HBO has released the first full teaser for Watchmen, the new series developed by uber-Watchmen fan Damon Lindelof. Set 30+ years in the aftermath of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic [amazon text=comics series/graphic novel&asin=1401238963], characters have aged, and the influence of those gone still casts a huge shadow. Also note this isn’t a sequel to Zack Snyder’s film, and maybe not strictly a sequel to the comics. It’s its own thing, but not, because, obviously, it’s Watchmen.
I’ll go so far as to say that what it looks like Lindelof has done with the legacy of Rorschach makes a lot more sense than the version in DC’s current [amazon text=Doomsday Clock&asin=177950120X]. Rorschach’s words and ideas seem to have inspired a cult — chillingly, more plausible than one lone person being inspired to wear the mask.
At least one other character has been inspired to become a vigilante — Regina King’s Angela Abar puts on a mask. Jean Smart has a mysterious briefcase that could hold, say, her old Silk Spectre or Comedian costume? She’s in the trailer, but not yet listed on IMDB, but obviously I’m betting that she is an older Laurie Juspeczyk.
Though we might think it’s the influence of the Comedian, the amusement park may also be referencing the Mime and Marionette, who are listed in IMDB as characters. If that’s accurate, then Lindelof has taken things he thought worked in Doomsday Clock as well, because they did not appear in the original comics.
We’ve also got a glimpse of Tales from the Black Freighter, likely itself turned into a TV series in the world of Watchmen.
And then… Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt, the modern Ozymandias. If you’re going to add 30 years to Gibbons’ vision of the character, Irons makes perfect sense. And for the heck of it, there’s Don Johnson, because sometimes, you’ve just got to add cool.
Watchmen will debut in the fall on HBO, and suddenly, it looks good. Tick tock everybody.
