WATCHMEN THREAD

[s-man]

Warning Spoilers...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just finished reading this in TPB and while I understand the signifigance of the politics that were present in the book and the historical references, I wasn't overwhelmed by this series.

 

The twist at the end with Adrian being the person behind the plot was intriguing. But the whole hoax invasion story was a bit far fetched. I just can't see world peace coming from the fact that a strange psychic "monster" lands in the middle of New York and kills a mess of people. I understand it is an alternate reality Earth and maybe am thinking to literally about this plot device, but I just didn't like the way it ended. It felt like they had all these characters and wanted to show all their histories, but didn't know how to end the story. Also the way it did end, felt like they were going to do a continuation of the story...did they ever pick it back up?

 

I did like the character details, especially the insanity of Rorschach. And the human failings of the characters made for great reading. I just wish they had ended it differently..

[kidcolt]

Wow a spoilers alert of a series over 20 years old haha.

 

The series is somewhat dated now however it still applies to today. I have read it a few times and I enjoy it more and more each time.

[Comicopolis]

Warning Spoilers...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just finished reading this in TPB and while I understand the signifigance of the politics that were present in the book and the historical references, I wasn't overwhelmed by this series.

 

The twist at the end with Adrian being the person behind the plot was intriguing. But the whole hoax invasion story was a bit far fetched. I just can't see world peace coming from the fact that a strange psychic "monster" lands in the middle of New York and kills a mess of people. I understand it is an alternate reality Earth and maybe am thinking to literally about this plot device, but I just didn't like the way it ended. It felt like they had all these characters and wanted to show all their histories, but didn't know how to end the story. Also the way it did end, felt like they were going to do a continuation of the story...did they ever pick it back up?

 

I did like the character details, especially the insanity of Rorschach. And the human failings of the characters made for great reading. I just wish they had ended it differently..

 

No.

[s-man]

The movie version looks awesome anyway, cant wait to see it!

[Claudio]

I think it is overrated but it is STILL great. The ending just seemed rush and sometimes the pirate story seemed to take up too much of the story...

[s-man]

I think it is overrated but it is STILL great. The ending just seemed rush and sometimes the pirate story seemed to take up too much of the story...

 

I concur...especially about the pirate story

[Comicopolis]

I think it is overrated but it is STILL great. The ending just seemed rush and sometimes the pirate story seemed to take up too much of the story...

 

The pirate story is integral to the whole thing. There is a lot of stuff going on under the surface of a comic book story - as there is in most of Alan Moore's work - but that doesn't mean people can't enjoy it as a good old fashioned super-hero story.

 

The ending is the weakest part - but it won't have been rushed as Moore is merticulous in planning out his plot and character development months in advance of actually writing the stuff.

 

It will be interesting to see how they will have changed the ending in the movie version.

[40sJohn]

The movie version looks awesome anyway, cant wait to see it!

 

(thumbs u

 

Never read it, but the trailer does look great! However, my fear is like some movies, the trailer has ALL the best scenes and it's a letdown....

 

Any advance reviews yet to get a feel if it's going to be any good?

[s-man]

The movie version looks awesome anyway, cant wait to see it!

 

(thumbs u

 

Never read it, but the trailer does look great! However, my fear is like some movies, the trailer has ALL the best scenes and it's a letdown....

 

Any advance reviews yet to get a feel if it's going to be any good?

 

Not that I can see...still to new I guess (comes out next month)

[DocGo]

I agree that the end of issue #11 and the beginning of issue #12 is the weakest part of the series, but the rest of it is so good that it mitigates this story point to a minor flaw for me.

 

Since the second trailer, I've had negative outlook toward this movie but I feel it starting to turnaround. I really want it to be good.

[Claudio]

I think it is overrated but it is STILL great. The ending just seemed rush and sometimes the pirate story seemed to take up too much of the story...

 

The pirate story is integral to the whole thing. There is a lot of stuff going on under the surface of a comic book story - as there is in most of Alan Moore's work - but that doesn't mean people can't enjoy it as a good old fashioned super-hero story.

 

The ending is the weakest part - but it won't have been rushed as Moore is merticulous in planning out his plot and character development months in advance of actually writing the stuff.

 

It will be interesting to see how they will have changed the ending in the movie version.

I understand that it is integral to the story I just thought he was beating us over the head with it. It might not have been rushed- but it sure seemed like it. Don't get me wrong. it is still great but I think it is overrated. That's tough to do.

[s-man]

So why would the Watchmen be consider THAT important of a comic? If you break it down, yes it does speak to certain fears (namely the state of the world/fear of war), but none of the characters got their own book and the Watchmen series itself didn't continue after the 12 issues. Also it took 20 years for the movie to come out, which the hype of that movie was the only reason I read the GN in the first place. So viewed in a purely "comic book" sense, it feels like it had its moment and just died there.

