Before the Watchmen, worth my time?

[Christopher Cross Is God]

If love the Watchmen and thought about grabbing some of the new books but my buddy said do not waste my time.

Thoughts?


Do they add a lot to the already amazing story?

None of the Before Watchmen books can compare to the original storyline, but some of the BW books are worth reading.

This is how I'd rank them:

1. Dr. Manhattan
2. Minutemen
3. Moloch
4. Nite-Owl
5. Silk Spectre
6. Ozymandias
7. Rorschach
8. Comedian

For the record, I view both the Rorschach & Comedian books as crap.

I'll give a short summary on what I consider to be the two best titles:

Dr. Manhattan has an interesting premise, and is written well. It also has amazing interior art by Adam Hughes (Who usually only does cover art).

Minutemen gives more of a back-story on various characters, but you may not like a select few bits of the added material. For instance, I took exception to the original Silk Spectre, in issue #1, being shown to have had a sham background as a superhero. I could be mistaken, but I don't remember that being in the original storyline, and, for whatever reason, I found it distasteful.......In later issues, there's negative back-story on another character which I find to be unnecessary.......Of course, the pacing and overall artwork by Darwyn Cooke is excellent, and his writing style is a perfect fit for the title. I just think he tried to go for a little too much with the two nitpicks I stated previously. I have enjoyed the extra coverage on Nite-Owl I, Silhouette, Mothman, and even Dollar Bill (However limited that extra coverage was).

[NaturalLight]

None of the Before Watchmen books can compare to the original storyline, but some of the BW books are worth reading.

This is how I'd rank them:

1. Dr. Manhattan
2. Minutemen
3. Moloch
4. Nite-Owl
5. Silk Spectre
6. Ozymandias
7. Rorschach
8. Comedian

For the record, I view both the Rorschach & Comedian books as crap.

I'll give a short summary on what I consider to be the two best titles:

Dr. Manhattan has an interesting premise, and is written well. It also has amazing interior art by Adam Hughes (Who usually only does cover art).

Minutemen gives more of a back-story on various characters, but you may not like a select few bits of the added material. For instance, I took exception to the original Silk Spectre, in issue #1, being shown to have had a sham background as a superhero. I could be mistaken, but I don't remember that being in the original storyline, and, for whatever reason, I found it distasteful.......In later issues, there's negative back-story on another character which I find to be unnecessary.......Of course, the pacing and overall artwork by Darwyn Cooke is excellent, and his writing style is a perfect fit for the title. I just think he tried to go for a little too much with the two nitpicks I stated previously. I have enjoyed the extra coverage on Nite-Owl I, Silhouette, Mothman, and even Dollar Bill (However limited that extra coverage was).

Er, that's pretty much her original storyline.

[havok1977]

None of the Before Watchmen books can compare to the original storyline, but some of the BW books are worth reading.

This is how I'd rank them:

1. Dr. Manhattan
2. Minutemen
3. Moloch
4. Nite-Owl
5. Silk Spectre
6. Ozymandias
7. Rorschach
8. Comedian

For the record, I view both the Rorschach & Comedian books as crap.

I'll give a short summary on what I consider to be the two best titles:

Dr. Manhattan has an interesting premise, and is written well. It also has amazing interior art by Adam Hughes (Who usually only does cover art).

Hmmm based on such comments and the reviews, I've come to regret not picking up the Dr Manhattan mini; I'll look into finding the back issues.

Of the bunch I tried Minutemen which is really f*ing great - if you only get one this would be the best bet, Rorschach which really disappointed me both for being my favorite Watchmen character and Azzarello dropping the ball so badly :/ , and Ozymandias which I love visually and enjoy the writing just fine.

[jesse_custer]

Moore doesn't like Before Watchmen, but that's not the main reason the titles might suck. I've read some of Comedian and Rorschach, and they're god-awful based on the amateurish writing alone.

Really, only you can say whether the books are worth your time. Me? I don't buy books unless I'm pretty convinced I'll like them. There are previews of these books that you can read. I recommend doing that.

Despite the fact that some (not all - some) of the industry's best creators are working on these books, I will not read them, nor buy them. Why? Because Alan Moore doesn't want them. He says the story is over and - if it isn't - he doesn't want to tell it.

In fact, this will probably be my last time on the Internet. Why? because Alan Moore doesn't use the Internet. In addition, even if I used the Internet, I certainly couldn't go to Ebay because I read an interview once where Neil Gaiman said Alan Moore has no idea what Ebay is. Hey, if Alan Moore doesn't do Ebay, then neither will I.

Also, I'll no longer eat vanilla ice cream. Why? Because Alan Moore says it sucks. (I heard he said that, anyway.)

Come to think of it, now I'm going to never read another issue of Action Comics again. Cause, you know, I stand by my principals and Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's families don't want DC publishing anymore Supermans.

And screw Spider-Man. Cause Steve Ditko never got the credit he deserved. I'm done with that title, too. Wait, no, actually I dropped it after OMD.

Oh well, can't win them all.

Do you really believe you can equate Watchmen to Spider-Man and Action Comics? The latter two titles were clearly meant to be ongoing titles.

[NaturalLight]

Moore doesn't like Before Watchmen, but that's not the main reason the titles might suck. I've read some of Comedian and Rorschach, and they're god-awful based on the amateurish writing alone.

