Light and Dark

I read the Watchmen graphic novel when I was a teenager. Either just before, or during, my time at college. I don't think I appreciated the story and the underlying messages as much as I could/should have done, but I thought it was pretty ground-breaking anyway. It's a big book; twelve in-depth comics rolled into one thick publication. So I think I may have only read it once or twice before it had to go back to the library.

I didn't see the film at the cinema because I expected another Spiderman, The Hulk, or Daredevil disappointment. I didn't even watch the trailer, it just blew by me and I hardly noticed.

But I have since seen Watchmen on DVD. It's difficult to put my opinion into words. Fans were initially worried that the film would stray too far from the source material; but since Watchmen's release, some critics have slated it for being too close to the graphic novel. It's almost like Marmite in that people either love it to bits or hate it with a zeal.

It's a very good film. The Watchmen comic was a very good graphic novel. Does that make the film a very good Watchmen film? It's really hard to say. If I had never read the graphic novel, I might have thought that the DVD was a waste of money. Since I don't think that way, I guess I must have liked it.

It is always going to be difficult to translate something like Watchmen from one medium to another. I would definitely recommend the Watchmen film to my friends, but I might recommend that they read the comic book first.

I suppose I'm being unclear and my message will doubtlessly come across as ambiguous. So, let's forego depth and detail; let's just arbitrarily assign it a universal value of 9/10.

Why not 10/10? It was a little too much of a punter puller for me. Graphic novels like Watchmen are not all sex and violence put out there to get as many copies sold as possible. The publisher will want to sell a lot of copies, but they're directed at a specific audience. Films are generally aimed at a larger audience that prefers immediate gratification, rather than something deep that makes them think about uncomfortable concepts.

I didn't think that I'd go on about Watchmen for that long, I guess Batman: Arkham Asylum will have to wait until the next post. In case you're wondering already: it's pretty damned cool.

On Saturday I went for a walk in a wood I've visited before. As usual, I was seeking solitude, quiet, and fresh air. It was all there, as usual. There is still traffic on the edge of hearing, but it's far enough away that, for the most part, you can ignore it.

There are a lot of very tall trees in this wood, and the wind was very calm. Everything was ever-so still. I took a few minutes to just stop and take in the tranquillity. After a short while, I just sat down in the middle of a forking path to relax properly. Of course, just when I was really getting into it, I heard a voice behind me - back up the path. A woman walking two (very large) dogs.

I wouldn't have minded so much, but she couldn't keep the dogs under control and when they go within ten feet of me they started barking and straining on the leads. Then I saw the confused, perhaps even fearful, look on her face. What? You've never seen a guy just kneeling in the middle of a wood, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet? Obviously not.

It was that uncomfortable look of someone presented with something they are uncomfortable thinking about. It said: Why would someone sit in the middle of the path? That's not what people normally do. This person is unpredictable. What will he do next? So I said good morning and made myself scarce; taking a path through the trees rather than on the beaten trail.

Whether my assumption of the dog-walker's mindset was accurate or not, I dislike that narrow-minded ignorance and I ended up dwelling on it for quite a while as I looked for a way through the undergrowth.

I encountered the dog-walker again that morning, not long after, as I rejoined the path. That must have been a bit strange. Then more people picking blackberries (although they were much friendlier). And finally, after half-heartedly chasing a foal to see where it was going, I met an awkward individual, decked out in a helmet and reflective jacket, riding a horse. I thought Screw this, the peace and quiet left these woods an hour ago, and made my way back to where I'd parked my bike.

I spent some time drawing over the weekend, but not enough to finish the strip I was working on. It's quite a big one and I don't want to start colouring it before I've finished all the pencils.