Watchmen #10-12 (1987) and Watchmen movie (2009)

Watchmen #10-12 [Grand Comics Database links: 10, 11, 12; Comic Book Database: 10, 11, 12]
(July 1987, August 1987, October 1987)
DC Comics
(Version read: Watchmen trade paperback edition (1987) [LibraryThing] [Amazon])

Credits:
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons

Series Notes: Numbers 10-12 of a 12 issue limited series. Each issue has a primary story (#10: "Two Riders Were Approaching...", #11: "Look on My Works, Ye Mighty...", ) and secondary back up text features (#10: an assortment of various memos to and from Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias) to others in his company; #11: "After the Masquerade: Superstyle and the art of humanoid watching", a supposed interview article with Veidt); with the exception of issue #12, which has only one story ("A Stronger Loving World") and no back-up text feature.

Comments: (Note: I go into spoilers, here.) Issue number ten focuses entirely on Nite Owl and Rorschach's investigation into the true identity of the "mask killer, and on Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias) in his facility in Antarctica (plus, running in the background, the continuation of the grisly Tales of the Black Freighter horror/pirate comic book story). By two-thirds through the issue, Nite Owl and Rorschach realize that their trail leads to Ozymandias and the travel to Antarctica to confront him. Issue eleven gives us that confrontation (and the conclusion of the Tales of the Black Freighter comic book story). Nite Owl and Rorschach are unable to defeat Ozymandias, who is more than happy to explain his plan to destroy most of New York City (making it look like an attempted alien invasion in the process) in order to engineer peace talks between the United States and the Soviet Union. A plan which, as he explains, he'd already initiated thirty-five minutes before Nite Owl and Rorschach had even arrived. Cue big white explosions in NYC. Issue twelve brings Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre 2 back into things as they return to Earth to find NYC destroyed. Dr. Manhattan quickly surmises what has happened and the two of them join Nite Owl and Rorschach in confronting Ozymandias. At first, they do battle with Ozymandias. But, soon, Dr. Manhattan realizes that Ozymandias is correct and that, as horrific as his methods were, Ozymandias had indeed engineered a peace between the world's nuclear superpowers, who had reached near critical zero and were seconds away from launching nuclear bombs at each other. Nite Owl (Dan) and Silk Spectre (Laurie) reluctantly agree to keep the secret of what exactly has happened. Rorschach, however, is unable to compromise in his convictions and leaves to tell the world what Ozymandias has done. Dr. Manhattan cannot allow him to do this so he kills Rorschach out in the Antarctic snow. Dr. Manhattan then leaves Earth seemingly for good, and Dan and Laurie begin a new life together under new identities.

After reading the entire series, I can appreciate the intricate world Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created here. Watchmen is much more than just a homage or knock-off of the Charlton superheroes which Moore had originally wanted to feature in this story. Moore's created a generational look at superheroes, something that other comics titles had touched upon in the past but rarely to this extent. He patterned the history of this world in some ways on how comic book heroes developed in the real world (a grouping of normal, human, characters in the 1940s who decide to put on costumes and fight crime for various reasons, indicative of the "Golden Age" of comics; the coming of Dr. Manhattan in the 1960s indicative of the more science fiction based superheroes of the "Silver Age" of comics). Furthermore, he placed these costumed heroes in a world darker than any seen before. This is violent world where heroes die and the threat of nuclear armageddon is ever present. Every character has some flaw or sense of inner conflict, some deeper than others. But, for the most part, Moore has crafted interesting characters to focus on throughout this twelve issue epic.

I have to say, however, that I think I enjoyed the middle chapters the best, the ones where we found out each of the primary characters' back stories, and their relationships with each other in the present. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Dan (Nite Owl 2) and Laurie (Silk Spectre 2), and Dan and Rorschach. By the last couple of issues, some elements of the conclusion had already become obvious (although Moore and Gibbons still manage to makes those events compelling to experience). (I will admit that the eleventh issue, in the scenes detailing Ozymandias' background and goals, does get a bit bogged down with excessive exposition. Fortunately, this rectifies itself when Dan and Rorschach arrive to confront him.)

Overall, I am pleased with Watchmen and can see why it made the impact that it did upon the comics industry. What I cannot experience, however, is what it must have felt like to read this back in 1986-87 which such a "dark" depiction of the world of superheroes would have been seen as something new and innovative. By the 1990s and 2000s, however, such stories are pretty much the norm.

