Merrick here...


As you almost certainly know by now, WATCHMEN hits theaters this evening.

Given the aesthetic intensity of the property, it's in no way surprising that a bevy of image/design intensive publications are supporting the film's release.

Several of these books, from Titan Books (website HERE), are worthy of particular note; I thought I'd share some details about them before you head to theaters.

NOTE: IMAGES EMBIGGENABLE

First up:

WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION

AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 176 pages, ISBN = 9781848561595

This is the title we gave away in a contest earlier this week (HERE).

There's quite a bit about the making of the film here, including an interesting story about efforts to evoke/replicate DR. STRANGELOVE's war room for WATCHMEN. The WATCHMEN gang were having trouble matching the look of STRANGELOVE's tactical displays. Turns out, one of Snyder's gaffers had actually worked on Kubrick's film & knew how the large projections were achieved back in the day (the process was eventually employed here as well).

One extremely appealing element of the book is its expansion on/contextualization of the concept's alternate time line. This involves a torrent of characters & an evaluation of their interrelationships past/present - as well as a more thorough look at past costumed superheroes.

Through both word and image, we get a better sense of many characters who received precious little screen time (I believe a few may not have appeared in the current edit of the film at all, but I'm not 100% sure on that).

Here's a look at poor Dollar Bill:

Other past heroes receiving attention/images here include Silk Spectre I/Sally Jupiter, Nite Owl I, Hooded Justice, Silhouette, Captain Metropolis, and Mothman . A look at vintage villains is incorporated as well, including an expanded look at Moloch (we only see glimpses of his past super villain attire in the film - this book offers much better shots of the baddie in his heyday).

You can learn about how Rorschach's mask was animated, and how Snyder & Co. realized the on-set spill light thrown by Doctor Manhattan.

Very informative with a tremendous number of high-quality photos, WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION would make an excellent primer for folks who've never been exposed to WATCHMEN, people who've read the graphic novel but are hazy on the details, and fans who want to more deeply immerse themselves in the film's careful forged universe.

This is currently in bookstores, but you can grab it from amazon. HERE is a link to the hardcover, or you can find the paperback version HERE.

WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM

AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 256 pages, ISBN = 9781848560680

Very little text, lots and lots of art - much of it self-explanatory design progressions of settings, vehicles, and characters.

Here's an early design treatment for the Owlship...

And here's a run at Ozymandius' costume by John Cassaday:

What strikes me most about this particular title is the sense that design progression for the WATCHMEN movie was far more limited/less varied than one might find in, say, a STAR WARS production.

I'm guessing this is because so much of the film's look was mandated by Team Snyder's adherence to the graphics novel...there wasn't much need/room to try too many variations on themes I guess. As a result, there aren't any radical takes/significant variations between much of the art here and what we see on screen - which is a fun element of books like this. Something to consider when purchasing.

With that caveat, WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM is still a really nice product: great image reproduction on high quality paper, etc. - and there are some nifty close-ups of items like newspapers and posters that are only seen as background flavoring in the film.

If you're a fan of the WATCHMEN graphic novel who appreciates Snyder's cinematic interpretation? This book would probably be just right for you.

Find it in bookstores, or you can order it HERE.

WATCHMEN: PORTRAITS

Photography by Clay Enos - Forward by Zack Snyder, 240 pages, ISBN = 9781848560697

This book is exactly what it sounds like: a ciollection of portraits from folks populating the on-screen WATCHMEN universe.

Frankly, when I first heard about this product, I rolled my eyes and thought it was too dorky for even an unapologetic Geek like myself. Now that I've gotten a look at it? The book works surprisingly well.

Featuring a mammoth assemblage of black and white portraiture from Clay Enos, the film's official photographer, PORTRAITS is beautifuly printed, simply/slickly presented, and captures a depth of character/soul that, frankly, is sometimes missing from the actual film. Some of these photos work wonderfully well as...photos...outside of their WATCHMEN context, especially background characters and what not.

Here's a look at Matt Frewer as Moloch:

And here's Niall Matter as Mothman:

While all of the primary WATCHMEN characters are represented here, many of the book's most interesting photos are of personalities seen on-screen only fleetingly (if you even notice them at all).

Definitely worth flipping through if you have a chance. Whether you love or hate the WATCHMEN film, this coffee table-sized title should also work very well on its own as a collection of interesting, and sometimes even affecting, portraiture.

You can find it HERE.