Minutemen 2 by the Darwyn Cooke Show

Artist and Writer: Darwyn Cooke

Publisher: The Snake God’s sworn enemy DC

Well here’s the surprisingly good issue of Minutemen 2 that could more accurately be called the “Darwyn Cooke” show. Every incident here is consistent with the original sacred text, which only one heretical writer has despoiled with his treachery.  There are people with “V forVendetta” and “Painted Doll” masks currently making their way to his home where this Azzarello person will be dealt with appropriately.

Meanwhile, what you get here with “Minutemen 2″ is a very conscientious filling in of the blanks from scenes that were only hinted at in the Watchmen graphic novel.  Here’s the key passage as far as I can tell from Watchmen 2 of the original comic:

“Yes, we were crazy, we were kinky, we were Nazis, all those things that people say. We were also doing something because we believed in it. We were attempting, through our personal efforts, to make our country a safer and better place to live in.  Individually, working on our separate patches of turf, we did too much good in our respective communities to be written off as a mere aberration, whether social or sexual or psychological.”–Taken from “Under the Hood”, the fictional non fiction biography about heroes written by Hollis Mason.

And that’s what this issue is kind of about.

We find out about how much  the Minutemen were kind of a public relations thing, kind of like those big drug busts in the Drug War that kind of don’t actually win the Drug War.  How much so? Well when given a choice between busting a child slavery/rape ring or fighting Italian fascists their public relations man chooses fighting the Axis even though that was a false lead while the child slavery lead that the Silhouette was chasing down was correct. And Horrific.

We find out, as was hinted at by the Silk Spectre that certain kinds of professions attract certain kinds of people and by that we think that she meant homosexuals,  that Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice were a bit of a couple. We also discover that Hooded Justice doesn’t just like torturing people as a vigilante. He does it to the people he loves. And he’s very imaginative with that rope. We also discover that at least three people knew about that affair and we finally know what the Comedian meant when he told Hooded Justice about having his number.

The art is outstanding. Here’s a bit:

Overall, a pretty decent read. I’m finding that this is the most reverential of post Watchmen books I’ve read. Every plot point is derived from the sacred text and adhered  to ever so wisely. If there was a Pope of Watchmen orthodoxy then Darwyn Cooke would be a respected Bishop within that church. Four out of five stars. Meanwhile, the appropriate fatwas have been issued against the Heretic and Trope Vigilante Brian Azzarello and rest assured: We’ve got Brian’s number and the joke is going to be on him.