Look on My Works, Ye Mighty… (1987)
Look on My Works, Ye Mighty… Review
Look on My Works, Ye Mighty… is the eleventh issue in the twelve-issue series Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons.
Continuing from the fantastic cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, this one starts with Rorschach and Nite Owl arriving at Ozymandias’ place where they have a confrontation that of course ends badly for the duo. We also learn the backstory of Adrian Veidt himself. The best part of this issue is clearly the fight between the three. How Adrian defeated them so easily was unforgettable and he is definitely a very cool, badass villain in both looks and abilities.
Action is surprisingly sparse in Watchmen mostly for the better, but this fight posed the question of whether or not more action scenes would have been preferable for the series as it was so good. Another highlight is the setting that was brilliantly illustrated and utilized. This lush forest dome within the Arctic made for a very memorable juxtaposition and a great proof of the intimidating powers of the main villain.
If there is one thing that takes this issue down a notch, it has to be the dialogue. Adrian talks in such a didactic manner that became tiresome very quickly. And he talks damn too much, which was frustrating at times. His motifs and backstory are very well explained, but a more visual instead of talkative approach would have been a better choice for this chapter. But the final supplement was fantastic as Ozymandias’ interview revealed his arrogant personality and what his opinions of the other superheroes are painfully clearly.
