Until I saw the trailer about The Watchmen movie, I had totally forgotten about that comic book (graphic novel, if you prefer). I hadn't read it in years. I picked up a copy of it at a local comic book store and scanned through it. I don't get what the fuss is all about. Maybe someone on The Escapist can enlighten me.

It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Well, basically, it deals with the whole idea of what it is to be a Superhero, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the knock-on effect of having the Ubermensch within reality, the lengths which some people will go to, how warped our perception of time is, the reaction to fear, the public's swayability, what drives 'Superheroes', the neo-noir movement, how normal people react when confronted by figures of divinity and how they would react confronted with us.

It's a little tough going at times, but for anyone that imagines living in a different world, or wants to know of the horrors of war, it's one of the greatest 'comic' novels available.

No idea about the popularity, only comics I ever collected were witchblade, darkness and 2000A.D.

I do know the movie has been delayed because fox is suing warner bros for some reason. Not sure on the specifics. Caught a bit of news about it on AotS last week, but I was really paying attention at the time.

jim_doki:
It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Citizen Kane was a comic book!?

Larenxis:

jim_doki:
It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Citizen Kane was a comic book!?

You've not read Citizen Kane vs. Batman?

Larenxis:

jim_doki:
It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Citizen Kane was a comic book!?

"I'm Charles Foster Kane bitches! Now I have to go and fight Space Heathen on Mars!"

Larenxis:

jim_doki:
It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Citizen Kane was a comic book!?

Only the best damn comic book there is!

EDIT:

The_root_of_all_evil:

You've not read Citizen Kane vs. Batman?

Well I was close.

I was under the impression that it was one of the most loved graphic novels of all time. I havent read it yet but I will before the movie comes out. The trailer looks absolutely kick-ass.

I really have hopes for this film, but you know that they always show the best bits of a movie in the trailer to sucker you into seeing what usually turns into a huge steaming pile. But Sin City was done well, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Watchmen is done by Snyder-afaik he had nothing to do with sin city?

Watchmen was the first proper attempt to have real characters and dealing with the effect of an actual superhero on the world. Not in the juvenile 'we're different, stop persecuting us' way of the X-men but in a realistic way.

The fact that the whole story basically boils down to who do you side with: extreme Unitarianism or extreme absolutism. That's pretty cool for a picture book.

Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...
Maybe when the film comes out they'll bring out more of The Comedian's badges so I can replace the one I lost :-/

Besides being one of the first genuine graphic novels (that actually benefits from being sold as a big chunk), Watchmen has an excellent ending, multiple viable characters, lots of little details and thematic elements to draw you into the story (like a Ridley Scott movie), and it's also "ahead of the curve" in taking a very dark approach to the superhero. Bonus points for reading the extra content between each chapter.

On the minus side, the coloring is awful, horror and sex are used as ways to ratchet up emotional intensity with depressing frequency, and the prose is turgid and stiff. (Mercifully, the dialogue and panel layout are free of this problem.)

Still worth reading.

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

Decoy Doctorpus:

Robyrt:
and the prose is turgid and stiff.

Ironysarus Rex right there.

The comic was groundbreaking while at the same time familiar. It took what were esssentially old tired characters with very little depth and turned them into functioning (or semi functioning) human beings. That seems to be Moore's particular talent considering his work on Miracle-Man (awesome up to a point) and The Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The ending sucked though.

Really? I liked the ending. Ozy's line sent a chill through me when I first read it.

I think the reason for the popularity is what folks are all saying here: it was so original. How many other comic books focus on retired superheroes in the real world? True, it's got some supernatural aspects (Ozymandias and Dr. Manhattan) but most of the heroes were just regular people in costumes. It took an actual event, the first hero comics, and wondered what would have happened if people decided to act out those fantasies, and just ran with it.

Xhumed:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

I wouldn't have though so either, but...

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/10/zack-snyder-confirms-watchmen-ending-to-be-changed/

I can see where the guys coming from. The ending was very out there. But its also one of the most memorable and horrific moment in a comic...ever. Apparently it'll be the same moral dilema.

Yeah, on the strength of the fact that it won the Hugo award and had several categories of other award created for it, added to creating the modern graphic novel and hauling DC off the junkheap, and inspiring Frank Miller's work, I'm going to have to say it's important. Each character is a distilled archetype of superhero, with the negatives accentuated; this makes for popular paranoia against them. Think of Lex Luthor as the nicest guy involved, and every citizen as J. Jonah Jameson Lite.

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

I wouldn't have though so either, but...

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/10/zack-snyder-confirms-watchmen-ending-to-be-changed/

I can see where the guys coming from. The ending was very out there. But its also one of the most memorable and horrific moment in a comic...ever. Apparently it'll be the same moral dilema.

