OT: watchmen on trial

James Wynn · 22 Mar 2005, 08:41 · from 2005-March.txt.gz

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From: thewynns at earthlink.net (James Wynn)
Date: Tue Mar 22 08:41:00 2005
Subject: (urth) OT: watchmen on trial
References: <56805.209.167.159.20.1111507579.squirrel at webmail.vex.net>
Message-ID: <003401c52efd$d168ff50$60a3f63f@wynnhouse>

>James Wynn said:
>>Blattid said:
>>>No. [The Watchmen is] not a "profoundly fascist" work. It is a profound
>>>work_about_fascism. Gaaaaah.
>>I'd be interested in your explanation of how it was "about" fascism rather
>>than founded on it. I'm not sure how you can say Alan Moore did not
>>**embrace** the most fascistic elements of the comic book superhero genre
>>in "The Watchmen".
>
>James, you're right: Moore was interested in exploring the fascistic
>elements in comic books and wanted show how a world with real super-hero
>types in it might deform and react to their presence.
>
>However, Moore is playing with the conventions of superhero comic books,
>while still being internally consistent and informed by them....This is why 
>both
>the fanboys and the critics hailed Watchmen as the milestone it is. This
>is also why the two of you have this difference of opinion: seen SOLELY as
>an internally-consistent comic book story, it's a triumph of the
>ubermensch

Well, Zvi, now there are *three* interpretations of "The Watchmen". Perhaps 
it ought to have its own list. Nevertheless, characters do what they will 
and stories often go beyond the strict contrivance of the authors, but the 
one thing every author owns is the ending. And you and I *seem* to agree 
that the ending of "The Watchmen" is the triumph of the ubermensch. What 
shall I make of that?

~ Crush

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