The DC Absolute Editions are a hell of a purchase, especially considering that most of them run somewhere between $75-$100 smackers. Considering further that some collections may only be the first of multiple volumes, investing in a complete Absolute collection could feasibly run you upwards of $300. Such is the case with Alan Moore and JH Williams III's Absolute Promethea Volume 1. There are a planned three volumes to collect the 32 issues of the America's Best Comics series, 12 of which are contained in this collection. Volume 1 has an MSRP of $99.99, and though the artistry you will receive for the price is well worth it, I think it's worth noting up front the cost to the consumer.
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From sitting in on numerous panels at various conic book conventions, with questions asked repeatedly about the next Absolute collections, I can tell you that DC is not off-handed regarding which titles they choose to give this treatment, and Promethea is no exception, though there is certainly a different element that comes with reading this series. While it may not be my favorite creation to come from Alan Moore's prolific career, it's certainly an interesting experiment that is satisfyingly thought-provoking, which is ultimately the purpose of any good piece of art.
The first issues start out, structurally speaking, simple enough, setting up the basic plot of the book. College student Sophie Bangs is endowed with the power of Promethea, a goddess-like being powered by the imagination that walks the boundaries of the "real" world and the Immateria, the world created by imagination. In the end, the book evolves into a narrative less about plot and more as a platform for presenting ideas; theological, philosophical, metaphysical, and in typical Moore fashion, the breakdown of the comic book medium itself. There are many themes present here - materialism, comics-within-comics, sexuality - that are regular staples of Moore's work, but here he is more willing to present his ideas on a soapbox instead of in subtext. That's not a bad thing; it just results in a very trippy, extremely text-heavy journey through the mind of the writer.
