Who watches what the Watcher watches?
Yesterday's review (CHEW 41), this week's Arrow review, and this week's S.H.I.E.L.D. review. Writer Mark Waid, artist Jim Cheung, inker Mark Morales, and colorist Justin Ponsor [and others] ask one question; Who Is The Watcher?
The Good
I love mystery. Everyone does. However, every person has their own way of communicating it. Personally I do like knowing certain things, for a good example in this series/issue's case, origin wise. But at times, I also like a bit of mystery. Knowing is half the battle I'm told, but knowing takes away the mystery; and sometimes the big secret that surrounds [a character's origin for example] is very underwhelming. I have mixed feelings about this new monthly series, Original Sin, but I'm optimistic to see what will happen in the main series and it's spinoffs.
In this issue, Nova takes center stage with Uatu The Watcher. Nova asks a question that many readers have only thought to ourselves; who is the watcher? He's always been this tall fellow that says nothing and only watches. Why does he do it? What's he searching for? Questions like these are the ones that Nova asks and they all get answered in this first [zero-ith] issue.
I was deeply intrigued with this issue and series. Hearing the buzz that this will be Marvel's summer mini series, of course I did the logical thing; and read into what I'd be reading during the summer. In short; it's all about The Watcher [sort of, cause it does have other heroes who will take center stage]. So that got me excited to be learning more about this character who've I've been intrigued with, of who he is and what he does, but never really looked into it myself. I like the story that Mark Waid created in this first issue as it gives me a taste of what I can expect from this series as a whole.
Waid had created a story this issue, that made me care a bit more for the character The Watcher; instead of treating him just as this guy that stands around doing nothing. I like how Mark Waid explained through the Watcher's actions to Nova [and us readers] that the Watcher watches because he can, but also to see if his past could've been changed. It turns out that if you advance any species, they are more than likely going to fight and screw themselves over with nuclear radiation. That's the short story of The Watcher's origins. So overall for me personally, I was deeply intrigued in the story that Mark Waid was creating.
The artwork was really amazing. I was captured in Waid's story thanks to the art teams' artwork.
The Bad
Like I said, I'm deeply intrigued in this series; but I also have mixed feelings about it. Mystery is a fragile thing these days. Everything is known and very little is hidden; which has good and bad properties. However, I'm not someone who's followed all of The Watcher's exploits. I don't even know if he's had a series or any exploits that are worth exploiting in the past year (years). However every time he randomly shows up in a Marvel Comic; I'm always like, "man, that guy is pretty cool for watching everything. I wonder why he does it?" Sometimes questions don't need to be answered and origins don't need to be revealed. Again, I'm not sure if the Watcher's origins are already known/established, but how Mark Waid writes this first story it seems [at least to me] that he's breaking new ground and is the first at fully diving into the Watcher's past.
Knowing the Watcher's origin, to me, was underwhelming. He just acts as a Watcher of universes because he's a more advanced species and his people made a mistake by helping other species advance? It feels very generic to me. I mean I love knowing these things, but that is also what hinders me from having a really good experience with this issue. It's knowing Watcher's past and how it just feels underwhelming.
In conclusion, a little mystery never hurt anyone in terms of comic book characters. Sometimes the best thing to do for a character; is stay out of their origins.
The Verdict
I like it and I don't like it. I'm somewhere in between. It has a story that I'm going to enjoy, but will always know that it's going to be underwhelming. The Watcher is taking center stage this Marvel summer and will take you on a ride you could either read or pass on. 4 out of 5. Will you dare to watch what the Watcher watches?
