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A review by mazer_nickham
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Corsair by Len Wein
3.0
The Ozymandias part of this trade almost makes me feel that Before Watchmen was a bit more successful than the cash grab feel that kind of pervades the whole event. Jae Lee's illustrations give a regal air to Ozy's story as he follows in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and starts to become the man we know from Watchmen. Since much of his story was shrouded in mystery in Watchmen, seeing things from his perspective was fascinating. Establishing his intellect and lateral thinking went a long way towards understanding his later actions in Watchmen.
I have no idea who Crimson Corsair is nor do I care. I assume this story was a harken back to Tales from the Black Freighter in Watchmen, which was only tolerable because it was told in small pieces and had an interesting juxtaposition with the narrative. An entire tangentially related pirate story that feels too long after two pages was not a welcome addition to the Before Watchmen oeuvre.
Dollar Bill has a one-off issue at the end of this trade, which of course led to a lesson learned to not wear capes. Not bad, but with this being the last Before Watchmen trade I've read, I was over it at that point.
I have no idea who Crimson Corsair is nor do I care. I assume this story was a harken back to Tales from the Black Freighter in Watchmen, which was only tolerable because it was told in small pieces and had an interesting juxtaposition with the narrative. An entire tangentially related pirate story that feels too long after two pages was not a welcome addition to the Before Watchmen oeuvre.
Dollar Bill has a one-off issue at the end of this trade, which of course led to a lesson learned to not wear capes. Not bad, but with this being the last Before Watchmen trade I've read, I was over it at that point.