This was the "Before Watchmen" title I was most looking forward to, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint. If there's one thing you can assume without making an ass out of anybody, it's that any book drawn by Darwyn Cooke will be gorgeous. While Minutemen #1 completely lived up to my expectations artwise, I didn't know what to expect from the story. The original Watchmen didn't go into too much detail regarding the adventures of the Minutemen, only enough that I was totally intrigued by them all, and that we know they served as inspiration to the titular Watchmen of the present day. In this issue we not only get a glimpse of each members origins, but some insight into their motivations for becoming "masked adventurers", and the reasoning behind their formation. Some are explained more than others, we still don't know too much about Hooded Justice, Dollar Bill, or The Comedian, but we get more insight into Mothman, Silhouette, Nite Owl and Capt. Metropolis. Hollis Mason serves as the narrator, which was an obvious--but perfect--choice seeing as he wrote the memoirs concerning the group. I thought his sequence was great, he's a boyscout and a daredevil, like a combo of Supes and Batman. He has no powers, but that doesn't stop him from seeking out criminals because he gets a rush from the inherent danger involved in stopping them, and he sees the value in sacrificing himself to save innocent and helpless citizens. I also really enjoyed the spotlight on The Silhouette, I didn't even remember her character from the original, but in just four pages Cooke managed to tell us who she was, why she fights, and the effect she had on Nite Owl both professionally and personally. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of this series, the groundwork has been laid by Cooke for a wonderful adventure with the old-school heroes he draws so perfectly. If the rest of the issues maintain the balance of character and plot that this one did, I think we are in for a fantastic look into characters who run the gamut of morality, and demand our attention while doing so. It was a smart move on DC's part to kick-off the controversy with a book that is hard to argue against. I just wish issue 2 came out sooner.