Friday, April 20, 2007

Watch me sleep

It is only my third week of work and already, I'm getting lackadaisical. Instead of getting a full night's sleep during the past week so that I look peppy and smart, I have been staying up late, reading the classic graphic novel, The Watchmen. My friend, Stephen lent it to me last Sunday and, reading it every night, I finally finished it on Thursday. Part of the reason it took so long was because I refused to forgo my steady diet of terrible prime time television. As a result, I read late at night until dialogue ceased making sense.

The other reason why it took so long to finish The Watchmen is because it's thick like gravy. When creator, Alan Moore claimed that he was aiming for "a superhero Moby Dick; something that had that sort of weight, that sort of density," he wasn't kidding. The complex storyline and characters forced my reading to a snail's pace in order to absorb every nasty, ruthless detail.

I was also impressed that a 20 year old comic book has aged so well. There is an absence of embarrassing 80s fashions and cringe-inducing slang. I did initially complain about the drawing style, which is less easy on the eyes than those of contemporary comic books, but it fits the nature of the story.

The short of it is that I really enjoyed The Watchmen and highly recommend it. Now, a full weekend to recover on sleep and enjoy some free and live violence: UFC 70 Nations Collide.

Eye Get Out:
On the right is evidence that I have a secret need to play slots. I was amazed that three models of Volkswagens pulled up at the lights in a neat lineup: a Golf, a Jetta and a Beetle. What are the odds? I took a photo and the woman standing beside me at the TTC stop looked perplexed and a little concerned.

1 comment:

Flocons said...

I just wanted to say that The Watchmen kicks ass. Thank you.