Rating: 
Summary: It's all about the art this time..
Review: I have to admit, I'm less and less impressed with the magic/kabbalistic mysticism that's become almost the entirety of the plot. I was actually offended by some of the content this time around. The art however, is worth the wade into the weird. Each of the issues collected here has a different visual scope and color scheme in keeping with the journey motif going on; Very blue and Van Gogh circa "Starry Night" at the beginning, a stylized monochromatic stone garden for Arcadia, flat red-dominated iconographic murals for Babylon, and by the time Promethea reaches 'Heaven' everything is given over to bright whites and muted golds. The lovliest is the split story from chapter six that shows Christian and Muslim versions of Promethea, both existant at the time of the Crusades - each panel has half a woman rendered with the appropriate geometric or iconographic motifs, fitting seamlessly together.
Rating: 
Summary: Alan Moore should be recocnized as a minor deity
Review: I just finished this seminal work by Alan Moore and I cannot advocate it strongly enough. Alan Moore is generally recocnized as the unmitigated genius of the comics medium, and while this book does not rival the sheer awe-inspiring brilliance of From Hell, Watchmen or V for Vendetta it is still an instant classic in the field (let's face it, even a mediocre Moore is more brilliant than the best works of other authors, no sleight intended to their talent). It contains a rarity in the field, or indeed in any body of literature, not only one strong, independent heroine but rather a whole sleight of them. It also contains the rich, layered writing emanating from every panel that we have come to expect from Alan Moore. In short, I urge you to go out now and pick up this brilliant piece of literature for who knows, tomorrow you might be dead and then you'll never experience the sheer rapture of reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Promethea Book 3: Trippy Occult Comics
Review: I liked this 3rd volume better than the first two. The first volume, largely a tale of superheroics, tends to put you in mind of Wonder Woman. But by this volume, the story has morphed into a Madame Blavatsky/Theosophical Society-type occultic quest story. Two of the Prometheas set out to find the older, fatter Promethea's dead husband in the afterworld. They ascend several of the 10 nodes in the Kabbalist Sefiroth, each of which corresponds to a plane of reality. They run into Greek and Hindu Gods, Aleister Crowley, Death, various demons, and so forth. So there's a bunch of discussion about magic and metaphysics along the way, that sort of thing. The visuals contain several nice special effects, including a moebius-strip path (with inverted and sideways word balloons) and a set of rotating panels that can be read clockwise or counterclockwise. I guess it's nothing exactly BRILLIANT, but the book demonstrates some neat things you can do with comicbook graphics that you can't do with film or prose. I think PROMETHEA has the best artwork in any of the ABC Alan Moore series. Some readers might be disappointed by the relative lack of conflict in the story (compared to, say, the first volume). This is more of an exploration/discovery thing, and a pretty druggy one at that. A little irritating in a few places, but I thought it was kind of cool.
Rating:
Summary: Wonder Filled
Review: I liked this book's exploration of metaphysics and spirituallity. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is the open ending.I hope the next one comes out soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad comic, but not good for Moore
Review: I will be the FIRST to rave all over Moore's work on Vendetta, Watchmen and Batman. They are brilliant and redefined my world. But I tell you true that Promethea reads like someone who can't write trying hard to sound like Neil Gaiman while revamping an old superhero. Don't waste your money on this one. Maybe once Alan has time to season the heroine.
Rating:
Summary: Book 2: Another good one
Review: I'm still enjoying this series. The art is good, the story is engaging, and it's just a bit more literate than most comics. The women in this story are a lot more believable than most. Barabara (I'll miss her) lacked the customary hourglass figure, as does Sophie - though in different ways. Maybe Sophie shows a bit too much delicacy and refinement, and maybe Barbara showed a bit too little. I like the human flaws. Promethea's quick trip through the major arcana of the Tarot was interesting. The oracle is meant to be interpreted in many ways, and the creation story was a different spin on it. Moore's connection of the Tarot to the hebrew alphabet eludes me, but I'll keep reading. As much as I like Promethea, a few things jar - Promethea seems to buy hats where Galactus does, and shares an eye color with the Silver Surfer. These are little things, though, and don't really bother me. One passage did bother me, though. I have no problem with a few Tantric moments, but I am shocked at the attitude towards safe sex. The idea of condoms came up, but was discarded since the man involved promised to hold back. WRONG! First, it's pretty easy for any guy to get carried away. Second, a few sperm can leak out even without ejaculation - a quick way to put any woman on the "mommy track". Third, condoms prevent exchange of disease in both directions. Maybe Promethea is so magical that she's immune to conception and other little living things, but maybe Sophie isn't. The book's reader's certainly aren't. It would not have hurt the narrative flow to demonstrate a little adult responsibility as part of the adult pleasures.
Rating: 
Summary: Moore on a off day
Review: If you like Alan Moore's metatextual explorations of fiction, you'll love his creation of Promethea, a female archetype of power and imagination who exists primarily as a story, reflected in other artists and writers over the centuries. My main quibble of this story is that Moore seems to get tired of Promethea after her newest incarnation appears and switch the focus to hermeticism and magickal philosophy. The development of the character gets lost in a horde of Goetic demons and otherworldly realms. One thing that puzzles me is the idea that somehow Promethea is a more authentically female superhero than those who have gone before, instead of being a "man in a woman's body" like Roger of the 5 Swell Guys. How is Promethea/Sophie (created by two men) more a real woman than Wonder Woman (created by William Moulton and Charles Gaines) or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (created by Joss Whedon)? At least the Bride of "Kill Bill" was created by a man and a woman. However, Moore on a bad day is still levels above plenty of other writers, so this is worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: A walk through pedantry
Review: Moore has put everything he read on the tarot, the Kaballah, eastern mysticism, paganism and religion in his graphic novel. The result is a lifeless walk through a hodgepodge of references, humourless, boring to the extreme and not really interesting for the fans of the above mentioned fields. The text displays a false depth with no relation to the extremely slim narrative plot. When you think he has also authored the truly excellent "League"... you wonder what demon got into him.
Rating:
Summary: eighties icon pulls a Michael Jackson and goes wacko
Review: Oh my goodness. Somehow I'm not surprised, given his history. It seems inevitable, now that it has happened. Alan Moore has turned into an Aleister Crowley wanna-be. Comic books mixed with pseudo-mysticism. Two laughable genres that taste ridiculous together. This is too rich. Moore's pseudointellectual pretentions mixed with Crowley's b.s. Pick this up the next time you need a laugh at how low popular culture can sink.
Rating:
Summary: Philosphy meets the 4 color world
Review: Philosphy as the setting for the drama of a comic book? Or is that the other way around: a comic book as a setting for philosphy. Either way it's different and it's interesting. Alan Moore underpins his drama with timeless philosphy and well researched metaphysics. As long as he can maintain the drama in this complicated form he'll be fine. The characters are intriguing and touching, with a degree of surreal clarity that grabs hold and won't let go. Unfortunately this collection has the first 6 issues but the initial story arc doesn't climax until issue 8 where events are resolved and it prepares to pick up again. Allow me to mention the high marks for the book's excellent production values: good paper and color printing, excellent binding, solid construction.
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