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Promethea #3
Promethea, Vol. 3
The third thrilling collection of the critically acclaimed, award-winning PROMETHEA is back, offered as a softcover version of the original hardcover! PROMETHEA BOOK THREE is a 224-page trade paperback from AMERICA'S BEST COMICS reprinting PROMETHEA #13-18, written by Alan Moore with art and cover by J.H. Williams III & Mick Gray. Featuring the first half of a cosmic road trip, this volume finds Promethea and Barbara traveling an unlikely path. Their wanderings take them through the many realms of Heaven and Hell, visiting manifestations of great visions and visionaries. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Stacia is the acting Promethea -- protecting and serving the people of New York while Promethea is away. Is she up to the task?
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
33 people are currently reading
1468 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,576 books21.7k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
June 23, 2019
I am enjoying this. It's my cup of tea. The story just keeps getting more trippy and more trippy.
Sophie is Promethea. The previous Promethea died and when Sophie visited the higher realm she saw the previous one named Barbara going on into the world beyond the veil, basically into source and symbols. Sophie decides to journey with her. The Promethea council OKs the decision and a Interim Promethea is sent back to Earth. She is intense and willing to kill and be a little more brutal.
Sophie ends up in this after-after world place and she realizes that it is the tree of life and there are 10 zones corresponding with that symbol in Kabbalah. I have done a brief amount of study into the Tree of Life and I enjoy it. Caroline Myss combines the Chakras and the Tree of Life together for great effect, but still, she does not go into details about the Tree of Life. Alan Moore is exploring the Tree of Life in such a cool way. I want to know more about it after reading this. I loved the world that was a Mobius strip and see them looping through time. This is some very cool stuff.
I'm glad I'm able to get this story from the library and I totally want to finish off the other 2 books in this series. The story is a surprise and not what I expected in any way. Each issue keeps surprising me and I think this is a great story so far. I hope it has a great ending.
Sophie is Promethea. The previous Promethea died and when Sophie visited the higher realm she saw the previous one named Barbara going on into the world beyond the veil, basically into source and symbols. Sophie decides to journey with her. The Promethea council OKs the decision and a Interim Promethea is sent back to Earth. She is intense and willing to kill and be a little more brutal.
Sophie ends up in this after-after world place and she realizes that it is the tree of life and there are 10 zones corresponding with that symbol in Kabbalah. I have done a brief amount of study into the Tree of Life and I enjoy it. Caroline Myss combines the Chakras and the Tree of Life together for great effect, but still, she does not go into details about the Tree of Life. Alan Moore is exploring the Tree of Life in such a cool way. I want to know more about it after reading this. I loved the world that was a Mobius strip and see them looping through time. This is some very cool stuff.
I'm glad I'm able to get this story from the library and I totally want to finish off the other 2 books in this series. The story is a surprise and not what I expected in any way. Each issue keeps surprising me and I think this is a great story so far. I hope it has a great ending.
December 1, 2020
Sophie and the previous Promethia, Barbara, take a trippy road trip into the higher consciousness of the Immateria while Stacia becomes the new Promethea and protects Earth. This book's strength is JH Williams's art. His ability to visualize all these heady concepts Moore comes up with is mind boggling. Moore's spouting nonsense about half the time as he tries to combine half the world's religious dogma. Williams's talent to make sense of that and give us something for our eyes to follow is outstanding.
December 18, 2019
The saga of Promethea continues in Volume Three of the five book series.
Promethea, the version embodied by Sophie Bangs, has embarked on an adventure through the myriad worlds of the Tree of Life. She seeks another of the avatars of Promethea who recently died. Together, they hope to find the deceased woman's husband and learn about the occult on the way.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Sophie has left someone unexpected in charge of keeping the baddies at bay while she's away. Is Stace up to the task?
The artwork of the series continues to impress with its beauty and ingenuity. I especially enjoyed the mobius strip path of the world of Hod.
Alan Moore's writing is at its best when he's waxing on about the complexity of the universe and delivering punchy one-liners ending those conversations.
However, he takes the characters through so many different places so quickly that the adventures themselves end up feeling rather stilted. I think I may have enjoyed this entry more if he had spent a little more time exploring the worlds rather than simply explaining them.
I get that Promethea has places to be. But she could have savored the journey along the way.
Recommended for graphic novel readers who enjoy a mix of fantasy and occult in their stories.
