Alan Moore
Promethea (2001)
Author: Alan Moore
Genre: Graphic Novel (Superhero)
Plot Summary:
Sophie Bangs is a college student doing a report on the mythical heroine, Promethea. While researching, she is attacked by a demonic creature and is rescued by Promethea, or more specifically, the woman who was currently "channeling" Promethea. To defeat the creature, Sophie is forced to learn how to become the heroine. The story follows Sophie as she learns about the physical world and the immaterial, the world of ideas. While she learns, Promethea's constant enemy, the Temple, begins to send adversaries against her.
Geographical Setting: Futuristic New York
Time Period: future, though stated to be 1999
Series: Promethea #1
Appeal Characteristics:
The most striking appeal is the graphics which cover every portion of every page. The coloring is extremely bright and the artwork by J.H. Williams and Mick Gray is extremely well done. The story also provides an interesting cross between science fiction setting and fantasy storyline. The story isn't fast-paced, but it, combined with the artwork, is interesting enough to easily draw the reader forward. It may be best described as cinematic. The futuristic city setting may also be of interest to readers as well as the fantasy world of immateria for others.
Read-alikes: Heart Of Empire: The Legacy Of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot would appeal to readers of Promethea that enjoy the historical characters and the apocalyptic storyline elements of Promethea. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham is very different from Promethea in artwork, but the combination of historical characters and folklore brought in to modern New York City is the similarity that might appeal to readers of Promethea. Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a recommended title for readers that enjoy a strong female protagonist. This should be one that most graphic novel readers will find compelling. For readers that are looking for more of the amazing artwork from J.H. Williams III will like Detective Comics #822; this is a Batman story involving the Riddler and Gotham. The urban setting is not a key aspect in this Promethea, but I can see that it could become the classic setting as Gotham is in the Batman series. Readers that are looking for the same “feel” might like to read Sandman by Neil Gaiman. With a slightly futuristic feel and similar gritty artwork as well as a highly acclaimed author, it is worth trying. For those looking for of this writing style, beyond the remaining Promethea books, may first want to read more of Alan Moore's work. He is possibly most known for Watchmen and V for Vendetta. The latter is soon to be a movie (Mar. 2006) which would provide visual material for interested readers. Similarily, those looking for more of the same artwork should first try more of J.H. Williams work like Son of Superman or The Justice Riders. Readers looking for a similar sense of imagination and humor may wish to try Bolland Strips! by Brian Bolland. Those looking for similar art styles should look for a titles drawn by by Tim Levins like The Copybook Tales or by Will Eisner like his groundbreaking work, The Contract with God. These all have a very distinct-color art style.
Red Flags: some objectional language though really harsh language is censored, cartoon violence, mild sexual content
V for Vendetta (1988)
Author: Alan Moore (illustration by David Lloyd)
Genre: Graphic Novel (Superhero)
Plot Summary:
After a nuclear war, a regime called Norsefire takes control of England and turns the country into a fascist state. It aims to control its people through surveillance and conformity, and it rids society of dissidents, minorities, and culture. Sixteen-year-old Evey Hammond, living on her own, thinks she must turn to prostitution in order to make enough money to survive but is almost raped and killed by a group of government employees. She is saved by a man known only as V, and he takes her with him to watch the bombing of the Parliament building he had orchestrated. State leaders start calling V, who is always dressed and masked as Guy Fawkes, a terrorist and psychopath. They realize that he has been behind the murders of various people affiliated with the government and its concentration camp, in which he had been imprisoned. V opens Evey up to books, art, and music that she had been deprived of, and through somewhat cryptic and even cruel lessons, he teaches her about the real meaning of justice and freedom. SPOILER: V is shot and soon dies from his wounds. Evey comes to understand that she must not take off his mask to see his real face because it would lessen the strength of his image and message. She puts on one of his costumes to continue his work. Fulfilling V's request, she places his body in a subway train filled with explosives which blows up under a government building. In the end, we see her rescue a man and bring him to V's, now Evey's, home, just as V had done for her.
Geographical Setting: London and Larkhill Resettlement Camp, England
Time Period: 1997-1998 as a dystopian near future
Appeal Characteristics:
The setting of the near future controlled by fascist leaders is explained and reasoned in a credible way. The background details coupled with humankind's propensity for corruption create a dystopia that seems very real. The chiaroscuro art style, with its emphasis on contrasts in shading, makes for a 1930s noir feel. This world influences the dark tone of the story. Criminals as well as government members are greedy and violent, and when leaders start to lose power, the city turns frighteningly chaotic. The story also takes on a political and philosophical tone as V talks about his love for anarchy and how people can experience true freedom. Written almost entirely in dialogue, Moore's novel can move in a fast pace when characters interact with or confront each other. The pace slows down at times when a character reflects inward on his or her self and thinks about past actions, his current place in society, or the future. The writing style is mostly natural through the use of dialogue. Moore's style turns literary and poetic as V frequently references historic quotes. V speaks eloquently and sometimes humorously with metaphors and riddles. Characters develop over time, and inner monologues help to reveal more information about them as the story progresses. With multiple plotlines, the focus jumps from one character to another and reveal how lives and actions are interrelated and how V has planned to upend the state.
