"Um...I don't really like The Watchmen"...I've said that a bunch of times lately. In response to many eager and kind-hearted comics retailers offering me some buttons or even a T-shirt to "normal" people that know I read comics asking me how excited I am about the movie. The better answer's probably to take the stupid buttons or just be like, "Yeah, the movie's gonna be awesome" but then I might actually have to discuss Watchmen, which I don't want to do.
The same ugly awkward feeling I get when someone assumes because I'm young and vaguely hip that I must really like say, Death Cab for Cutie or NO AGE, when you know, I'm too busy listening to The Best Gucci Mane Tracks of 08, rediscovering Rick James' Street Songs, or wrapping my head around Oneiromantical War by WRNLRD...
Anyways-none of us like Watchmen around here. Some of us even hate it. We all kinda loathe it. And this isn't some contrarian, anti-hype bullshit either because a) A hyped-up comic book is like the tallest midget and b) Watchmen supporters aren't like obnoxious or anything. This isn't Bob Marley or Che Guevara where you hate the dude because you hate his fans because Watchmen fans are generally smart, discerning--although not discerning enough, ZING!--comic book readers. This week wasn't fueled by dislike, but by the fact that when confronted with my walking-into-a-minefield statement of "I don't like The Watchmen", rarely can fans of the comic really explain or articulate the comic's supposed greatness.
This little blog's all about questioning the canon and douchey terms like "graphic novel" and being real nerdy and hyper-intellectual, but about shit that deserves it and hey, Watchmen doesn't deserve it. Believe me, I had big, dickhead plans for "FUCK THE WATCHMEN Week" or something of that nature, but it's not something that loathsome, it just ain't all that good. Also, see this as a kinder way of demanding discussion and interaction and some sense of community which the Comics Blogs World basically lacks. This week'll be less about complaining and snark and more about rebuttal.
And so, this week you'll see a whole lot of rants about other way better Superhero deconstructions and comic book movies as a medium and some other cool stuff. We're going to start the week off with a re-post of David's "BETTER-THAN" post about Doom Patrol and Watchmen later today and move to new content from there.
Hope you enjoy it and think about it and disagree with us and tell us why we're wrong or right or dicks or whatever.
7 comments:
I really like the part about Bob Marley and Che Guevara fans.
word.
I'm cool with the Watchmen book.
I have no hugely strong feelings.
Have you dudes read Pluto?
http://www.onemanga.com/Pluto
The best desciption I read was astro boy for adults.
I'm all about it.
This should be dope--looking forward to it.
^Brandon G, Thanks for that Pluto link. Never heard of it but I'll check it out. Now I have something important to read at work!!
^Regular Brandon,
Really looking forward to it.
---- Really off topic politics rant
"rarely can fans of Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, really explain or articulate their supposed greatness."
I repurposed you line and made it hotter (Jay-Z). I understand what you mean about Watchmen, Che and Marley. But with Clinton or Obama, it really kills me when I talk some friends about the Clinton or Obama. I challenge them to cite one reason why they're great or particularly what did they do that makes you support them?? Usually there's no answer. Many people chide G.W. Bush for real reasons but I challenge them with great democratic things about Bush. Again, empty responses. I often cite his Faith-based Initiatives as a great democratic program initiated by a Republican president that's actually fully supported by the current adminstration. Obama plans to continue the faith based initiative. I'm not a G.W.Bush supporter but you see my point here?
----- back to the Watchmen.
What do I like about the Watchmen? Here's a quick brief summation. I'm not a huge fanatic, but I did enjoy the series. I like that for the most part, the super-heroes are just regular people that doesn't have super-powers, except Dr. Manhattan. Ok, yeah Batman, but Batman is kind of different because Bats is a freaking nutcase. I particularly like when Batman gets his ass beat. I think this was my introduction into characters that were more human. I grew up on a steady Marvel diet of Spiderman, X-Men, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Secret Wars, etc. This was also my introduction to a despicable character like the comedian. Before the Watchmen, I never really seen sex or rape for that matter dealt with in a comic book. Yeah comic book. Graphic novel is just a marketing term for people that want to believe their not reading a comic book. And overall, I like the way the story was put together, especially the detailed back-stories. I am pscyhed that the "Tales of the Black Freighter" is an animated short released on the DVD. I'm psyched for any new good animation, but I have been dissappointed with some recent Marvel-DC animated offerings.
I don't know if it is the greatest blah, blah, blah* ever because I haven't really read many titles outside the aforementioned books above (which I really don't read any more) and now the 100 Bullets, Unknown Soldier, and a few others.
*The hype definitely goes a long way.
Sad but true, I usually buy a new title based on artwork first and some times recommendations or reviews. There was nothing about the Watchmen's artwork that really appealed to me. Gibbons' work isn't bad at all, technically he's solid but it didn't compel me to check out the Watchmen.
Either way, I'm looking forward to F**K WATCHMEN WEEK!!
BRANDON G: I'M READING PLUTO RIGHT NOW!!!
Wrnlrd!
I read about the first 10 pages of Pluto. When he screams I'M A ROBOT and the description of Monte Blanc have put it on my soon to purchase list(like this weekend prolly).
ZOMG!!! How can you hate The Watchmen? They are teh best superheroes evar!
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