Promethea, the version embodied by Sophie Bangs, has embarked on an adventure through the myriad worlds of the Tree of Life. She seeks another of the avatars of Promethea who recently died. Together, they hope to find the deceased woman's husband and learn about the occult on the way.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Sophie has left someone unexpected in charge of keeping the baddies at bay while she's away. Is Stace up to the task?
The artwork of the series continues to impress with its beauty and ingenuity. I especially enjoyed the mobius strip path of the world of Hod.
Alan Moore's writing is at its best when he's waxing on about the complexity of the universe and delivering punchy one-liners ending those conversations.
However, he takes the characters through so many different places so quickly that the adventures themselves end up feeling rather stilted. I think I may have enjoyed this entry more if he had spent a little more time exploring the worlds rather than simply explaining them.
I get that Promethea has places to be. But she could have savored the journey along the way.
Recommended for graphic novel readers who enjoy a mix of fantasy and occult in their stories.
May 4, 2011
Moore's interest in the occult takes over the book, and its quality suffers a great deal as a result. The "plot" still exists in some form, as Sophie travels up the kabalistic tree of creation, but it is second to Moore's attempt to synthesize Egyptian, Judaic, Roman, Greek, Norse, Christian, etc. mythologies into a complete system for understanding the world. It really starts to fall into the morass of new age mysticism and hippie simple-mindedness, complete with faux-insightful comments such as, "It's like, we don't have emotions; emotions have us, you know?" That's an actual quote. Moore seems to be very impressed with himself, even having the characters compliment each other on their "deep thoughts" by saying -- and again, this is an actual quote -- "Wow, that's really deep!" I would love to think that this is all just Moore taking the piss, but I know that, unfortunately, he thinks that this stuff is actually meaningful. It's not that various occult systems are not interesting objects of study; all the ways that humans attempt to organize and interpret reality are interesting. Moore just takes it all so seriously despite the fact that his "insights" are so obviously fabricated and require him to stretch and distort various mythological systems to conform to what is essentially a very conventional, and essentialist, Western understanding of human nature. The identification of an essential "father-masculine" force and "feminine-mother" force as the motive powers of the universe is perhaps the most egregious example of his anthropomorphic, heteronormative, and Euro-slash-JudeoXian perspective. But, the artwork by Williams continues to excel and, despite the story's major weaknesses, the graphic storytelling is truly cutting edge. It's just sad it doesn't serve an interesting plot.
March 13, 2017
This is the same kind of pseudo-mystical masturbation that made me furious with Jerusalem. The art continues to be astonishing, though.
June 1, 2014
Volume 3 of Promethea can also be called as "Alan Moore's fruity-weird beliefs are just amalgams of different philosophies, religions and new age-esque concepts." It's just a long imagination roller coaster. But the artwork and colors are as great as ever.
August 30, 2007
Oh god, yet more monologues about mysticism and myth. How fascinating, Mr. Moore! Please, spend the next five comics reciting everything you have ever read about this subject!
June 12, 2013
Welcome to my review of Promethea Volume 3, or Why I Know More About the Kabbalah Than Most Rural North Carolinian Baptists.
Issues 13-23 of Promethea are basically Alan Moore’s illustrated TED talk about the history, symbols, and philosophy of magic. Each issue has maybe 4 or 5 pages of Sophie’s friend Stacia fighting crime back on Earth while channeling the most militant incarnation of Promethea. The rest of the time we follow Sophie/Promethea and the newly deceased previous wielder of Promethea’s powers, Barbara, as they traverse the ten emanations of the Kabbalah, an ancient system of Jewish mysticism. Each of the ten issues feature these two women, eventually joined by Barbara’s guardian angel, as they work their way up the sephirot, a symbolic tree that was intended to lead followers to the Godhead, connecting them with the infinite. To reiterate, this is a comic book that was sold next to issues of Batgirl.
Each issue is beautifully illustrated in a different style that connects to the theme of the emanation of the sephirot that is its focus. The ten emanations, or sephira, are each connected to one of the planets, the moon, or the sun, and the twenty-two paths between them that Promethea and Barbara travel are connected to the twenty-two cards in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot, and the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Got it?
Moore’s primary goal is to break down all ten levels into a collection of symbols, and dissect all of their layers of meaning through discussion between Sophie/Promethea, Barbara, and the characters they encounter along the way.
Issue 13 takes place on Earth or Malkuth (meaning Kingdom) the material world and lowest level of the sephirot as Sophie asks Stacia to be Earth’s temporary Promethea while she goes to find Barbara in the afterlife.
