So, according to the current ticket figures, if you're anyone who isn't me or my lovely wife, you've probably seen The Dark Knight. As a part of that experience, you also probably saw the trailer for Watchmen. Those who, like me, don't hit the theaters, watched it online. Some of us watched it repeatedly. Either way, it's coming out next Spring, and it's causing quite a stir in the geek community.
See, Watchmen is based on a comic series, but it isn't a traditional comic book. Watchmen is kind of a meta-comic. It's a series about a world where comic book heroes are real, where people actually dress up and go out fighting crime, or at least they purport to. They don't have super powers (with one exception, which is handled brilliantly), and they have all the psychological issues that one would actually expect from someone who gets dressed up and plays vigilante.
This right here is why Watchmen is a success. It's a realistic book, and as such it's nearly impossible to say who the good guys are. The title comes from the Latin phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", theoretically written by Juvenal in ancient Rome. It translates to "Who watches the watchmen?", a phrase that is partially written (but never completed) throughout the book, typically in the form of graffiti. It sums up some of the major themes of the book, questioning why we give people the authority to "protect" us, whose interest these people really act in, and what happens when this authority is allowed to run unchecked.
The book works well in a lot of areas though. It brings up questions of alliances. It deals with human failure, and nostalgia. It also deals with the damaged psyches of the main characters, what brought each of them into the odd world of adventuring, how that world has affected them, and vice versa. It goes far deeper than most comics I've read with the possible exception of Niel Gaiman's Sandman series and V for Vendetta, another of Alan Moore's series.
One thing I would warn people of is that this is a graphic series. There's a lot of violence, and some sex (although that's handled delicately and out of frame). If you're queasy, I can't recommend it. I was planning on suggesting my lovely wife read it, but having finished it again, I'm thinking no.
Overall, Watchmen is a great book, and it's clear why it's considered a standout among comic series. This is why there is such a furor over the movie. To some comic book fans, this book is sacred, and to see it get anything like the typical Hollywood treatment would be heartbreaking. Moore himself refuses to see anything made based on his books, and I can understand why (The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, while an interesting comic series, was such a steaming pile of bad on film that if you walk past it quietly enough in the video store, you can actually hear it suck). So far, everything on this one looks good, but I know better than to get my hopes up. For now, I'll read, and recommend, the book.
See, Watchmen is based on a comic series, but it isn't a traditional comic book. Watchmen is kind of a meta-comic. It's a series about a world where comic book heroes are real, where people actually dress up and go out fighting crime, or at least they purport to. They don't have super powers (with one exception, which is handled brilliantly), and they have all the psychological issues that one would actually expect from someone who gets dressed up and plays vigilante.
This right here is why Watchmen is a success. It's a realistic book, and as such it's nearly impossible to say who the good guys are. The title comes from the Latin phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", theoretically written by Juvenal in ancient Rome. It translates to "Who watches the watchmen?", a phrase that is partially written (but never completed) throughout the book, typically in the form of graffiti. It sums up some of the major themes of the book, questioning why we give people the authority to "protect" us, whose interest these people really act in, and what happens when this authority is allowed to run unchecked.
The book works well in a lot of areas though. It brings up questions of alliances. It deals with human failure, and nostalgia. It also deals with the damaged psyches of the main characters, what brought each of them into the odd world of adventuring, how that world has affected them, and vice versa. It goes far deeper than most comics I've read with the possible exception of Niel Gaiman's Sandman series and V for Vendetta, another of Alan Moore's series.
One thing I would warn people of is that this is a graphic series. There's a lot of violence, and some sex (although that's handled delicately and out of frame). If you're queasy, I can't recommend it. I was planning on suggesting my lovely wife read it, but having finished it again, I'm thinking no.
Overall, Watchmen is a great book, and it's clear why it's considered a standout among comic series. This is why there is such a furor over the movie. To some comic book fans, this book is sacred, and to see it get anything like the typical Hollywood treatment would be heartbreaking. Moore himself refuses to see anything made based on his books, and I can understand why (The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, while an interesting comic series, was such a steaming pile of bad on film that if you walk past it quietly enough in the video store, you can actually hear it suck). So far, everything on this one looks good, but I know better than to get my hopes up. For now, I'll read, and recommend, the book.
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