HBO Max original series Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic premiered July 17th, 2008.
#Watchmen made $185.3M at the international box office.
metacritic:
imdb: 8.5
Walter Kovacs
Rorschach is a masked vigilante working in Manhattan, New York.
“Rorschach’s journal. October 12th, 1985: dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood… …and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.” — Rorschach
“The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder… …will foam up above their waists… …and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, ‘save us!’ And I’ll look down, and whisper, ‘no.'” — Rorschach
“Hunh. Ehh. Hurm. Hello, Daniel. Got hungry waiting. Helped myself to some beans. Hope you don’t mind. Out of prison. So far. Take a look at this. That’s right. Human bean juice. Ha ha. Badge belonged to The Comedian. Blood too. He’s dead.” — Rorschach
“Investigated a routine homicide. Victim named Edward Blake. Found the costume in Blake’s wardrobe. Seems he was The Comedian. Somebody threw him out of a window. Neither have you. Lot of dust. An ordinary burglar? Kill The Comedian? Ridiculous. Maybe. Or maybe someone’s picking off costumed heroes. How’s your friend Hollis Mason these days? They were both Minutemen when Blake was 16… …and Mason was the first Nite Owl. That book Mason wrote, he said some bad things about The Comedian in it.” — Rorschach
“Implying nothing. Just an observation. Anyway, I thought I’d let you know. In case somebody’s gunning for masks. Better go now. Things to do. Yes. I remember. Used to come here often. Back when we were partners. You quit.” — Rorschach
“Rorschach’s journal. October 13th, 1985. Soon it will be dark. Beneath me, this awful city… …it screams like an abattoir full of retarded children. New York. On Friday night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Down there, somebody knows. The dusk reek of fornication and bad consciences. I believe I shall take my exercise. I’m fine, Happy Harry. Yourself. Guy went sidewalk diving Friday night. I don’t think he was alone when it happened. Name was Edward Blake. Friend of mine.” — Rorschach
“I’ve just broken this gentleman’s little finger. Who killed Edward Blake? And his index finger. Who killed Edward Blake? First visit of evening fruitless. Nobody knew anything. Feel slightly depressed. This city is dying of rabies. Is the best I can do to wipe flecks of foam off its lips? Hurm. Never despair. Never surrender. I leave the human cockroaches… …to discuss their heroin and child pornography. I have business elsewhere, with a better class of person.” — Rorschach
“You were always supposed to be World’s Smartest Man, Veidt. You tell me. Driberg said same thing. Don’t believe it. America has Dr. Manhattan. Reds have been running scared since ’65. They’d never dare antagonize us. I think we’ve got a mask killer. He stood up for his country, Veidt. He never let anybody retire him. Never cashed in on his reputation. Never set up a company selling posters… …and diet books and toy soldiers of himself. Never became a prostitute. If that makes him a Nazi, might as well call me a Nazi too. Yes. Good timing. I came here to warn you about the mask killer… …so you didn’t end up Smart Man in the morgue. But I guess there’s worse things to end up as. Be seeing you.” — Rorschach
“Meeting with Veidt left bad taste in mouth. He is pampered and decadent… …betraying even his own shallow, liberal affectations. Possibly homosexual? Must remember to investigate further. Dreiberg as bad. A flabby failure who sits whimpering in his basement. Why are so few of us left active, healthy and without personality disorders? The first Nite owl runs an auto-repair shop. The first Silk Spectre is a bloated, aging whore… …dying in a Californian rest resort. Captain Metropolis was decapitated in a car crash back in ’74. Mothman’s in an asylum up in Maine. The Silhouette retired in disgrace… …murdered six weeks later by a minor adversary seeking revenge. Dollar Bill got shot. Hooded Justice went missing in ’55.” — Rorschach
