Tag Archives: Ozymandias

Before Watchmen So Far….Part 2 (COMICS!)

Happy Birthday to me. I have turned 23. Well, Actually I’m 22….But 2 didn’t rhyme with me! YAY!

PS My birthday was actually yesterday, but still. Happy Birthday to me!

Hey, Hi, and Hello everyone! It’s your comic reading, world saving, drug dealing Watchman, Richard here! Wait…Did I type drug dealing? I meant HUG dealing, of course……ANYWAYS! So, a little while ago I posted an article giving my thoughts on DC Comics current Before Watchmen event. At that point, Only 4 of the 7 books were on the shelves. My opinions on the stories were mixed, but the art was amazing in all. Today, all of the BW books in the event have started, and a few of the limited series have multiple issues. So, I figured It was the perfect time to write part 2 of my thoughts on Before Watchmen. I’m going to go in alphabetical order, and even give you some more updated thoughts with the books that have 2 or more issues out now. So…HERE WE GO:

The Comedian (2 of 6 out now):

Last time I mentioned this book, I was disappointed but interested. Now that issue 2 has arrived, I can easily say this is the worst in the BW event. I didn’t think I would say it, but I am. I HATE THIS COMEDIAN BOOK! Its so boring, and incredibly uneventful. It actually felt like a chore to read issue 2 in this series! I hate saying all this because I am such a huge fan of the writer and artist, but both are delivering poor quality work. Hopefully the series gets better. Especially since its one of the six issue series in the BW movement so there is hope….kind of. I just can’t say more right now, or I’m going to cry or become enraged…..and you wouldn’t like me when I’m crying…

1.5/5

Dr. Manhattan (1 of 4 out now):

This is the most recent, and final, series to start up in the BW event. I was kind of on the fence with this book. I’ve never really liked the writer, J. Michael Straczynski, but I love the artist, Adam Hughes. Thankfully, both did quite a wonderful job with the good Doctor and his new comic. JMS did an amazing job capturing the voice of Dr. Manhattan, and his views of humanity, machinery, and time. I will say, the story didn’t seem like anything new, but the ending of this comic changed that. JMS seems to have big plans in store. The best part of this comic, by far, was Adam Hughes as predicted. It’s fantastic to finally see some interior work from him for a change. Very glad with the turn out for this first issue. Hope the rest repeat this level of quality, or higher even!

4.5/5

Minutemen (2 of 6 out now):

I fell in love with Darwyn Cooke’s first issue of Minutemen! The art was beautiful, the story was fantastic, it was the perfect prequel to Watchmen. Now, does that opinion still stand? You beat your sweet toosh it does! Minutemen continues to wow me issue after issue. I loved the way Cooke handle’s the team in the second issue. It’s like he created them almost. Yea, that’s how good he is doing with this book, IMO! Also, His art has yet to falter in anyway. It’s as beautiful as it ever was! Overall? THIS BOOK IS A MUST PURCHASE!

5/5

Nite Owl (2 of 4 out now):

Like Dr. Manhattan, I was very much on the fence with this book. Same reasons as well. Unlike Dr. Manhattan, JMS couldn’t seem to do a good job with Nite Owl. Issue one, if you remember, was just a giant let down. However, the series has improved with issue 2! Well…not by much, but still. The story isn’t rushed to death anymore, but there is still one huge problem with the book. The Writer seems to forget whom this book is about. He spends WAY TOO MUCH time tackling who Rorschach is, when he should be focused on Nite Owl. The Art, by Andy Kubert and the now late great Joe Kubert, is still amazing! I just love the retro look the book has. Fits perfectly with the times, and story. However, the book will lose that now that Joe Kubert has passed on. We will miss him. Anyways, Nite Owl still has tons of kinks in the armor, but they are being fixed….sort of.