Issue 14 has Sophie/Promethea finding Barbara in Yesod (meaning Foundation) which is the emanation connected with the moon, and which Moore peoples with the ghosts of fictional characters. In this issue we learn the greater goal of this story arch. Barbara’s deceased husband has headed up the sephirot to enlightenment, and Promethea decides to help Barbara find him.
Issue 15 is one of my favorites in the whole series. One of the things I love about comics is that they are such a flexible medium. In its most basic form it’s just pictures and words, and whereas most authors are content to stick with the standard left-to-right panels and word balloons, Moore uses these issues of Promethea, where not a lot is actually happening, to really play around with the art form. Promethea and Barbara reach the sephira Hod (meaning Splendor), which is associated with the planet Mercury. The pair get trapped on a Mobius strip in a beautiful two page spread which sees them walking on the path for what may be an eternity, hearing themselves on on the other side of the strip and referencing the conversations that they just had that they are hearing. Only in comics could an idea like this work, and only a mad genius like Moore could pull it off. Later they meet the god Mercury who is made out of, what else, mercury. He has a great speech connecting hieroglyphics to modern comic books, and there is an amazing moment where he breaks the fourth wall to speak to the reader, leaving Promethea and Barbara to wonder who he’s talking to. I still remember that moment rocking my teenage world when I first read it, and it still packs a punch now.
Our travelers visit an emotional ocean, Netzach (meaning Victory), in issue 16, and are almost overwhelmed by their feelings in this feminine sephira of Venus until they learn to surrender.
In issue 17, Promethea and Barbara reach the golden sephira of Tiphereth (meaning Beauty), which is the sephira of the sun. It is the lowest level of the Sephirot that God can visit, and the highest that man can visit, and it is also the emanation connected to resurrection. Here Barbara meets her guardian angel, Boo-Boo Ramirez, a cussin’ tokin’ representation of Barbara at age 15. Boo-Boo explains that Tiphereth is the home of all the gods that are resurrected, Baldur from Norse mythology, Osiris from Egyptian mythology, and the connection of God and man... Jesus Christ. They see him on the cross and are all moved to tears. “Our highest point. The best in us. The gold. And it’s nailed writhing on the cross of the world.” But even at the crucifiction, Boo-Boo says, “At the lowest Auschwitz ass-end of what humans are, and what humans do... our highest point is still here with us. There’s light. Always remember that. There’s light at the bottom.” Heavy stuff for Alan Moore, the proudly professed Pagan.
The Volume 3 collection ends on the 6th sephira out of 10, Geburah (meaning Strength). As Promethea, Boo-Boo, and Barbara traverse the hellish landscape of the sephira of Mars, they encounter demons who are not exactly what they seem. This issue looks crazy. Except for the word balloons, everything taking place on Geburah is illustrated in solid black and solid red, which is quite an assault on the eyes.
I noticed a few things during the reread that I didn’t the first time through. The Major Arcana (swords, coins, cups, wands) show up in the background of almost every issue in some form. Some scenes on Earth with Stacia feature long zoom-ins and outs in the panels, which is cool.
On to the last four sephiras in Volume 4.
Issues 13-23 of Promethea are basically Alan Moore’s illustrated TED talk about the history, symbols, and philosophy of magic. Each issue has maybe 4 or 5 pages of Sophie’s friend Stacia fighting crime back on Earth while channeling the most militant incarnation of Promethea. The rest of the time we follow Sophie/Promethea and the newly deceased previous wielder of Promethea’s powers, Barbara, as they traverse the ten emanations of the Kabbalah, an ancient system of Jewish mysticism. Each of the ten issues feature these two women, eventually joined by Barbara’s guardian angel, as they work their way up the sephirot, a symbolic tree that was intended to lead followers to the Godhead, connecting them with the infinite. To reiterate, this is a comic book that was sold next to issues of Batgirl.
Each issue is beautifully illustrated in a different style that connects to the theme of the emanation of the sephirot that is its focus. The ten emanations, or sephira, are each connected to one of the planets, the moon, or the sun, and the twenty-two paths between them that Promethea and Barbara travel are connected to the twenty-two cards in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot, and the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Got it?
Moore’s primary goal is to break down all ten levels into a collection of symbols, and dissect all of their layers of meaning through discussion between Sophie/Promethea, Barbara, and the characters they encounter along the way.
Issue 13 takes place on Earth or Malkuth (meaning Kingdom) the material world and lowest level of the sephirot as Sophie asks Stacia to be Earth’s temporary Promethea while she goes to find Barbara in the afterlife.