“The Comedian is dead. Only two names remaining on my list. Both share private quarters at Rockefeller Military Research Center. I shall go to them. I shall go and tell the indestructible man… … that someone plans to murder him. Good evening, Dr. Manhattan. Ehh. Good evening, Miss Jupiter. Apologies. Came to warn you both and bring bad news. The Comedian is dead. Take it your not too concerned about Blake’s death. Ennk. So you support the allegations made in Hollis Mason’s book concerning Blake? I’m not here to speculate on the moral lapses of men… …who died in their country’s service. I came to warn– with respect, Dr. Manhattan… …I believe someone is eliminating masked adventurers possibly some old foe with a grudge. I believe–” — Rorschach
“Spent a lot of time getting in to see you. Not leaving before I’ve– –had my say. Hurmm. Rorschach’s journal. October 13th, 1985, 11:30 p.m. On Friday night, a comedian died in New York. Someone threw him out of a window… …and when he hit the sidewalk, his head was driven up into his stomach. Nobody cares. Nobody cares but me. Are they right? Is it futile? Soon there will be war. Millions will burn. Millions will perish in sickness and misery. Why does one death matter against so many? Because there is good and there is evil… …and evil must be punished. Even in the face of Armageddon I shall not compromise in this. But there are so many deserving of retribution… …and there is so little time.” — Rorschach
Adrian Veidt ‘Ozymandias’
“The Comedian dead? Buy why? I never claimed to be anybody special, Rorschach. I just have some over-enthusiastic P.R. men. Listen, could it have been a political killing? Maybe the Soviets– not necessarily. The Comedian had other political enemies to choose from. The man was practically a Nazi. Hm. Rorschach, I know we were never friends, but even so, you’re being unfair. Nobody retired me. I chose to quit adventuring and go public two years before the police strike made the Keene Act necessary. Sure. Have a nice day.”
Dan Dreiberg ‘The Nite Owl’
“I think I heard you mention him. Hollis, listen, it’s almost midnight. I ought to go. You know better than that. These Saturday-night beer sessions are what keeps me going. Hollis, we both know that’s bullshit, but thanks anyway. Thanks for another great night, Hollis. Take care of yourself.”
“Rorschach? That is, no. No, of course I don’t mind. So, long time no see. How have you been keeping? What is it? This little stain, is that bean juice or…? Dead? What, you’re talking about The Comedian? Somebody? Listen, maybe we could talk about this down in my workshop. I feel kind of exposed up here. Right down this way. You haven’t been down here for a while. Yeah, well, you know. Sometimes I come and and sit down here for a while… …but there doesn’t seem much point since I retired.”
“Listen, about The Comedian… might it have just been an ordinary burglary or something? Maybe the killer didn’t know who Blake was. I guess it doesn’t seem very likely. I heard he’d been working for the government since ’77… …knocking over Marxist republics in South America. Maybe this was a political killing? Hollis? What does he–? Rorschach, I don’t like what you’re implying here.”
“Yeah, well, the tunnel brings you out in a warehouse two blocks north. Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, those were great times, Rorschach. Great times. Whatever happened to them?”
“God, yes. Dreadful. Yeah. You’re probably right. Oh, you mean Captain Carnage. He was one for the books. Ha ha ha. He tried that with me, only I’d heard about him, so I just walked away. He follows me down the street, broad daylight, right? He’s saying, ‘punish me.’ I’m saying, ‘no. Get lost.’ Well, he pulled it on Rorschach. And Rorschach dropped him down an elevator shaft. Well, what do you expect? The Comedian is dead.”
John Osterman ‘Dr. Manhattan’
“Good evening, Rorschach. Yes. Since he and I are the only two extranormal operatives… …currently employed by the government, I was informed on Saturday morning. Life and death are unquantifiable abstracts. Why should I be concerned? You seem to be upsetting Laurie. I think you ought to go. I said, I think you ought to go.”
“He’s gone. Are you still upset? Yes, Laurie? Of course not. I’d join you, but I think I’m close to locating a gluino… …which would completely validate supersymmetrical– “
Laurie Juspeczyk ‘The Silk Spectre’
“What are you doing here, Rorschach? This is a government base and I hear you’re wanted by the police. That’s Juspecyk. Jupiter was just a name my mother assumed… …because she didn’t want anyone to know she was Polish. Anyway, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. Blake was a bastard. He was a monster. You know he tried to rape my mother back when they were both Minutemen?”
