Hosive

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

after a few of the epics in the dc universe wrapped up, i haven’t been reading as much. i’ve also given up buying new graphic novels for lent plus an extended period of time….into early 2010. seemingly in response, dc/wildstorm is releasing the ultimate collector’s edition of promethea…an older comic written by alan moore of watchman fame. this release is probably trying to cash in on his good name.

promethea is one of the few comic runs i did bring with me to nyc. the majority of my collection still reside in maryland under the stairs of one of my groomsman’s home.

it is one of the most experimental, literary and beautiful comics i’ve ever read. what’s it about? like cerebus, its hard to say. its one of these stories that starts off as a superhero action story but then goes into meditation on writing, art, beauty, friendship and life. its about everything.

one of the real cool things about the series is that the artist, jh williams iii takes it upon himself to transform the medium with his layouts and unconventional, innovative covers(and interiors). no two covers were alike in style or branding. since part of the story was about art, the art embodied the story….pushing the boundaries of life imitating art imitating life.

the first few issues introduces the mythos of the character. promethea is a hero who has had many incarnations over time including the outgoing one, an aging overweight heroine and the new one, a young student in training. both are part of the first adventure where evil forces seek to target the entire legacy of the character. the new promethea, sophie bangs also meets previous prometheas as they fill her in on the mantle that she is carrying on.  i’ll chronicle the series as i work through the other issues.

it’ll also give me an excuse to post the various covers…a big part of the series.

its great when the art of a series has equal billing, importance and status…not always a given. more promethea soon!