It's really cutting to the core of the costumed vigilate/superhero ethos, isn't it?
It was one of the first comics I read, so the things about it that are groundbreaking are things that I was (and mostly still am) blissfully unaware of. I admire it immensely, but I don't really
like
it. I don't dislike it, either, but... I think when I pick it up now I wind up going, "Ah yes, it's quite clever what he's doing here" not, "Wow, this is an entertaining read!"
Plus, I'd seen that Outer Limits episode, so even on the first read I was going, "Oh... Seriously?" And then I have one Citizen-Kane-esque problem with the actual plot.
Yes I think the big challenge with bringing Watchmen to the big screen today is that we already know that a terrible deadly tragedy striking NYC did not help to unify the nation. If anything it polarized us even more. If I was screenwriting I might consider rewriting the entire ending, maybe Rorschach and Nightowl could stop Veidt's plan. (White font spoils the whole damn book so don't read it if you haven't read the book!)
Hmmm, I don't know if your premise in whitefont holds, Laga. I'd say
9/11 did unite the country. It was Bush's response to it that divided people.
As for Watchman, I admire it more than I love it. And I love a lot of Moore's work. I'd been following him since Miracleman was Marvelman, and his entire run on Swamp Thing completely changed comics. (There wouldn't be Vertigo without it. Gaiman followed very carefully in his footsteps until he established his own voice).
Moore is an interesting writer. He gets the iconic value of characters better than anybody. He
got
Superman like nobody did. It's important to remember that Watchman started when DC picked up the minor superhero characters from Charlton and asked Moore to do something cool with them. But when they saw his approach they decided their property couldn't be used that way. But he was again using an established characters and continuity in a very rich way.
You make a very good point about Bush & 9/11 DavidS. Man I hate that fucker. Still I think the big ending is so reminiscent of 9/11 that I'm just not sure if it really works anymore.
Well, the big ending is
more or less the narrative behind the huge conspiracy theory that 9/11 was engineered by Bush to justify an Iraq invasion. I don't believe it, but that story has legs.
I loved
Watchmen.
I was so impressed that it lived up to all the hype. So very interesting and complex and surprising and deep without trying too hard. Although it did try pretty hard at times.
Although it did try pretty hard at times.
Have you seen the script? Moore was shooting for Pynchon-like density of allusion. Every freaking visual in that book was scripted. A character throwing away a scrap of paper? Moore wrote it.
I'll always love Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta the most because that's where I discovered him, and that's where he discovered his talent. Those were fucking mind blowing comics in that era, I'll tell you what.
Watchmen will always be my first but I think I enjoy League the most though I haven't got myself a copy of Lost Girls yet, darnit. I do have a birthday this month...
I have a copy of Lost Girls! Sort of. It's at my brother's house, because it arrived late. Sigh. Maybe I'll go pick it up after work tomorrow.
I think I've asked before, but did anyone here read Voice of the Fire?
But I do love "Watchmen." Partly because it broke open so many doors, but also because it's got so many classic bits. And because of Rhorsach.
"You people don't understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're all locked up in here with me."
