is Watchmen not that well-known?

[GlasgowGrin]

please delete if a thread like this already exists, or move if it needs to be elsewhere.

i was just curious, i got back from seeing TDK a third time, and they've shown the watchmen trailer every time. i know i'm kind of a comic book geek, but literally every time i've seen the trailer in theaters the audience just seems like "wtf is this?" is the graphic novel really not that well-known? even at the TDK midnight showing, where i expected all my fellow comic book fans would be present, only me and three other people cheered for it. so just wondering, how has the trailer been received when you saw it in theaters? is watchmen really this obscure?

 

[StillTheKing]

All my friends thought it was cool but had no idea what it was.
And outside the comic book world, I don't think Watchmen is well known.

 

[Da_Joka]

Nah, it's not well known at all unless you're a comic reader.

 

[SLVRSR4]

I just heard about it two years ago and I picked it up because I heard it was going to be made in a movie.

 

[Katsuro]

It is now. Millions of people have seen that trailer, and are curious as hell as to what that is.

 

[The Guard]

It's not well known to people who don't read much.

But it will be.

 

[Katsuro]

Also, you have to remeber, while comic book movies are all the rage today, comic books themselves are still very unpopular. Not many people read them anymore. Which is something I dont really get. How do millions of people flock to movies like The Dark Knight, and yet none of them get the desire to pick up a comic book?

 

[Lobo]

Outside of comic fans, no, it is not that well known.

 

[TheVeidtMethod]

Since the trailer has been released, my local shop has sold through their in-store inventory of Watchmen, and sold another 20-25 on eBay. All within a matter of days of the trailer's released.

I myself have turned on 3 people to the comic since they saw the trailer, and all 3 have gone out and purchased the trade. 1 of them is even hooked on other comics that I've recommended him and I can safely say he's a comics fan now.

Watchmen may have been known only to comic fans before, but it's got people interested. And that can only be a good thing, for both the success of the movie, and hopefully for the comics industry.

 

[inflames]

im not huge comic fan, but I was going through wikipedia and DC has katrillion billion million heroes I was never aware of I wonder why the don't put them to good use

 

[doctorkenyon]

Watchmen may have been known only to comic fans before, but it's got people interested. And that can only be a good thing, for both the success of the movie, and hopefully for the comics industry.

That's my hope too, the quality of Watchmen speaks for itself.

And as more people go and check out the trade based on the trailer... then more people will realize how great it is and find themselves looking forward to the film and spreading the word.

 

[Cinemaman]

Just look at Iron Man. It was even less popular than Watchmen, but after the release of the film, it became a very popular and even got its own brand

 

[Lauryn2000]

Since the trailer has been released, my local shop has sold through their in-store inventory of Watchmen, and sold another 20-25 on eBay. All within a matter of days of the trailer's released.

I myself have turned on 3 people to the comic since they saw the trailer, and all 3 have gone out and purchased the trade. 1 of them is even hooked on other comics that I've recommended him and I can safely say he's a comics fan now.

Watchmen may have been known only to comic fans before, but it's got people interested. And that can only be a good thing, for both the success of the movie, and hopefully for the comics industry.

I'm an avid comic book reader,but I never heard of The Watchmen.I just started getting into graphic novels when I picked up the first edition of 30 Days of Night.

Pretty much my collection is Daredevil,Hulk,Batman(few),Wonder Woman,Elektra,Sub-Mariner,Fantastic Four and a few scattered DC and Marvel comics I get at the Comic Book Conventions on the cheap.

The next day after seeing the Watchmen trailer,I went out and found the last copy at Barnes and Noble.I'm on page 25 and so far this book is mind blowing.

Definately not a "kiddie" comic book and can understand why the movie will get a R......

 

[Lauryn2000]

Also, you have to remeber, while comic book movies are all the rage today, comic books themselves are still very unpopular. Not many people read them anymore. Which is something I dont really get. How do millions of people flock to movies like The Dark Knight, and yet none of them get the desire to pick up a comic book?

Stereotype-

Who are your comic book readers?
Who goes into (snicker) into comic book shops???

