What happens when a writer ends a story, when he closes the door forever on his creations? It's a completion of the act of creation, but in a way, it's also a form of destruction. In a way, the writer ends the characters' world, rains Armageddon down on their fictional heads. That's the notion Alan Moore explores in this climactic story arc while still maintaining entertaining and clever tributes to classic super-hero storytelling. What really sets this issue apart from other comics on the stands, though, is the artwork. Unconventional color motifs, collage and computer art converge in a bizarre but mesmerizing display.
As Promethea nears New York City, time and reality shifts around her, distorting the perceptions and emotions of those in the vicinity. She seeks out her friends and allies, even as federal agents desperately seek for a means of eliminating what they perceive to be the epicenter of the end of the world. Meanwhile, the Four Swell Guys finally get to the bottom of the Painted Doll mystery, and Tom Strong gathers together some of his onetime science-hero allies into a force that might oppose the supposed threat that Promethea represents.
Williams and Gray seem to reinvent the wheel with every passing issue. Every chapter bosts new and innovative visuals that defy description. Williams's use of three-dimensional imagery reinforces the divine tone of a key plot element, and Klein backs him up perfectly with unusual fonts. Unconventional use of color also plays an important part in the unusual but powerful visual storytelling.
I won't profess to completely understand what Moore is saying here, though I also appreciate the challenges that the writer has presented to his readers throughout this series. There are a lot of characters in play here and a number of plotlines, and the immensely philosophical tone of the script adds to the initial confusion. Furthermore, this stands out as one of Moore's most inaccessible scripts of the series. Familiarity with the rest of his America's Best Comics universe is important here, and a couple of previously low-key subplots kick into high gear here with little exposition. I suspect reading this as part of a larger collection of Promethea stories might be a smart move.
Every end is also a beginning and vice versa, and while I believe that Moore is bringing Promethea's world to an end here, I also see a rebirth of sorts for the characters. One key sequence sees a minor character making a violent and confusing transition from the two-dimensional world to the three-dimensional one. It's a fascinating sequence, and it's easy to see why the character views it as traumatic even though the scene is one that envelops her in surreal beauty and a reassuring tone from a divine source. Like I said before, I'm not entirely sure what Moore is saying here, but it seems to be about the evolution of a fiction, a lie that exposes a larger truth.