“What Mason said in Under the Hood is what happened. Why do you think Blake never sued Mason? Rape is a moral lapse? John, get this creep out of here. Yeah. I just don’t like Rorschach. He’s sick. Sick inside his mind. The sooner the police put him away, the better. John? I feel cooped up sometimes. Maybe I could use a night out. You know, Rorschach mentioned Dan Dreiberg. We haven’t seen Dan in years. Maybe I’ll call him up, ask him out to dinner. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“That’s fascinating. I’ll call Dan. Hello, Dan? Laurie. Laurie Jusepcyk. Me and Jon? Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything’s fine. Couldn’t be better. It’s just I keep thinking, ‘I’m 35. What have I done?’ I’ve spent eight years in semi-retirement… …preceded by 10 years running round in a stupid costume… …because my stupid mother wanted me to. You remember that costume? With that stupid little short skirt and the neckline down to my navel? God, that was so dreadful.”
“You know, when I think back… why did we do it? Why did we dress up like that? The Keene Act was the best thing that ever happened to us. Hey, you remember that guy? The one who pretended to be a supervillain so he could get beaten up? I caught him coming out of this jewelers. I didn’t know what his racket was. I start hitting him, and I think: ‘Jeez, he’s breathing funny. Does he have asthma?’ Whatever happened to him? Phaaa ha ha ha! Oh, God. I’m sorry. That isn’t funny. Ha ha ha ha ha! Jeez, you know, that felt good. There don’t seem to be so many laughs around these days.”
“Mom, being lazy isn’t a terminal condition, so spare me the city of the dead crap. John’s at some funeral. I didn’t feel like attending, so he transported me here. Gets me the same. One second, New York, the next, California. So long breakfast. The funeral? Oh, no, that’s just, y’know, some little official thing. Jon had to go. Protocol. Mom… poor Eddie? Mom, how can you say that? After he almost… yeah, well, so’s Dachau. I’d never forgive somebody who did that… oh, right. Just like that. Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. Mom, it’s okay. I’m putting it out, okay? It’s dead. It’s dead. Extinguished.”
“Yeah? Jon told me about some of the stuff Blake did in Nam. Sounds like he had a strange sense of humor. Oh, God! Mother, this is just gross! Somebody sent you this? Flattering?”
Sally Juspecyk ‘The Silk Spectre’
“Aw, will you look at her? Pretty as a picture and still keepin’ her figure! So, honey, what brings you to the city of the dead? Where’s John? Poor baby. So, this funeral, anyone I know? It’s Eddie Blake’s funeral, right? Laurie, don’t treat me like a kid. I can still read. I saw in the paper he got murdered. I guess he finally reached the punchline, huh? Poor Eddie.”
“Laurie, you’re young, you don’t know. Things change. What happened, happened forty years ago… it’s history. Listen, getting old, you get a different perspective. The big stuff looks smaller somehow. In the end, you just wash your hands of it and shut it away. So, what, you want I should curl up and whimper for forty years? Life goes on, honey. Life goes on. Plus, it’s a beautiful day! Y’know… ahuh-hemm. Y’know, you and Jon oughta move out here, for the weather. Was it this sunny in New York today?”
“Hm. Well, that’s good. Ahuh-hemm. Lots of sunshine is like vitamins. It’s healthy. And being healthy is what counts. I mean, without your health, where are you? At my age, ahhum, you wanna take care of yourself. Y’know, that makes just three of us Minutemen left now. Me, Hollis Mason and poor Byron Lewis in the bughouse in Maine. Funny. Eddie was the youngest. Always jokin’ about how old we all were. He said he’d bury us. Y’see, that was Eddie, always talkin’ like he was on top of it, like it was never going to happen to him. He was The Comedian. He always thought he’d get the last laugh.”
