Watchmen

I’ve haven’t read non-school books in such a long time. Thankfully, I recently had a chance to read one of the best known graphic novels (comics) of all time. The Watchmen (written in the mid-80s). I read it during the last week of December, most of it during the time I was sick. Oh yeah, I was sick in December.

The whole time I was thumbing through the pages, I kept wondering, “Why was I previously unsuccessful in getting through the first of The Watchmen's twelve individual issues?” My coworker loaned it to me on two other occasions – both times, I gave it back to him saying I wasn't feelin' it. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood.

You really do have to be in a certain frame of mind for certain types of entertainment. Almost a year ago, I was raving about the Dream Girls movie. I couldn’t get enough of the soundtrack. Every car ride was filled with Jennifer Hudson belting, “…and I’m telling you.” Now the DVD I received for Christmas is sitting, unopened, with the other abandoned movies. That should be a New Year’s resolution of mine – to watch, at least once, every DVD I received after pleading for them via my birthday/Christmas wish lists.

Back to being in the right mood - same goes for Jim Carey's Bruce Almighty. I saw it in the theater years ago and thought it was awfully corny. But when it was showing on TV a few weeks ago, I thought it was awfully genius. What gives? Is being in a particular state of mind the reason a brilliant show like Journeyman is thought of as “not so good” by certain friends? I think my revisiting The Watchmen was based on thinking that it was written by Neil Gaiman. And Neil Gaiman’s name came up because La Fiancee was reading one of his books (Neverwhere). But, nope, it was Alan Moore who wrote The Watchmen. Thankfully, my facts were wrong - thus, initiating what ended up being a very good read. BTW, Mr. Gaiman was once Alan Moore's protégé. It’s true – just Google that info and the always reliable Wikipedia will confirm what I am saying.

Now I'd better get back in the mood for working...