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Promethea 26

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16:50 / 21.01.03

Check it:

PROMETHEA #26
Written by Alan Moore; art by J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray; cover by Williams
In stores April 23. "Later." Millennium City, three years later. Draw your own conclusions…
FC, 32 pg. $2.95

What the F is this S? Draw my own Fing conclusions? AAARGH!

1. Sophie doesn't seem to be Promethea anymore.

2. She works at a comics shop.

3. Alan Moore jumped three years between the Kabbalah Quest of 2000 to the present of 2003. Which is sly as all hell, speaking an behalf of the narrative.

4. Stacia/Grace is Promethea? Do we want that to happen? I don't. I want JUST Stacia to be the awarded vessel.

5. Who's the contemporary artist referenced for the cover?

17:23 / 21.01.03

Looks fANTASTIC! Can't wait, as always, for the new issue of this amazing, ground-breaking book. Thanks for posting the cover & details!

19:59 / 21.01.03

So... waitAminute...

She moves to Millenium city!?!?

I know there's been talk of Tom Strong meeting Promethea in the Tom Strong series...

21:31 / 21.01.03

Yeah, that's either a typo or that isn't our Sophie (even though she looks delicious)!

21:55 / 21.01.03

Yeah, I was thinking she looks pretty hot too, but it never bodes well when I find illustrations attractive.

She may very well be in Millenium City. She may yet be the active Promethea. She may have a crossover with Tom Strong -which sounds cool, but damn if I have to buy more Fing trades. "I'm catching up on my ABCs!" that might be funny if I actually wasn't buying every damn book Moore's written so far. Just got Killing Joke and Top Ten Book One's in the mail. I oughtta buy Tom Strong anyway, he's archetypal and positive. I wish there was more Greyshirt and Cobweb...

Back to subject at hand! So you think she's done with school? What was she majoring in? Mythology and Contemporary Folklore? Is that why she works in a comics shop, and is that why I read them? What kind of hints have been dropped in Tom Strong about meeting Promethea? Actual diaolgue, or letters columns?

Will we EVER see the Night Queen? I hope to god they settle that score before Promethea's done for in issue 32.

22:04 / 21.01.03

Promethea ends in 32? OH NO!

I never got the impression that Tom Strong and Promethea were in the same universes. (And those are the only ABC books I read.) And even though I'm sure it'll be a fun crossover I don't think that the two characters are compatible. Kinda like a team up between Superman and Jack Frost.

22:16 / 21.01.03

I forget which issue it was But a Charactor from TOM's Future... JONNY FUTURE? Mentions how Tom and Promethea are members of a Team formed early in the 21st century after the two meet...

And I always thought Sophie was a Lit student myself.

BTW ABC just released a Greyshirt TPB.

22:28 / 21.01.03

So maybe we'll see a League of Extroadinary Science-Heroes in the near future? I highly doubt it, but it might be good for a Moore six issue funny book. I was thinking just the other day that an ABC League book would be HIGHLY entertaining. Cobweb, she's immortal right? Greyshirt, Tom Strong, Promethea, who else? You're right that the books would feel different, but that's the point. Maybe a team book would prove otherwise.

I got Indigo Sunset, and love it. I wish the Lure looked less hokey, and the whole ritual exposition-thing at the end was rethought, but the characters more than make up for it.

03:29 / 22.01.03

Aw, man, that makes me even more anxious for next issue's trial.

And yes, Johnny Future, in the last short from Tom Strong #14, drops the line that he, Promethea, Tom and others are members of a scientific/science-hero society called America's Best. (Prometha apparently has a 'big fight' with somebody named 'Splash' Brannigan, another member of the team).

God, what a great comic. Naysayers can lick my boots.

20:08 / 22.01.03

>> Yeah, that's either a typo or that isn't our Sophie (even though she looks delicious)!

Yeah, I thought she looked hot too, and no, I'm not ashamed of it!

Anyway, what's this nonsense about Promehtea ending with issue 32?!?! I've never heard about that -- where did you get this supposed info??? I'm going to take this as highly dubious until I see a source, no offense. I just don't want this book to end so soon!!!

The Natural Way

08:10 / 23.01.03

Kind of grates, doesn't it? C'mon Chesed - what's yr source? You can't drop a bomb like that all of the cuff and stuff....

13:16 / 23.01.03

it's an interview with JHW3, I assumed it was rather old and everybody may have already known. Let me see if I can find the link, or the transcript.

Here it is.

It was done before 24 was even inked, so it's been out a while.

Also, the WIldstorm boards are abuzz with discourse on the end-of-sophie. You have to register to post there, and for some reason, they're not accepting new applicants. But, if you want to read them...

11:28 / 29.01.03

Easy now, it said ‘draw’, not ‘jump to’ conclusions…

Why are we assuming she’s no longer Promethea ? Just because she looks like a normal person in this one picture ? Well, she looked like a student in the last issue, and was Promethea then.

