Promethea (Book 5) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), J. H. Williams III (Illustrator), Jose Villarrubia (Colorist)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The author of such landmark graphic novels as Watchmen and From Hell wraps up his most audacious recent project unorthodoxly even by his own radical standards. Promethea is about a teenager who becomes the latest incarnation of a centuries-old mystical heroine and is essentially Moore's attempt to convey his magic-based cosmology under the guise of a superhero comic. In the comic-book series' conclusion, Promethea sets out to end the world, Tom Strong and his superhero comrades from Moore's other comic books attempt to stop her, and everybody else prepares for apocalypse. The very last chapter consists entirely of full-page portraits of Promethea floating over a psychedelic background and expounding on themes suggested by the paths of the tarot and spheres of the kabbalah--a characteristically unconventional Moore ending. The ambitious project has often daunted readers with lengthy segments devoted to verbose philosophizing, and that it comes off as well as it does is due largely to artist J. H. Williams III, who has smoothly veered from superhero action to photographic realism to fine-art pastiche. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Wildstorm (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401206190
• ISBN-13: 978-1401206192
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #975,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Finish, or Going Out With Style, May 28, 2007

By	misterfurioso (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Promethea - Book 5 (Paperback)

I've been reading comics for nigh on thirty-five years now, and PROMETHEA is one of my all-time favorites. This concluding volume wraps up the show in fine fashion as Promethea ushers in an "apocalypse" that is wholly unexpected, and is based on the original Greek meaning of the term. The coda issue is STUNNING, one of the most innovatively written and designed comic stories EVER, I kid you not.

As to the other poster's somewhat off-handedly critical comments about "air brushed" art: well, I do not know what technique the amazing JH Williams III used in parts of the finale story, but let me contextualize WHY he chose a new style for some scenes. In the final story imagination and reality begin to blur and Williams uses a semi-photo-realistic style to suggest "reality," as in our reality, which blurs with comic book reality. After 30-some issues of spectacular innovation Williams keeps the new design ideas flowing in this final volume.

Needless to say, you probably will not be buying this volume without having read the first four books, so you will already know if you HAVE to read v5 or not. I think it is a majestic finish to a truly remarkable work of art, and if there were seven stars, I'd grant it that (seven being a lucky number!).

PROMETHEA gets my highest possible praise, love and respect and yes, it even nudged out Neil Gaiman's incandescent SANDMAN meta-megaseries.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Universal Change, March 23, 2008

By	Time Enough (orlando, fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Promethea - Book 5 (Paperback)

Promethea is the type of comic that is more than a comic. After finishing this series, I am not the same person that I was before. Alan Moore's true genius shines through as he reveals his life's work of research on magic, religion and philosophy to the lucky reader. In the fifth volume, the journey comes to an end, one that the reader may not be expecting. It is a soft ending, but one with a lot of mental punch in terms of thought and self-reflection. You haven't seen the true potential of what a comic book can do until you have read the Promethea series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES, September 7, 2008

By	M "CultOfStrawberry" (Gnawing away at your reality) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Promethea - Book 5 (Paperback)

I was sad to see Promethea end after just five books, but this is hands down one of the most kick-@$$ stories I have ever read (this goes for the series, not just this book) and the series is a cherished part of my graphic novel collection - and I am picky! The ending caught me off-guard, but in a way it almost seems fitting the way it ended.