[Comicopolis]

So why would the Watchmen be consider THAT important of a comic? If you break it down, yes it does speak to certain fears (namely the state of the world/fear of war), but none of the characters got their own book and the Watchmen series itself didn't continue after the 12 issues. Also it took 20 years for the movie to come out, which the hype of that movie was the only reason I read the GN in the first place. So viewed in a purely "comic book" sense, it feels like it had its moment and just died there.

 

Because it helped change the way in which comic book superhero stories were written. It was multi-layered and complex and the characters that people liked were generally not nice people and didn't behave in the way in which traditional superheroes behaved, or were supposed to behave.

 

One of the reasons that it has taken over 20 years for the film to be made is the complexity of the story. There is no way that a three hour Hollywood film could ever do the original source material justice but it will be interesting to see.

[s-man]

So why would the Watchmen be consider THAT important of a comic? If you break it down, yes it does speak to certain fears (namely the state of the world/fear of war), but none of the characters got their own book and the Watchmen series itself didn't continue after the 12 issues. Also it took 20 years for the movie to come out, which the hype of that movie was the only reason I read the GN in the first place. So viewed in a purely "comic book" sense, it feels like it had its moment and just died there.

 

Because it helped change the way in which comic book superhero stories were written. It was multi-layered and complex and the characters that people liked were generally not nice people and didn't behave in the way in which traditional superheroes behaved, or were supposed to behave.

 

Then I do see the relevance, if the series did shake things up in the comic world and heroes became nastier in certain ways not done before.

[fastballspecial]

I cant see the general public getting Watchmen in one movie. Its too freaking complex hell I struggled reading it. Moore tends to do that with me though. He writes for the elite comic book reader much like Morrison does.

 

[VintageComics]

Wow a spoilers alert of a series over 20 years old haha.

 

The series is somewhat dated now however it still applies to today. I have read it a few times and I enjoy it more and more each time.

 

I actually read Watchmen for the first time a few months ago so yeah, still need spoiler alerts for us procrastinators.

 

 

[Zonker]

So why would the Watchmen be consider THAT important of a comic? If you break it down, yes it does speak to certain fears (namely the state of the world/fear of war), but none of the characters got their own book and the Watchmen series itself didn't continue after the 12 issues. Also it took 20 years for the movie to come out, which the hype of that movie was the only reason I read the GN in the first place. So viewed in a purely "comic book" sense, it feels like it had its moment and just died there.

 

Because it helped change the way in which comic book superhero stories were written. It was multi-layered and complex and the characters that people liked were generally not nice people and didn't behave in the way in which traditional superheroes behaved, or were supposed to behave.

 

Then I do see the relevance, if the series did shake things up in the comic world and heroes became nastier in certain ways not done before.

 

It's really hard to project yourself back to the mindset of 1985 before Watchmen was published. Alan Moore had spent the last few years taking American commercial comics to new places in his Saga of the Swamp Thing revamp. His editor (and Swamp Thing creator) Len Wein said that when he read Moore's scripts, he realized he (Wein) had become obsolete as a comic book writer.

 

With Watchmen, Moore took that approach to super-heroes. It was partly the popularization of the "grim & gritty" 1980s style, but that style also owed a lot to Miller's Dark Knight (and earlier independent comics examples like American Flagg and Nexus). I think the main point that set Watchmen apart was that it was a serious, uncompromised attempt to tell an unapologetic super-hero story for adults, with all that meant. So yes, you had the grim & gritty violence, the ambiguous morals, the undisguised sexual fetish angle to dressing up in costumes and beating people up. But you also had a serious approach to the form & style of "real" literature, re-invented for comics: for example, the parallels between the main story and the Black Freighter sub-text, the recurring motif of raindrops and puddles, the conceit of each cover actually being the first panel of each story, and other formal tricks like the first half of the "Fearful Symmetry" chapter being the mirror image of the 2nd half.

 

So to say that Watchmen didn't spawn a sequel, or spin off other series is missing the point-- it is because the series is a completely-realized 12-chapter novel, never to be added to, that makes it special. (thumbs u

 

 

[nmtg9]

Moore and Gibbons own the characters and Moore would NEVER do a sequal.

 

the books also works on 'many different levels'. book five is meant as a centrepeice to the story. its all about symmetry. the first panel matches the last, the second matches the second last until we reach the middle (in terms of size).

 

no other comic ever has paid this much attention to detail.

 

i was 15 when i read it in 1987 and nothing (except one novel) has ever come close to it. it is a beautiful book. here endeth the lesson. HA

[Comicopolis]

I cant see the general public getting Watchmen in one movie. Its too freaking complex hell I struggled reading it. Moore tends to do that with me though. He writes for the elite comic book reader much like Morrison does.

 

No, no, no.

 

Alan Moore writes intelligent character driven tomes that hark back to old comic book stories or great & obscure literature.

 

Grant Morrison is .

 

 

[Zonker]

Grant Morrison has written some outstanding stuff, including off the top of my head

 

- The Coyote Gospel

- Rock of Ages

- WE3

- All-Star Superman