Review: Before Watchmen- Minutemen/Silk Spectre
Quick Summary
Pros: The Minutemen story is brilliant, it depicts an interesting team’s exciting adventures while also working as a commentary for the Golden Age of comic books. The Silk Spectre story is fun and takes a well-executed approach to the parent/child dynamic. The volume’s artwork is gorgeous from start to finish.
Cons: Small pieces of the Silk Spectre story feel awkward and cheesy.
Overall: This is a solid collection of comic book stories. Both stories work as worthwhile preludes to the Watchmen series and both contain beautiful visuals. The Minutemen story is also an interesting take on classic comics and the Silk Spectre story hits on some interesting aspects of growing up. There are some awkward moments within the Silk Spectre story but nothing significant enough to seriously damage it. Overall, this collection is a wonderful read that fans looking for more Watchmen stories may appreciate.
Story
Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silk Spectre, by Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner, is a highly entertaining collection that works well on its own and in conjunction with Watchmen. The Minutemen chapters contain a beautiful story about the heroism of Golden Age comic characters but contrasts it with the pitfalls inherent to humanity. It is a fantastic story that essentially recaptures what was accomplished in Watchmen but for a different era. The collection’s other major story depicts the superhero origins of Silk Spectre. This story is a successful blend of superhero fun and coming of age themes but, unfortunately, has a few awkward moments that take away from the appeal. All in all, the stories gathered here are both worthwhile.
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The first half of Minutemen/Silk Spectre details the exploits of the Minutemen. This story is one of the most significant preludes to Watchmen because it sheds light on a period of time that is mostly left unexplored. Readers learn the personalities of the different members of the Minutemen and see how these personalities were able (or unable) to work together. Seeing a friendship form between Nite Owl, Silhouette, and Mothman is great on its own and makes the fall of this team even more upsetting.
However, the story of the Minutemen isn’t just great because of how it expands on Watchmen, it is also a fantastic story all on its own. The Minutemen story is a beautiful reflection on American lives and ethics during the comic book Golden Age. It captures the optimistic feeling of that era, through the valiant goals held by the majority of the Minutemen, and contrasts it with the inequalities and blatant wrongs of that same era, seen through events like Silhouette’s death and the Comedian’s perversion of the group’s ideals. Like Watchmen, the story of the Minutemen is a reflection of the heroes’ time and, like Watchmen, this reflection is incredible to see.
The second half of Minutemen/Silk Spectre follows the early exploits of the second Silk Spectre. This arc is half superhero romp and half coming of age story. The superheroics are engaging and fun to see play out, especially since they are coming from an upstart hero simply looking to improve her community. The coming of age story captures the nuances in a parent-child relationship and properly depicts how personal issues can erode both ends of it.
Unfortunately, the Silk Spectre story does not quite reach the high level of quality in the book’s first half. There are times when this read feels a bit ridiculous or even cheesy. The concept of a businessman using mind-altering drugs to increase consumerism is wacky and ends up fitting poorly into the otherwise very serious Watchmen universe. Meanwhile, the portions of the story focused on explaining small pieces of Watchmen lore, like the Comedian’s button or Silk Spectre’s introduction at the Crimebuster’s meeting, end up feeling forced and awkward.
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Art
The artwork in this book is gorgeous and makes the entire reading experience even better. Darwyn Cooke’s classic style perfectly suits the Golden Age-inspired heroes of the Minutemen story. The pages here have a simplicity to them that speaks to the era they attempt to depict while also having a subtle level of nuance that adds the depth this story is looking for. A similarly positive blend of features can also be seen in the Silk Spectre story. Here, Amanda Conner’s ability to mix idealized realism with the psychedelic is a perfect complement to a story about the 70s. The characters all look great and the costumes and environments simply add to the overall effect. This is a comic collection where the artwork looks so good that it could be experienced without words and would still be a compelling read.
Continuity
Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silk Spectre is one of several prequels to the Watchmen series. Though technically set before Watchmen, it is best to read this book after reading Watchmen.
This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:
- Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3 contains a panel depicting the cover of a fictitious “Minutemen #1” comic book. The cover to this comic is a homage to the cover of All-Star Comics #3, the first meeting of the Justice Society of America.