Reviews

Absolute Promethea, Book One by Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III

ineffabledaisies's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

chloekg's review against another edition

5.0

A transformative vision! Alan Moore uncovered a nugget of literary history in the character Promethea and dreamed her bigger and fuller until birthing her into cosmic comic glory with the help of artists, inkers, colorists, and an editor. What marvel, their collaborative midwifery! There's intrigue, fun-if-flat characters, non-traditional comic action, and a stunning depth of cross-cultural magick. It's funny. It's flashy. It made me laugh and cry and think and write. "The best stories are the ones we can believe in," and there's so much of Promethea's story worth believing.

joelopez101's review against another edition

Didnt grab me, dated. 

adamskiboy528491's review against another edition

3.5

"There are 1,000 comic books on the shelves that don't contain a philosophy lecture and one that does. Isn't there room for that one?" - Alan Moore

The Promethea series heavily focuses on the occult and its related spiritual and psychological questions. It is a bit convoluted for me, and the mythological rules revolve around our character. However, the visuals and beautifully rendered illustrations by J. H. Williams III and Mike Gray kept my interest. The alternate design of the Tarot cards in the last volume (of Book 1) was beautiful to sit and read through.

I am also intrigued at how Moore captured the feminism within the superhero genre reasonably well. As someone who investigated the ideology of écriture féminine back in college, I found this to be a fascinating portrayal. Like the alternate characterisation of Mina Murray from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Moore’s portrayal of women can not only be shocking but also keep my attention throughout. 

octanexit's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

dantastic's review against another edition

4.0

This is a beautifully drawn book and the story is pretty cool, even though I don't understand some parts of it. Sophie Bangs researches a heroine called Promethea and soon becomes Promethea, the demi-goddess destined to end the world. Like I said, it's an interesting tale even if I don't completely grok what's going on at times. I've read that Alan Moore's interest in magic spurred it on and I believe it. I'm diving into the next book.

francineemilia's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

scheu's review against another edition

5.0

Re-reading Promethea after a decade is like coming home. I spent much of my twenties following the book-paths laid out by Mage: The Ascension and The Invisibles (occult here, fringe there, and so on), much of which was tied together by Alan Moore in this book. The story is fun too, although it takes a bit to get going.

Also, this is a series that really benefits from the oversized Absolute format. JH Williams rocks my socks no matter the project.

neon_capricorn's review against another edition

5.0

Superb work by Alan Moore! Here, he, and his co-creator, show their mastery over the medium. The page layouts are simply beautiful, though at times they can be a little difficult to follow. I read the digital copy of this, and found myself having to turn on the auto-navigation mode in a few places. Overall, I loved the experience, and took my time reading and analyzing the illustrations. There is a lot to take in with this series. If you have ever been curious about the occult and magic, and you want to learn about it in an entertaining way, then this book is a great starting point.

jammasterjamie's review against another edition

5.0

I get more out of Promethea every time I read it and getting to experience the incredible art in this giant-sized format is a huge bonus. I give this book all of the stars. The sun and the moon, too.