Who will watch the Watchmen

I promise. In the run up to the opening of the Watchmen movie next year, I will resist the urge to write about or link to every piece of Watchmen trivia.

It might be harder for me to stop painting my body blue, or pretending that my Honda is an owl ship, or walking into a bar and breaking someone's fingers (OK, I lied about that part), but I'll give them a try too.

I'm looking forward to this movie more than any other I can remember. If you've seen or heard me speak about comics influencing web design this year, you'll know that so much of that talk revolves around Watchmen. That's not bandwagon jumping, I really am passionate about Watchmen as it has been part of my life since I read the original comic from issue one and I have re-read it more than any other book.

When Watchmen was first published, it appeared in twelve chapters over twelve months. I worked in a comic store at the time and every month, on Watchmen day, my friend Pete and I would read the latest issue before we opened the shop to customers. Waiting for each issue to arrive was painful, but I know that waiting added to the drama of the unfolding story. That element of suspense is lost if you read the graphic novel in one sitting.

If you've read Watchmen before, go read it again. If you haven't read it or heard about it, where have you been? Do you think that Nixon is still President? Go buy Watchmen and start to read.

But here is the deal. Read only one chapter a week.

No more, honestly no more.

And no peeking.

I know that three months might seem a long time over which to read a book. Trust me, your enjoyment, of what is without doubt one of the best works of fiction in any medium, will be amplified twelve-fold.

Andy Clarke. 14/11/08 | Tweet this | Short URL: http://forabeautifulweb.com/s/123.

There have been 5 replies

  1. #1

    Joe

    I am a massive watchman fan also tho picked it up after it went to graphic novel status - cannot wait for the movie - hope they do it justice

    14th Nov 2008
  2. #2

    Mark Eagleton

    I read Watchmen every year, and every year it rocks me deeper to my core. I have never been more excited to see a film in my whole life. I wish I could read it for the first time again. This is the only way that comes close.

    14th Nov 2008
  3. #3

    Stephanie

    Mmmm Watchmen, I can’t wait either :)

    I’m afraid I lent my copy to a friend so I can re read.  Maybe it’s a sign I need two copies…

    14th Nov 2008
  4. #4

    Mike

    It’s strange how the Watchmen story has remained fairly relevant over the years. With all that’s been happening with the global economy, there’s still a low-key feeling of panic in the air, much as runs through the whole of the Watchmen narrative (albeit with a different cause).

    It’ll be interesting to see how close they can remain to the source material; I really hope they manage to keep the same sense of pace that was created by the strict page layouts. It’s what gave the final chapter such impact, and I’m not quite sure how they can recreate the ending successfully… time will tell, but I’ll certainly be watching.

    15th Nov 2008
  5. #5

    Andy Clarke

    @Mike: Spoiler warning - Regarding the ending of the movie — according to the fan site Watchmen Comic Movie, the ‘squid’ ending is definitely not in the movie. In its place is a ‘Dr. Manhattan energy beam disaster’ climax.

    I have to say that I’m more than a little worried about how this change is going to affect the overall message of the story-line.

    15th Nov 2008
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