3/5

Ozymandias (2 of 6 out now):

So, when I wrote the first article, I missed my chance to add this title into it. If I had gotten the chance, I would have told you how much I loved that first issue. Len Wein has a great handle on the character, and still does two issues in. However, As much as I loved issue 1, Issue 2 wasn’t as strong. Mainly because There didn’t seem to be a sense of danger IE the stereotypical, and mostly untrue IMO, Superman story problem people have. While I’ve never found that present all the time in a Supes book, that problem is very much in issue 2. It makes it difficult for a reader to connect with Ozy in anyway, really. That being said, I still found issue 2 to be good but not great like issue 1. The art by Jae Lee is mind blowingly beautiful. The style is a perfect fit for Ozy,and his world.

3.5/5

Rorschach (1 of 4 out now):

If you’d ask anyone whom their favorite Watchmen character is, the majority or all would say Rorschach. That includes myself. He was the break out character in the original graphic novel, and even in the movie. Now, I’ve started to get worried about this comic, to be honest. The writer, Brian Azzarello, has been disappointing me with a lot of his recent comic work. Which includes the terrible terrible Comedian book I mentioned earlier. Thankfully, Rorschach features the amazing Azzarello writing I know and love! One thing Azzarello tried, and failed, with in the Comedian book was to show a new side to the character. He attempts that again in Rorschach, but is much more successful with it. It’s a bit jarring, admittedly, but it works out much better later in the comic. Also, Azzarello capture’s Rorschach’s voice brilliantly. He’s faithful to the original comic, but He also injects his own spin for this new take. For example, Rorschach swears in this comic. I don’t remember that from the original at all! Unless I’m missing something. Anyways, again it’s a bit jarring, but It ended up working well. Now, the art in the book, drawn by my 2011 pick for best artist Lee Bermejo, is amazing as usual! Best part of this book by far! Over all, I’m excited for future issues!

4/5

Silk Spectre (2 of 4 out now):

Silk Spectre was a book I didn’t really know much about. I wasn’t excited for it, I wasn’t dreading it, I just…didn’t seem to care much. That being said, Issue one was actually rather good! If you remember, It was one of my favorites. I liked the mash up between 70’s chick flick and superhero story. Issue two continues this great work! Darwyn Cooke’s doing a great job with this series. Not as good as he’s doing in Minutemen, but still good. However, I think the true star of this series is Amanda Conner. Her art is just beautiful, cute, detailed, and badass all at once! Her style just fits so much with the book! Hopefully issues 3 and 4 continue the good work of issues 1 and 2.

4.5/5

SO! As you can see I’m starting to dig this series more. Well, except for Comedian. That series needs something, or else its just going to keep tanking! Most of the other stories are either awesome, or rising up from poor and stupid. However, one thing remains the same throughout….the amazing artwork. I wouldn’t mind if these books were just art books instead of actual comics. Just saying! So, In the comment section below, What are your favorite’s in the BW Event, if any. NOW! If you want more comic book awesomeness, go subscribe to my youtube channel, Channel23hahaha, and share it with your nerdy friends! Stay tuned for Part 3 of my articles with the entire series is over!

Before Watchmen So Far… (COMICS!)

Before Watchmen has finally arrived! Now…is it any good so far? LETS FIND OUT!

Hello everyone! Its your friendly neighborhood nerd, Richard, here! A while ago, DC Comics announced they would be releasing a prequel comic book event titled: Before Watchmen. Each series under the Before Watchmen banner would follow the characters from the original graphic novel, and what they were up to…Before Watchmen…yea. ANYWAYS! As an avid fan of the original comic, and the film adaptation, I was very excited about these books. I even expressed my excitement, much to Dan’s surprise, on an episode of The Director’s Cut. I can admit, I didn’t think a prequel, as usual, was a good idea. I mean, Watchmen is a classic in the world of comics! To many, Its the Citizen Kane of the comic book world! To create a prequel should be considered a slight against the comic book gods! However, When DC announced whom they hired to bring this event to life…I knew they weren’t playing around. It didn’t seem, to me, that they were just attempting to milk an old cash cow. When you drop names like Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, Adam Hughes, Len Wein, Amanda Conner, and Andy Kubert you can’t help but expect quality work. As of today, 4 of the 7 series have started: Minutemen, Silk Spectre, Comedian, and Nite Owl. And this is what I thought of them. ENJOY!

