The Tauz Watches The Watchmen Pt. 1

Originally, I thought I'd do a quick review of the flick, but then I started writing and found that I have much more to say than just a simple movie review... I'm going to spout a bit of praise for the book, before I get to the movie, so check back later this week. I'll get to the flick, soon enough. So here's...

The Tauz's Watchmen Review.

Part 1: The Graphic Novel.

Although I was a bit late to the party, I did read Watchmen, the graphic novel before I heard word one about the development of the movie. So I therefore think I'm better than some of you.

There. I said it.

I'm just kidding, but I said it.

I mean... Who am I kidding? I finished reading this book more than twenty years after it was first published as a comic book series in 1985. So I certainly can't claim that I was in on the ground floor. But I am glad that I read the book first, and then joined the millions of Fanboys who just liked the book for what it was.

Now, I will admit that, during my first read-through, it took me a while to get into the story. And the whole time I was reading it, I was a bit overwhelmed. But by the end, when everything was coming together and exploding (or teleporting, as the case was), I realized that I was experiencing something rare. After I finished experiencing the graphic novel, I started to appreciate what author Alan Moore and illustrator/letterer Dave Gibbons had done, little by little.

After a few months passed by, I gave it another read, and this time through, I was totally focused on some of the ways Moore and Gibbons let their story occupy and grow on the pages, stretching each panel to the limits of its capacity. They use the medium of the graphic novel to its fullest potential, thus defining it.

Interweaving different aspects of the story from one panel to the next, as seen in the page below. It also shows them using a frame story (the pirate story of Tales of the Black Freighter) as an allegory for what is happening in the story outside of the pirate tale.



Dropping visual hints in the background as to the identity of the villain.

Foreshadowing with minute details in any given panel.

Writing smart, natural dialogue and monologues for deeply flawed and blatantly human characters, while also keeping it interesting.

Using non-comic book formats as tools for supplemental character development.

I mean, damn! This was one dense fucking read, but it is totally worth it; just to see how a graphic novel is supposed to be written.

It was quite an experience, the first time through. And every read-through since has revealed more and more interesting points that I've previously missed.

It's no wonder that Alan Moore wanted his name removed from the movie after you realize that he never wanted this to be anything other than a graphic novel or a set of comic books. He put his story into the frame in which it needed to be, and he seemingly resents the fact that someone else wants to re-tell it in a different way; taking it out of its proper environment and seeing if it could survive in a foreign one.

This all sounds like I'm leading up to a huge Bash-Fest for the movie version of Watchmen, but you're not going to get that from me. Sure, I have some amateur criticisms of the film, but I also really liked it. So check back again this week as I continue my look into Watchmen...