Promethea

It takes a certain amount of gumption to end your comic series with the apocalypse.

There are two schools of thought, traditionally, on apocalyptic literature. The first is that apocalyptic stories are a metaphor for an evolution in human consciousness - old ways of thinking are abandoned in favour of new ways of understanding the world and our place in it; the second is that they're used as political statements, saying that current conditions are so bad that the end of the world must be around the corner. Promethea manages to respect both of those traditions, while at the same time paying off foreshadowing and subplots from as far back as the first issue and telling an enjoyable action story. It would be absolutely incomprehensible if you haven't been reading since the start, but if you have it's a satisfying end.

One last thing: I know I've been talking a lot, through this series, about how amazed I've been at the thoughfulness and experimentation of JH Williams' art duties. He really out-does himself here, though, especially in the final issue, which in its original format was readable as either a regular 32-page comic, or a giant, double-sided, sixteen-panels-per-side poster, with a different interpretation of the ending depending on how you read it. Incredible stuff.

This series blew my head open.