Really, only you can say whether the books are worth your time. Me? I don't buy books unless I'm pretty convinced I'll like them. There are previews of these books that you can read. I recommend doing that.



Do you really believe you can equate Watchmen to Spider-Man and Action Comics? The latter two titles were clearly meant to be ongoing titles.

That wasn't what I was doing. I was pointing out dumb-ass reasons for not reading something. So yeah, I can equate the two (or three).

[jesse_custer]

No, I get that your post was satirical, but the comparisons to Action Comics and Spider-Man watered down your point considerably. At least everything before the comparisons were exaggerations related to listening to Alan Moore.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

Er, that's pretty much her original storyline.

You're saying in the original storyline Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter) and her agent had fake crimebusts set up to make her look good to the press? I don't remember that. If Moore did write that into the original storyline, then my apologies to Darwyn Cooke.

I do remember her using her crimefighting career for modeling gigs and such, but that's not what I was referring to.

[NaturalLight]

You're saying in the original storyline Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter) and her agent had fake crimebusts set up to make her look good to the press? I don't remember that. If Moore did write that into the original storyline, then my apologies to Darwyn Cooke.

I do remember her using her crimefighting career for modeling gigs and such, but that's not what I was referring to.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I remember she was a phony super hero and somewhat of joke (not to mention a slut) among her peers. It's been awhile since I've read the story, but I recall that the info is sprinkled throughout the series, but mostly, I think, in the appendices that ran at the end of each issue.

Personally, I had somewhat of an opposite reaction in that in the Silk Spectre mini, I felt it portrayed Sally as having a lot more skills than I remembered (or gave her credit for). For example, the training scenes with her daughter.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I remember she was a phony super hero and somewhat of joke (not to mention a slut) among her peers. It's been awhile since I've read the story, but I recall that the info is sprinkled throughout the series, but mostly, I think, in the appendices that ran at the end of each issue.

Personally, I had somewhat of an opposite reaction in that in the Silk Spectre mini, I felt it portrayed Sally as having a lot more skills than I remembered (or gave her credit for). For example, the training scenes with her daughter.

I looked through a little bit of my Watchmen tpb, in particular the appendix with Hollis Mason talking about the formation of the Minutemen. There was no mention of Sally doing fake crimebusts.

Perhaps I'll re-read the book, just to be sure. Never a waste of time giving quality writing an extra look-over.

[fishbonex]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I remember she was a phony super hero and somewhat of joke (not to mention a slut) among her peers. It's been awhile since I've read the story, but I recall that the info is sprinkled throughout the series, but mostly, I think, in the appendices that ran at the end of each issue.

Personally, I had somewhat of an opposite reaction in that in the Silk Spectre mini, I felt it portrayed Sally as having a lot more skills than I remembered (or gave her credit for). For example, the training scenes with her daughter.

Me too, I feel the mini has a great job at legitimizing her as a hero and a mother, as opposed to the press and alcohol obsessed character she was portrayed as in the comic.

[Mechano]

I have read every single issue and found all of them to be really good reads... with the exception of Dr. Manhattan. Boy, is that thing a steaming pile. My personal faves are Minutemen, Rorschach, and Nite Owl. I'm really surprised that there isn't that much discussion of these books on the DC boards. They are the only DC books that I read.

[NaturalLight]

I have read every single issue and found all of them to be really good reads... with the exception of Dr. Manhattan. Boy, is that thing a steaming pile. My personal faves are Minutemen, Rorschach, and Nite Owl. I'm really surprised that there isn't that much discussion of these books on the DC boards. They are the only DC books that I read.

I know, right? Why is everyone championing Dr. Manhattan. With the exception of issue three the rest have put me to sleep. And it doesn't look like anyone here likes Rorshach or Comedian. I'm digging those issues.

[Mechano]

I know, right? Why is everyone championing Dr. Manhattan. With the exception of issue three the rest have put me to sleep. And it doesn't look like anyone here likes Rorshach or Comedian. I'm digging those issues.

Omg... don't get me going on Dr. Manhattan. The entire book consists of "it's one hour from now, I'm making love. It's one hour ago, I'm taking a dump. Its three years from now, blah,blah, blah, etc, etc " for the entire issue.

[NaturalLight]

Omg... don't get me going on Dr. Manhattan. The entire book consists of "it's one hour from now, I'm making love. It's one hour ago, I'm taking a dump. Its three years from now, blah,blah, blah, etc, etc " for the entire issue.

Hahahahahahaha. So true. And in between "it's one hour from now I'm taking a dump" pages are pages that mirror the original book (great art but still nothing new).

[Zero Hunter]

I have read every single issue and found all of them to be really good reads... with the exception of Dr. Manhattan. Boy, is that thing a steaming pile. My personal faves are Minutemen, Rorschach, and Nite Owl. I'm really surprised that there isn't that much discussion of these books on the DC boards. They are the only DC books that I read.

I think the reason there is not much discusion is every time they are brought up the Alan Moore fanclub has to come in ranting and raving about how they will never buy them because some guy they don't know at all doesn't want them too and how they are a slap in the face of any "real" Watchman fans. With all their fake outrage and posturing alot of people just don't want to bother with a topic when they know thats how it will end up. I mean even this thread didn't even make it 5 posts before it started.