Issue 14 has Sophie/Promethea finding Barbara in Yesod (meaning Foundation) which is the emanation connected with the moon, and which Moore peoples with the ghosts of fictional characters. In this issue we learn the greater goal of this story arch. Barbara’s deceased husband has headed up the sephirot to enlightenment, and Promethea decides to help Barbara find him.
Issue 15 is one of my favorites in the whole series. One of the things I love about comics is that they are such a flexible medium. In its most basic form it’s just pictures and words, and whereas most authors are content to stick with the standard left-to-right panels and word balloons, Moore uses these issues of Promethea, where not a lot is actually happening, to really play around with the art form. Promethea and Barbara reach the sephira Hod (meaning Splendor), which is associated with the planet Mercury. The pair get trapped on a Mobius strip in a beautiful two page spread which sees them walking on the path for what may be an eternity, hearing themselves on on the other side of the strip and referencing the conversations that they just had that they are hearing. Only in comics could an idea like this work, and only a mad genius like Moore could pull it off. Later they meet the god Mercury who is made out of, what else, mercury. He has a great speech connecting hieroglyphics to modern comic books, and there is an amazing moment where he breaks the fourth wall to speak to the reader, leaving Promethea and Barbara to wonder who he’s talking to. I still remember that moment rocking my teenage world when I first read it, and it still packs a punch now.
Our travelers visit an emotional ocean, Netzach (meaning Victory), in issue 16, and are almost overwhelmed by their feelings in this feminine sephira of Venus until they learn to surrender.
In issue 17, Promethea and Barbara reach the golden sephira of Tiphereth (meaning Beauty), which is the sephira of the sun. It is the lowest level of the Sephirot that God can visit, and the highest that man can visit, and it is also the emanation connected to resurrection. Here Barbara meets her guardian angel, Boo-Boo Ramirez, a cussin’ tokin’ representation of Barbara at age 15. Boo-Boo explains that Tiphereth is the home of all the gods that are resurrected, Baldur from Norse mythology, Osiris from Egyptian mythology, and the connection of God and man... Jesus Christ. They see him on the cross and are all moved to tears. “Our highest point. The best in us. The gold. And it’s nailed writhing on the cross of the world.” But even at the crucifiction, Boo-Boo says, “At the lowest Auschwitz ass-end of what humans are, and what humans do... our highest point is still here with us. There’s light. Always remember that. There’s light at the bottom.” Heavy stuff for Alan Moore, the proudly professed Pagan.
The Volume 3 collection ends on the 6th sephira out of 10, Geburah (meaning Strength). As Promethea, Boo-Boo, and Barbara traverse the hellish landscape of the sephira of Mars, they encounter demons who are not exactly what they seem. This issue looks crazy. Except for the word balloons, everything taking place on Geburah is illustrated in solid black and solid red, which is quite an assault on the eyes.
I noticed a few things during the reread that I didn’t the first time through. The Major Arcana (swords, coins, cups, wands) show up in the background of almost every issue in some form. Some scenes on Earth with Stacia feature long zoom-ins and outs in the panels, which is cool.
On to the last four sephiras in Volume 4.
March 23, 2018
Puede que suene a repetirse y es que este cómic no para de mejorar y reinventarse. Lo raro es que hay mas data que historia en sí. Casi todo este volumen trata de Promethea ayudando a Barbara a encontrar a su marido dejando a Stacia como reemplazo terrenal. Y todo se traduce a una busqueda introspectiva personal y un viaje místico filosófico lleno de kabalah, teología y magia. A nivel artístico continúa la premisa de superarse a cada número, elevar la propuesta rupturista. Con solo mencionar la doble página dibujada con una cinta de Moebius para representar una charla en loop ya sería suficiente para fascinar y es apenas uno mas de los recursos que demuestran que en este cómic la narración visual está llevada a un extremo nunca visto.
April 9, 2019
Basic Plot: Sophie/Promethea and Barbara go on a metaphysical road trip while Stacia/Promethea protects NYC.
The art gets super trippy in this volume, but remains absolutely phenomenal and worth the read all on its own. As I am a person who typically demands plot over all other considerations, this means a lot. The plot gets bogged down a bit as Moore tries to reconcile a LOT of mythology into one giant myth to rule them all. This book is a lot more philosophy than plot, so if you're looking for fun superheroism, it makes up only a small part of the story. I rather enjoyed the journey here, but it is definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
The art gets super trippy in this volume, but remains absolutely phenomenal and worth the read all on its own. As I am a person who typically demands plot over all other considerations, this means a lot. The plot gets bogged down a bit as Moore tries to reconcile a LOT of mythology into one giant myth to rule them all. This book is a lot more philosophy than plot, so if you're looking for fun superheroism, it makes up only a small part of the story. I rather enjoyed the journey here, but it is definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
March 27, 2018
It's rather tryingly didactic, though I suppose that has the virtue of providing a better means for some people to get a handle on the correspondences of Hermetic Qabala a la Crowley than the more typical, tedious manner of attempting to memorize the tables from 777 by brute force. Also, the aesthetics are better.
