Well, I know I have lagged majorly on getting this going, but I’m going to dive right in and start raving at length about what I consider the most spectacular work I’ve yet encountered in the world of graphic storytelling. (Hopefully I will be more diligent about writing installments for this, cause.. comic books are amazing? haha)
Anyway, Promethea. Written by Alan Moore, art by J. H. Williams III. To put it simply, it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever seen or read in any medium. While it has some things in common with “mainstream superhero comics”, it very clearly explodes any boundaries of genre or traditional comics increasingly as it progresses. To try to sum up the intricacies of the at-times out-there plot would not do it justice, so I can only recommend you pick it up for yourself, and proceed to talk about how awesome it is so you feel extra-compelled to do so.
It’s as intellectually profound as it is visually spectacular. It’s a sort of mind-blowing magical textbook, crammed with amazing ideas and some of the best art ever. It’s an incredible exploration of the mind, and I think, Alan Moore’s personal opus on his favorite concepts, magic and the imagination. It’s nothing short of masterful in its weaving of concepts and form, image and meaning. Fantastic in every sense – a feast for the eyes and mind.
It’s also funny, and witty. Every part of it is spot on. It crackles with intellect and operatic splendor, as good in form as it is in ideas. The series itself a testament to the power of imagination, with dazzling developments and/or innovative design in each chapter. The series, collected in five books (only $10 each at Amazon! $15 each normally. sooo worth it.) an exhilarating read that ramps up a lot in each successive book. Each one is an awesome part of the story, but they definitely do need to be read in order.
(Incidentally I love imagining Promethea as a video game… it’s too good to be true though, haha. And I guess there’s a lot of exposition and exploring and talking and stuff, but there are some awesome fights and action stuff, especially near the beginning? And I have faith they could fill in some for the non-action parts!! Hahah. Basically I just want to be Promethea, ok??)
Tags: alan moore, comics, grand graphic novels, graphic novels, promethea, superheroes
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