The Promethea characters in the comic novels aren't your typical day-to-day kind women even when they aren't promethea. They all act and talk differently than you would expect a female superheroine to talk. The reader first sees this with Barbara when she's fighting the smee. She uses curse words such a "son of a bitch" and she openly tells Sophie not to be stupid. She's not tolerant or doesn't try to be kind. We learn about the other Prometheas when they are all hanging out together and discussing the new one, Sophie. Grace comments that she is mostly likely "flat chested and neurotic" and later Bill tells Margie to "shut up". Of course, they're not all like that. Anna, who is actually a servant calls others Mistress and Margie is a little girl but the others seem to act and talk quite masculinly. More than a group of Prometheas you would expect young guys to talk like that to eachother. I also think that Sophie will fit in well with this group. She, herlself, doesn't act like that a lot but her friend Stacia sure does and she has a good way of responding to her. She also says, after meeting the Five Swell Guys, that Stacia will "hemorrhage".
The Promethea characters aren't quite like Wonder Woman. They are more human and also less selective of their words.
I definitely agree with you that the Prometheas are more realistic and uncensored compared to other female characters in comics. Sometimes in comics I would scoff at the unrealistic and cheesy lines some female characters would say, such as Diana Prince in Wonder Woman #1 saying out loud to herself in her room "I'd better take my Wonder Woman clothes and the magic lasso" when someone could walk or overhear her at any time. The teasing, the egotistical remarks and even the swearing adds a level of reality to the writing- as that is how people nowadays talk. The rougher language also helps illuminate the gritty and dark mood of Promethea.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Promethea emphasizes that these women are real people. They are superheroes, but more importantly they are people. They don't subscribe to the perfect superhero image. They embrace their flaws and view them as strengths that make them all uniquely powerful Prometheas.
ReplyDeleteI think this is why I enjoyed Promethea the most of all the comics we've read thus far. It was a beautiful quilt supported by a fictional base, sprinkled with realistic attributes, enhanced by philosophical and religious beliefs, and ultimately threaded with not only one but multiple kick-ass superheroines that kept the entirety together. Not only were both realistic and fictional parts there, but they served a direct purpose, being the author's medium of commentary. I definitely loved it!
ReplyDeletePromethea was my favorite super heroine from all of the ones that we read because she was so relatable her uncensored swearing and the flaws of the different Prometheas allowed me to relate with these characters.
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