Watchmen - Super-powers and the superpowers

"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution of this problem lies in the heart of mankind...If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker." - Albert Einstein

You know, I should slap myself stupid for not having read The Watchmen when it was released. It is not your typical superhero graphic novel but more of an anti-hero piece.

Watchmen is set in 1985, in an alternative histroy United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. Watchmen depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who - with one notable exception - lack anything recognizable as super powers. Watchmen's deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue and metafiction is really a deep reflection of our daily lives.

Ploughing through the pages of the Watchmen, we are taken into the past (time of Nixon, John. F Kennedy) and through present times where life itself is seen from varying perspectives.

I quote here Dr Manhattan, one of the characters from the book:

"It is the oldest ironies that are still the most satisfying: man, when preparing for bloody war, will orate loudly and most eloquently in the name of peace. The dichotomy is not an invention of the twentieth century, yet it is in this century that the most striking examples of the phenomena have appeared. Never before has man pursued global harmony more vocally while amassing stockpiles of weapons so devastating in their effects. The second world war-we were told- was The War To End Wars. The development of the atomic bomb is the Weapon To End Wars. And yet, wars continue"

Another beutiful quote is from Rorschach:

"This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not god who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It is us. Only us."

Watchmen is truly a graphic novel that has revolutionised the comic industy. With its thought provoking story line, you may just wonder how far we would go to sustain the balance in the human race.

By the way, Watchmen won the Hugo Award and is one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Novels. It is writen by aclaimed and controversial writer, Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, From Hell and Swamp Thing). Need I say more?

The Evil that Men Do

An 8-10-year-old girl...sexually and physically abused, brutally murdered and dumped in a gym bag.

Is this one of life's sick and erotic jokes?

I don't understand how it is humanly possible to perform such a brutal killing on a child. There are just too many sick bastards out there who have gone beyond boundries.

How can we feel secure again to walk the streets with our children? Why prey on the innocent children? Why?

This has got to end. For the sake of the children, THIS HAS GOT TO END!

"The world I'd tried to save was lost beyond recall. I was a horror; amongst horrors must I dwell"

The Prisoner Is In!!!

"Darwin wins inside these walls, not Einstein"

Well people, buckle up cause Prison Break: Season 3 has begun a roller-coaster ride full of thrills that will keep you at the edge of your seats.

Michael Scofield engaes in a deadly cat and mouse game once again; but, this time, there seems to be a better twist in the tale.

Incarcerated in Sona (a prison where one walks in and never walks out), Scofield is left delirious over his present situation. As usual, there are the prison mobs who run the priosn with an iron fist. There are also characters (or scoundrels) from the previous seasons to mess things up here. So, Scofield deffinately has his hands full.

The plot this time around seems intriguing enough but, then again, what is Prison Break without intrigue?

I am not going to let the cat out of the bag at this point. Just watch it. No regrets!