COMIX-TO-FLIX is a JoBlo.com column featuring reviews of comic book graphic novels that have been optioned to be made into motion pictures. Seeing as the universe of comic books and movies is becoming more and more connected, we figured that we may as well jump right into them as well, especially since we love both mediums to begin with. We hope that you enjoy this new addition to the site and be sure to email us with your thoughts.
WATCHMEN
by Alan Moore
BUY
THIS NOVEL AT AMAZON.COM NOW!!!
PLOT:
The
Comedian is dead. He was a rapist.
He was a killer. And
he was a government sponsored superhero.
Until someone threw him out of a very high window.
And so begins what’s widely
considered to be the definitive comic book tome.
What follows is a mystery that unravels through the eyes of
The Comedian’s contemporaries. Nite
Owl, a retired technology-based vigilante.
Dr. Manhattan, a being of possibly infinite capabilities
and power. Ozymandias, the
smartest man alive. And
Rorschach, a vicious, emotionally traumatized detective in an
ink-blot mask. And as
Rorschach begins an investigation into The Comedian’s death, we
bear witness to what might happen if
America
won the Vietnam War. If
superheroes were real, flawed human beings.
And through it all we get asked the question: what role
should heroes and vigilantes take in protecting the rest of us?
And exactly how far is it right to go in order to save a
world bent on destroying itself?
“WHO
WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?”
FILM
STATUS:
WATCHMEN, after years of buzz and
rumors, is finally
slated for the big screen. Directed
by Paul Greengrass (The
Bourne Supremacy), it’s currently in preproduction under
Universal and Lawrence Gordon Productions (to be distributed by
Paramount
). The screenplay was
adapted by David Hayter, who also co-wrote both X-Men and X2.
Darren Aronofsky was originally set to helm the project,
but dropped out to do The
Fountain. [Credit IMDB]
The official Watchmen movie site can be found here.
CRITIQUE:
Uh…this
is kind of like reviewing The Bible of Geekdom.
Know right now that there’s nary a complaint to be made
about this book. But if you
want to read a really original superhero story, something complex
and deep and emotional, with fully rounded characters and a payoff
to end all payoffs…well, this is the place to start, hands
down. To be
honest, there’s so much to say about it, that I’m not even
sure what to cover.
First of all, the story is just…incredibly
involving. As the
conspiracy unfolds over the course of the book (which is not one
of the shorter reads you can find out there, be aware), you just
marvel at so many things about it.
It’s astoundingly original; no one had EVER looked at
superheroes this way before it came out.
And not only is the story gripping and complex, but it’s
written in a thoughtful, realistic manner.
In a world where comic books often have a stigma for being
very simplistic in plot, oftentimes for good reason, this is
really, really refreshing. Alan
Moore, who’s name is usually associated with damn fine work, in
no way condescends to the reader in this puppy.
WATCHMEN superheroes don’t fight costumed criminals, but
rather deal with such things as the Vietnam War, the
United States
nuclear program, cancer, and even rape.
It’s a very maturely written book.
“Dr.
Osterman, I’m Doug Roth, I write for Nova Express. I wonder if you remember Wally Weaver. Back in the sixties, the newspapers called him ’Dr.
Manhattan’s buddy.’ He
died of cancer in 1971.”
Another thing that works so well in
WATCHMEN that other books (and movies) often take for granted are
it’s characters. My
God, does WATCHMEN have some friggin’ brilliant characters!
Whether it’s the mysterious vigilante detective
Rorschach, who by day is a sign-toting doomsayer forewarning of
the apocalypse, or Daniel “Nite Owl” Dreiberg, who swaps
stories with his predecessor over a couple beers every Saturday
night, Moore gives us characters that are wonderfully human.
They’re unique, they’re flawed, and they’re plausible
people (to an extent). And,
unsurprisingly, it comes pretty easily that you get invested in
what happens to them throughout the book (and, yikes,
is some of it not pretty).
“You
watched me. You coulda
changed the gun into steam or the bullets into mercury or the
bottle into snowflakes! You
coulda teleported either of us to goddamn Australia…but you
didn’t lift a finger!” – The Comedian
And I’d
be completely remiss not to mention the artwork of Dave Gibbons,
who turns in some great, great stuff throughout.
Not only do his characters look great, with plenty of
detail, but Gibbons is the type of artist who can tell every bit
as much of the story with what he draws as Moore does with what he
writes. Scenes (especially
those involving Rorschach) where Moore’s words don’t even
grace the page are still haunting and a pleasure to sit back and
admire.
WHAT
ELSE?
Just…so many things about this book I love, and I know this is
probably a disgustingly gushing review, but there’re just so
many different cool things in WATCHMEN.
Some of it’s small, some of it’s important, but it’s
all just really, really great.
Just some of the stuff done with the character Rorschach
alone is cool. Whether
it’s how he deals with interrogating local scum…
“I’ve
just broken this gentleman’s little finger.
Who killed Edward Blake?” –Rorschach
…to some of the neat visual tricks
Dave Gibbons plays with his mask, he’s just one of the most
interesting characters in the history of comics.
And he’s just one of them in this book.
“Because
there is good and there is evil, and evil must be punished.
Even in the face of Armageddon I shall not compromise in
this.” – Rorschach
There’s
other stuff too. Things like
a woman trying to come to terms with her relationship with a being
that can pretty much do anything, including duplicate himself in
bed. Or possibly the most
unique, screwed up use for a grappling gun I’ve ever seen.
Or the great story within a story that we get
through a New York kid and his pirate comic book.
And again, this is a book with an
amazing payoff, too. When
the layers of the conspiracy all come together and you realize
just who the killer is and why
he did it, it’s a total “Holy $#!%” moment.
"Do it? Dan,
I’m not a republic serial villain.
Do you seriously think I’d explain my master stroke if
there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome?
I did it thirty-five minutes ago.” -- The Comedian’s killer
IN
CONCLUSION:
No question about it, this is a fantastic
piece of work. Good
enough that you don’t even have to be a regular fan of comics to
appreciate it. With a
gripping, complex conspiracy plot, well-rounded characters in
which you can completely invest yourself, and gorgeous artwork,
I…really, just buy the damn book already!
It’s absolutely worth your time and money, and could
stand proud in even though most discriminating library.
Who watches the Watchmen? You damn well should.
"I
don’t think there is a God, Janey. If there is, I’m not him.
I’m still the same person. Nothing’s changed. I still want you…I’ll always want you.”— Dr.
Manhattan
GRAPHIC
NOVEL RATING (10/10):
MOVIE
POTENTIAL (8/10):
PREVIOUSLY:
Fables
Ronin
Transformers
Luke Cage
Death
The Avengers
The Simpsons
Conan
Origin: Wolverine
Southland Tales: Two Roads Diverge
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