Minutemen was always the Before Watchmen book with the most potential for interesting character development. Luckily, Darwyn Cooke has been able to realize that potential. Though issue #4 is fairly scatterbrained in its focus, Cooke manages to deliver some memorable moments featuring just about every player in this troubled group.
Though Hollis Mason's flash-forwards still serve as a framing device, this issue hops all about the lives of the Minutemen during the post-WWII era. The tragic death of The Silhouette provides a loose sort of link between the other conflicts. But the general theme of this chapter is disillusionment. We see everyone from Nite Owl to Silk Spectre to Comedian weighed down by the harsh realities of life in the world of Watchmen. Tonally, this issue is very much a bridge between he more optimistic adventures of earlier chapters and the world as we see it in Alan Moore's story. Surprisingly, Silk Spectre enjoys the strongest scenes of all the characters. Cooke is able to showcase a very different and more genuine side of her character than readers are accustomed to.
Unsurprisingly, the art is a maor selling point once again. Cooke captures all the vibrant energy of this supposed Golden Age of super-heroism without ignoring the seedier visual elements. Cooke is able to capture many of the hallmarks of the original series, from it's rigid grid structure to its many visual gags and games, without remaining bound to those hallmarks or failing to exercise his own unique talents.
If not as focused as it could be, Minutemen #4 is nonetheless proof that there are interesting stories to explore in the shadow of Watchmen, as well as creators talented enough to bring them to life.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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