“Oh, speaking of which… you remember that guy who writes me letters? He sent me an item of memorabilia. It’s a Tijuana Bible. A little eight-page porno comic they did in the ’30s and ’40s. This one’s about me. Sure. Listen, those things are valuable, like antiques. Eighty bucks and up. I think it’s kinda flattering. Being reminded that people used to slobber over me? Sure. Laurie, I’m 65. Every day the future looks a little bit darker. But the past, even the grimy parts of it… …well, it just keeps getting brighter all the time.”
“Oooh! I got spots in my eyes… oh, Eddie, give me a break. Boy! Real photo sessions! Do you think my hair will come out looking okay, H.J.? Well, I’m sure I wouldn’t know anything about what the Polish people think!”
Hollis Mason
“So there I was in the supermarket buying dog food for old Phantom here… …I turn the corner of the aisle, and wham… I bump into the Screaming Skull. You remember him? Oh, I put him away a dozen times in the ’40s… oh, I put him away a dozen times in the ’40s… …but he reformed and turned to Jesus since then. Married, got two kids. We traded addresses. Nice guy. Oh, sure. Lost track o’ the time there, talkin’ ’bout all that old stuff. You musta been bored as hell. Yeah, well, us old retired guys gotta stick together. You know, it was a crying shame… …they put you youngsters out to grass in ’77. You were a better Nite Owl than I ever was.”
“Hey, watch with the language. This is the left hook that floored Captain Axis, remember? You too, Danny. God bless.”
Manhattan, New York
“Ruh, Ror, Ror, Rorschach. How you doing, fella? Fine. I’m fine. And I’m, and I’m glad you’re fine too. And uh… and uh… oh, God. Please don’t kill anybody.”
“Hey, you hear that? He’s got friends. Must have changed his deodorant. Steve, for God’s sake, man, shut up. I-I gotta take a leak. Hey. Hey, I didn’t mean anything. I haven’t been in the Apple too long, and I… uh…”
“Please. Please, we don’t know. God, man, leave him alone.”
“Okay, that’s it. Nice picture, folks.”
“Okay, Mr. Owl, that’s eight points. They’ll be ready in a week. Frankly, Sally, I don’t go in for all this razzle dazzle. I’d rather be on the streets, doing my job. Well, firstly, we aren’t at war. Secondly, we should avoid political situations… perhaps the Poles thought so too, eh? You agree, Sally? Me, I hope we keep out of it. Just thinking about war, it scares me.”
Edward Blake ‘The Comedian’
“We can move? I can finally scratch my armpit? Really? Lemme take a look and see if I can fish ’em out for ya. Streets nothing! Why don’t uncle Sammy get us into Europe, where the action is?”
NYPD Detectives
“That’s quite a drop. Yeah. Poor guy. You know, I always wonder… …do you think you black out before you hit the sidewalk? Frankly, I don’t need to know that bad. What do you think happened here? Well, looks like someone broke in by busting this door down. That would take two guys or one guy on serious drugs… …because the door had a chain fastened on the inside. Which means that the occupant was home when it happened.”
“Yeah, I saw the body and he looked beefy enough to protect himself. I mean, this guy, this Blake guy, he had muscles like a weightlifter. He would have put up some kind of fight, I’m certain. Yeah, well, looks like he lost. The data we have suggests he’s been doing some sort of overseas diplomatic work for years. Lot of classy expense-account living. Maybe he just got soft. Hey, the guy he’s shaking hands with in the picture, it’s Vice President Ford. I think we can rule him out as a suspect. A job like this just isn’t his style.”
“A little money got stolen, but no way is this a straight burglary. Somebody really had it in for this guy. I mean, how did he go out of the window? Maybe he tripped against it. Forget it. That’s strong glass, man. I think you’d have to be thrown. Which floor you want? Oh, ground floor, please. Ground floor coming up.”
“Let’s not raise too much dust over this one. We don’t need any masked avengers getting interested and cutting in. You take this vigilante stuff too seriously. Since the Keene Act was passed in ’77… …only the government-sponsored weirdos are active. They don’t interfere. Screw them. What about Rorschach? He’s crazier than a snake’s armpit and wanted on two counts of murder one. If he gets involved, we’ll be up to our butts in corpses. What’s the matter? Nothing. Just a shiver. Must be getting cold.”
