Initially, Before Watchmen: Doctor Manhattan #1 seems liked it would be a poster child for how not to do a Watchmen spin-off. Though competently executed, it seemed more interested in treading the same ground as Watchmen #4 rather than weaving a new tale. But then J. Michael Straczynski threw readers for a loop by having Doctor Manhattan travel into his past and prevent the accident that created him. Quantum shenanigans abound, and the series is in a much better place with its second issue.
Straczynski makes full use of the comic book format as he explores the reverberations of Jon's actions across time. Much of this issue is divided along parallel pages that showcase how one specific decision can alter the course of history in the Watchmen universe. By the end, readers have a brain-bending look at what it must be like to perceive the universe the way he does. It's all very clever, and fortunately, Straczynski doesn't overdo the use of parallel storytelling. The issue also allows him an attempt to explore the romance between a fully human Jon and his wife, Janey. There's a certain sense of tragedy to the book as readers see how much happier the two might have been had things worked out differently. My only real complaint with the script is that Doc Manhattan is largely an invisible presence, and we rarely get a sense of how he's reacting to the scenes unfolding before him.
http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/all/~3/MaErr4B7QGc/before-watchmen-dr-manhattan-2-review
No comments:
Post a Comment