REQUIRED READING: WATCHMEN

March is still a long wait away, but if you've seen The Dark Knight the past couple of weeks, you may have glimpsed a trailer for another super hero movie... Watchmen. Nerds around the world cried with glee with scenes straight from the comic book itself.

According to the trailer, this is the most acclaimed graphic novel in history.

Watchmen is set in an alternative earth in the 80's, where vigilantism is outlawed, and the planet is in the brink of World War 3. When one of the former heroes is brutally murdered, those who are left brought it to themselves to find out what's causing this and who's methodically taking out all of the other super-heroes. This graphic novel is not just about heroics, it deals about alot of deeper aspects like rape, the morality of omnipotence, how one is considered insane, and doing something bad for the greater good. Watchmen is proof that comic books and super heroics are not just books for kids. It's intelligently written by the legendary Allan Moore, and drawn by the equally brilliant Dave Gibbons.

I've heard about this title when I was still new to the whole comics collecting hobby. But it was only last year that I've really read the title. It's actually difficult to read this in only one sitting because of all the ideas being brought up by this title. But I'm not saying that it's hard to understand. To be honest, people smarter than I am will appreciate this more, but it's easy to comprehend. Like I've said the writing is superb. You get the aspects of who the characters are. And each one has a distinct voice from the others. From the very powerful Dr. Manhattan, the smartest man Ozymandias, to the desperation of Nite Owl and the edgy Rorschach everyone has weight.

Artistically this is the comics version of Da Vinci, or a great indie film. The angles are something new. The type that'll really get your mind to work. This is a series where you just don't ogle at the pictures. Yes, the pictures are pretty, but it's beauty that you'll more than just appreciate. I love how Gibbons does the different perspectives of the same subject. Scenes like Dr. Manhattan's Mars home, to love scenes are drawn artistically that you'll get affected by it's brilliance.

There is a reason why this is hailed as a classic. Some of the points introduced by this series are still fresh 23 years after it was first released. Marvel's Civil War and DC's Identity Crisis in a way took a page from this seller. At it's release, it won the prestigious Hugo Award, as well as an Eisner and Kirby awards.

Honestly, I'm worried about the movie that's about to come out. It was Moore who said that this was not written to be adapted in the big screen, and I agree. It's really going to be difficult to sell this as an action film, because it's not. It's more of a thinking man's noir story. Zach Snyder did a lot to impress us with 300 and Dawn of the Dead, so I have high hopes for this film. I'm not expecting too much, but I really hope that the film be loyal to the story and not be like Wanted which is the same about the comic book only in it's first 10 minutes. But judging by what I've seen with the trailer, it could be a direct adaptation. So at least it should be good, story-wise

Watchmen's got it all for everyone, gore and violence, all-out action from beginning to the end, and steamy love scenes in the middle.

SCORE: 8.5 out of 10