Top 10 Things to Remember Before Watchmen

Set in a fictional version of America in 1985 where costumed heroes have been criminalized, “Watchmen” remains one of the most influential, in-depth examinations on the philosophy of superheroes. The original story follows outlaw heroes as their murder investigation unravels a conspiracy by brilliant hero-turned-businessman Ozymandias. His plot, at least in the graphic novel, is to unite the world’s governments against a fake extraterrestrial attack. In the movie however, this attack is blamed on Dr. Manhattan, an all-powerful being who’s affiliated with the American military. While the film is an otherwise straightforward adaptation, the HBO series opts for the world of the comics, which is an important distinction when you consider the story’s political implications.

When it was first announced that HBO was moving forward with an adaptation of Watchmen, many assumed that the network would be attempting to re-adapt Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ original work. What we’re getting, however, is something else entirely. The series is set in the same alternate version of the United States, but the action has jumped forward to the present day. Whereas the Watchmen graphic novel was primarily set in New York City, the series shifts the setting to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here, a white supremacist group has taken Rorschach’s iconic mask as their own and begun attacking police, prompting law enforcement to conceal their identity in kind. As previously mentioned, everything that occurred in the original comics will be treated as canon.

The original limited comic book series, asked, first and foremost, “what would it look like if superheroes existed in the real world?” Using this premise, co-creator Alan Moore posed big questions about power and accountability. This publication of “Watchmen” has been called “the moment that comic books grew up” because it showed heroes as not just fallible, but often deeply flawed. And this indictment equally applied to politicians and other public figures who we place on pedestals. The HBO series seems primed to similarly ask big and pressing questions. It will serve as a reflection on the concept of masks and why we wear them, while also be an investigation two major modern day concerns - racism and the place of law enforcement in society.

For long-time fans of the original comics, this surely comes as no surprise. Comic book legend Alan Moore is notoriously private, unwilling to compromise and vehemently against any of his creations being adapted to television or the big screen. He also doesn’t like seeing the stories expanded upon in the form of prequel or sequel series. With that being said, the showrunner behind the 2019 series, a diehard fan of “Watchmen” himself, has said that he did pen a letter to Moore explaining his decision and motivations, but as to what (or even if) the reclusive creator responded, we have no idea. Moore hasn’t given a public comment on the series, but according to HBO’s Casey Bloys, “he’s not thrilled”.

Whether Moore likes it or not (and again… for the record he DOESN’T), DC owns the rights to Watchmen and can do pretty much whatever they want with it. In 2012, they exercised this power in the form of the “Before Watchmen” banner, under which DC published 8 limited series running for two to six issues apiece, plus a one-shot about the character, Dollar Bill. Though we don’t expect these prequel series to tie into the forthcoming tv show in any sort of direct way, they do help to flesh out the backstory of the key characters from the original comics, while also further developing the world they inhabit. The stories about the Minutemen, Nite Owl, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias were the best received of the bunch.

Beginning in 2017, and running until 2019, “Doomsday Clock” was DC’s first attempt to push the characters from Watchmen into the future. While the forthcoming tv show is set many years later within the reality created by Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, this direct sequel brought the iconic characters into the mainstream DC continuity by establishing the reality inhabited by Moore’s character as part of the DC multiverse. It revealed a number of details that may very well inform the HBO series - specifically the fact that Rorschach’s journal was published and thus, Ozymandias’ plot became public knowledge, undermining its intended peace-bringing outcome. “Doomsday Clock” also set a precedence for other characters donning Rorschach’s mask. How much of Doomsday Clock will be treated as canon, however, remains to be seen.

Looking at the trailers for the 2019 series, with the exception of the Rorschach masks and a few other bits and pieces of iconography, you’re hard-pressed to identify this as a Watchmen adaptation. This might be set in the same world, but a lot of time has gone by and clearly, much has changed. As such, there are those who initially expressed concern that the connections to the source material were too tangential. Thankfully, there are some familiar names counted amongst the cast, most notably Laurie Blake/Silk Spectre and Adrian Veidt, known during his superhero days as Ozymandias. They’ll be respectively played by Jean Smart and Jeremy Irons - two names that certainly inspire confidence.

Joining Smart and Irons is a cast of original new characters to populate the present day Watchmen universe. Leading the series is Regina King, who previously worked with the Watchmen showrunner on the HBO drama, “The Leftovers”. She plays Detective Angela Abar, who also operates under the identity of Sister Night. She’s joined by such recognizable names as Don Johnson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Perhaps most intriguing is the character played by Tim Blake Nelson, who’s known only as Looking Glass. The biggest remaining question mark is the role of American President Robert Redford, who has been confirmed as a character in this universe, but not as a cast member.

Having co-created not only “Lost”, but also “The Leftovers”, Damon Lindelof’s name carries a lot of weight in the entertainment industry. Sure, he tends towards dense and often ambiguous storytelling, but that actually feels like a good fit for a Watchmen series like this. Perhaps even more important than his resume however, is his personal relationship with the property. In a lengthy open letter addressed to fans, he outlined just how important this comic book was to him growing up. He also turned down the opportunity to adapt Watchmen not once, but twice over the years before finally accepting. He also believes that the original series is not meant to be adapted, which is why he has chosen to instead craft an original story within that same world.

If there’s one character that looms large over the franchise, it’s Dr. Manhattan, the only hero of the bunch with actual powers. Honestly, that feels like an understatement; it would be more accurate to call him all-powerful. At the end of the original story, Dr. Manhattan leaves earth to explore the universe. As we learn in the “Doomsday Clock” series, he actually ventured into the DC universe. We’ve yet to get a proper look at Big Blue in the trailers, but his return has been heavily teased. Given his incredible abilities, we can’t wait to see how his time away from earth will have changed him, and exactly what role he will play in the events of the show.