book artists (from Windsor McKay to Will Eisner, from Jack Kirby to Frank Miller, from Alex Ross to Steve Ditko, and many many more...), but in my opinion, no other comics writer (emphasis on the term "writer") has brought so much to this often maligned art form. Alan Moore has proven that sequential storytelling can be as interesting, thought provoking, inspiring and imaginative as prose storytelling (and indeed, even more at times, since comics have one advantage over prose alone: imagery).

Alan's best known work is of course "Watchmen", often copied and emulated but still unequaled in depth and richness after more than a decade. However, it must not be forgotten that Alan has provided his avid fan base (and an immense number of casual comic book readers from all walks of life) with many delightful comics works since Watchmen. Of these, Promethea stands apart as a very emotional and personal work from its author.

This series is a vehicle for Alan to explore and expose to the readers many themes presumably dear to him. To be able to do so, he has devised a rather interesting trick for the story, creating a framework in which the primary characters (Promethea and her immediate supporting cast) evolve and convey the message to us readers (at some point, the so called "fourth wall" is even breached, much to the delight of Scott McCloud's fans). This trick consists, in fact, of a gigantic road trip through various realms (that is, places the characters visit during the stories) existing outside of our perceived "real" or physical world.

These places can be called psychic realms or metaphysic worlds or the imagination space, they are intended to convey Alan's views concerning various concepts such as the Kaballah, the numerous earthly religions and their impact on us, the relationship between magic and technology (hint: they are two sides of the same cosmic "coin"), mysticism and spirituality, the liberating power of imagination, the neglect of our spiritual sides, the divine nature of womanhood, etc.

This mind bending road trip makes for a unique comics series, and through it all we get to see what are Mr. Moore's views and beliefs. For those willing to put up with the non-traditional approach in words and pictures (the artists, J. H. Williams III and Mick Gray show us how superb draughtsman they can be, adopting many different styles throughout the series - an aspect of this comics series worth the price of admission in itself) Promethea makes a fine and enriching read! Not only do I highly recommend this series, but I recommend the purchase of all the trade paperbacks, and the reading of them in sequence, preferably over a few days... A guaranteed mind trip!

Our heroine Sophie researches a mythological figure called Promothea for her term paper and then becomes her. Features a staggering reinterpretation of the Tarot consistent with the Big Bang and evolution. Predicts that in 2017 humankind's understanding will hit saturation point and the world as we know it will end. The Apocalypse is interpreted as an epistemological and metaphysical step forward for human understanding. There's also a twelve-page tantric sex scene. Mr. Moore, you've done it again.

Prior to reading this I had read Book 1 in the Promethea series. I picked up on what was going on here OK, but starting in at this book would not be a good idea. The Background for the series: Basically Promethea is the Goddess myth embodied. She enters the real world (modern day New York but with flying cars and other advanced technology) through Sophie, a college student. She has entered the world through other women at other times. These women are now dead and they lounge around in the after life and watch Sophie-Promethea for entertainment. Sophie-Promethea can enter other worlds. So she can visit the other Prometheas or can travel through the land of myths (the Immateria). Her main job is to maintain order in the real world and keep balance between all these forces that we learn about as they emerge.

The story here involves Sophie-Promethea leaving to go on a journey through the realms of the soul to find Barbara-Promethea (one of the deceased Prometheas), who wandered off in search of her deceased husband sometime during Book 2. Meanwhile 20's Promethea merges with Sophie's roommate to maintain order in the real world while Sophie-Promethea is gone. As you would expect from the series there is a lot of numerology and occult stuff here. Most of this happens in the Sophie-Promethea plot-line which is all serious. The real world plot line has mostly action, with 20's Promethea fighting in style, and comic relief since 20's Promethea and Sophie's roommate don't get along so well but are sharing a body. These two plots parallel one another especially at the conclusion.

The graphics: The artistic style is the normal comic booky style done well. However the layouts are spectacular. Almost any spread of two pages hangs together as one coherent whole. The highlight of the book for me was a layout in the chapter entitled "Gold" This layout shows a small sun in the center of the spread, with frames radiating out like rays from the sun. You can read the dialog and action in the frames clockwise or counterclockwise and it makes sense. You can read left to right across the top half, then left to right across the bottom half of the spread and that makes sense. You can read top-to-bottom on the left page, and then on the right page and that makes sense. It is very very cool.

