Bitch to be me right now. Five thoughts, beginning after your friendly neighborhood solicit.
Written by Brian Azzarello
Illustrated by J.G. Jones“I am a blood brother.” Plus: The latest chapter in the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup adventure from writer and artist JOHN HIGGINS!
1. What’s the point?
Let’s start us off here. Through three issues of The Comedian, one thought permeates throughout the experience: what’s the point? The best of the other Before Watchmen series seem to have a definite direction to them, as if they are taking us somewhere new and are attempting to actually have a complete narrative to them. But The Comedian? It just seems like intermittent snippets into The Comedian’s life that tell us…not much of anything new about him. If it isn’t telling us anything new about the character or his world really, what exactly is the point? Maybe I just expect more out of Azzarello.
2. Comedian by numbers
Speaking of Azzarello, how weird is it that such a superb writer like Azz can’t get anything else out of this character than misogyny and generic badassery? Basically, this just feels like the same thing we got out of Moore’s Comedian…but in different situations. It’s like Azzarello is extracting The Comedian from that story and simply placing him in other stories. Sure, that makes a certain amount of sense, but there are no chances taken. There is just nothing much of interest in this character, if this is what some of the best in the industry can do with him.
3. The Kennedy Family
Ultimately, it seems like the Kennedy family will be intertwined with each aspect of The Comedian’s life. No matter where Azzarello takes us in the remaining three issues, I get the impression that a Kennedy will be involved throughout. And I guess I just don’t understand why. So far, their presence hasn’t really added anything to the story, and if anything, it just distracts you by being name drops and appearances that forcefully tie The Comedian to some of the big moments throughout American history. I see what Azzarello is doing…I just don’t particularly like it.
4. J.G. Jones to the rescue
It’s a shame that the script is such a bust, because J.G. Jones continues to be who we thought he was: a tremendously gifted artist with a real sense of verve and power to his art. Sure, it’s an imperfect issue, and Jones will arguably always be a better cover artist than interior artist, but he still manages to kick a lot of ass with limited resources to work with. Get this man on one of the New 52 books, stat!
5. Halfway through and we’ve gone too far already
I hate to say it, but I am completely checked out on this book. The Comedian was full of promise given the creative team and the more wide open nature to the character (he only appeared in flashback in Watchmen, after all, so there was a lot of room to work here). What we’re given is fairly paint by numbers, and it doesn’t do anything really even exciting with that. It reads like the homeless man’s version of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov’s superb Fury MAX. I love that book. This book? This is no Fury MAX. In fact, it’s a…
Final Verdict: 3.0 – Pass
