With his realistic approach to superhero comics, Moore prompted a minor revolution in the 1980s. Of late he has returned to the genre with a line of new costumed adventurers. Of them, teenager Sophie Bangs, the latest in an age-old line of embodiments of the mystical heroine Promethea, seems closest to his heart. Standard superhero fare (crime fighting, slugfests, etc.) takes a backseat to philosophical and moral issues here, but the stories most reflect Moore's long obsession with magic, mysticism, and the occult; with the Tarot, the spheres of the Kabbalah, and astrology. In this collection, Sophie follows her recently killed mentor, just-previous Promethea avatar Barbara, into the afterlife, where they visit heaven and hell and meet famous occult figures.