June 25, 2007
I actually liked this a lot more than when I first read it. A lot of readers dropped Promethea at this point because of the endless tarot/kabbalah/etc. references , but it's not supposed to be a superhero comic. It's supposed to be a spiritual and literary allegory, and it's extremely well-constructed.
April 2, 2018
(4,5/5)
Formalmente es una obra maestra absoluta, y por eso lo puntúo alto. Es una auténtica exhibición de recursos narrativos.
Sigo pensando que no soy exactamente el público diana. Tiene un punto didáctico sobre la magia que, cuando se pone por encima de la trama, a mi me pierde a veces (otras explica tan bien que no puedo más que aplaudir).
Seguimos para bingo.
Formalmente es una obra maestra absoluta, y por eso lo puntúo alto. Es una auténtica exhibición de recursos narrativos.
Sigo pensando que no soy exactamente el público diana. Tiene un punto didáctico sobre la magia que, cuando se pone por encima de la trama, a mi me pierde a veces (otras explica tan bien que no puedo más que aplaudir).
Seguimos para bingo.
October 24, 2022
In this third installation, we start at the millennium. Hands up anyone who, like myself, is old enough to remember the anxiety leading up to the 1999 - 2000 crossover?
Dire threats about how all computers would not be able to handle the change, banks would fall, planes would fall out of the sky, society would collapse... make your emergency escape plans now!
Well, in this first comic some confusion ensues, millennium wise, when this intelligent, computer programable gel goes nuts. Promethea saves the day of course and it is all classic comic book story, art and general satisfaction.
The next episodes when Promethea is introduced to the individual cards of the Tarot -remember she already learned about the suites in the immaterial - Her teaches here are the snakes in her caudacus (don't ask, just read) and.... Well, I'm not a huge fan. The snake double act is too jokey for me, artwork is good as usual, but I was into the Tarot for ages and I feel that they could have been done better. If you already know the symbolism of the Tarot (a bit of Freud and Jung will help too), I suspect there may not be much here for you other than poor rhyming. If you do not know much about the symbolism I am not sure you will come out better informed.
I get that Moore was seriously trying to use the AMAZING wealth of symbolism and magic in this series, up to now it had worked well. Here though, is where, for me, it started to wobble on the wheel a little.
Next episode Sophie goes into the immateria to talk to Barbara and finds that instead of 'staying back' with the other avatar consciousness, she has chosen to 'go on' after her husband who dies.
And THAT leads into the next story arc, starting with #13 (appropriately enough) where Sophie heads into the great beyond to look for Barbara and accompany her.
This is the start of the nice double story; where what happens to Promethea back in the read world, forms a second string to Sophie romping around in the great beyond. I like the 'real world' story, but the great beyond, apparently, corresponds to the Tree of Life from Hebrew Sepher Yetzirah; the book of creation. 'By 32 mysterious paths of wisdom, Y has engraved all things' .
It is a fascinating magical/philosophical text, it is pretty old, with hotly debated origins, purpose and uses. I think it even spawned an American cult or two (hasn't everything?) and Moore uses it as the basis for Sophie's journey through the spiritual never never. She does find Barbara and they continue on together.
Meh.
Sorry, but there are a LOT of episodes here; 14 - 24 or so, where the artwork is gorgeous, the theme of the Sepher is persistent and the mood is seriously SERIOUSLY preachy. There are mini storylines and characters within it all, some of them very good, but overall, it is the writer preaching to you about what he thinks things mean from the Sepher and how they relate to the real world. Sometimes this happens in seriously mind bending scripts that are hard to read.
For the artwork, I love it. If you a mystically inclined and this is your first expose to it all, it might work also, as a comic... I am not sure.
Dire threats about how all computers would not be able to handle the change, banks would fall, planes would fall out of the sky, society would collapse... make your emergency escape plans now!
Well, in this first comic some confusion ensues, millennium wise, when this intelligent, computer programable gel goes nuts. Promethea saves the day of course and it is all classic comic book story, art and general satisfaction.
