"This is not a comic book"

I think everybody remembers Adrian Veidt's famous moment of revelation at the end of Watchmen, when just after he has explained his master plan in the most stereotypically supervillain manner, he gives the most chilling response to the question, "When are you planning to do it?"

"Do it?" Adrian replied.

"Dan, I'm not a Republic serial villain. Do you seriously think I'd explain my master-stroke if there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome?"

Adrian Veidt is essentially saying "This is not a comic book." You can't expect the typical tropes and tricks of comic book storytelling to apply to the real world. That kind of self reflexive storytelling was revolutionary...

...back in 1985. Since then, it seems it's been done to DEATH. I can't tell you how many times I've heard something to the extent of "What do you think this is? A comic book?" Yes, as a matter of fact it is a comic book, and the irony of the situation is no longer appreciated after reading the same trope for the 5,634th time. I really wish I could produce a bunch of on-hand examples of this to make this expose a little more convincing, but alas, this happens about as frequently nowadays as a character changing in and out of a costume - it's so utterly common it's completely forgettable.

However, it did happen again in this month's issue of KICK ASS.


I realize the whole book is meant to be self-reflexive, as it's a twisted take on the idea of a superhero existing in the real world, but do we really need another one of these look-at-the-camera-and-wink moments? This seems like a nitpicky criticism, but frankly, I just expect more from Mark Millar, especially when all the other comic book cliche meets real world collisions were so funny and different than the ones I've already seen. And hell, this book only seems to come out twice a year now. With this kind of time inbetween issues, can you blame me for expecting a top notch book?

How DC Could Capitalize Off Watchmen AND Be Smart About It

Watchmen's only increasingly rabid following means big cash for DC. They already have a new hardcover coming out, in addition to a rerelease of the Absolute edition and reprints of the individual issues.

The bottom line is that DC is using ever possible avenue they can to make more money off the only comic book included in Time Magazine's 100 greatest novels list. If they want to push profits further, the only thing they can do is release some kind of original work having to do with the Watchmen properties. Hell, they strongarmed Frank Miller into doing a Dark Knight sequel, which might have occurred even if Miller hadn't been inclined to do it.

It doesn't take Alan Moore to say that Watchmen really doesn't need a sequel. Sure, a sequel would sell, but I suspect it would to do the franchise what the new Star Wars trilogy did for Star Wars, namely that there would be high initial sales but an overall decrease in interest in the property.

But could DC potentially do something cool and original with Watchmen?

I personally think they could. Imagine this.

A total remake of Watchmen in the style of film remakes - the original scripts, completely unchanged or unedited, are given to 12 esteemed artists in the field. Artists like Frank Quitely, Bryan Hitch, Gary Frank, and Alex Ross - really awesome artists. They're all told to draw an entire issue of the book and instructed specifically not to reference Dave Gibbons execution.

I personally think that could be really cool to read. No substitute for the original work, but would be an interesting read nonetheless.