COMIC BOOKS MIGHT GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF BEING CHILDLIKE, WITH A PLOT INVOLVING A MASKED HERO SAVING A BEAUTIFUL LADY FROM THE MONSTROUS VILLAIN; BUT GRAPHIC NOVELS – AS THEY ARE KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY – ACTUALLY OFFER SURPRISING LEVELS OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL AWARENESS. HERE POW!ZINE REVIEWS THE MOST TALKED ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE MOMENT...
image sourced from watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com
Who’s Watching the
Watchmen? ONE
E
arlier this year Watchmen was adapted to film but the graphic novel – written by Alan Moore – has been a bestseller for since the 80s. A vivid and elaborate plotline is the foundation of this novel, with a complex group of characters to complement. Sex, violence and lies with a dollop of gore, this is strictly for adults. Firstly, for those who envisaged flying through the skies and x-ray vision, Watchmen is not actually about heroes with super powers – except Dr. Manhattan, who due to an unfortunate accident became a super being. Watchmen tells the story of ‘masked adventurers’ trying to make the world a better place.
murder of Edward Blake aka The Comedian. Blake was a vicious patriarch who has a disreputable past having been involved in many a political war, and who was once part of The Minutemen and The Crimebusters. Rorschach, a secretive man hidden behind an inkblot mask, and the only Crimebuster still to roam the streets, is convinced that The Comedian’s death was an attack against masked adventurers and seeks to not only warn the other members of The Crimebusters, but to also find out who is behind the murder.
“FILLED WITH PARANOIA, DECEPTION AND BACKSTABBING”
Back in 1939 a group of masked crusaders was formed, known as The Minutemen. After they disband in 1949, the 60s saw a new group of adventurers. The Crimebusters consisted of Nite Owl – who took on the persona of the original Nite Owl from The Minutemen, Ozymandias – the ‘smartest man in the world’, Rorschach – a loner who has a turbulent past and a vicious nature, Dr. Manhattan – who can teleport and see into the future as well as change size and destroy objects and people just with his mind, Silk Spectre – the daughter of Sally Jupiter who was one of the original Minutemen – and Mr. Metropolis and The Comedian – both part of the original Minutemen line-up from the 40s. In 1977 the Keene Act is passed and vigilantism becomes illegal, ultimately ending The Crimebusters and terminating the future of masked adventurers.
As the plot develops there are more attacks on past members, breaking fingers, illicit sexual encounters and a complex history behind each member resulting in explosive chapters and a twist that you never see coming.
Divided by sections of copy, these milestones through the novel help to break-up the story and explain further what has just happened in the previous chapter. With extracts from Hollis Mason’s autobiography – the original Nite Owl from the 40s – the reader begins to understand the history of The Minutemen and why a lot of people would have a motive to kill The Comedian. Other examples are clippings from newspapers, interviews with the characters from when they were popular and in the media spotlight and Press releases for Ozymandias’ action figure range. Gruesome illustrations by Dave Gibbons depict Moore’s writing perfectly to make this into a tale filled with paranoia, deception and backstabbing. The Watchmen ticks all the right boxes for a graphic novel, ‘graphic’ being the operative word.
Set in 1985, in a parallel world where Richard Nixon is president and America is on the verge of World War III, the novel begins with the
TWO
Taleofsthe
Black Freighter
TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER IS A FICTIONAL COMIC SERIES THAT FEATURES WITHIN WATCHMEN. One story from the series actually runs along side it – like a comic within a comic – known as, Marooned. This is a story about a mariner whose boat has been hijacked by pirates and his fight to get back to his hometown before the pirates get there and kill his wife and children.
The plot behind Marooned can be related to many of the characters from Watchmen and with images and text crossing over, it provides an intriguing way to tell the central story – though another one. It too has recently been made into a film, animated with the voice of Gerard Butler. With added DVD extras including a ‘mockumentary’ of the original Nite Owl’s autobiography – inspired by the extracts in Watchmen – this film is sure to be the perfect complement to the novel.
