This is month-old news to my fellow superhero fanboys. But for all you boring people out there, here’s the news: Captain America is back.

Just as I predicted: I told you so.

Bullgrit

Dragon Magazine #137, September 1988, the “Forum” section:

Would any gamers agree that ever since the publication of the WATCHMEN series, campaigns and gaming generally have become “Watchmanized”? In other words, real role-playing interaction and character psyche development are seen as more important and, vitally, more “fun” than bickering over who gets to trash the most kobolds? I for one am not sorry to retire Otto von Hackenslash, the archetypcal no-personality fighter whose only concern was to use his +3/+7 strength bonuses on the next hapless goblin, and wheel out a character who will be more subtle, more willing to interplay, and more real.

Bullgrit

I haven’t worn a tie to work in many years, but I have about two dozen ties hanging on two clothes hangers at the back of my closet.

Of those 20+, here are my favorites. Sadly, I only ever wear the conservative one on the right. Since I only wear a tie nowadays either for a job interview or to a funeral (I’ve aged past the days of all my friends getting married), I never get the opportunity to wear Thor or Captain America.

I miss showing these ties as a business sign of my cool geekness. (I own both issues of The Mighty Thor and Captain America that these designs are based on.) But I definitely don’t miss having to wear ties on a daily basis. I’m a jeans and t-shirt guy.

But if I had a business-dress alter ego, he’d wear a kick-ass superhero tie. “Avengers assemble my wardrobe!”

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com

I finished reading the Watchmen graphic novel. It’s a good book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly, but it really feels like it’s telling at least three different stories. Although Alan Moore weaves the stories together rather well, they still seem like they could have stood on their own, as distinct tales. And then there’s the Tales of the Black Freighter story which, unless I missed a subtle connection somewhere, is a distinct and separate story just thrown into the mix with no reason.

Rorschach’s story could make for an interesting series on its own. Doctor Manhattan’s story is a fascinating idea that needn’t be connected to the other characters at all. Ozymandias’ scheme is so weird that it feels strange amongst the almost realistic (other than Dr. Manhattan, of course) feel of the rest of the story. And the whole back story about the early crime-fighting groups seems unnecessary.

Again, I did enjoy this book. But at times it felt like I was reading three or four or five different novels in the same publication. It’s like Moore had all these ideas in his head and he wanted to get them all out and published immediately, even if at one time. Some of the stories would have made great individual series, and probably could have run for years like Batman and Spider-Man.

It’s a good book despite this jumbled weakness.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com