The next episodes when Promethea is introduced to the individual cards of the Tarot -remember she already learned about the suites in the immaterial - Her teaches here are the snakes in her caudacus (don't ask, just read) and.... Well, I'm not a huge fan. The snake double act is too jokey for me, artwork is good as usual, but I was into the Tarot for ages and I feel that they could have been done better. If you already know the symbolism of the Tarot (a bit of Freud and Jung will help too), I suspect there may not be much here for you other than poor rhyming. If you do not know much about the symbolism I am not sure you will come out better informed.
I get that Moore was seriously trying to use the AMAZING wealth of symbolism and magic in this series, up to now it had worked well. Here though, is where, for me, it started to wobble on the wheel a little.
Next episode Sophie goes into the immateria to talk to Barbara and finds that instead of 'staying back' with the other avatar consciousness, she has chosen to 'go on' after her husband who dies.
And THAT leads into the next story arc, starting with #13 (appropriately enough) where Sophie heads into the great beyond to look for Barbara and accompany her.
This is the start of the nice double story; where what happens to Promethea back in the read world, forms a second string to Sophie romping around in the great beyond. I like the 'real world' story, but the great beyond, apparently, corresponds to the Tree of Life from Hebrew Sepher Yetzirah; the book of creation. 'By 32 mysterious paths of wisdom, Y has engraved all things' .
It is a fascinating magical/philosophical text, it is pretty old, with hotly debated origins, purpose and uses. I think it even spawned an American cult or two (hasn't everything?) and Moore uses it as the basis for Sophie's journey through the spiritual never never. She does find Barbara and they continue on together.
Meh.
Sorry, but there are a LOT of episodes here; 14 - 24 or so, where the artwork is gorgeous, the theme of the Sepher is persistent and the mood is seriously SERIOUSLY preachy. There are mini storylines and characters within it all, some of them very good, but overall, it is the writer preaching to you about what he thinks things mean from the Sepher and how they relate to the real world. Sometimes this happens in seriously mind bending scripts that are hard to read.
For the artwork, I love it. If you a mystically inclined and this is your first expose to it all, it might work also, as a comic... I am not sure.
February 24, 2025
some fun adventures on the paths of the hermetic qabalah. it's giving descent of ereshkigal. to be continued in the next collection
August 3, 2025
Moore does not leave any rock unturned as he takes us on a trip through esoteric dreams and the flimsy membranes of occult realities.
June 16, 2016
In the third volume of Alan Moore's "Promethea" we spend most of the time in the immaterial world as we're shown through and told about the tenets of various magical systems. And this is where the story was leading and this is where, in the story, readers seem to either fall in love, stop reading, or are simply confused and that's fine, for with this leap in narration we are given some of the most startling inventions in graphic art (for instance, the infinity symbol is used in a way that forces the reader to be constantly flipping the book up and down and sideways). We are also treated to a newer, darker, more interesting take on Grace and we also get to meet the loud-mouthed hippie guardian angel that is Barbara as a teenager looking over an older incarnation of her. Like the previous two volumes, this is packed with ideas and challenging concepts. And while I may not be on board with some of Moore's views (souls do not exist, and I do not believe we have individual "selves" since we have no free will) it does not make what he's selling any less interesting or valuable.
September 15, 2018
This was fine. Moore just decides to take such a literal approach to mysticism. It's boring and trite, honestly. He wants to grasp something deep and meaningful, but it just feels so clunky and heavy-handed. Like, give the reader the ideas and let them make their own conclusions, don't spoon-feed them philosophy. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with philosophical works, but if I wanted a lecture on the occult, I would read Wikipedia.
Also, I think there's a few legitimate criticisms of the way he's using a Eurocentric view to cannibalize non-Western religion and ideas, but that's not really something I can speak to very much.
Anyway, the art is still engaging, and the plot itself is interesting.
Also, I think there's a few legitimate criticisms of the way he's using a Eurocentric view to cannibalize non-Western religion and ideas, but that's not really something I can speak to very much.
Anyway, the art is still engaging, and the plot itself is interesting.
April 7, 2017
So as this series wears on, it becomes glaringly obvious that this is really just some kind of weird explanation of different occultisms. Basically reads like a way Alan moore can explain his own wacky extracurriculars as a, yes, "chaos magician". There's no story here, just a long and meandering walk through Kabbalah lore, tarot meanings and enneagram nonsense. Booooooooring.
March 22, 2018
I'm just determined to finish the series at this point since I'm more than halfway, but it's not even a story anymore, it's just Moore proselytizing his weird ambiguous magic beliefs
June 5, 2020
Still good, but I am getting bored with the endless philosophy which feels repetitive.
