The Doomsday Clock has finally struck the hour, signaling to HBO that it’s time to unveil a full trailer for Damon Lindelof’s WATCHEMEN series.
Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, WATCHMEN, from executive producer Damon Lindelof (Emmy winner for “Lost”; HBO’s “The Leftovers”) embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.
Leading this bold, new exploration of the Watchmen universe are Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, and Frances Fisher.
Originally published as a 12-issue miniseries beginning in 1986, Watchmen quickly became one of the most celebrated stories in comic book history. Built upon the back of a murder mystery most foul, the noir-like tale of good versus evil from creators Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and Len Wein soon evolves into a conspiracy-driven epic that questions the line drawn between justice, vigilantism, and calculated revenge.
In the trailer, we see Regina King’s Angela Abrahams suiting up as a vigilante identity of her own design. Determined to unmask a group of terrorists known as the Kavalry – who themselves are disguised thanks to their Rorschach-style ink-blotted masks – Abrahams brings the noise right to their doorstep in the name of truth and peace.
While I’m no Watchmen aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, I’m positive that super-fans of the series will find plenty of Easter eggs hidden throughout this best look yet at the series. For me, this trailer has Lindelof’s WATCHMEN looking like a mighty fine deconstruction of how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Some would say that the arrival of this series is quite timely, though I’m sure others would agree that society has always been a war of attrition for which there will never be any peace or resolution.