Watchmen has never been better than the original comic book.
But that hasn’t stopped a film and prequel series.
Ad content continues below
For when the Watchmen jump the shark, they really jump the shark.
Covers old and new: Note that the smiley badge has even disappeared from The Comedians uniform.
of graphic novels they were about to print with the classicWatchmenlogo.
Which leads us neatly ontoBefore Watchmen.
My relationship withWatchmenis equally complex.
Im digressing again but I hope you get my point.
So where do I begin?
So what did I think?
Well, they gave it their best shot at least.
It didnt stop there.
And that was just the writers.
So they gave it their best shot.
They brought in all the big guns.
But, listen to popular opinion and youll be told that it didnt quite work.
The obvious answer is prequel fatigue, although perhaps this is too easy a target.
Its a creative straitjacket.
Did it really need revisiting?
Whilst the issue of prequelitis is certainly relevant,Before Watchmenultimately disappointed because it wasnt consistently good enough.
Azzerellos two stories in particular are hugely underwhelming, despite boasting excellent art.
His Rorschach tale feels rote and devoid of inspiration whereas his Comedian story is ambitious but muddled and bloated.
Perhaps something to do with making more dollar bills?
The less said about Len Weins pirate story, the better.
On the plus side though, Weins Ozymandias series isnt a bad read.
Its by no means the best of the collection but its worth a look.
Straight after flooring Captain Axis with a left hook, presumably.
Having said that, there are other books that are worth reading.
As mentioned previously, StrazynskisDr.
Manhattanis worth a read; it doesnt deviate excitingly from the source material but it is well written.
Nothing ends, Adrian.
Thats superior blue deity-speak for youre an idiot.
To read or not to read?
That is the question.
But if you are still curious?
Maybe we could follow him there?
At least not where theres a buck or two involved.