Why are we assuming that there can only be one Promethea ? There are two in the latest issue, and given that this book seems to thrive on not fulfilling expectations, who’s to say the trial-thing or whatever has to end with one of them being stripped of the role ? It might do, but it might not. We have yet to see.

Is it a comic shop ? Looks a bit like a video store to me – new releases, is that, on the poster behind her ? And the thing about Beetle Man being on DVD ?

And this narrative timeshift isn’t the first time Moore’s been involved in such a thing – the issue of The Maxx he co-wrote featured a caption which is amongst my favourite bits of narrative of all time: “Suddenly, ten years later…”

13:43 / 29.01.03

That's true but it's fun to jump to conclusions.

Over in the Are Two Heads Better Than One? thread they talking about writer/artist teams vs. solo creators. Alan Moore is mentioned a few times. Now that said, does anyone know how much control JHW3 has on Promethea? I hear Moore's scripts are freakishly detailed, which doesn't leave too much room for input. Another question, does anyone have or know where I can get a look at a Promethea script?

18:22 / 29.01.03

Drawing conclusions:

Perhaps it's determined that the Grace/Stacia Promethea is better suited for N.Y.

while Sophie is told to begin her "mission" elsewhere...Millennium City.

22:16 / 29.01.03

I was actually thinking that myself, that Stacia/Grace worked better as a NY science hero and Sophie should be the Gabrielle peace-maker type. But I really don't think that's the way to go.

I as thinking that Promethea the little girl may be forced to choose who she wants to be with, either the Xena type, or the enlightened messenger. But she may not want either, because of the fact that that they used her like a weapon in their little skirmish.

I prefer to think that Little Promethea may not want to even be part of the world right now for that reason alone -that anyone who attempt to become the new Promethea would only see her a weapon or power source. Also, with the FBI cracking down on Promethea sightings, it might be in anyone, much less Sophie or Stacia's best interests to not be Promethea for a while.

A three year gap without the Promethea guise might give Sophie a bit more character too. She may not NEED Promethea as much.

01:49 / 30.01.03

Alan Moore co-wrote an issue of THE MAXX?!?! When was this? How was it? I assume Sam Keith was the other co-writer....

14:14 / 30.01.03

The Maxx issue was good fun – featured a new start to things, jumping forward in time. I think it was issue 41, but that’s working from my swiss-cheese memory, so worth doublechecking that.
Good fun, and yep, Sam co-wrote it (bit hard to guess who did what, as the credits were kind of vague, crediting Alan with something like ‘Great Dialogue’ and Sam with ‘Lousy Dialogue and Plot’ or the like). Must admit to only ever having seen the MTV cartoon, so it was all new on me, but it was cool, I felt.
But I digress, and rot thread, so I’ll begone.

14:15 / 22.04.03

Just thought I'd remind everybody that tomorrow is Promethea day.

15:21 / 22.04.03

Superman/Jack Frost.

You know this must be done. Write to Grant. Lobby DC. But please God, let it happen!

Superman: Alright young fella, I can appreciate your teenage angst, but that's no reason to smash up bits of Metropolis, now is it?

Jack: Fookin' 'ell! I finally get rid of that bald-headed fooker an' now I've got to deal with a big poof in blue tights! Where's Fanny when you need 'er?

Guest-starring Flex Mentallo. Come on, you know it makes sense...

04:05 / 13.06.03

Nobody here seems to be aware of it but I've been running a Promethea Notes and Annotations webpage for almost a year now.
The easiest way to find it is to just type
clix.to/promethea
in your address field. The actual address is
http://www.angelfire.com/comics/eroomnala/Promethea.htm

Any helpful comments and additions would be much appreciated.
:-)

07:52 / 13.06.03

i go to yr promethea annos all the time. fuckin love em, good good job.

09:35 / 13.06.03

Hmmm. This issue's out next week, isn't it?

13:02 / 13.06.03

Very cool, Eroom -- and you're right, I had no idea you had those. I'll be checking 'em out very soon, thanks!

And yes, the issue should be out next week.

15:40 / 13.06.03

This issue hasn't come out yet, right? I've gone to the comic shop the last two weeks looking for it and nothing!

16:34 / 13.06.03

Appariently it was delayed do to personal problems in the penciler's life, the inker had only just finished inking it like a week before it was schedualed to hit the shelves...

been checking for it every week

BTW.. how you been Alex, been a while...

05:07 / 16.06.03

It should be out on the 18th of June.

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/ws_display.html?cm_ws_itemCode=prom26&month=June

Unfortunately no preview images on first look this time

http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/

:-(

21:25 / 18.06.03

It's OUT!!!!

WOWOHWOW!!!

Woderful color rythms...

YES she works in a video story...heheh jelly jewlry

Very TENSE story pace...

Millenium City done Amazingly...

22:47 / 18.06.03

The art was of course fantastic. Loved the Watchmen type coloring. But it lacked a certain level of, um, I don't know... magic. I don't mean a disertation on the subject just a bit more spark. But I guess that's Sophie's life now. Kinda sad. Still, i would've liked to have seen or heard something about what happened to Stacia and Jack.

