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Review: the Watchmen GN
I finished Watchmen this past weekend. Everything spoilery is behind a cut.
I can definitely see the influence it has had in other works of fiction. While the true enemy being an ally is hardly new a new plot twist, destroying the world to save it is rare. I've seen it in one other story--ST:DS9. In one ep, Bashir was playing a James Bond-esque character in the holodeck and had to destroy the Earth to save it from something, I forget what. Anyway, he and O'Brian ended up in a refuge built at the top of Mt. Everest, b/c the rest of the world was underwater. I'm a bit disappointed about this one theme, as I thought it was very cool when I watched that DS9 ep and had planned to use the idea one of my own stories one day. I suppose I still could use it, it just wouldn't be as neat an idea as before. Particularly since the huge movie exposed the concept to so many people. Blast.
In regards to art and design, Watchmen did nothing for me but increase my appreciation of manga esthetics. Each panel in Watchmen was dedicated to telling the story with no attempt to make the overall page visually appealing on its own. Of course, it seems NA-style comics have to cram as much story as possible into a scant 30 pages, and design has to take a back seat to reaching Point B in the plot by the end of the issue. In NA style's defense, not every mangaka has the luxury of an eye-pleasing layout either, but those who have earned a long print run and can spread out their story over thousands of pages can at least try to do so. (In my experience, you're more likely to find page layout design in shoujo than shounen. Yazawa Ai is a master of the page layout.)
I found myself having to really study the artwork so I could pick up on people's emotions. Part of that was how small the characters were drawn, but it was also two other things. First, the realistic art style. The anti-manga brigade can scream all they want about the huge eyes, vein marks, sweat drops, and chibis found in manga, but those conventions are all excellent and clear portrayers of emotion. When I was stuck was studying busy lines in a face the size of a nickel with eyes the size of half a grain of rice, trying to figure out if the person was jealous, angry, frightened, or nervous, I couldn't help but think how lovely a nice, clear chibi would have been. :P Second, the characters vanished into the uber-detailed OMG white space is the enemy!!!1! backgrounds. Sure, the slapped-on flat coloring helped some, but yeeesh. You don't have to draw every crack in the sidewalk, people!
Oh yes--no sound effects. Not a single one. =O
One thing about Watchmen did impress me--the use of the supplemental articles and interviews at the end of each chapter/issue. Those offered very intriguing insights into the characters.
My attention began to waver half-way through the book, after they busted Rorschach out of prison, and especially once he and Nite Owl figured out the identity of the uber villain. As noted above, the ally who is the villain is so overdone these days. Perhaps when Watchmen was new, so was the idea? Anyway, I only managed to read a handful of pages for a couple of days. I did finally finish. Story and character-wise,I was disappointed by Dr Manhattan/Jon. He never lived up to his full potential. "I think I'll help save the word because you, Laurie, are a miracle of atomic particles and genetics and every person is a miracle of atomic particles and genetics and oh look a quark." Then when he decided Veidt was right and killed the only truly interesting character of the lot, Rorschach, to protect it. Humph. (At least Rorschach went down angry and defiant and sticking to his beliefs. Hopefully his journal will do some good!) Infinitely powerful characters are difficult to use because they CAN do anything. With no conflict, there's no interest. At least, none for me. I thought the two creators of Watchmen would pull it off after the Comedian called Jon on not stopping that Vietnamese woman from slicing his (the Comedian's) face up, but they left it at that, they didn't do anything else with it. And Jon's change of heart on Mars is so thin to me. Or maybe I just don't appreciate everyone's uniqueness and the lovely innerworkings of atoms that make each and every person a miracle and oh look, a quark! :P~~~~
I read Watchmen for the same reason I read the first volume of Dragonball: pop culture homework. And like Dragonball v1, I'm glad I read it, but I have no desire to do so again. (Or in the case of DB, read any more.) I think I'll pass on the movie as well. I have many other things to watch in my precious spare time. Thank cheese that's over. Whew!
