Pipeline Bookclub: Promethea Book 2

[dancj]

Here we are again on another Thursday just having read Promethea Book 2

I enjoyed this book for the most part. The first half of the book went well. The photos were a nice twist (though Sophie seemed to suddenly become ethnicly... something. Indian? and then went back to being white afterwards) and the showdown at the hospital was good.

The sex issue worked less well for me - which goes with the territory of being one of the issues where she gets a lesson - though there were some nice touches. J H Williams III as much as I love his art seemed to have some problems keeping Promethea's build consistent in this issue.

The millennium bug issue was fun, but a bit inconsequential. I like The Five Swell Guys though so that helps.

Then of course there's the Tarot issue. I know a lot of people love this issue, but I don't care for the issues that just spout knowledge at me and I hate reading characters talking in rhyme. It just distracts me from what they're actually saying (especially when some of the rhyming is terrible - "singularity" rhyming with "that may be"? Nope). As a result I didn't really take in half of what they were on about. TBH I was more interested in the joke at the bottom of the page. Pretty though.

Dan

[pmpknface]

Ok... it's been one hell of a day and I haven't had the chance to get back to you on this one Dan. Have no fear, I'll put aside the time tomorrow to give a full review of vol. 2! :)

[De Carabas]

I'm behind, so I'll post my thoughts later but I absolutely had to comment on something Dan posted.

...I hate reading characters talking in rhyme. It just distracts me from what they're actually saying. As a result I didn't really take in half of what they were on about.

I'm the same way! I can ***NOT*** read verse. The mathematical, pattern recognition part of my brain takes over and I start counting the syllables, without absorbing their meaning. I become focused on maintaining the rhyme at the expense of the writer's message. I end up having to force myself to read it off rhythm, but then my concentration is on not rhyming, not the content of the actual writing itself. One full page of verse can trap me for almost the same amount of time that it takes me to read a regular full issue.

OK, that is more than enough off-topic rambling. I'll make sure my next post is about the actual book and not my weirdo reading disabilities.

EM

[pmpknface]

The first chapter in this vol. could almost have been in that last book because it goes along with the Promethea introduction issues before it. The photo-reference issue is phenominal. I love it. Not even just does it get worked into the plot, but the images themselves are astounding. And keep in mind this was printed 7-8 years ago!

Also, I think Sophie does have some kind of ethnic background, so that's why it's clearer when she's more "surreal." I think this comes into play later on though.

How friggin' cool is the all Prometha battle vs. the Goetia (did I spell that right)? The mannerisims of the demons are so bad@$$ too. Something to pay attention to that Moore somehow pulls off are ideas that he doesn't even HAVE to explain.

"SH-SHE'S HURT ME! SHE'S GOT A CADUCEUS..." There we get an idea how how powerful the weapon is without getting a description of it. Cool trick, huh? ;) And suddenly a just-to-make-things-interesting character like the mayor comes into play. Take a guy with 48 personalities and then have him posessed by 1000 demons - HELL YEAH!!!

The sex issue is the really the first where things get "explained" in depth. It's interesting because I've taken yoga and heard of some of this stuff before. For those of you who don't totally dig the symbolism here Williams' art is there to carry you through. Also, think of it as getting your money's worth because it takes a while to go through those issues. Love Stacia's response to Sophie's actions too! Ain't she great? hehe...

Again we have a neato change of art style after she "takes down" the temple. Later on, try to keep in mind what the temple thought of Prometha and what they were trying to do.

Yeah, the sideways millenium issue is kind of a throwaway. It doesn't seem to mesh well with the other stories or seem part of Promethea's tale. What it does do is set up Mike and Mack and gives us more 5 Swell Guys. Having them around doesn't pay off for some time. The last splash of that issue is just unbelivable. The spheres with the dialogue from prior pages is a crazy idea.

Now... #12. This is one of the most insane issues ever printed. It is such an ambitious project I'm amazed they not only pulled it off, but made it work. That issue alone could be the topic of classes or at least it's own thread because there's soooo much going on.

In case you didn't notice (I didn't the first time I read it) the issue, if you had 2 copies of the actual issue) can be put togather to form 1 giant sideways image, like the old Marvel Handbooks. So you've got what is essentailly a comic told in 1 giant splash, something I don't think anyone's tried before or since with the exception of the last issue in this series, #32.

Now there are also various story elements going on at the same time. There is Promethea talking to the snakes, which are teaching her while at the same time telling a story of history. That's 2 stories in 1! This is is done with the images of Promethea, and those of the tarot cards - another 2 seperate things to follow.