February 12, 2016
Moore is definitely getting more into the philosophy of his material at this point. It's about 75% philosophical exposition, and 25% narrative. While the two are wonderfully intertwined and I'm certainly excited to read all of it, his intentions are certainly clear at this point.
I find myself referring back to previous issues, as well as outside material on the Kaballah, tarot, and the various literary/historical references Moore is making practically on each page. Moore is never guilty of doing anything halfway, and I can only applaud his attention to detail and ability to bring so many sources under one cohesive umbrella (where else would you find Baron Manchausen, the history of chess, and a non-traditional exposition on Christ's sacrifice all in one book?).
Admittedly (and I never thought I would say this), I wish this had some sort of appendix like 'From Hell' does. I never got very far in 'From Hell' because I was so overwhelmed by the information, but my interest in all of the various references is certainly heightened, and I know I'm missing some of Moore's and Williams' more peripheral references.
Once again, the creative team pushes the boundaries of sequential art storytelling with the double-page spreads of the Mobius Strip (infinite loop) and Sun's orbit (circular sequence, read in any direction, starting from any point) sequences. And the fourth wall is broken twice, too: first with Promethea and Barbara meeting the 'reader' at the Lunar Rail Station, and again when Hermes addresses the reader. Experimenting with the limits of the medium is rarely accomplished with this level of success, and it's quite impressive.
This issue isn't my favorite of the series thus far, and it tends to get repetitive with Sophie's and Barbara's odyssey through the Immateria. While there is so much that's great about it, I admit that Moore's worldview is beginning to seem founded more on singular stories and concepts rather than universal ideas.
I find myself referring back to previous issues, as well as outside material on the Kaballah, tarot, and the various literary/historical references Moore is making practically on each page. Moore is never guilty of doing anything halfway, and I can only applaud his attention to detail and ability to bring so many sources under one cohesive umbrella (where else would you find Baron Manchausen, the history of chess, and a non-traditional exposition on Christ's sacrifice all in one book?).
Admittedly (and I never thought I would say this), I wish this had some sort of appendix like 'From Hell' does. I never got very far in 'From Hell' because I was so overwhelmed by the information, but my interest in all of the various references is certainly heightened, and I know I'm missing some of Moore's and Williams' more peripheral references.
Once again, the creative team pushes the boundaries of sequential art storytelling with the double-page spreads of the Mobius Strip (infinite loop) and Sun's orbit (circular sequence, read in any direction, starting from any point) sequences. And the fourth wall is broken twice, too: first with Promethea and Barbara meeting the 'reader' at the Lunar Rail Station, and again when Hermes addresses the reader. Experimenting with the limits of the medium is rarely accomplished with this level of success, and it's quite impressive.
This issue isn't my favorite of the series thus far, and it tends to get repetitive with Sophie's and Barbara's odyssey through the Immateria. While there is so much that's great about it, I admit that Moore's worldview is beginning to seem founded more on singular stories and concepts rather than universal ideas.
April 14, 2020
Promethea travels the Tree of Life and thus, a magical textbook in the guise of a comicbook is made. Everytime I reread this volume, along with Vol. 4 where she completes her journey up the Tree, I understand the significance and extreme value of this comic to any practicing or aspiring magician. Promethea will forever be my favorite heroine, and I would recommend these comics to anyone interested in the Occult, kabbalah, or even to people who just love comic books. Alan Moore never ceases to inspire me, and comparing some of the information he includes in Promethea along with information from his novel Jersuelem has along been a fun experience. 5/5 stars forever 🖤 even on the third reread
October 9, 2011
Igual de interesante, original, perturbador, bien dibujado, bien escrito y rompemoldes que los anteriores, pero los pasa principalmente por dos detalles no menores:
Uno, que nunca antes había tenido que hacer trampa para pasar de hoja hasta la página doble en la que Promethea y Barbara se quedan charlando en un bucle infinito.
Dos, nunca antes un Dios me había mirado directo a los ojos. La experiencia fue tan fascinante como terrorífica.
Ahora, a rezar porque los dos tomos que quedan caigan en mis manos cuanto antes.
Uno, que nunca antes había tenido que hacer trampa para pasar de hoja hasta la página doble en la que Promethea y Barbara se quedan charlando en un bucle infinito.
Dos, nunca antes un Dios me había mirado directo a los ojos. La experiencia fue tan fascinante como terrorífica.
Ahora, a rezar porque los dos tomos que quedan caigan en mis manos cuanto antes.
