By: Alan Moore Publisher: WildStorm Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 328 Publication Date: October 06, 2009 Release Date: October 06, 2009 Studio: WildStorm
Product Description: Sophie Bangs was a just an ordinary college student in a weirdly futuristic New York when a simple assignment changed her life forever. While researching Promethea, a mythical warrior woman, Sophie receives a cryptic warning to cease her investigations. Ignoring the cautionary notice, she continues her studies and is almost killed by a shadowy creature when she learns the secret of Promethea. Surviving the encounter, Sophie soon finds herself transformed into Promethea, the living embodiment of the imagination.
Her trials have only begun as she must master the secrets of her predecessors before she is destroyed by Promethea's ancient enemy. Alan Moore's entrancing masterpiece is presented for the first time in this Absolute format, collecting the first twelve issues of the mystical series and featuring the spectacular art of J.H. Williams III. This is the first of three ABSOLUTE PROMETHEA slipcased collections.
"One of the most daring mixtures of writing and art that you will every experience."--From the afterward by Brad Meltzer
the most beautiful graphic novel ^ this is the most beautiful graphic novel i have ever seen. it is so beautiful, you can actually look at it as book of paintings. even though it is alan moore the story is pretty weak, bit its all about great art. this is the reason why these Absolute super size editions are made. this one deserves it most of all comics.
Absolute Promethea ^ I love these Absolute Editions. The oversized format really shows off J.H. Williams stunning art work for this series and with Alan Moore writing the story you know you are in for a great and interesting ride. The only thing I thought was missing was some extras that are included in most of the other Absolute Books, like sketches and early scripts. But overall a great purchase.
Perfection! ^ So worth the long wait! Book 2 will contain the incomparably amazing and beautiful "Tree of Life" issues, which must be seen to be believed. And while it would have been nice to have extras, just seeing JH Williams' astonishing art at this size is ample reward enough, IMO.
Gorgeous; put all Moore's classics in Absolute editions!!!! ^ This is just amazing and I've only read the first issue- oh Alan Moore, what a brilliant writer whose mind quantum leaps ahead. It's Stan Lee, Chris Claremont, Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore for me- these guys are writer's writers, true legends.
Only problem- hee hee which I'm letting slide bc I love you Alan Moore, is...see: I open up the book and wonder why I'm seeing the last page upside down:
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
THEY GLUED THE PAGES UPSIDE DOWN IN MY BOOK!
YES, friends! Someone wasn't looking too closely when they pulled that off in whatever factory churned these out. Look, if these comics megapolies like DC and Marvel get their manufacturing of these brilliant oversize hardcover editions up to par I will buy tons of these volumes! But they may ruin this if the sloppy workmanship continues...
Oddly enough for you Moore fans: I thought the upside down pages might've been a Moore production trick or something that tied into the story, but no, it appears the rest of you got normal volumes so mine is just an abnormality I'll have to live with.
DC: PUT MOORE'S SWAMP THING ENTIRE RUN IN ABSOLUTE FORMAT DO YOU HEAR!!!!??? And TOP TEN; AND BRING BACK LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN FOR THOSE OF US WHO MISSED THEM!
A literally magical book. ^ In my recent review of the Absolute V for Vendetta, I wrote that Absolute Promethea vol1. would be arriving soon and I'd let you know what I found. And here it is, two months sooner than I expected.
And it's extremely disappointing in terms of it being an Absolute edition. Usually these things are packed with extras. This has none. Nothing at all. And I'm not counting an introduction by Alan Moore (of the fictional history of Promethea) which probably (I can't honestly remember but it won't be original to this edition) appeared in an issue of the comic, and neither am I counting the one page afterword by Brad Meltzer. I was hoping for additional artwork by J H Williams 111, preparatory sketches and all that stuff. Nothing. Total disappointment. Maybe it's being saved up for the next two volumes. I can only live in hope.
And now for the good news.
The illustration on the box is of Promethea (there's a surprise) but printed in gold and it looks gorgeous. The cover on the book (no dustjacket, no big deal) is a wraparound by Williams and looks original to this book. The artwork inside benefits immensely from the larger format and the high quality paper. It is absolutely gorgeous and I'm quite prepared to state categorically that I believe this to be best illustrated of all Alan Moore's comics work. This isn't to denigrate any of the other artists who've worked with Moore. Moore has been very lucky in his career to have been able to use for his major works (with odd exceptions such as some issues of Miracleman) artists who have fitted his vision to perfection. But Promethea is just bloody beautiful.
This is appropriate because the story itself is an exciting, colourful, mysterious and hopeful one. I'll be sparing with the plot summary as I don't want to spoil anything for those discovering Promethea for the first time through this edition. Essentially: young student Sophie Bangs becomes the latest incarnation of the supposedly mythical Promethea (who, trust me, is not a Wonder Woman clone as thought before this series originally appeared). First, she has to survive the attention of magical enemies and then learn just who and what Promethea really is. The journey proves as unexpected for the reader as it does for Sophie.
For me, Promethea is one of Moore's finest and most imaginative creations and despite the lack of extras, this first book of three comes with my highest recommendation. This ranks with Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and Lost Girls to make an essential quartet of graphic storytelling.
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