Below them, we get the joke told by Aleister Crowley featuring pictures of him intertwined with the settings that correspond to the story Mike and Mack tell. That's like 2 more things to follow, connected togather by the upper story visually.

Seperating them are the scrabble Hebrew letters in various spellings created by the letters in PROMETHEA. See the little Hebrew symbols in the corners? Also, in one part we learn there are 22 tarot cards, combine that with the 10 paths = 32, which by coincidence is the number of issues of this series! :D

I just described it, and still can't count how many stories are actually taking place.

Now... as far as the rhyming snakes I'll agree that 99% of the time this is a pain in the @$$ to read. The only person who has EVER made reading either rhyming or lyrics of a song worthwhile is Moore. He goes back to a nightclub later on in the series and it just flows right. Sure, every so often something just doesn't fit quite right but for the most part it works. What really helps here is the lettering and putting 1 line that rhymes on 1 line so that you can parse it easily. The splash pages help with that a lot.

I think this has gone on long enough, so I'll let others reply and I'll follow up. Hope you enjoyed this volume! :D

[dancj]

I'm the same way! I can ***NOT*** read verse. The mathematical, pattern recognition part of my brain takes over and I start counting the syllables, without absorbing their meaning. I become focused on maintaining the rhyme at the expense of the writer's message. I end up having to force myself to read it off rhythm, but then my concentration is on not rhyming, not the content of the actual writing itself. One full page of verse can trap me for almost the same amount of time that it takes me to read a regular full issue.

You've just perfectly described my problem with rhyming. The only comic I've not minded it in was when Etrigan was in PAD's Supergirl run, and that was because Supergirl also found the rhyming irritating and tried to stump him by getting him to rhyme with "orange"

[pmpknface]

It might have been easier for me because this is like the 3rd-4th time I've read this trade.

[dancj]

By the way... I'm going to be offline until the new year later in the week so someone else is going to have to start up the threads. I'll still read the books though and catch up on the posts when I'm back online

Dan

[pmpknface]

Ok Dan - will do! I'll start up Vol #3 next week, 12/7 (unless someone beats me to it!), and if the schedule holds up we'll be able to squeak in #4 on 12/14 and perhaps #5 on 12/28.

But with the holidays maybe we'll let one slide. We'll see...

[pmpknface]

Reminder... tomorrow's 2 weeks!

[dancj]

Hmm... it looks like the thread never materialised. I'm a third of the way through book 3 - and probably won't be finished in time to start that thread tomorrow, though I'll be able to jump in the next day.

If someone wants to start the thread up cool, otherwise I'll probably do it on Friday - unless I should take the lack of a thread to be lack of interest...

Dan

[pmpknface]

Yeah, I'll admit - I've slacked. I've barely been able to keep up with my new comics yet alone re-read stuff. At least now that I've finally caught up w/ Fables I'll be able to move back over to this.

[De Carabas]

I've started and lost this post too many times. So, no well-thought out paragraphs, just bullet points.

*I loved the digital art in the first issue. Much smoother than Veils, in the sense of a better job of storytelling. I knw this preceded In the Shadow of Edgar Allen Poe, but did it preceed Veils and I, Paparrazzi?

*The hospital fight scene was great.

*Artistically, the sex issue is incredible. The story unfortunately is one of those info-dump issues that divides the series in two: story issues and info-dump issues. Gotta say, the info-dump issues have astonishing art.

*I liked the sideways Y2K issue, but I felt it belonged in the first book, with its more traditional superhero beginnings. This volume is moving us more into the magical journey side of the story, so while not a bad issue at all, it breaks the rhythm that Moore starts to establish.

I think we have dscussed the tarot issue sufficiently. ;)

*Once again, I must state that J.H. Williams III blows me away with his panel layouts and attention to detail. Williams is the true star of this book. The upcoming Moebius strip and the issues that form one large image are the famous examples, but to me the best example of the art is in the double page spread in the third issue. The one with Sophie and Stacia walking through the city, with the three floating panels creating the visual break in their dialogue. This is not the first nor last time we see a shot like this in this series, but I love them all.

*I've also come to a conclusion. This is a horrible series to read in trade. I think this is often cited as one of the prime examples of a series that was meant for trade. I now disagree. As someone who started the series in monthly issues and switched to trade, I can say I liked the issues better. The story is damn dense and full of magic lessons, that I find attempting straight read-throughs to be more challenging.

EM, who is now going to bed