I thought this was a big step up. Darwyn Cooke really starts digging into the dirt of the Minutemen and the results are appropriately disheartening and unpleasant.
I liked the Minutemen group meeting where Silhouette's suggestion of investigating child kidnappings/murders is shot down because it's not the kind of glamorous case a superhero team should tackle. And the worst part is, while I found that reprehensible, on another level, I sort of agreed with that. It's like a commentary on Golden/Silver Age gee whiz superheroics where everything is bright and cheery and good always wins vs. grim and gritty neo-80's and 90's comics with murders and women in refrigerators. Which are the Minutemen? On the surface A, but in reality, B.
Cooke does a bit of the classic JLA "split them up into smaller groups to get to know them better", and in some cases "groups" equals "couples". Like Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice. Gah. Let's just say, HJ is the dominant one and leave it at that. But Cooke doesn't. He juxtaposes their, shall we say, bedroom antics with Nite-Owl, Silhouette and Mothman investigating the child kidnappings in graphic and harrowing fashion. Meanwhile, Minutemen manager Larry asks Sally Jupiter to "beard" for Hooded Justice. The Silhouette and Nite-Owl interplay was the stuff I found most intriguing; Silhouette operates with a level of understanding of the shades of grey in crime fighting and in life that the more upright Nite-Owl, though he's a cop, has little experience with.
Dollar Bill trying to find some common ground with Comedian was also good for a chuckle. Cooke seems to have a spot on understanding of the Minutemen and I'm very curious how far he takes it in the course of this series.
(edited by John Orquiola on 12.7.12 1250) @CMPunk “@ZackRyder: @CMPunk She played me bro” I got your back.
I can't decide if I like this. I think I'll need the whole series together to see how it reads.
I liked Cooke's repeating circle layout on the first page as continued from the first issue, and I certainly like the mood/look of this mini. But the story feels mighty thin. Silk Spectre, in comparison, gave us a packed first issue, seemingly more substantial than what these 2 issues have given us.
I love Cooke's work (the new Parker adaptation is out this week, I think), and he's a solid storyteller. Even when it doesn't feel like there's much story going on, he makes it interesting and energetic.
I like what might be the first Nite Owl's crush on Silhouette paralleling the second Nite Owl's crush on the Catwoman analogue.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
There are limits with what Cooke can do with the Minutemen and still have their expanded story line up with Watchmen. He does fine with what he has, but there's isn't much room for a epic story. I'm aware of the nature of prequels, but the Minutemen so far has been more of a history to witness than to deeply analyze.
NB: I haven't read Silk Spectre.
Dollar Bill's contrast with the Comedian and Nite Owl's relationship with Silhouette is okay, but those developments aren't going elevate Minutemen to "classic story" status.
Cooke is saving something for Nite Owl. Okay, then, as long as it's not catch phrases.