Deconstruction in a dark alley

Above: Dr Manhattan misses his ex. On Mars.

Lately I discovered that they are making a movie of the graphic novel Watchmen, a longtime favorite of mine. Graphic novel adaptations (Sin City, Ghost World, V for Vendetta) are generally better than comic adaptations (Spiderman, Hulk, Punisher movies), so I'm cautiously hopeful. Even so, it will be impossible to capture all the subtleties of the original, which makes good use of the graphic novel format (colour palette, splash panels, mixed media).

Watchmen is set in an alternate 1980's in which our 30's and 60's superheroes really exist. The major characters are reminiscent of Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and so on. I won't spoil the plot, but the story proceeds on several levels:

First, there is a straight narrative, a murder mystery with global consequences. Even those who don't know comics at all will enjoy the colourful characters. It also has one of the best plot twists I've ever read. The central story will survive intact into the movie because with half the story, it won't make any sense.

For those who do know comics, it is a sort of deconstruction of superhero archetypes. How would Batman &co react to the Cold War, Vietnam War protests, a police strike? How would the individuals and teams change with the years? In short, how would superheroes react to the vagaries and ambiguities of the real world?

The other side of the coin is, how would superheroes change the world? What if, as the song goes, God is an American? How would societies, governments, businesses react? This is revealed piecemeal at the edges of the plot through newspaper headlines, graffiti, and conversations on the street. One major theme is heroism in an era of nuclear brinkmanship; each chapter opens with the Doomsday Clock one minute closer to midnight. There is a reflection of our own passivity (perhaps blackly humourous) in the heroes' predicament: "I'm just some guy who wears tights and punches petty criminals... what can I do when a few men in Washington and Moscow can singlehandedly destroy civilization?" (Incidentally, I think nuclear war is still the greatest threat to mankind, despite its lack of news coverage.)

The last level of the story is a broader commentary on human society. The characters can be interpreted as imagination, empathy, egotism, etc.; or as specific historical movements; or as commerce, science, the arts, benign and malicious government, etc. I can't elaborate much more without revealing the plot, but it'll be interesting to see to what extent the different layers are visible in the movie version.

Update: I've seen the film now. It brings the book's main characters and events to life effectively, but other elements such as Ozymandias' hellish journey or Dr Manhattan's timelessness just can't be translated to film. As well, the supporting characters were reduced to cameo roles or eliminated entirely, which leaves holes in the plot and character development. I enjoyed it, but those who haven't read the book will likely be confused.