I can definitely see the influence it has had in other works of fiction. While the true enemy being an ally is hardly new a new plot twist, destroying the world to save it is rare. I've seen it in one other story--ST:DS9. In one ep, Bashir was playing a James Bond-esque character in the holodeck and had to destroy the Earth to save it from something, I forget what. Anyway, he and O'Brian ended up in a refuge built at the top of Mt. Everest, b/c the rest of the world was underwater. I'm a bit disappointed about this one theme, as I thought it was very cool when I watched that DS9 ep and had planned to use the idea one of my own stories one day. I suppose I still could use it, it just wouldn't be as neat an idea as before. Particularly since the huge movie exposed the concept to so many people. Blast.
In regards to art and design, Watchmen did nothing for me but increase my appreciation of manga esthetics. Each panel in Watchmen was dedicated to telling the story with no attempt to make the overall page visually appealing on its own. Of course, it seems NA-style comics have to cram as much story as possible into a scant 30 pages, and design has to take a back seat to reaching Point B in the plot by the end of the issue. In NA style's defense, not every mangaka has the luxury of an eye-pleasing layout either, but those who have earned a long print run and can spread out their story over thousands of pages can at least try to do so. (In my experience, you're more likely to find page layout design in shoujo than shounen. Yazawa Ai is a master of the page layout.)
I found myself having to really study the artwork so I could pick up on people's emotions. Part of that was how small the characters were drawn, but it was also two other things. First, the realistic art style. The anti-manga brigade can scream all they want about the huge eyes, vein marks, sweat drops, and chibis found in manga, but those conventions are all excellent and clear portrayers of emotion. When I was stuck was studying busy lines in a face the size of a nickel with eyes the size of half a grain of rice, trying to figure out if the person was jealous, angry, frightened, or nervous, I couldn't help but think how lovely a nice, clear chibi would have been. :P Second, the characters vanished into the uber-detailed OMG white space is the enemy!!!1! backgrounds. Sure, the slapped-on flat coloring helped some, but yeeesh. You don't have to draw every crack in the sidewalk, people!
Oh yes--no sound effects. Not a single one. =O
One thing about Watchmen did impress me--the use of the supplemental articles and interviews at the end of each chapter/issue. Those offered very intriguing insights into the characters.
My attention began to waver half-way through the book, after they busted Rorschach out of prison, and especially once he and Nite Owl figured out the identity of the uber villain. As noted above, the ally who is the villain is so overdone these days. Perhaps when Watchmen was new, so was the idea? Anyway, I only managed to read a handful of pages for a couple of days. I did finally finish. Story and character-wise,I was disappointed by Dr Manhattan/Jon. He never lived up to his full potential. "I think I'll help save the word because you, Laurie, are a miracle of atomic particles and genetics and every person is a miracle of atomic particles and genetics and oh look a quark." Then when he decided Veidt was right and killed the only truly interesting character of the lot, Rorschach, to protect it. Humph. (At least Rorschach went down angry and defiant and sticking to his beliefs. Hopefully his journal will do some good!) Infinitely powerful characters are difficult to use because they CAN do anything. With no conflict, there's no interest. At least, none for me. I thought the two creators of Watchmen would pull it off after the Comedian called Jon on not stopping that Vietnamese woman from slicing his (the Comedian's) face up, but they left it at that, they didn't do anything else with it. And Jon's change of heart on Mars is so thin to me. Or maybe I just don't appreciate everyone's uniqueness and the lovely innerworkings of atoms that make each and every person a miracle and oh look, a quark! :P~~~~
I read Watchmen for the same reason I read the first volume of Dragonball: pop culture homework. And like Dragonball v1, I'm glad I read it, but I have no desire to do so again. (Or in the case of DB, read any more.) I think I'll pass on the movie as well. I have many other things to watch in my precious spare time. Thank cheese that's over. Whew!