The Good
I am almost sad to see this issue come to an end if it weren't for the fact that it was such a phenomenal conclusion to an equally incredible story. One of the things I have most admired about this series is it's consistency. Not once did it ever feel like one issue was not as good as another; each issue of this series was brilliant. From the way it's drawn, to the voice of Hollis Mason and the way it's written; it is an absolutely beautiful story.
The last issue ended with a real kicker, and this issue picks up where that last one left off. We continue to see the story unfold through the perspective of Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl. At first, this issue seems to wrap up all the loose ends. We see Mason as the hero of the story, celebrated as such and loved by the public. He had managed to bring Hooded Justice to justice and thus received his just reward. The thing is, though, Hollis Mason is just a man. He may have done some heroic things, but at the end of the day he is just a human being, and I think that's really what this story boils down to.
The ending is definitely shocking and unexpected, and the series turns one final very unexpected corner, but it all makes a lot of sense. As a series the WATCHMEN was about a group of regular people who try to be heroes. It delved into the realities of the situations and the conflicts that they dealt with. That was the overarching premise of the original story and that concept wasn't lost on Darwyn Cooke when he sat down to write the story of Hollis Mason. As a series, this is one of my favorite stories ever. I loved the way it was written from start to finish. From the art, the the language and the dialogue, to the presentation of these characters; everything about this series was just superb.
The Bad
Nothing bad here. This is by far one of my favorite comic book series ever.
The Verdict
Of all the BEFORE WATCHMEN titles this one, by far more than any other, surpassed what we saw in the original WATCHMEN, at least to me. Hollis Mason is a true hero, or at least he strove to be one, but he wasn't perfect. I think that's what this story was really about. It's about people who wanted to save other people, but were human themselves and were therefore flawed. Beyond that though it's just a brilliant series. Cooke's incredible use of symbolism and metaphors come to life in this issue and the way he takes unexpected turns in his story is brilliant. Of all the BEFORE WATCHMEN titles I have read, this one is by far the one that adds the most to the original story. Brilliantly written and drawn. I absolutely recommend picking up all six issues.