I'm watching the Watchmen

I've been reading the first few chapters of the acclaimed graphic novel, "Watchmen", in preparation for seeing the new movie today. I have had conflicting reports about whether to read it all yet. Some movie reviewers are insisting that people must read the graphic novel first, in its original form, but having always had a vague idea of the premise, I've probably now read enough - up to Dr Manhattan's origin story in Chapter 4 - to have a good grounding in the whole Minuteman/Watchmen eras.

Avid comic collectors, who read the graphic novel when it first came out in twelve parts, seem to be loving the new movie, but a few friends reread the book in recent weeks, before seeing the movie, and then wished they'd gone into the cinema with vaguer memories.

So I feel I'm prepared, but not over-prepared.

Later that day...

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

Ok, advice for everyone. Yes, do what I did if you don't know the story. Buy the graphic novel and read the first four of the twelve chapters. Enough to see the pre-history unfold in the film, but all the McGuffins are left intact, and the changed ending will be fresh and new no matter what. The "visual literacy" of this comic (and movie) is... astounding. And the songs in the soundtrack are perfectly chosen