Who watches this stuff at all?

[trinityvixen]

Yesterday couldn't have gotten more depressing unless it tried. I had thought having The Watchmen to read would cheer me up. I got to the last chapters where Nite Owl and Rorschach team up and got all excited (as I told Carrie, in my mind Nite Owl+Rorschach = Batman).

The ending didn't thrill me. Even not considering the ending itself, I hate, hate, hate when books/movies/et al compromise their endings. If the world is fucked, fine, have the balls to say 'yep, we're screwed.' If you want to rescue the world/the hero/humanity, then rescue it. Don't make everything look okay and then throw in that one last convict/flash of serial killer/vial of zombie virus to fuck over the ending. If the bad guy is going to win, essentially, let him friggin win, don't leave the eventual means of his destruction lying about. I really hate that.

And they killed my favorite character. Correction, one of my least favorite characters killed my favorite character. I really disliked Dr. Manhattan. I like the idea of someone so unmoored in time and removed from humanity that all seems as one to him, but not if he's going to stay that way (where's the dramatic interest in a character that static and powerful?). Rorschach was my favorite from the start. I liked his style of detectoring, I liked the idea of that kind of character. Especially considering the ending, I liked that he was uncompromising. I guess it has to do with my Batman-love: one of the best things about him is that he does not compromise and that's why The Dark Knight Returns is probably my favorite story ever.

And stupid Dr. Manhattan atomizes Rorschach, about the only character I found sympathetic (as opposed to whiny-girl Laurie with her father/mother issues, Nite Owl with his sexually-crippling modesty, and don't get me started on the mother-f'ing Comedian). I hate Dr. Manhattan a lot more after that ending. It wasn't drawn out for dramatic effect either, making it seem almost an afterthought. The first costume hero to make it on the scene is an afterthought loose end by book's end. Grrrrrrrrr.

I started to read The Watchmen last week, but was only partially into it when I told Carrie and Eugene that I liked Frank Miller more than I liked Alan Moore. I know, I know, save your breath xannoside, bigscary, I know I've committed comic geek heresy by saying that, but that was how I felt. After the weekend, when I'd digested more of Moore, and gotten really absorbed by the density of The Watchmen, I was beginning to regret those words. After the end, though, I dunno that I do. It's fine to kill a favorite character of mine (I can take it, I swear I can, I know how it seems when I get bent out of shape about Spike, but I can be strong, really...). However, Moore manages to suck all the life and drama out of it when he does. The other stuff I've read of his, a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen trade, The Killing Joke, was good, nowhere near Watchmen good however, and yet not all that special (indeed, TKJ is more remarkable for its effect upon Batman continuity than it is itself as a story). Watchmen was good up until its final act, and that's all I've got on that. I'd re-read it, but that would be depressing.

Comments

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm not a particular fan of either of them, so I'm not going to go all "OMG MOORE IS THE GODXOR OF COMIX!" on you.

Personally, I think Ellis out-Millers Miller, and Morrison out-Moores Moore, at least as far as their positive qualities (transgressive/deconstructive for Miller, magical/erudite/meta-transgressive for Moore) go.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Name some trades they do that are good, and I'll try them out. I'd love to be better versed in authorship than I am.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

I'll bring you the first chunk of The Invisibles or (if I can find it) New X-Men.

If you'd prefer more traditional superhero stuff, I can point you at Marvel Boy or the appropriate JLA trades (For sure, JLA: New World Order. I can't remember the Waid/Morrison breakdown of that era, though). Animal Man is great, but you really need to have some familiarity with DC and the Crisis to appreciate most of it, though The Coyote Gospel (one story available in one of the trades) is standalone and simply incredible.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol, though be warned--with him, the farther you get from standard DC continuity, the more acid-trippy it gets. His run on JLA (current series, #1-50) is genius. Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and the like and well done, if a little extistential and wacky. The recent minis, Seaguy, We3 and [Vanarama? the weird Hindu myth-as-superheros one] are serious acid trips.

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

Ellis has written:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Ellis#Marvel_Comics

I would personally recommend from these:

Planetary
Global Frequency

and to a lesser extent in no particular order:

Stormwatch (to prep yourself for the Authority)
The Authority
the Hellblazer mini
Ultimate FF
Ultimate Galactus
Transmetropolitan

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

I agree, generally, especially on Ellis.

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Well, if you're ready for more Moore, V for Vendetta is handy (but not as good as Watchmen and I have the second volume of League and From Hell (which I still need to finish reading one of these days). Just so you know.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Have you read the sequel to Dark Knights Returns? It might change your vote in the Miller vs. Moore death match, because I've heard Batman fans hated it. (dotsomething was horrified when Bats decapitated Dick Grayson, for example.)

DoH!

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

Ah, stupid sleepy eyeballs!

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I have read The Dark Knight Strikes Back, reread it recently, as a matter of fact. There's loads to be like, "W, T, and F, Mr. Miller?" Most of it is regarding the treatment of Superman. Poor Supes got really trounced upon, and that's saying a lot as Batman put up with Lex Luthor bashing out most of his teeth. Yeah, it's pretty uniformly stupid, but the gathering of superheroes back into action was okay. Otherwise, like most sequels, it's skippable.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

BTW, would you want my copy of Robin Year One? I bought it years ago on dotsomething's recommendation and didn't care for it.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read it, yes I would! Thanks so much!

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read it too! Supposedly Batgirl: Year One is also good.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't read Robin:Y1, but Batgirl:Y1 is pretty good.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Given that Rorschach is essentially The Question, I suggest looking up stuff starring him. I'm led to believe he's recently become a recurring character on the Justice League Unlimited cartoon series. There was also a recent six-issue mini that might be worth looking into.