And, while I'm at it, let's go ahead and talk about Watchmen the movie (2009). I saw it this evening. I was amazed at how much of the original twelve issue comic book series they were able to squeeze into a 162 minute movie. Yes, they made some changes. But for the most part, they remained extremely faithful to the comic, to the point of framing many of the scenes exactly as they'd been framed in the comics. And the casting in this movie is brilliant in regards to the actors resembling their comic book counterparts (especially the man who plays Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl 2). My only real negative I have about this is that it really almost is too much to put into one movie. By the last thirty minutes or so, I have to admit it, I was starting to get mentally tired. And I had the benefit of having just read the comic book series. I have to wonder just how much of the movie was lost upon those who had not read the comics?

But I am glad that I took the time to finally take the Watchmen trade paperback off of my shelf to read it after all these years of hearing about it, and to go see the movie it inspired. I'm thinking that I will most likely be buying the DVD at some point to add to my collection. (Note: The movie, like the comic, is decidedly not for children. They both feature pretty explicit violence, language, and some nudity/sexual situations. The movie is rated R because of it. So, this one is for the grown-ups, not the kiddies!)

An overview of what else was coming out from DC at the same time as Watchmen (part two)

(Second part of overview of what else was coming out from DC Comics at the same time that they were releasing the Watchmen twelve issue limited series. Taken from something I wrote up today for one of the internet groups I'm on. Thanks, again, to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.)


December 1986 (cover date: "March 1987"): Watchmen #7; also, Legends #5, "Batman: Year One" Part 2 (Batman #405), Star Trek was wrapping up its storyline and setting things up for where the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock film would begin, Star Trek: Movie Special #2 (adapting said film), Who's Who in Star Trek #1 (this whole time the regular Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe was also coming out), All-Star Squadron had its final issue (#67) following several months of flashback origin stories of individual characters, DC's Captain Atom began (#1; only bought the first issue of this, I think), Detective Comics had it's big 50th anniversary special where Batman met Sherlock Holmes (#572); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=12

January 1987 (cover date: "April 1987"): Watchmen #8; also, last issue of Legends mini-series (#6), "Batman: Year One" Part 3 (Batman #406), final issue of original Justice League of America series (#261) following a four issue story arc tying into Legends and dismantling the then current "Detroit League" team, second of two-issue Who's Who in Star Trek, much maligned Shazam!: The New Beginning four issue mini-series begins (#1), new The Spectre series begins (#1); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=1

February 1987 (cover date: "May 1987"): Watchmen #9; also, "Batman: Year One" Part 4 (Batman #407), new Giffen-DeMatteis Justice League title begins (#1), new Suicide Squad series begins (#1); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=2

March 1987 (cover date: "June 1987"): Watchmen skips a month; notable DC issues that month: new Flash series begins starring former Kid Flash Wally West (#1), revised post-Crisis origin of Jason Todd/Robin 2 begins in Batman (#408), successor to All-Star Squadron title The Young All-Stars begins (#1), "Batman: Year Two" four-parter begins in Detective Comics #575 (Alan Davis draws the first part but then some new guy named Todd McFarlane takes over the following issue); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=3

April 1987 (cover date: "July 1987"): Watchmen #10; also, "Batman: Year Two" part 2 (Detective Comics #576), Dr. Fate got his own series (#1); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=4

May 1987 (cover date: "August 1987"): WATCHMEN #11; also, "Batman: Year Two" part 3 (Detective Comics #577), "pocket universe" Superboy story in Legion of Super-Heroes #37, Superman #8, and Action Comics #591, The Shadow got his own DC series (don't think I bought this one, though), post-Crisis Titano in Superman Annual #1, Mike Grell's three issue Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters begins (#1), John Byrne also does a really nice origin of Doom Patrol story in Secret Origins Annual #1 (in addition to his usual Superman and Action Comics duties); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=5

June 1987 (cover date: "September 1987"): Watchmen skips another month before the final issue; notable DC issues that month: "Batman: Year Two" part 4 (Detective Comics #578), Perez's Wonder Woman interacts with the other DC super-heroes for the first time (aside from in the Legends mini-series) in Wonder Woman #8, "pocket universe" Superboy story concludes in Legion of Super-Heroes #38, a really nice (if largely forgotten) non-DC Universe twelve issue series titled Silverblade by Dennis O'Neil and Gene Colan begins (#1), the Joker guest-stars ("guest-villains"?) in Superman #9 (one of the more memorable issues of Byrne's run, IMO), Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters #2; also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1987&month=6 (actually, Mike's puts Watchmen #12 at the end of this month, so I guess I'll stop there)

So, it should be obvious that a LOT was going on at DC at that time. [...] *I* was majorly into it. I was picking up at the very least half of all of those DC titles you see on those Mike's "Time Machine" pages (maybe more like two thirds of them)! And that doesn't even count all of the stuff from Marvel I was picking up then, too!

