The Pharaoh's Journey
I would follow Ozymandias to hell and back. A phenomenal aspect to Watchmen that I don't see enough people raving about is the sense that nobody is fully presented in the right or the wrong. You have a huge variety of moralities clashing, and even murder/rapist Comedian has SOME degree of reasonable ideals, though I can imagine VERY few people agreeing with him. I certainly don't but that bit of nihilism has to mean SOMETHING. A lot of people attached to the admittedly badass Rorschach, not necessarily in agreement, just in admiration of his badass-ness. I always found myself in agreement with Ozymandias. Does that make me a bad person? ......Eh. The point is, while I definitely support the idea of Before Watchmen as one that wouldn't ruin the original, as they began coming out, I found myself in relative apathy, to my disappointment. Also could've been my budget. But I knew if I got only one, it would have to be Ozymandias. And then Jae Lee was announced for the artist and I saw the first cover and DC had me right in the wallet. That is a GORGEOUS cover with tons of amazing design choices.
And of course it begins as a monologue. Ozymandias may be a hero in his own eyes, and in mine, but he presents himself as such a dramatic villain. This issue is told entirely as a recorded message, detailing his life story as he sits atop his throne awaiting his judgement on the world. He is a man above all others, and he will speak. He will weave exposition for hours, and he will expect anyone listening to be entranced by his words. I know I was. So as much I was was hoping for a more straightforward tale, or a tales specifically set in the past; this framing device suits Ozymandius like tights.
My god... Jae Lee's art is just so cool. The entire story is done with such a bizarre, yet not loose and trippy, sense of design. The continual use of circles to interrupt the generally rectangular layout of most comics is executed with such a delicate artistic touch. This kind of attention to elegant detail is something that really gels well with Ozymandias, and gives us a lot of dreamlike backgrounds, without breaking up the mostly grounded atmosphere. Plus, Jae Lee's art really is a masterpiece. It ESPECIALLY suits this issue, with the martial arts and eastern journey themes.
Being someone who was already endeared to Ozymandias, unlike some other reviewers, I didn't need a sympathetic light to enjoy this series. Ozymandias is a born conqueror, but he takes such unique steps in his journey. While in some ways he does feel like he was born to rule, he needs to make sure he doesn't let it go to his head, all his accomplishments must be entirely his own. Thus we get to see him grow in an incredible journey that really sets him up to be the man he is in Watchmen. But this is still only the beginning.
In Conclusion: 5/5
I'm biased. Ozymandias was my favorite character in Watchmen. His ideals matched my own far closer than anyone else in the story, and even far more than nearly and other fictional character. But I know he's a little bit evil. The artwork is GORGEOUS and full of subtle touches, the only thing bothering me is the final page, his costume seems a little off in the head area; but it's such a minor problem I really don't care. Ozymandias is speaking, and we will listen, hanging onto his every word. And we will know the man.
Oh and the $3.99 price tag bothers me. I'm not reading most of the Before Watchmen titles, so I can't follow The Curse of the Crimson Corsair, and it only adds two pages. This issue ends up being about 25 pages of story and a fancy cover. STILL better than Marvel though, I suppose.
