An unnamed investigator is hired to look into an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate that involved a shooter wearing a Rorschach mask. He spends twelve long, boring issues trying to determine if it was the act of mentally ill individuals or part of a bigger conspiracy. And he finds himself gazing into the abyss, which, you know, don't.

The original Watchmen characters appear in cameos, and the art pays homage in various places, but the story and new characters don't seem particularly necessary to the Watchmen mythos -- any any mythos at all really. There seem to be some allusions to the Watchmen TV show, but I have not seen that, so I don't know if that would make any of this meaningful. Easter eggs for hardcore comic fans include a pastiche treatment of Steve Ditko and his most famous creations and a weird supporting role for Frank Miller and his "The Dark Knight Returns."

Big, dull disappointing waste of time for me. ( )