An overview of what else was coming out from DC at the same time as Watchmen

I just wrote this up for one of the internet groups that I'm on. Thought that it'd make for an interesting sidebar, showing what else was coming out from DC at the same time that Watchmen was:

Also, things at DC were pretty busy that twelve plus months that Watchmen was coming out. Crisis on Infinite Earths had just finished and the birth of the new post-Crisis "DC Universe" were just beginning.

Here's a look at selected DC titles, month-to-month (thanks to Mike's Amazing World of DC website's "Time Machine"):

June 1986 (cover date "September 1986): Watchmen #1; also, the last issue of DC Comics Presents (#97), the "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" two-parter in Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, the last issue of the Batman: The Dark Knight mini-series (#4); others: http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=6

July 1986 (cover date: "October 1986"): Watchmen #2; also, Batman #400, John Byrne's Man of Steel begins (#1 and 2); others: http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=7

August 1986 (cover date: "November 1986"): Watchmen #3; also, Men of Steel #3 and 4, Legends mini-series begins (#1) and Legends crossovers in many of DC other titles; others: http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=8

September 1986 (cover date: "December 1986") : Watchmen #4; also, Man of Steel #5 and 6, Legends #2, DC's Star Trek title celebrated the 20th anniversary of the original television series in its 33rd issue, DC spun Cosmic Boy off into his own mini-series (Cosmic Boy #1), Alan Davis was drawing Detective Comics (#569); others: http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=9

October 1986 (cover date: "January 1987"): Watchmen #5; also, Legends #3, the Superman "revamp" titles all began (Superman #1, Adventures of Superman #424, Action Comics #584), the History of the DC Universe two-part mini-series began (#1); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=10

November 1986 (cover date: "February 1987"): Watchmen #6; also, Legends #4, Perez's Wonder Woman revamp begins (#1), "Batman: Year One" begins in Batman (#404), History of the DC Universe #2, Denny O'Neil and Denys Cowan's The Question series begins (#1; only bought a couple issues of this one, though); also, http://dcindexes.com/timemachine/releasedate.php?year=1986&month=11


(I'm going to have to split this into two entries as Blogger is saying that I can't put as many labels as I want to here ("1986-09 (Comics)", "1986-10 (Comics)", etc.).)

Watchmen #4-9 (1986-1987)

Watchmen #4-9 [Grand Comics Database links: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; Comic Book Database: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
(December 1986, January through May 1987)
DC Comics
(Version read: Watchmen trade paperback edition (1987) [LibraryThing] [Amazon])

Credits:
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons

Series Notes: Numbers 4-9 of a 12 issue limited series. Each issue has a primary story (#4: "Watchmaker", #5: "Fearful Symmetry", #6: "The Abyss Gazes Also", #7: "A Brother to Dragons", #8: "Old Ghosts", #9: "The Darkness of Mere Being") and secondary back up text features (#4: a supposed article or book introduction addressing Dr. Manhattan's impact on political events; #5: a faux history of the comic book, Tales of the Black Freighter, seen in the Watchmen lead stories; #6: Rorschach's police report; #7: an article supposedly written by Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl 2) for an ornithological society journal; #8: an editorial in the right wing New Frontiersman newspaper; #9: Sally Jupiter's (Silk Spectre 1) scrapbook).

Comments: Series continues to grow more interesting as I make my way through the middle chapters. Chapter (and issue number) four gives us an indepth look at the origin and background of Dr. Manhattan. Chapter five continues the present day plot lines forward, including an attack on Ozymandias, Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl 2) and Laurie Juspeczyk (Silk Spectre 2) getting together, and Rorschach being ambushed and captured by the police. Chapter six is all about Rorschach and his background while Rorschach is in prison. Chapter seven (one of my favorites so far) focuses entirely on Dan and Laurie and their growing relationship. Chapter eight gives us Dan and Laurie (as Nite Owl and Silk Spectre) leading a jail break to spring Rorschach from prison. It also features the apparent death of one of the older generation former masked heroes. And chapter nine reunites Laurie and Dr. Manhattan on the surface of Mars where Dr. Manhattan has been since issue number four. Particularly memorable is the moment he transports her there with his powers. She immediately begins to asphyxiate as he has forgotten that she will not be able to breath (and he apparently does not need to breath, himself). After a moment of her falling down an inbankment and flailing around, he says, "Oh. Of course. Please forgive me..." and creates an aura of oxygen around her. Laurie spends the issue imploring Dr. Manhattan to intercede into the growing threat of nuclear war back on Earth, but he remains largely unmoved by her pleas. In the meantime, we learn more about Laurie's background via flashbacks.

