The WATCHMEN trailer arrives!! by COOP

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE THE 1980′S.

I always thought the “Watchmen” limited series/graphic novel was one of the most edgy, complex comic book stories ever written. Seeing this come to life has been a dream of comic fans for over twenty years and now it’s finally happening.

I don’t expect non-comic fans (at least those who didn’t read them the same time I did) to understand the magnatude of this release. It’s not like readers could follow the Watchmen on a new adventure every month. This is a one-shot story where the heroes are already old, washed-up and no longer allowed by the government to operate. In fact, many of them aren’t heroes at all. Some are rapists, serial killers and mass murderers. The theme of “Watchmen” begs the question: Are heroes the ones who save the weak one at a time or are they the ones who commit unspeakable atrocites to save millions, even billions?

It’s been said that the NBC show “Heroes” steals liberally from “Watchmen.” I disagree. “Heroes,” even though I love the show, steals liberally from “Watchmen” and every title in Marvel Comics (especially X-Men). Besides, only Dr. Manhattan; the blue, naked dude you see in the trailer; has any superhuman powers in the entire group. The rest do an exceptional job of kicking butt and killing, but they are basically a team of Batman-type characters. Ah… Dr. Manhattan, a character so God-like and powerful, he could beat Superman down, send him crying home to Mama Kent, then destroy Kansas and use the surrounding minerals to construct a base on Mars in seconds. No wonder he seems to have no soul. In the trailer you get a few clips of the team fighting in Vietnam and you’ll get my point. Watch the Comedian roast a Vietcong with a flamethrower and smile while smoking a stogie. I remember years ago when they patterned this character off of Dennis Hopper in “Blue Velvet.” These Watchmen ain’t the Superfriends.

Watch the trailer below and be impressed… or not. Either way, closer to March ‘09 ,you’ll hear a similar buzz you heard about “The Dark Knight.” Fans and critics will toss around words like “Greatest Comic Book Film Ever!” and such.

Even better, you can go here: (http://www.ew.com/ew/static/watchmen/watchmen.html) and download a free, 25 minute dramatization cartoon of the first quarter of the “Watchmen” graphic novel. Warner Bros. produced the thing to promote the movie and I gotta say they delivered a heck of a cool low-tech, motion version of the comic. Check it out and you’ll get an idea for the tone of the film. A warning though, much more graphic stuff happens later in the comic and the cartoon ain’t pulling punches.

Enjoy that and enjoy the trailer. I’m gonna watch each no less than ten times. And what’s with the trailer-mongers using a Smashing Pumpkins song so far off the mark with the time period of the story? Who cares. I still dig it…