Before Watchmen - Nite Owl/Dr. Manhattan

By Michael J. Staczynski

We get a better idea of how the second Nite Owl takes over for Hollis and see Rorschach show up wanting to partner up before they both go to the first meeting of Crimebusters. Nite Owl and Rorschach disagree on the help of a "slut" crime-fighter and take a break from each other, Nite Owl then getting visited by her again. The story is alright, but I am waiting for more depth to occur. Rorschach's side of the story finds more color with his help of a clergyman until he goes to the sub-basement of the church.

He and Nite Owl end up cleaning up the same case; it became much more interesting. It also links up what we previously see of Rorschach. With Dr. Manhattan, we get his humble start in Germany and skip back and forth through time like he sees everything all the time. After going through pasts we already knew about him, he decides trying an experiment with himself he previously didn't want to consider, which when he does try, goes back to a different outcome from his past. From there we see two sides of possible histories.

We go further back to what happened to his mother and why his father dedicated his career to clocks. I definitely became more absorbed with this one since we get the unknown conversation between Ozymandias and he. On to Moloch's beginnings which is also pretty fascinating. His physical abnormalities put off his parents and make socializing difficult, but when the circus comes to town he takes a shine to learning magic after seeing a show.

He finds temporary popularity when performing a trick and soon finds out it was a ruse to get him off guard. He teaches the two involved a lesson neither would forget for awhile, though. We learn after how he decided on his name and then decides to use his magic skill to help supplement his income by illegal means which he continues to make a living with for awhile, he then meeting the Minutemen who become involved in putting him in jail and continue that rat race in varying order, until breaking out once more and back to the life he knew. He also begins hating himself more openly when one of the women who slept with him for drugs gets pregnant.

Then Dr. Manhattan puts him in his place, making him realize trying to escape was pointless. When he tries to clean up his act and gains rightful parole, we link up to when Ozymandias shows up to offer him a job. Moloch becomes ill, though and that's when Eddie visits his apartment. After that the rest was quickly read and finished. It was a strong story and a nice tie in to Ozymandias's story-line.