Walking the Beam of Light

While we're on the subject of Alan Moore........

I thought a little more information could possibly be helpful or insightful or interesting or, well, you get the idea. Anyway, after writing about Watchmen, yesterday, I realized that it would be easy to be familiar with Alan Moore's work even if you've never read anything he's written.

For example, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine and From Hell were all written by Moore (graphic novels) before becoming films. In fact, the adaptations were treated so poorly, Moore had his name removed from each project and has basically sworn off film versions of any of his work that he owns the rights to, which is unfortunate for 'Extraordinary Gentlemen' fans since Moore has continued that series and the next book should be out later this year. Thankfully (maybe), Watchman had been sold long ago and has the potential to become the best complete adaptation of Moore's work. I say 'complete' because there is a rumor that another story of Moore's has been a big influence on Christopher Nolan (Director of Batman Begins) and he plans to incorporate certain aspects into his upcoming Batman sequel. The story that I'm referring to is the single-issue, Batman: The Killing Joke, first published in 1988. That story, along with Brian Bolland's art, created several shifts in the comics universe as well as providing us with some iconic images. The biggest shift created would have to have been the shooting and subsequent paralyzing of Barbara Gordon, which was a huge shock and, obviously, altered the character dramatically, effectively killing Batgirl. It is an intense read and tells a superb origin story for The Joker. If you're a Batfan or simply want to familiarize yourself with Alan Moore, I highly recommend this book.

By the way, the graphic representation of The Joker that acts as my sentry for this blog (upper right corner), and also alludes to a little of my inner workings, is the cover from The Killing Joke.

Keeping Watch

With this weekend's profitable release of the movie 300, I was excited, but reserved, at hearing the news that 300's director, Zack Snyder has now been tapped to direct the long, long, long awaited film adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen. I say 'reserved' because this is something that I (along with every well-read geek) has been waiting for (and dreading) for years. The project has started and stopped more times than anyone can, or cares to, count and the fans have grown cautious about any displays of excitement lest the rug be yanked from beneath us, yet again. Also, I mentioned that I (along with others, I'm sure) have a sense of dread regarding this project that simply stems from the fear that the story could never be adequately represented without a really, really long film. An epic, epic. There's also the concern, of course, that the story would be changed to fit some executive's idea of what it should be. Kind of like they always do, with very few exceptions, with books and, seemingly, Alan Moore's in particular.

Here's a quick synopsis borrowed from the wikipedia entry:
Watchmen is set in 1985, in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. Watchmen depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who - with one notable exception - lack anything recognizable as super powers. Watchmen's deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has influenced both comics and film.

I could really go on about this for a while, and perhaps I shall at a later date. If you haven't read this and would like to, you can pick up the 12 - issue series in a single trade paperback volume for around US$15.00 at almost any book store or comic shop. I highly recommend this read since it is one of a handful of comics that forced an industry revolution and made it possible for deeper, richer and more meaningful stories to be addressed in a medium that hadn't changed much since it's inception.