#452 - From my Pull List: March 2022, Part 2 (The Trial of the Watcher)

So, March is now over and, with that, I thought I'd do one of my obligatory (well, not obligatory, but it's nice to have a routine of sorts) breakdowns of all the comics I picked up from my pull list.

However, I've already managed to do one of those this month and, unfortunately, FF #42 and She-Hulk #3 appear to have been pushed back a week and so this week's post is less a 'part 2' and more a single focus post.

So, anyway, I read my final pull list comic, Fantastic Four: The Reckoning - Trial of the Watcher #1, which took a break (or more a brief detour) from Slott's Reckoning War event to focus on Uatu, the recently resurrected, paradoxically interfering 'Watcher', who after being found guilty by his people, and specifically his father (Marvel really do corner the market on Father/Son angst, don't they: Reed/Nathanial, Thor/Odin, Tony/Howard and now Uatu/Ikor), finds himself trapped in a room to receive his punishment: to view a reality that asks the question 'What If ... Uatu the Watcher never interfered?'

I was in two minds about getting this when it was first announced in previews. As a one-shot and, effectively, no more a tie-in to the main Reckoning War event, I did think Trial of the Watcher might be a little superfluous. However, on the other side, I am a bit of a completionist and I did wonder if this might provide some deeper insight into the overall story. Besides, it is only one extra issue (though, I've been hit by that kind of thinking before).

I must say though that I found this issue to be a fun and entertaining read. While I thought that Slott's story here offered up a little of fleshing out on the Watchers as a whole, the main crux of the story is very much a 'What If' story as we were treated to a condensed version of the famous Galactus saga, but this time without the early warning which Uatu provided. I'll admit, while this is a fine done in one tale, it has made me think a little bit about the nature of involvement against independence.

Take, for example, current events in the world (which I won't dwell too much on). At present a country is in trouble, attacked by their more powerful neighbours. I personally wonder why those in power around the world don't take action. However, maybe that action will cause greater strive in future and maybe those who are subjugated do not need our help to overcome their current trouble. It's that whole 'give a man a fish or teach a man to fish' mentality (it also, makes me think about Lex Luthor but that's maybe for another time).

Nonetheless, by the time I reached the end of this issue, I have to say it did make me wonder if Uatu should have had more faith in the Heroes of Earth ... and if he should be having more faith in them now. 

As for the art, I really liked Javier Rodrigues' style in this book, which had this sort of Mike Allred crossed with Javier Pulido vibe to it. That said, it didn't really have more of one than the other as I thought it found a certain 'sweet spot' which really gave the issue this sort of silver age look which was fitting given the story it was 'retelling'.

In the end, I found the trial of the Watcher to be a good read as it had this rather capitvating and enjoyable story to it. While I don't think it was wholly necessary towards the Reckoning War tale within the pages of Fantastic Four (only the final scene may hold any impact), it sure was interesting to see that for all his attempts to do good, maybe sometimes the best thing the Watcher (and maybe people in general) can do is nothing.