The Dream is Over.

May 27, 2015. April 5, 2017. Has it really been two years since Providence started? And has it really been four months between issues 11 and 12? I guess so.

And as for this issue #12. "Weird" doesn't even begin to describe it. This is an end of the universe story in which the universe actually does seem to end. I think. Nothing is certain when Moore's about.

I am going to have to read this thing again. Preferably all in one chunk. And you know, that's something I actually want to do. I don't know if this is Alan Moore's masterpiece . . . or even an Alan Moore masterpiece . . . but it sure is an interesting story. And it has ignited an interest in H. P. Lovecraft in me several times. I've scratched the itch with a few bits here and there, but I may want to go back for more of that as well. Especially the Cthulhu stories. Speaking of which, I've noticed that Barnes & Noble has one of its Leatherbound Classic Collections dedicated to The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales. Nice little $20 hardcover. Although I do already have The Complete Lovecraft Stories on my Kindle, which was either free or almost free. But some things really do need to be read it book form, and I'm thinking that Lovecraft is in that category.

You know, the first issue of Providence only sold 17,395 copies. I don't know what that means in terms of profitability. Certainly there are comics books that sell fewer copies and continue to appear on the stands. And certainly there are comic books that sell ten times that number. (Justice League Suicide Squad #1, for instance, sold 179,643 in December of 2016.) But sales have declined as the series progressed--probably due to some long waits between issues as it neared its end. Sales figures for the last issue are not yet available, but here's the low-down on the three previous issues (according to comichron.com): 

#9: 12,263 copies sold. 

#10: 11,735 copies sold.   

#11: 11,145 copies sold.

Not so great. 

And I don't know why. Sure, $4.99 per issue is expensive, but it's not that out of line with Marvel and IDW's pricing. I mean, shit, Starstruck: Old Proldiers Never Die goes for $4.99 a shot and only gives you about 60% of the story content of Providence. And you'd think Alan Moore's name would be a big draw for lots of folks. So I suppose it's because the story isn't your standard comic book shit. Very few people get punched in the face. There's a little bit of sex, but it is not of the titillating variety. In other words . . . it's not a comic book for The Kids. 

Well, fuck. Here we've been crying out for grown up comics for decades, and when one arrives it's largely ignored. It's a shame.

Because masterpiece or not, Providence is most assuredly worth reading.