Patrick Wilson at Nite Owl                                                         Watchmen teaser poster

   We could spend hours discussing and writing about the popularity of comic books and super-heroes in gay culture, but frankly it's been been done before and any psycho-babble discourse on it might (to put it mildly) bore the crap out of you. We here at Jack Manly have already expressed that we're longtime fans of comic books and "graphic novels" so we don't need to explain our interest here--they've given us much pleasure and entertainment over the years.

 There are lots of movies about to be released or are in production based on comic book characters such as Iron Man, Batman: The Dark Knight, Incredible Hulk (this is a redo), Speed Racer, and even a super-hero satire, Super Hero Movie. But in production now is a film based on one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels: Watchmen. If you've never read or heard of it, it is essential reading for anyone who is even mildly interested in the comic book/graphic novel genre.

 Written by legendary Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, Watchmen was a story about super-heroes and what their effects on the world would be if they really existed. Released as a 12-issue "maxi-series" by DC Comics in 1985 it took place in this alternate reality where Richard Nixon was still president and where super-heroes had become mistrusted and in some cases dishonored.  Against this background a renegade hero is murdered and an investigation into the crime reveals a something far more sinister and world-shattering.  Intelligently written with layers of story and themes, Watchmen influenced the genre for years to come and it is still doing it to this day. It was collected as a graphic novel and has been reprinted and repackaged probably more than any other graphic novel. 

 Watchmen also caught the eye of the movie industry which for years had tried to figure out how to film something that was unfilmable. Big names had tried to tackle it over the years and it seemed it would never be made (there are some valid arguments that state that the movie SHOULDN'T be made). Writer Alan Moore has never desired nor supported efforts to have his works filmed. His feelings have always been that his comics and graphic novels ARE the finished work. He writes specifically for comics and thinks of "adaptations" as unnecessary. That of course didn't stop filmmakers. V For Vendetta, From Hell, Swamp Thing, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen were all written by Moore as comics and made into films against his wishes. By the way, these are just a few of the must-read works by Alan Moore. Forget what you know or think you know about comics and graphic novels. These are modern literary classics. Period.

  Enter Zack Snyder. He showed his ability to literally translate comics into film with 300. To bring 300 to the screen, he visually created a hyper-reality--something which would be perfect for something as unique as Watchmen.  From what we've heard, the movie sounds as though it may work. They've kept the alternate 1985 plot idea and the casting has been near flawless.  Due out in 2009, Watchmen may indeed be worthy of all the time and effort to get it to the screen. They'll never be fully able to capture the intricacies of the work that were fully realized by the comic book format, but the story is so powerful it may be able to work.

 Here's the cast, featuring some of our sexy favorites.

Malin Akerman...Laurie Juspeczyk aka Silk Spectre
Billy Crudup.....Jon Osterman, aka Dr. Manhattan
Matthew Goode....Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias
Jackie Earle Haley......Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach
Jeffrey Dean Morgan.....Edward Blake, aka the Comedian
Patrick Wilson....Dan Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl

               
                         Nite Owl comic book version                                       Patrick Wilson out of costume

           
                                                                    Ozymandias as played by Matthew Goode


                           
                                                                                          Silk Spectre


                
                                                                                           The mysterious Rorschach



                      
                                                                                            The Comedian



                  
                                               Dr Manhattan & Billy Crudup (no costume pics available yet)