This book is good, but you will likely be confused unless you have read others in the series. For example if this review is incoherent for you then read the earlier books first. I liked this one better than the previous book I had read, but without having read that one I would have been beating my head against the wall.

The one spread that I mentioned with the sun is very cool. If you are interested in comic book design then you should check out that spread.

Alan Moore firmly establishes himself as one of the premier writers in the Graphic Novel world with his second volume of Promethea. America's Best Comics matches Moore's prose with high quality, stunning illustrations from a number of highly skilled artists and the result might be more properly considered a Graphic Immersion instead of simply a Graphic Novel. Don't read too fast or you will miss the exquisite detail in the illustrations! Moore has proven himself equally adept at speaking to the female audience, IMO, as the more traditional male audience of this genre. With strong female leads, Moore's romp through the ancient and modern versions of Promethea is a both an entertaining and enlightening journey. I can't wait to read book three...

As Promethea continues, along with exploring a mythic female superhero archetype with a long line of predecessors like the Phantom, but magical, Moore delves into his own mystical interests through dialogues and the Tarot. If you are looking for a straight superhero story, this will definitely disappoint, if you don't like Hellblazer, or Swamp Thing, or Sandman, or other such mysticism, it is very very unlikely that you will enjoy Promethea, other than for the artwork.

This book takes off in two directions. The second one (I'll come back to the first) introduces a new Promethea. That plays by the rules - there have been lots of them and will be lots more. This plane of reality just has one at a time, though. The new one embodies "punk", in attitude and style.

Promethea is a semi-mythic ideal of womanhood - certainly too rich and complex a topic to embody in any one person. Various Prometheas carry various parts of that vision: motherly, raw and angry, innocent, and sensual, but always powerful and involved. Some parts of the complete image are unpleasant but needed for the image to be complete, and that's where Promethea/Stacy fits. She exorcises demons by being more demonic than them.

The book's other direction explains why the first Promethea was off duty. She is on a trip through the mythic planes, led by a succession of spirit guides. She acts as a passive display of each realm she traverse, and that seems a real under-use of a very worthwhile character. It's a verbal and philosophical trip, but Promethea is a character of action. Worlds of fantasy, sensuality, and judgement could have been settings for active exploraiton of each idea, but Promethea just talked about them while passing through. I consider that an opportunity lost.

Still, the series is readable, well-drawn, and full of ideas well beyond the usual comic. Despite some flaws, I intend to keep reading.

There is no comic book being published today that even comes close to the beautiful, intelligent art in Promethea. J. H. Williams goes all out. The story is very challenging to the mind and spirit. Kabala stuff is not really my thing, but if Alan Moore cares about it enough to do it, I care enough to come along for the ride. This, along with Top 10, LOEG, and Greyshirt, is the best of the ABC line. And it is a good time to jump aboard.

In the 5th and final book, now being published in comic-book format, Promethea brings about the end of the world. But remember it is Alan Moore's version of the end of the world--so it may not be what you expect. Remember, too, the kind of generous swan-songs Moore did when he closed out his runs on Swamp Thing and other books he cared out. We may be in for something amazing in the final volume.

Even if you looked at Promethea when it first came out and found it confusing or preachy, I recommend taking a second look at it in collected form. It rewards close and repeated readings. And the examinations of occult theories turn out to be, for the most part, a metaphor for creativity and growth.

The plot to this book boils down to '2 tourists look at JH Williams' art while talking about mystical theories'. Now don't get me wrong, Williams draws some incredible landscapes making full use of traditional pencils, computer art and photos. He does some incredible layouts like a conversation that occurs on a Mobius Strip or a circular page layout that makes sense clockwise and counterclockwise.

And the mystical theories Moore has them talk about are quite clever, combining the Kabbalah's tree of life, tarot cards and wordplay. It's an interesting book.

But be sure you know what you're in for before you pick it up.