Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan 1 of 4 (Straczynski/ Hughes) is a literary medium experiment. Sequential art depends on linear time and order to make the story tellable. That’s why it’s called sequential art. Dr. Manhattan of the Watchmen does not experience time linearly. He’s as much a “quantum event” as a human, defined by his perception of himself. As such, he looks as he thinks he should look and experiences things in whatever order he chooses, so telling a story around him in linear sequence wouldn’t seem to make sense. Nonetheless, this is Dr. Manhattan’s origin story, along with unexpected twists that set it apart from the one in the original graphic novel.
J. Michael Straczynski tries his best, and is able to give the reader the impression of what it would be like to jump from point to point in one’s own timeline. I’d like to say this was what he meant to accomplish, but this is 1 of 4, the beginning of a larger story. The end certainly asks questions I want answered, but it plays up the quantum angle of events so much by then that there’s no clear indicator that what see even matters or will matter. By the end of this first issue, I’m not sure what’s going on, only there’s more of it to come.
Adam Hughes does the artwork. Do you know how long it’s been since Adam Hughes did interior artwork? Because I don’t. It’s been that long. The man makes a living on cover art, a great living, and he deserves it. Long ago, WAAAAAY back, he did interiors. It’s an event anytime an artist goes from interiors to covers and then back, and I’m pleased to say he doesn’t disappoint. Hughes is probably best known for his cheesecake, and this should remind readers that his page layouts and overall construction are healthy as well.
Lobster Johnson (Mignola/ Arcudi/ Torres) is a one-shot tale in the classic BRPD fashion, with fantasy and reality coexisting even as they appear to hunt each other. Lobster Johnson is pretty much the Batman of the BRPD-verse, a gadget-dependent lone wolf that goes up against anyone that hurts and kills people, not batting an eye when they turn out to be supernatural cultists.
I mentioned the “classic BRPD fashion” before, but until now never really gave much thought to what that was. There aren’t many origin stories in the BRPD, instead the reader is thrown into the middle of things and expected to catch on. This happens more often than not because the stories we’re thrown into the middle of aren’t complicated. Primal forces have primal desires, and primal desires don’t need much explaining. They don’t need a complicated response, either, just a definite one.
This example of the classic BRPD style showcases the Clawed Crusader tracking down a thief and murderer to an Egyptian cult, complete with clandestine meetings of the cultural elite, at least one woman in revealing clothing, and reversal after reversal after reversal. Things die. Some of them have it coming.
The writing is efficient. It tells what needs telling. There’s no character development, but this isn’t a story that calls for such things. This is a short action piece, and it does that well. The art reminds me a little bit of Mike Mignola’s style, but not too much. Not to the extent that I feel distracted by it. It’s just real enough to make a connection, but cartoony enough that my eyes just had a fun time. If you’re in the mood for a bit of old-school mystic murder mystery delivered in a single dose, this is your buy.
There’s plenty else coming out this week, some of which you may really enjoy, others you may not. Come on down and look around, you may find a treasure that I didn’t.
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