Read-alikes: Another of Alan Moore's graphic novels, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 1, also has a poetic tone due to its many literary references. Set in Victorian England, a group of heroes, including Dr. Jekyll and The Invisible Man, work to save London from a super villain. Characters are also developed over time as the reader learns about the backstories and flaws of these famous heroes. In Sin City 1: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller, Marv is trying to avenge the death of the woman he loved. The dangerous world run by criminals creates a dark and hard-edged tone. The graphic novel uses a similar chiaroscuro style as V for Vendetta, although Miller's is a more extreme being entirely in black and white. The style again adds a noir feel. Spider Jerusalem from Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street by Warren Ellis lives in another dystopian near future. As a journalist, he wants to use his writing to uncover the truth and make people see how corrupt the government is. The story has a dark and political tone with Jerusalem wanting to bring about change in society. Its measured pace fluctuate between fast paced action and slower, philosophical dialogues. Eclipse by John Shirley is a science fiction novel set in the near future as a nuclear war. A fascist government has taken power, and an eclectic group of resistants try to fight back. Similarly to V for Vendetta, the conflict against fascism and fight for freedom create a political and philosophical tone. Multiple plotlines follow each of the rebels. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is another science fiction novel in a dystopian future that threatens culture. Guy Montag starts collecting books, which is illegal, and begins to question and then hate the lack of culture in society. When his books and house are to be burned, he must decide whether or not to run from the law. The question of the role of books and culture adds a philosophical tone to the story. The pace fluctuates as details about society and ideals are discussed and then quickens as Montag flees.
Red Flags: Violence; experimentation on humans; concentration camp; some sex and nudity; some profanity; one instance of drug use
Watchmen (1987)
Author: Alan Moore (art by Dave Gibbons)
Genre: Graphic Novel (Superhero)
Plot Summary:
The era of the costumed crusader was halted over a decade ago by congressional legislation. The looming war with Russia and the desertion of America's greatest weapon, Dr. Manhattan - the only hero with real super-powers - have put the whole country in a state of fear and suspicion. The remaining members of disbanded super-group Crimebusters are reluctant to trust the violently paranoid Rorschach, who is the first one to connect a series of seemingly unrelated murders and disappearances: the victims were all former caped crusaders or leading intellectuals. As the former vigilantes dig deeper into the mystery, they must face their own insecurities and checkered histories on top of a plot more sinister than anything they've dealt with before. The main story is interspersed with snippets of articles, snapshots and records detailing the backstory of each hero, character flashbacks, and even a comic-within-a-comic that that serves as a horrific allegory for the main story. It's a dark, sinister tale that conveys the fear of nuclear annihilation and the all-too-human foibles of those who are supposed to protect us.
Geographical Setting: New York/Earth, Mars
Time Period: Contemporary (Alternate Universe)
Appeal Characteristics:
Winner of the Best Writer/Artist combination award at the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards, Watchmen is commonly recognized as a revitalization of the superhero theme. The tone is bitter and dark, with fatally flawed heroes and ungrateful civilians. There is an enormous amount of character exposition, much more than in previous superhero comics; Watchmen was the first of its kind to give its heroes their own relationships, personal problems and neuroses. Multiple points of view - often conflicting with previous characters' opinions - and examination from outside authorities gives several perspectives for the viewer to examine. The values qualifying one person as a hero and another as a villain are turned upside down and inside out; Crimebusters includes a criminal psychotic, a rapist, murderers, and a man so far removed from humanity that he can shrug off its extinction - as well as a hero who would ultimately become the worst kind of villain: one who felt justified in sacrificing millions to create "peace." The art is slightly darker and grittier than the traditional comic style, as befits the tone - these characters are real, violent, rude and complicated.
Read-alikes: Alan Moore has two other series that would probably interest those who enjoyed turning the superhero tradition on its head: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1995) reveals more classic characters in all their tainted glory - Mina Murray (of Dracula fame) recruits a fast-deteriorating Dr. Hyde, opium addict Allen Quatermain and the lecherous Invisible Man to fight England's resident evil genius, Moriarty; Top Ten is more light-hearted, following a police force trying to impose order on a world where everyone has superpowers. For those that enjoyed the Gibbons' artwork, he also wrote and illustrated The Originals (2004), where the descendents of Mods and Rockers of the 1960s fight over turf in a future London. Starting another critically acclaimed series, Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Night Returns puts a beloved icon into a similarly dark, gritty mythology, as Batman comes out of retirement to fight thug viscous thugs and attacks on his own character. Enigma (1995), written by Peter Milligan, puts another curious twist on the traditional comic mythos, where the villians of a comic are let loose on the real world, and a fan must track down the creator to find out why. In Marvels (1991), Kurt Busiek uses another unusual voice to tell the story of canon superheroes: seen through the eyes of a regular citizen, as well as essays by some classic Marvel authors, Busiek delves into the perspective of a populace that cowers helplessly beneath the grand works of fantastic alien beings.
Red Flags: Sex, attempted rape, nudity, language, death (graphic)
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