THREE
1. Alan Moore is a well-known graphic novelist having not only written Watchmen but also V for Vendetta and The League of Extraordinary Gentleman – which has many sequels. He also wrote Jack the Ripper graphic novel, From Hell. 2. All of these books by Moore have been adapted to film starring the likes of Natalie Portman, Sean Connery and Johnny Depp. 3. Alan Moore took his name off the credits for both Watchmen and V for Vendetta after a lawsuit was filed against Fox for making The League of Extraordinary Gentleman – they added extra characters to Moore’s original novel and were then accused of plagiarism by producer, Martin Poll and screenwriter, Larry Cohen. Fox settled the case and Moore refused association and money from any film adaptations of his novels after that. 4. Moore also wrote, ‘The Killing Joke’, one of the most famous – and controversial – Batman V Joker comics written. 5. He has written under the pen names of Curt Vile, Jill de Ray and Translucia Baboon. image sourced from dailypop.wordpress.com
Although a completely different genre, Marooned has many similarities to Watchmen and as both stories are being told, comparable things are happening to the characters from the two narratives.
THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE AUTHOR, ALAN MOORE...
MultiFunctional BATMAN’S UTILITY BELT IS WHAT MOST LITTLE BOYS LONGED FOR DURING THEIR CHILDHOOD. A SIMPLE ACCESSORY WITH EVERY POSSIBLE GADGET AND GIZMO ATTACHED. SOMETHING SO VERSATILE MIGHT SEEM UNLIKELY NOW WE HAVE ALL GROWN UP BUT LOOK AT PHONES; THESE DAYS THEY HAVE EVERYTHING INCLUDED; YOU CAN CALL AND TEXT OF COURSE, BUT NOW THEY ALSO HAVE INTERNET AND EMAIL, RADIO AND MUSIC PLAYERS, BUILT IN CAMERAS AND GPS. I MEAN WHY HAVE FIVE DEVICES ON YOUR PERSON WHEN YOU CAN SQUEEZE ALL THOSE THINGS INTO ONE?
image sourced from meetsebastian.com
W
POW!ZINE suggest some satirical statements to make life increasingly versatile.
hy stop at phones? Maybe all-in-one fashion could really catch on. Don’t worry, this is not a ploy to get you into a jumpsuit, this is about practicality, after all Hussein Chalayan’s Spring/Summer 07 collection gave us a taster of dresses that are sucked up into hats and origami dresses that folded into another outfit. Martin Mageila has also played with the idea, attaching purses to dresses eliminating the need for bags. And earlier this year Sebastian Errazuriz designed the ‘zipper dress’; just unzip to turn it into over a hundred different outfits. Amongst his many other weird and wonderful designs include the golf club that doubles up as an umbrella and the cup and saucer that splits in half for tea for two. Designers, Gustavo Mourão and Danilo Santos have also looked at household items and created a piece of furniture that can be a chair, table, sofa and even storage.
ELEVATOR SHOES:
Heels to flats and back again, one simple switch and you can go from daywear to glam-wear to the morning after.
TIE WRAP:
The scarf that folds neatly up into a tie; perfect for that winter commute.
FOUR EYES/SQUARE EYES:
Sunglasses with an internal TV screen, watch movies on your travels and no one will be any the wiser.
QUICK-FIX BED:
The winter coat that inflates just like a lifejacket but is better suited as a temporary bed, no more uncomfortable airport seats when that flight is delayed.
COLOUR CHANGING HOSIERY:
Instead of spending money on different hosiery trends every Autumn/ Winter, download the trend to the colour changing tights and watch them change from simple black, to printed patterns, to block colour.
FOUR
What’s Your Super Power? WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING PEOPLE THIS ISSUE… WHAT IS YOUR SUPER POWER? Nathan, Lake District My super power would be bitching. I sure am good at tearing a girl apart!
Ryan, Lancaster I have endless ambition; conquering the world seems like a first step towards bigger and better things
Sarah, London My super power is my ability to remove any stain from any surface no matter how long it’s been there!
Shaun, Kent Seduction
Sarah, Norwich Salsa dancing... I’m a whizz on the dance floor!
Ciara, Ireland My writing ability! Or my creativity... or baking!
Chris, Cromer Apart from putting up with the parents it would be cleaning!
Russell, Brighton Geography, naming capital cities!
Katie, Barnsley My northern wit and charm!
Harry, Hull My strongest power is my subtlest... telling you would undermine the power, sorry.
Georgia, Weymouth I can make anything look messy
Nina, Portsmouth I like to think I know what people are thinking Bill, Aylsham My super power is being able to have about four DIY jobs on the go at once and then with the same immense enthusiasm start another, not actually finish any of them AND stay married
FIVE
Next issue: Favourite Super Gadget? Email us your answers: kay@powzine.co.uk