Actually... much as I am loathe to admit it, that change does rather make a bit of sense.

Decoy Doctorpus:

Xhumed:

Really? I liked the ending. Ozy's line sent a chill through me when I first read it.

While the comic was great it didn't really grab me. Rorschach, on the other hand, grabbed me, punched me in the face then threw me through a window. That's why I think the ending was bullshit.

Ahh, I see where you are coming from, but I must respectfully disagree.

Susan Arendt:

The_root_of_all_evil:

Larenxis:

jim_doki:
It's the same as Citizen Kane. It broke so much new ground for comic books. there was nothing like it before there.

Citizen Kane was a comic book!?

You've not read Citizen Kane vs. Batman?

Dude, the videogame is going to be epic. Kane's finishing moves are amazing, though pulling off the "Rosebud" is likely to break your fingers.

I'm still shocked over what he did to Robin. I didn't know a sledge could do that....

I'm not a huge fan of comics, but I picked up Watchmen kind of on a whim and I really enjoyed it. I basically spent my entire weekend reading the book. Reading the article, it looks like the filmmakers are only changing the squid part, and I do believe it is totally possible to achieve the same end that the book does without the squid. Really, as long as the important themes and ideas of the book are communicated, I'll be fine with whatever comes out.

This whole "They're changing the book!!!" reaction is kind of ridiculous. Whenever a popular or beloved book/comic/video game is adapted to film, it inexplicably really pisses people off if they're not EXACTLY the same. Seriously, they're two different forms of media. Changes are necessary to make things work.

Decoy Doctorpus:
Rorschach, on the other hand, grabbed me, punched me in the face then threw me through a window. That's why I think the ending was bullshit.

SPOILER ALERT
I remember when I was in high school and I read the issue where Rorschach fought the cops, it was really moving stuff. It still gives me goosebumps. I think sometimes with a charachter that powerful, death is the most fitting end to his story. If you recall though, Dr. Manhattan didn't vaporize him, he said something like 'I don't belive Rorschach will survive' so he must have just teleported him out into the wastes. The hollywood-ending softie in me always pictured R. washing up on Cape Horn.

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

I wouldn't have though so either, but...

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/10/zack-snyder-confirms-watchmen-ending-to-be-changed/

I can see where the guys coming from. The ending was very out there. But its also one of the most memorable and horrific moment in a comic...ever. Apparently it'll be the same moral dilema.

Changing the ending is blasphemy. This is why Moore doesn't go to see the movies of his comics. How could they possibly change the ending to have the same impact on the world and on the characters?

Skybreak:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

I wouldn't have though so either, but...

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/10/zack-snyder-confirms-watchmen-ending-to-be-changed/

I can see where the guys coming from. The ending was very out there. But its also one of the most memorable and horrific moment in a comic...ever. Apparently it'll be the same moral dilema.

Changing the ending is blasphemy. This is why Moore doesn't go to see the movies of his comics. How could they possibly change the ending to have the same impact on the world and on the characters?

It seems what they've done is change the nature of the attack, and removed the Squid, rather than the mechanics of the ending.

Xhumed:

Skybreak:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:

SomeBritishDude:

Xhumed:
Not to mention the sucker punch of an ending...

Which they've apparently changed in the movie. Yer, Im pissed.

State your source- the interviews I've read suggest Snyder wouldn't presume to change anything.

I wouldn't have though so either, but...

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/11/10/zack-snyder-confirms-watchmen-ending-to-be-changed/

I can see where the guys coming from. The ending was very out there. But its also one of the most memorable and horrific moment in a comic...ever. Apparently it'll be the same moral dilema.

Changing the ending is blasphemy. This is why Moore doesn't go to see the movies of his comics. How could they possibly change the ending to have the same impact on the world and on the characters?

It seems what they've done is change the nature of the attack, and removed the Squid, rather than the mechanics of the ending.

I'm not sure how else they could represent an attack "from elsewhere" so the countries stop fighting and focus on this "outside threat" rather than each other.

Skybreak:

Changing the ending is blasphemy. This is why Moore doesn't go to see the movies of his comics. How could they possibly change the ending to have the same impact on the world and on the characters?

I totally agree. A proper ending is the most artistically important part of a great story! The ending in the comics was perfect, and really blew my gourd. How far should someone's head be up their own ass to think they should rewrite that? Grrr...

Susan Arendt:
Dude, the videogame is going to be epic. Kane's finishing moves are amazing, though pulling off the "Rosebud" is likely to break your fingers.

Not meaning to spoil anything, but The Rosebud finish *slices* off your fingers if you mess up.

because if you dont like it the ancient snake god that lives in moores oaken beard will arise and sing the song that ends the universe.