Whatever your views on the whole Before Watchmen controversy, there’s no denying that this is an excellent comic book, both in terms of story and, especially, artwork.
Len Wein revisits a lot of ground that was already covered in Moore and Gibbons’ original masterpiece here, but manages to add detail and flesh out what is already known about Adrian Viedt’s origins. We get a real sense of the character in question and of how his fearsome intellect sets him apart from the rest of the world, living in his own little bubble, at times with tragic consequences. Surely if there is any point to the Before Watchmen endeavour beyond financial gain for DC Comics, it is to give more insight into the fascinating world and characters we all know and love. If that is the case, then job done messrs Wein and Lee.
In terms of artwork, this is certainly my favourite of all the BW series so far, and indeed amongst the best art of any title I have seen for some time. Jae Lee absolutely excels here, and as previously stated, each page is a joy to behold, forcing the reader to pause for minutes at a time to take in the elegance of the line work and the beauty of the composition. Even the layouts are immaculate, with the mixture of circular and rectangular panels giving a sumptuous, classical, almost Art Deco look to each page. The importance of the art in establishing atmosphere in this book can not be understated, and the skill Jae Lee displays put him in the same league as the likes of JH Williams III as one of the finest illustrators in the business right now.
So far, I have enjoyed all of the Before Watchmen books, finding a lot to savour in each one. Ozymandias, though, is the one I will look forward to most in the coming months.