Promethea (Book 3) (Paperback)

~ (Author), J. H. Williams III (Author), Mick Gray (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With his realistic approach to superhero comics, Moore prompted a minor revolution in the 1980s. Of late he has returned to the genre with a line of new costumed adventurers. Of them, teenager Sophie Bangs, the latest in an age-old line of embodiments of the mystical heroine Promethea, seems closest to his heart. Standard superhero fare (crime fighting, slugfests, etc.) takes a backseat to philosophical and moral issues here, but the stories most reflect Moore's long obsession with magic, mysticism, and the occult; with the Tarot, the spheres of the Kabbalah, and astrology. In this collection, Sophie follows her recently killed mentor, just-previous Promethea avatar Barbara, into the afterlife, where they visit heaven and hell and meet famous occult figures. In Sophie's absence, however, a temporary Promethea is creating problems on Earth. Artist J. H. Williams' intricate, imaginative illustrations, which veer from surrealism to psychedelia, make it all work. Although her costume suggests Wonder Woman, Promethea may appeal to the normally comics-eschewing fans of the wildly popular Sandman series. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Wildstorm (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140120094X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401200947
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,976 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting layouts and parallel stories, January 20, 2005

By	Gagewyn (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Promethea 3:, April 4, 2004

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Journey, Tract, a Treat for your eyes., July 29, 2003

By	"rswayment" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Promethea (Book 3) (Hardcover)

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.