HBO to viewers: This isn’t your father’s Watchmen.
This past week, HBO released three teasers on Instagram highlighting the anticipated series. What is evident from these trailers is the emphasis on expanding upon the material of the original Watchmen. The pirate flag, the blue atom, and the bizarre American flag were signs that there has been a passage of time.
Connections can definitely be made through both the imagery and the captions. The flag belongs to The Black Freighter, the blue atom is reminiscent of the godlike Dr. Manhattan’s self-imposed exile on Mars, and the American flag’s redesign could point to a post-New York United States. The arrangement of stars could symbolize Ground Zero. What’s clear is this is a sequel to the actual graphic novel Watchmen, and not Zack Snyder’s 2007 film.
Although slated for a 2019 release, there is no definitive premiere date for HBO’s Watchmen, as well as no confirmation of how many episodes have even been filmed. As of late, the property has found its next chapter in the DC miniseries Doomsday Clock, which can also be considered an unofficial sequel. Its principal villains again are Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, and writer Geoff Johns has linked their actions to the creation of the much-maligned New 52.
Are you excited for the new Watchmen series? Let us know in the comments!
