I have had a few discussions over Comic-Con weekend about which upcoming movie best embodies what comic books and Comic-Con have to offer the big screen. Almost everyone narrows the field down to two: The Spirit and The Watchmen. The Spirit is an old comic book series created by the grandfather of comics, Will Eisner, about a detective turned masked vigilante. It is directed by Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, 300) who is more well known for his comic book writing than his movie making. He was recently very involved in Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Sin City. And so far, The Spirit looks a whole lot like Sin City. The movie stars Gabriel Macht (Because I Said So), Samuel Jackson (Snakes on a Plane, Pulp Fiction) and Scarlett Johansson (The Island, The Prestige). I plan to see the movie, it looks like it could be good. But ultimately it’s a comic book for which I have only a passing knowledge. A good friend attended the panel and was underwhelmed by both the 2007 and 2008 Comic-Con panel. I see most big budget sci-fi, fantasy, secret agent, and comic book hero movies. I usually find something to really like about them, so I am cautiously optimistic.

Moving on to The Watchmen...

Artist Eddie Campbell is best known for his collaborative graphic novel with writer Alan Moore, From Hell, chronicling the Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel, England during the 1880s. With their edgy grittiness and ink renderings, Campbell’s drawing style feels like a series of spontaneous lively sketches jotted as feverish, visual notations in his sketchbooks.

Matthew Goode will be part of Warner Brothers' Watchmen panel today at 11:55 in Hall H. People were getting in line last night for the panel. I had a chance to talk with Goode (who also starred in Match Point and The Lookout) yesterday at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Cabana. 

I've been a fan of Alan Moore's Watchmen since buying the limited series when it first came out. Since then I've re-read it several times, often catching things that I had previously missed. I have high hopes for the movie, especially after reading Dave Gibbons' reports from the set, and seeing that they kept minor characters, like Bernard, the news vendor. I watched the trailer with a big smile on my face, identifying almost every scene and even saying part of Rorschach's line along with him. Of course, I expect there to be changes and cuts from the original work.  Let's face it, no adaptation is 100% faithful and even if it were, people would probably complain about that too. I'm really looking forward to the film, and even the Tales of the Black Freighter DVD. They’ve been talking about a Watchmen film since the 80s, and I’m glad to see that it’s finally being made, and hopefully being made right.

Warner Brothers' Watchmen panel is Friday, 11:55am in Hall H.