OT - Watchmen on trial

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 22 Mar 2005, 12:38 · from 2005-March.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Tue Mar 22 12:38:25 2005
Subject: (urth) OT - Watchmen on trial
In-Reply-To: <BAY102-F105144918232DA200E89C7864E0 at phx.gbl>
References: <000f01c52ef1$ec595280$60a3f63f@wynnhouse>
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Message-ID: <1f7617370503221238b51cc5 at mail.gmail.com>

> Ozy's killing of the Comedian is not in any way a heroic act, it's something
> out a spy drama or murder thriller. It occurs in the dark, in terror, and
> it's not a matter of stopping the Comedian for being such a bad man (which
> he was, as you say), it's a matter of keeping him silent because,
> ironically, he does have just a bit more conscience left than Ozymandias
> does. It's a crime, a murder, and is treated as such from the beginning and
> on through the rest of the story.

Furthermore, that isn't even why he does it. Oh, yeah, it's "necessary,"
but reading the book closely, you realize that it's basically a petty act
of revenge. I believe it's only in the "text features" that we learn that
Ozymandias and the Comedian met in a dark warehouse once and, 
in the classic superhero comic mistaken identity riff, fought.

The Comedian beat the pulp out of Ozymandias. 

(The seeds may have been planted, though, when the Comedian
burned Ozzy's map at the one meeting of the pseudo-Justice League
in the '60s.)

> Speaking of which, it always seemed to me that [Silk Spectre], and 
> the arguable protagonist (which nobody mentions because of his
> utter normality - part of what makes him the protagonist) the Night
> Owl, have the only "happy ending" there is in this story. 

Ummm ... utter normality? Have you forgotten that he can't get
it up except in superhero costume?

> A fairly obvious rejection of the ubermensch ideal,
> since both turn their backs on the superhero world.

Not at all clear. We know that they've taken new civilian identities,
but we don't know that they aren't fighting crime under new names.
(I'd have to reread the last issue to be sure but I have the vague
impression that they hint to Laurie's mom - Silk Spectre 1 - that
they _are_.)

--Dan'l
who has spent waaay too much time thinking about funnybooks

-- 
You probably do not want to know what that odor is.

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