With the sixth and final installment of BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTE MEN, Darwyn Cooke completes his love letter to the Golden Age comics through the lens of the beloved Watchmen universe. Fears of failure to execute a worthy prequel should have faded with the first issue of this series, but just in case they didn’t, rest assured that Cooke has delivered a sterling story.
The strength of this series is found in Cooke’s ability to carve out a narrative that doesn’t detract from the original text. The nature of Cooke’s tale is poetic. Rhyme and reason prevail with every story beat.
This bittersweet tale about an untold tale is dramatically justified at every twist and turn. The story of the Minute Men presented is about undeniable truths and how perception alters understanding and outcomes. It’s about love and loathing and how some dark, dirty secrets need to be left unearthed.
Cooke’s art beautifully illustrates the dichotomy of his themes. He is a cerebral artist. He understands composition and craft to the degree that every word elevates every image and vice versa. There is not a single element of storytelling wasted.
Applaud Cooke for creating something that should convince any hardened skeptic that his prequel honors the timelessness of the original graphic narrative all while further developing and fully realizing the potential of the Minute Men. Cooke proves that he is as good a storyteller as the medium has ever seen.
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