1763 ( )

I have to admit this book was probably the weakest out of the Before Watchmen volumes. The first bit with Ozymandias was probably the best one in this book. It was near perfect. Leading you to the murder of the Comedian. How the entire Watchmen mini-series began. The writing was surprisingly good and the artwork was really well done too. Then it all fell apart.

Now here is were it falls apart: with the Crimson Corsair segment. Not only did I not care for the art, but I didn't care for the story either. I felt like I was forced to get threw it. It was very boring and I really didn't see the need for it at all. Unlike the first watchmen series, this wasn't even a comic-book-with-in-a comic-book idea. It was more like a random side story that just didn't fit. I'll admit some parts were interesting, but a very predictable ending.

Thankfully the last one-shot with the Dollar Bill wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The artwork I didn't care for at all and yes the beginning was a little dull, but then it picked up as soon as he put on the Dollar Bill outfit. It was funnier then most of the Before Watchmen issues, but then again is death is a black comedy in the Watchmen Universe.

Overall I wouldn't get this volume unless you like me and just want to read the entire Before Watchmen experience because you just love the idea of Watchmen. However If you want to ignore the Crimson Corsair and Dollar Bill bits, I highly recommend just getting the Ozymandias' issues individually. ( )

I think it captured the voice and ideology of Ozymandias very well. He was billed as a super genius in the original story, so it was nice to see where he came from and how he ended up. His frustration with Dr. Manhattan was something that should've been explored a bit more. Loved the homage to P.B. Shelley though, especially how they integrated the poem into his exploits and psyche.

Did not enjoy Crimson Corsair. Enjoyed the Ozymandias portion only. ( )

I admit I have a weakness for Ozymandias, which probably bumps up the rating here more than it should. He's a fascinating character. There's some mind-bogglingly dumb things in this comic - like somehow making Bubastis on accident when trying to create a giant alien squid beast? - and it really doesn't contribute to the world or character at all - its just more of the same.


I was never a fan of Tales of the Black Freighter in the original Watchmen, but I understood and appreciated how it mirrored the narrative of the book. Crimson Corsair doesn't do that - its just filler to me, and uninteresting.

I was surprised how much I liked Dollar Bill's story. It was simple but actually felt new. ( )

Actually, I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, but as I have said before, no fractions here on GoodReads.

You can read my full review on my blog. Click on the link: http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/08/booknote-before-watchmen.html ( )