WatchMen Premier Review: This Superhero Series Has Lots To Say About Some Very Real Current Issues

HBO's newest series "WatchMen" is based on the 1986-87 DC comic series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. There was a 2007 movie as well.

The series opens with an attack that is referred to as the "Tulsa Massacre". We see a small boy (who has a piece of paper in his pocket that reads "Watch Over This Boy") and a baby escape. This event is based on a real life tragedy that occurred in Tulsa in 1921 and was dubbed the "Black Wall Street Massacre'. Check out the details here. Truly horrifying!

Fast forward to present day. A few thing have changed in this version of history. Robert Redford has been president since 1992. There are no term limits. He's instating something called Redfordations (which some arent happy about).

Thirty years ago an inter-dimensional giant squid attacked Manhattan and killed millions. Now there are daily baby squid rainstorms (which people view as normal since they've been going on so long). Dr Manhattan is believed to be off planet (on Mars) after killing Rorshach.

There is no internet here and no cell phones. It is thought that they might have alerted the giant squid to our location. The government is very careful about what technology it allows. We still see a few fun gadgets though such as some sort of xray glasses, a strange police aircraft, etc.

The police and superheros wear masks to hide their identities (so criminals dont attack their families and homes). Firearms are only released if Article Four is invoked (and the majority of the police believe their lives are in imminent danger). White supremacists (called the Seventh Kavalry) are at every turn. They all wear the same face mask previously donned by Rorscach. Many racists live in trailer parks called Nixon-villes.

Regina King plays Angela Abraham/ Sister Knight. Yahya Abdul-Mateeen II is her husband Cal. They have three adopted kids who were her deceased partners. Almost all of the police force was wiped our during "White Night" except for Angela and Chief Judd Crawford (played by Don Johnson). Judd has lots of secrets (which I assume we'll learn more about as the season progresses).

Adrien Veidt/Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) is responsible for the giant squid attack. But no one believe this except for a few right wing conspiracy theorists and their followers. Adrien is currently presumed dead but is actually living the life on an English estate. From there he continues his delusions of grandeur as clones attend to his every whim.

We meet other superheros Looking Glass and Red Scare but dont know much about them yet. A mysterious man named Will appears and says there is a vast conspiracy afoot. He turns out to be Angela's grandfather. Angela doesnt know what to think of him. Next episode Silk Spectre/The Comedienne (Jean Smart) should make an appearance. Can't wait to see her.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Two episodes in. There are nine total in season 1. So far I'm really digging everything about "WatchMen". The show covers some hard hitting topics such as racism, xenophophia, the role of the government, etc. It also has some crazy action sequences. The shoot out at the cattle ranch was very impressive. I'm sure no cattle were harmed during the filming (despite what it looked like).