You have different sets of people...most of us here,grew up watching these characters on tv,or had an older brother who got us into comic books.Or are just into superheros....sci-fi...etc.

 

[seifergt]

Never heard of it until it was mentioned that a Rorschach still was in a 300 trailer, even still, I didn't look into until I saw the trailer, and was like, as many were, wtf is this? So, I am glad to say that I finished reading it as of this morning, now that TDK is done, it is my new obsession. But, I don't, actually its not that well known, but I will try and spread the word.

 

[SuperBatman]

Well folks it took me awhile to find this comic but I finally did it. So I will read it and let you guys know what I think about it.

 

[C. Lee]

is watchmen really this obscure?

Yep.

The general public hasn't even picked up a current Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Iron Man comic.....do you think they know about a graphic novel about unknown characters made in the 80's?

 

[Nepenthes]

keep lending out your copies folks

 

[starscream]

did not know it existit before the trailer.

 

[CaptainGenerica]

Just look at Iron Man. It was even less popular than Watchmen, but after the release of the film, it became a very popular and even got its own brand

I'm gonna have to disagree with that one. Iron Man is probably one of the more recognizable characters in comics. He's not famous on the level of Superman, Batman, or Spider-man, but he's certainly just a notch below them. Almost all comics readers, and a good amount of non-comics readers, know who Iron Man is. (It helps that he's had a gamut of video games, action figures, and a Saturday morning cartoon to spread his name). On the other hand Watchmen is basically only known within comics circles, and even within that range it's nowhere near as well-known as Iron Man.

 

[Cinemaman]

I'm gonna have to disagree with that one. Iron Man is probably one of the more recognizable characters in comics. He's not famous on the level of Superman, Batman, or Spider-man, but he's certainly just a notch below them. Almost all comics readers, and a good amount of non-comics readers, know who Iron Man is. (It helps that he's had a gamut of video games, action figures, and a Saturday morning cartoon to spread his name). On the other hand Watchmen is basically only known within comics circles, and even within that range it's nowhere near as well-known as Iron Man.

Believe me, even IM fans had doubts that they movie would make so much money, because it wasn't that popular. But now, when it has reached $300m point, you are sure it has popularity. However, before the promotion started, Iron Man had been at least as well-known as Watchmen.

 

[Nepenthes]

I bought Watchmen to my parents house and made me dear old mum start reading it . well she's always recommended good books to me. She's read the Killing Joke, Year One and bits of Sandman before, and she says "I like your comics" but when I hand her Watchmen she says "oh this one again? it's too bloody long". She didn't get past the fist chapter last time so I printed out some reviews so she knows why she's reading it.

we do this one person at a time. but don't forget your old ma

 

[Sandman138]

Also, you have to remeber, while comic book movies are all the rage today, comic books themselves are still very unpopular. Not many people read them anymore. Which is something I dont really get. How do millions of people flock to movies like The Dark Knight, and yet none of them get the desire to pick up a comic book?

Watchmen is a bit different. It has been recognized in many literature circles and has a scope beyond most comic books. The Gaurd is right, the people who don't know it are less likely to be people who don't read comic books as much as people who don't read much at all.

 

[Sandman138]

Yep.

The general public hasn't even picked up a current Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Iron Man comic.....do you think they know about a graphic novel about unknown characters made in the 80's?

Batman, Superman, and the rest don't get recognition in Time Magazine and New York Times Best Seller Lists. They don't get taught in college literary analysis classes with as much frequency. Watchmen is known, it's just known in different circles than most comic books.

 

[Katsuro]

Believe me, even IM fans had doubts that they movie would make so much money, because it wasn't that popular. But now, when it has reached $300m point, you are sure it has popularity. However, before the promotion started, Iron Man had been at least as well-known as Watchmen.

I'd definatley say Iron Man was more well-known before its film came out than Watchmen. I didn't get into comic books until a few years ago, and I always knew who Iron Man was. He was nowhere near the levels of some of the other characters, but he had his fair share of cartoon and video game appearances. He was also at least popular enough to be referenced in a movie like Bio-Dome, "Iron Man, Iron Man, does whatever an Iron can".