23:14 / 18.06.03

I thought that MUNDANE life in Mil city rocked!!! reinforced with the monochromatic coloring as well...

Made the Magic moments like that visitation from the Imateria all the more potent... and of course that last page!!!

I to hope we'll get a glimpse of the others either in flashback or lockdown...

loved the timelyness of it... wow.

13:17 / 19.06.03

I loved it -- very spooky, ominous mood as The End of the World approaches.... and I think we'll lots of more hard-core magickal stuff when the Apocalypse really comes. This is just the eerie prelude. But I know what you mean - not much magic at all in this issue. More regular comic story/plot.

The Painted Doll is gonna figure prominently in the end of the world, apparently.

Weird how they use Michael Imperioli's real name (and Spike Lee's) but change Tony Soprano to "Chrissie Soprano". (It's on record that Moore loves THE SOPRANOS, so that's clearly where this scene comes from.)

What do you all think the glass of water image means? It sure as hell scared Tesla. I like seeing Tom Strong scared shitless. And clearly, like Oedipus, in his desire to avoid doing something to contribute to the end of the world, he will contribute to the end of the world. You think this'll be Moore wiping out the entire ABC universe (except of course for LOEG)? Interesting how he ties it in with the real-life conflict in the Middle East...

And do you think "Mom coming home" is the Godhead coming to wipe the slate of our reality clean?

13:40 / 19.06.03

Weird how they use Michael Imperioli's real name (and Spike Lee's) but change Tony Soprano to "Chrissie Soprano".

The names of real people are not protected by trademark law: the names of fictional characters are.

14:40 / 19.06.03

Aaaaah, I dig it. Thanks, Jack.

Also very interesting all the real-life parallels with the Bush admin (Tom Strong commenting on the terrorism laws, the whole wackiness with the election, etc.). This is the first Moore-written comic I've ever seen that actually NAMES the current president and blatantly refers to political current events.

And is anyone besides me waiting to see a team-up of AMERICA'S BEST, set in the 50s, in TOM STRONG'S TERRIFIC TALES or the regular TOM STRONG book? The formation of this group was also referred to in some earlier Tom Strong issues.

I liked the title of the entertainment magazine - Entertain Yourself.

Also, any magickal numerical significance to the age at which the Millenium City diva, clearly meant to signify the spirit of the city, died? She died at 78, which doesn't strike any magickal/numerological significance with me, but I know that Moore's got something up his sleeve here.

The Timaximus, The!

16:16 / 19.06.03

What do you all think the glass of water image means?

I read it as how one sees the end of the world. i.e. Is the glass half-full or half-empty, is the end of the world a good thing or a bad thing. Why the vision of the Painted Doll (on the same page), though? And are the black and purple shapes supposed to indicate Daath? One possibility for the Painted Doll is to show Sophie's guilt at leaving NYC unprotected, maybe (A bit of a stretch, I think).

I loved the text in Tom Strong's speech bubbles, and am I imagining it, or is he drawn in a slightly different style, as well?

It'll be a long two months before the next issue.

16:31 / 19.06.03

This issue was ridiculously cool.

Have we ever seen a superhero blatantly smoke pot? I agree with the amazing mundanity(is that a word?) of the world three years later. I almost didn't get "why" it was drawn like it was, but I see the "deconstructive" aspects of Watchmen now, and how when the magic crosses into the world, we see the New York color -as it was when Sophie was learning about herself, and about magic and the mystery her life was taking in the first four volumes. What a f'ing way to begin the fifth!

I think we all know Dennis Drucker's relationship with the Painted Doll, and I may be alone thinking that the Painted Doll personality is a corrupted Qlippoth of the Promethea entity. Now, while the two (Prome and PD) ARE linked, I think there may be some trouble with Solomon's verdict in 25. Supposing that PD WAS DD's manifestation of Promethea, was that aspect taken away from Dennis and integrated clumsily with Sophie's when Solomon made her the sole caretaker of the Promethea entity? Is that why she has nightmares about destruction? DAMN that glass of water is the creepiest thing I've seen since The Ring.

I wonder what that jellyfishlike protoplasm is above the Painted Doll in her nightmare?

I don't think Alan's going to destroy the world in Promethea, if what you're talking about is related to the interviews about him wanting to complelety decimate the ABC world. I think he sincerely wants Promethea to be about the "opening of the 32nd path" -and I assume THAT has to do with everyone incorporating Promethea into their identity, meaning -per Solomon's verdict- Sophie's death. Shitty, but beautiful. Ending the World in the sense that the interviews may be speaking about is probably a sudden stupid act that no-one could stop, like a comet blowing up the planet, or the USA suddenly nuking half the planet. Or the two could be simultaneous...

I HATE BRUEGHEL AND BALL.

is the next one out in a month, or are we going to have to wait another ice age?

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