That brings me where I last left off. Three more issues/chapters to go. (Dang, I just looked ahead a bit to see when we'll see Dr. Manhattan again and I think I accidentally caught a glimpse of them figuring out who the one killing masked heroes is. I hate it when I do that. Oh, well, I hope to finish with Watchmen in the next day or two so that I can catch the movie version while it's still in theaters.

Watchmen #1-3 (1986)

Watchmen #1-3 [Grand Comics Database links: 1, 2, 3 ; Comic Book Database: 1, 2, 3]
(September 1986, October 1986, November 1986)
DC Comics
(Version read: Watchmen trade paperback edition (1987) [LibraryThing] [Amazon])

Credits:
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons

Series Notes: Numbers 1-3 of a 12 issue limited series. Each issue has a primary story (#1: "At Midnight, All the Agents...", #2: "Absent Friends", #3: "The Judge of All the Earth") and a secondary, back up, text piece (all supposed excerpt chapters from the original "Nite Owl's" (Hollis Mason) book, Under the Hood).

Comments: As this is the first actual comics entry in my new blog, it will not be immediately apparent that I'm reading Watchmen out of my usual sequence. I intend on most of my comics reading for the near future to be a chronological reading through my entire collection, from the earliest newspaper comic strips that I have reprint collections of through to the present (the bulk of my collection pre-1970s is in various trade paperback and hardcover reprint collections, while most of my actual comics run from mid or late 1970s to a few years ago when I finally started to have to cut back a bit on my comics buying; for most of 1982 to 2004 I was picking up nearly all of the major DC and Marvel superhero comics).

Anyway, the reason I'm reading Watchmen first is because of the movie adaptation that's in theaters currently. Believe it or not, while the time frame I was most into reading comics was the 1980s and 90s, and I've always been a big DC fan (although I love Marvel comics, too), I never got around to reading Watchmen when it first came out. I didn't even buy it back then. Why? I don't know. I certainly heard a lot about it. But, I suppose because it didn't feature any of DC's usual characters, taking place in a universe/continuity of its own, I just never made it a priority. I finally picked up a copy of the 1987 trade paperback (ninth printing) a few years back pretty cheap. It's been sitting on my shelf up to this point, still unread.

However, the movie came out and I've been torn about going out to see it. I really didn't want to see it prior to having read the comics. (I prefer to read or watch a piece in its original form/medium first, followed by the later adaptation. As such, I've been reading the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Chronicles of Narnia books prior to seeing the movie versions.) To do this with Watchmen, that meant digging out the trade paperback and finally getting around to reading it.

So, that's where I am right now. I've been pretty busy, so I've only read the first three issues so far, roughly one per night before going to bed. I've been enjoying them well enough, so far. I mean, it's not knocking me over yet, but the characters are somewhat interesting. (I'm not going to go into the whole history of the project here. There are enough websites out there already where folks who don't know the history can catch themselves up. Suffice it say, the characters Moore created here are variations on the 1960s Charlton characters--Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Peacemaker, The Question, etc.--which DC had just purchased the rights to. Moore had originally intended on using the Charlton characters but was asked by DC to modify his story idea to feature original characters instead because DC felt that Moore's story would hurt their chances to continue to use the Charlton characters they had just paid for in future publications.)

What I like most so far is probably the flashbacks to the 1940s and 1960s. In the 1940s, there was a team of superheroes called the "Minutemen". Some of these same characters, now retired, are seen also in the present day (1980s) scenes. Then, in the 1960s, we see a new group of superheroes (Captain Metropolis, Nite Owl (2), Ozymandias, Silk Spectre (2), Rorschach, and the Comedian.

As I said, the "present day" is the same as that of when the comics were originally released, the mid-1980s, so twenty years have passed since the 1960s flashbacks. Most of the heroes have either retired or been killed in the ensuing years. Rorschach and the Comedian are still active. The first issue of the series begins with the murder of the Comedian. Rorschach is convinced that someone is hunting down superheroes. His warnings largely fall upon deaf ears, at least at first.

The first three issues tend to jump from the investigation into the murder of the Comedian, showing us how the other current superheroes are now living their lives, and flashbacks to the aforementioned 1940s and 1960s time periods. Moore's characters are by no means idealized. They all have their own personal problems and hang-ups, some serious and some less so. Watchmen is definitely not a comic book (or "graphic novel") for younger children.