March 3, 2019
By volume three, you're deeply into mystical\hermetic territory and leave the whole superheroing behind you. Travellers, be warned.
It's a difficult, painful reading, but it's great all the same. Anything that's worth it is.
This is no doubt the most dense of the three books, maybe because it's the centre but I'm glad again I finally bought these books.
It's a difficult, painful reading, but it's great all the same. Anything that's worth it is.
This is no doubt the most dense of the three books, maybe because it's the centre but I'm glad again I finally bought these books.
June 5, 2015
Vomit. Boring and trite. This guy is like a two year old sometimes and not in an endearing way.
April 12, 2018
Creo que ya se cual es mi problema con Promethea. Ya lo comentaré en su momento. Tal vez de los 3 tomos que tengo leídos este es el más interesante a nivel de narrativa visual ( aunque sigo pensando que hay cosas que se podrían narrar mejor) el problema es que el tema en concreto se me atraganta.
September 9, 2019
Kolmoskirjassa haettiin vähän uutta vauhtia ja nyt kiinnostaa ainakin nelonen vielä.
November 14, 2018
Despite the abysmal second volume I gave it another shot with the third.
I wish more graphic novels used the artwork and the graphic medium as well as Moore does in his work. Too many graphic novels make it feel like the art's an afterthought as though it's a storyboard for a TV show, but Moore uses it to the full potential to come up with original, innovative designs that support the story. I really, really like that.
I also liked Stacia's Promethea a lot more than Sophie's. She's a more interesting character in general, this volume made me realise that actually I find Sophie a very irritating lead.
However; the pseudo-mystical nonsense just doesn't interest me in the slightest and the forced, misguided attempts at 'profundity' are incredibly annoying. Reading through lengthy explanations of Moore's philosophy with all the subtlety of a brick to the face is a misuse of the graphic novel format as much as the artistic style is a brilliant use of it. It contravenes the 'Show don't tell' principle and reads like a hippy teenager's essay which obstructs the action/plot.
I continue to find the wasted potential of this series very frustrating.
I wish more graphic novels used the artwork and the graphic medium as well as Moore does in his work. Too many graphic novels make it feel like the art's an afterthought as though it's a storyboard for a TV show, but Moore uses it to the full potential to come up with original, innovative designs that support the story. I really, really like that.
I also liked Stacia's Promethea a lot more than Sophie's. She's a more interesting character in general, this volume made me realise that actually I find Sophie a very irritating lead.
However; the pseudo-mystical nonsense just doesn't interest me in the slightest and the forced, misguided attempts at 'profundity' are incredibly annoying. Reading through lengthy explanations of Moore's philosophy with all the subtlety of a brick to the face is a misuse of the graphic novel format as much as the artistic style is a brilliant use of it. It contravenes the 'Show don't tell' principle and reads like a hippy teenager's essay which obstructs the action/plot.
I continue to find the wasted potential of this series very frustrating.
March 29, 2019
I found this volume at a local comic book store years ago and only got around to reading it now. I loved JH Williams III's work on New 52 "Batwoman" and wanted more.
This is... A very... Psychological, philosophical, religious/mythological mashup odyssey that loses the story in its desire to be a more thoughtful, artistic work. It blends a bunch of ideologies together and tries to explain the universe using all of them. It's sort of the ultimate idea that everything is a social construct and because we created it, it exists. I'm getting "nothing is true, everything is permitted" vibes, if you know what I mean. Fictional characters mixing with historical figures and all sorts of weirdness.
I like the idea of it, but there has to be more to push it forward. You can't just make it a philosophy essay and use characters walking through it to push a pretty much nonexistent story. It's got that "Divine Comedy" structure, but this is much more mixed and broad, and ultimately doesn't give itself a place to land.
Overall, great concept, but the team tried to fly too close to the sun and fell.
This is... A very... Psychological, philosophical, religious/mythological mashup odyssey that loses the story in its desire to be a more thoughtful, artistic work. It blends a bunch of ideologies together and tries to explain the universe using all of them. It's sort of the ultimate idea that everything is a social construct and because we created it, it exists. I'm getting "nothing is true, everything is permitted" vibes, if you know what I mean. Fictional characters mixing with historical figures and all sorts of weirdness.
I like the idea of it, but there has to be more to push it forward. You can't just make it a philosophy essay and use characters walking through it to push a pretty much nonexistent story. It's got that "Divine Comedy" structure, but this is much more mixed and broad, and ultimately doesn't give itself a place to land.
Overall, great concept, but the team tried to fly too close to the sun and fell.
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