Minutemen #1

Written and Drawn by: Darwyn Cooke

So, Minutemen tells the tale of the Watchmen before the Watchmen. The golden age of the Watchmen world, if you will. The first issue introduces each member of Minutemen, and how the team came to be. This was one of the titles I was most excited for. Darwyn Cooke has always been known for his classic, retro style comic books. The best examples of this is his Justice League story, New Frontier, and his run on The Spirit. As expected, his work on Minutemen doesn’t disappoint at all! This is a beautiful comic, and the perfect example of what this entire event should be. Cooke’s artwork is more then a perfect fit for this series. The retro style, the color scheme, everything is perfect. I also really dug the tale being told here. I loved the way Cooke used the Under the Hood book Hollis Mason authored to introduce each character. Admittedly, It does get a bit wordy at times, but It doesn’t take away from the books magic.

5/5

Silk Spectre #1

Written by: Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner

Drawn by: Amanda Conner

One of the key aspects of the story of Silk Spectre II, Laurie Juspeczyk, is her estranged relationship with her mother, the first Silk Spectre, Sally Jupiter. That story is on full display in this first issue. The story plays out like an R-rated Teen High School chick flick. It’s not the strongest story, and it’s kind of predictable, but it’s a nice fit for Laurie, regardless. However, the best aspect of this book is the artwork. OMG! Amanda Conner is an amazing artist! I found her artwork to be very faithful to the original comic, but with a nice addition of her own style and flare. Overall, I’m interested to see what happens next, but I didn’t find it the strongest title from Before Watchmen so far.

4/5

Comedian #1

Written by: Brian Azzarello

Drawn by: J.G. Jones

The Comedian is one of the most despicable, vile, hateful, and messed up characters ever created in comics! And I couldn’t have been more excited to see how Brian Azzarello was going to write him! That being said, I was kind of disappointed by this issue. The story being told wasn’t bad, but…I wasn’t reading about The Comedian. More like his innocent twin brother. The majority of the time, we see Eddie Blake, The Comedian, playing ball and chit chatting with The Kennedy family. Then he gets verbally man handled by Jackie Kennedy! This is not the Comedian I know! However, There has always been a hidden heart to the character. A kinder side that’s never really been brought to the surface 100%. So, I can’t help but be equally intrigued by this issue. The best aspect is the artwork, again! J.G. Jones does a fantastic Job bringing the book to life. Especially during the action scene towards the end. I’ll still read more, but not really from excitement anymore. Mainly just from curiosity.

3/5

Nite Owl #1

Written by: J. Michael Straczynski

Drawn by: Andy Kubert

When I mentioned earlier that I was excited for Before Watchmen because of the creative teams DC hired, This series was the exception…sort of. Nite Owl has always been a favorite character of mine. When I first heard about Before Watchmen, I instantly wanted to know who would be tackling Dan Dreibergs’s story. When I saw Andy Kubert was doing the art, I got very excited! He has always been like a modern day Neal Adams, and I could totally see his style doing Dan justice! However, When I saw JMS was writing…I cried on the inside. And, sadly as expected, Nite Owl #1 was the weakest of all the books so far. The story isn’t exciting, nor is it terrible. Its just…there. It doesn’t feel like it needs to exist. The comic just speeds through Dan’s transformation into Nite Owl. It basically read like a rushed re-telling of the origin of Tim Drake, the 3rd Robin. Because of this, The art had no room to shine. Though, there are some amazing bits of artwork on display. However, Its not often those bits show up. I really hope this series proves me wrong come issue two, but Its exactly was I expected it to be…a big summer bummer.

2/5

Anyways,This is what I thought of Before Watchmen so far. Its not great, but its not terrible either. Each comic features amazing artwork, but the stories are a mixed bag. I’m still excited for the rest of the issues, and Can’t wait for them to come out! In the comments below, What are your thoughts on Before Watchmen so far? TELL ME NOW!! Anyways, Stay tuned for my thoughts on the next batch of Before Watchmen Books, coming soon, and don’t forget to visit www.youtube.com/channel23hahaha to checkout new videos and episodes of my awesome show: COMICS!