Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #6 Review And Mini Series Wrap Up

Comic: Ozymandias#6

Written By: Len Wien

Pencils By: Jae Lee

Publisher: DC Comics

Release Date: OUT NOW IN STORES & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (VIA COMIXOLOGY)

rating: 4

If only the last few issues of Ozymandias had been this good. This final issue of the six issue mini series that charted Ozymandias's self read autobiography has pretty much everything you'd want from an Ozymandias comic.We begin with a shock death and an even more sinister explanation of it and then we lead right into the soon to be missing artist Max Shea. From here on in we hear of the squid that Ozy is getting made and we get a few voices of concern over its future use. Sadly we don't really get to see any of this in detail but all of that is just about forgiveable once we hit the much awaited scene that comes with just the required amount of dramatic weight - Edward Blake, The Comedian happening upon Ozy's secret island. I don't know about you but this event is one I've pictured for years. Blake's description of his findings in the original Watchmen is such a poignant moment and watching it unravel here was a real kick, even if its unclear if what we're seeing is genuine events or Ozymandias's thoughts on how it played out. Soon after there's a beautifully handled retelling of Blake spilling his discovery all over Moloch and from there it's countdown to Watchmen. The closing events here take us right into Watchmen's opening events and weirdly it feels wonderfully seamless. Ozymandias hasn't always been a compelling read but Len Wein has made it a solid one. Jae Lee seems almost the perfect artist to capture the noble nature of Ozymandias and his frame structures and the chiselled edges to his character designs have been, simply put, beautiful. Sadly, as a whole, Ozymandias only ever really skimmed the sort of things I wanted to see in this six issue mini series. I wish there was more focus on the squid. More time spent on the island as it is put together. Possibly even some more time with Veidt post killing Blake as many of the highlights in this run were scenes with Ozy happening just before, just after or just outside of the scenes we know from the original Watchmen. Ozymandias ends strong but has been a series of ups and downs and it even had a few issues that never really took us anywhere. Strangely I would still consider this a Before Watchmen title I'd recommend to fans of Watchmen. Something about the six issues as a whole generates a feeling in this long time Watchmen fan's smiley pin badged heart that's quite hard to sum up but this Ozymandias mini series feels a legitimate part of the Watchmen universe somehow. Ozymandias the comic book was as layered and complicated as the lead character is. It also shares his ever changing likablity and even though sometimes the mini series seems a little too quiet and withdrawn for its own good, when it reveals its core well enough there's a whole lot to like (or be scared to be around). Mini Series Overall

rating: 3.5

Before Watchmen Weekly Overview: