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Absolute Watchmen
Watchmen, the groundbreaking story from award-winning author Alan Moore that sparked the hit HBO original series, is collected in stunning Absolute format!
In a world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history–the U.S. won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the Cold War is in full effect.
Considered the greatest graphic novel in the history of the medium, the Hugo Award-winning story chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the superhero is dissected as an unknown assassin stalks the former heroes.
In a world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history–the U.S. won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the Cold War is in full effect.
Considered the greatest graphic novel in the history of the medium, the Hugo Award-winning story chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the superhero is dissected as an unknown assassin stalks the former heroes.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 2023
36 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,577 books21.7k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
December 4, 2015
First, I should mention that I usually read for pleasure and therefore, I rate most of my books based on how much I enjoy reading them. But every once in a while, I make myself read a certain book for the literature value it has or for the sheer reason that I think I should. *Watchmen" was one of these cases. I don't regret reading it. I can see why this book has such a significant value as a comic. The ending was specially a very nice surprise and I find it very refreshing when I think of all the comic books that exist to depict Superheroes and their struggle to save the world but Seriously, the journey was....BORING!
If I wasn't reading this in a buddy read with my amazing friend, Roya, I would have skipped to the very last chapter and I think I would have been FINE. Yes, It's a Hugo Award-winning graphic novel that has appeared in Time magazine's "All-Time 100 Greatest Novels" list. I will say it again, I am one of those people that prefer to enjoy what they read. If there is real depth to the story, even better!
I LOVE anti-heroes and this COMIC still bored me. The problem is that I don't think of these characters as real anti-heroes. They are not flawed human beings that are forced into difficult situations and have to make difficult choices. If that's what you want, try "Batman"! These characters are mostly pathetic, annoying, selfish, bitchy and need professional help and shouldn't be responsible for their own health and safety, let alone the freaking humanity! There were nice characters too but they either lost their touch along the way or didn't actually get to do anything! When reading an award-wining comic that "chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin", boredom shouldn't be an issue!
It's indeed very unique and definitely has literature value but I simply don't see all the fuss and find it overrated. For me, It was simply too busy trying to be deep and teach the readers a lesson while there wasn't any real depth to it and I actually didn't learn anything. There wasn't anything to learn. I don't even agree with this comic's philosophy, if there is actually any. I am a realistic person that tries to stay positive and I believe while humanity is not perfect, it's not hopeless and in my opinion, the story failed to prove that. It failed to prove the value of life, love and hope! Yes, there is some insight and wisdom SOMEWHERE in this novel but not enough.*hides from the angry mob*
Lastly, most of the costumes are SUPER lame and I don't care how old this comic is. These are drawings, they didn't have to actually make these costumes back then and I can't get over these characters' awful sense of fashion.
In conclusion, I liked it but it's not really that spectacular and I recommend it if you want to read all the classic and award-wining books in the world or if you are really into philosophy and headache.
If I wasn't reading this in a buddy read with my amazing friend, Roya, I would have skipped to the very last chapter and I think I would have been FINE. Yes, It's a Hugo Award-winning graphic novel that has appeared in Time magazine's "All-Time 100 Greatest Novels" list. I will say it again, I am one of those people that prefer to enjoy what they read. If there is real depth to the story, even better!
I LOVE anti-heroes and this COMIC still bored me. The problem is that I don't think of these characters as real anti-heroes. They are not flawed human beings that are forced into difficult situations and have to make difficult choices. If that's what you want, try "Batman"! These characters are mostly pathetic, annoying, selfish, bitchy and need professional help and shouldn't be responsible for their own health and safety, let alone the freaking humanity! There were nice characters too but they either lost their touch along the way or didn't actually get to do anything! When reading an award-wining comic that "chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin", boredom shouldn't be an issue!
It's indeed very unique and definitely has literature value but I simply don't see all the fuss and find it overrated. For me, It was simply too busy trying to be deep and teach the readers a lesson while there wasn't any real depth to it and I actually didn't learn anything. There wasn't anything to learn. I don't even agree with this comic's philosophy, if there is actually any. I am a realistic person that tries to stay positive and I believe while humanity is not perfect, it's not hopeless and in my opinion, the story failed to prove that. It failed to prove the value of life, love and hope! Yes, there is some insight and wisdom SOMEWHERE in this novel but not enough.*hides from the angry mob*
Lastly, most of the costumes are SUPER lame and I don't care how old this comic is. These are drawings, they didn't have to actually make these costumes back then and I can't get over these characters' awful sense of fashion.
In conclusion, I liked it but it's not really that spectacular and I recommend it if you want to read all the classic and award-wining books in the world or if you are really into philosophy and headache.
September 1, 2016
Final rating: 2.5 stars
Buddy read with: Argona (the awesome).
Everything was boring for the most part. There's a quote in specific that made me raise my rating from what it could have become. It's one of my favourites, if not my favourite.
Although most of the characters were poorly-written and indecisive, I loved Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. I don't know what the point of Tales of the Black Freighter was and found it distracting. I don't get why this is so popular.Sorry.
Buddy read with: Argona (the awesome).
Rorschach's Journal: October 12th, 1985Most people enjoyed this book. I didn't, but it's my review and I'll cry if I want to. Here's a list of things that would have made me enjoy this more:
Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face.
The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.
The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"...and I'll look down and whisper "No.”
• More action, less politics.But you know what?
• Don't go off on tangents about wars and Alexander the Great; I don't give a crap.
• Don't compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.
• Don't kill the main character.
• Imprison the bad guy.
• Less sex, more plot.
Everything was boring for the most part. There's a quote in specific that made me raise my rating from what it could have become. It's one of my favourites, if not my favourite.
"...And we forget...I forget. We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another's vantage point, as if new, it may still take the breath away. Come...dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg."
Although most of the characters were poorly-written and indecisive, I loved Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. I don't know what the point of Tales of the Black Freighter was and found it distracting. I don't get why this is so popular.
November 1, 2016
Who’s watching Watchmen? Everybody apparently. This book—or comic book, or graphic novel, or whatever you want to call it—has been picked apart endlessly in the 20 years since it was first published, every frame microscopically studied, its plot, characters, and symbols charted out no less elaborately than Ulysses’. Its fans, like fans of everything else, are intensely protective and argumentative. Reading a book like this now, for the first time, is likely to result less in actual criticism than in intellectual alignment. What can be said has likely been said; the issue now is with whom do you agree.
So on the occasion of DC Comics’ Absolute Watchmen, a beautifully re-mastered anniversary edition with hard-to-find scripts from writer Alan Moore and sketches from artist Dave Gibbons, I’ll agree with everybody and nobody, the geeks and the eye-rollers both. You say I contradict myself? Very well then, but Watchmen contains multitudes: It’s big and important and brilliant and insufferable. It’s mythic; it’s gritty. It’s awesome and it’s dumb. In its pages are heroes, anti-heroes, and giant, blue-peckered superheroes. There are aliens, street-fighting lesbians, and pirates. There are ambiguously evil geniuses and average New Yorkers. When its violence isn’t intimate, it’s global. When the sex isn’t tender, it’s dirty. Watchmen’s story is part whodunit, part philosophical tract, its writing fierce and groundbreaking, pinched and pedantic. The art is always stiff and always utterly appropriate.
Watchmen is everything. At times it’s even boring.
Read my full review here: http://bit.ly/2eYB5tn
So on the occasion of DC Comics’ Absolute Watchmen, a beautifully re-mastered anniversary edition with hard-to-find scripts from writer Alan Moore and sketches from artist Dave Gibbons, I’ll agree with everybody and nobody, the geeks and the eye-rollers both. You say I contradict myself? Very well then, but Watchmen contains multitudes: It’s big and important and brilliant and insufferable. It’s mythic; it’s gritty. It’s awesome and it’s dumb. In its pages are heroes, anti-heroes, and giant, blue-peckered superheroes. There are aliens, street-fighting lesbians, and pirates. There are ambiguously evil geniuses and average New Yorkers. When its violence isn’t intimate, it’s global. When the sex isn’t tender, it’s dirty. Watchmen’s story is part whodunit, part philosophical tract, its writing fierce and groundbreaking, pinched and pedantic. The art is always stiff and always utterly appropriate.
Watchmen is everything. At times it’s even boring.
Read my full review here: http://bit.ly/2eYB5tn
May 1, 2019
As we are living in this golden age in which comic books have become prolific in mainstream media as they have been adapted into many films and television shows, of which people are embracing, there is still a section of the audience that are dismissing the sheer quantity of these projects. One of those people would be Alan Moore, who has rid himself of superheroes and has been negatively vocal about the subject, given that he embraced the outlandish nature of the characters during the beginning of his comics career.
During the eighties where his career led him to the American mainstream and tapped into the Silver Age of DC Comics, Moore would become known for deconstructing the mechanics of superheroes by placing them in "the real world" and how would they behave, which he started with Marvelman (soon to become Miracleman for Marvel). However, around the same time Frank Miller was redefining Batman with The Dark Knight Returns, Alan Moore would take his dark, deconstructionist approach towards super-heroism to the next level with Watchmen, a twelve-issue series in collaboration with artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins that would become one of the most significant works of 20th century literature.
Set in an alternate 1985, in which America won the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon is still president and superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, until they were outlawed by the Keene Act in 1977. Opening with the death of a government-sponsored superhero known as the Comedian, Rorschach – who continues to operate outside the law – investigates on the matter, along with former superheroes who pull out of retirement, whilst the country is edging towards nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
It's been around for three decades and will remain in print forever by DC, much to the dismay of Moore, this comic has been much discussed and dissected by professionals since its initial publication, so whatever I say in this review, may not be entirely groundbreaking, as much as what I personally felt about it. Having read this graphic novel five or six times in my life, and given how multi-layered it is in its narrative and characterisation, there is the realisation that Watchmen could be anything the reader wants it to be. Even Zack Snyder, the director of the 2009 film adaptation, has his own interpretation of what he thinks Watchmen is about and that's what his film is built upon, in that he overly embraces the pop culture references and the stylised, violent action of the spandex-wearing heroes; something that many fans weren't pleased with, given how fanboyishly faithful he was, certainly visually.
Based on my recent reading of the comic, I took great pleasure in reading the supplemental fictional documents that add to the series' backstory that appear at the end of each issue, particularly excerpts from Hollis Mason's autobiography Under the Hood, in which he tells his time as the masked adventurer, Nite Owl and how his legacy as part of the first vigilante emergence inspired the next wave of superheroes, even if looking back, it perhaps meant nothing. This aspect as well as some of the backup features gives great context for the protagonists of the main story, in terms of why did they wore costumes and fight crime, much like the comic book superheroes. Some of the characters have said they were compelled to do so and thinking they could save the world, but in reality, the outcome is not entirely heroic as many of these costumed figures have met a sticky end, such as Dollar Bill, who attempted to stop a raid upon one of his employer's banks, until his cloak became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot at point-blank range before he could free it.
There is no doubt that these characters – originally inspired by the Charlton characters – are Moore's way of saying that the psychological motivations for superheroes can be funny, tragic, scary and even pathetic; it has to be said that seeing real-life news reports of ordinary people donning superhero costumes and getting beat up isn’t that heroic. Certainly, the lust for power is a recurring theme throughout the book as it's displayed in the characterisation of the Comedian and Ozymandias as the former is defined by his cynical view of the world and can only react to it through his violent nature, whilst the latter uses his love of Egyptian iconography in both his costume and corporation as a force for good in the world.
However, the world is a dark place and in 1985 when people feared of being nuked, "the end is nigh." Moore presents a dark and twisted view of humanity, showcasing incidental characters that are warring with each other, including a woman who witnessed her husband killing himself and their children. The most tragic character by far is the fan-favourite Rorschach, who some could see as the cool anti-hero of the book, but that would contradict the whole character. Inspired by Steve Ditko's creations Mr. A and the Question, which were influenced by Ayn Rand's "Objectivism", Rorschach has been through abuse and tragedy, in and out of the costume, and even though he is trying to do some good, his methods are extreme and has a death wish.
As much as Watchmen did influence the Dark Age of Comic Books, Moore was more interested in how you could use the many techniques in sequential storytelling. Using the traditional nine-panel grid layout – a recurring device in some of Moore's comics – artist Dave Gibbons added recurring symbols such as a bloodstained smiley face from the Comedian's badge and the silhouette of two lovers that symbolises Rorschach's past. With its nonlinear narrative, the story skips through space, time and plot, which is at its full potential with Issue #4. In twenty-eight pages, Moore and Gibbons goes through fifty years of alternate Amercian history with Jon Osterman AKA Dr Manhattan as the unconventional narrator, as well as the only character in the story that possesses actual superpowers. This issue goes back and forth from his past to his current place in Mars as he seems to be experiencing emotions from different time frames, allowing masterful transitioning from one sequence to the next.
Through the perspective of Dr Manhattan, formerly a man who is seen as a posthuman god, the book is a true exploration into what makes humanity tick, as the recurring image of a clock that is five minutes before midnight, approaching our impending doom. This is even mirrored in the fictional pirate comic Tales of the Black Freighter as whilst being read by a youth in New York City, the story of a marooned mariner is counterpointed to several aspects of the main narrative.
As its legacy is still going strong as not only do these characters are currently being placed in the main DC continuity with Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Doomsday Clock that continues the narrative of Watchmen, but a potential TV series is being developed by HBO, this is an interesting time to be a Watchmen fan, for better or worse. Whatever your thoughts are on whatever creator does with this world, nothing will ever damage the masterpiece that is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' twelve-issue series, which will forever remain my favourite comic book of all time.
*On a side note, given DC's numerous repackaging of Watchmen, this Absolute edition is the best format to read it on, as not only do we see a greater enlargement of Dave Gibbon's detailed art, but is re-coloured by John Higgins. Sadly, this edition is out of print, unless you got some big change to purchase on eBay.
During the eighties where his career led him to the American mainstream and tapped into the Silver Age of DC Comics, Moore would become known for deconstructing the mechanics of superheroes by placing them in "the real world" and how would they behave, which he started with Marvelman (soon to become Miracleman for Marvel). However, around the same time Frank Miller was redefining Batman with The Dark Knight Returns, Alan Moore would take his dark, deconstructionist approach towards super-heroism to the next level with Watchmen, a twelve-issue series in collaboration with artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins that would become one of the most significant works of 20th century literature.
Set in an alternate 1985, in which America won the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon is still president and superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, until they were outlawed by the Keene Act in 1977. Opening with the death of a government-sponsored superhero known as the Comedian, Rorschach – who continues to operate outside the law – investigates on the matter, along with former superheroes who pull out of retirement, whilst the country is edging towards nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
It's been around for three decades and will remain in print forever by DC, much to the dismay of Moore, this comic has been much discussed and dissected by professionals since its initial publication, so whatever I say in this review, may not be entirely groundbreaking, as much as what I personally felt about it. Having read this graphic novel five or six times in my life, and given how multi-layered it is in its narrative and characterisation, there is the realisation that Watchmen could be anything the reader wants it to be. Even Zack Snyder, the director of the 2009 film adaptation, has his own interpretation of what he thinks Watchmen is about and that's what his film is built upon, in that he overly embraces the pop culture references and the stylised, violent action of the spandex-wearing heroes; something that many fans weren't pleased with, given how fanboyishly faithful he was, certainly visually.
Based on my recent reading of the comic, I took great pleasure in reading the supplemental fictional documents that add to the series' backstory that appear at the end of each issue, particularly excerpts from Hollis Mason's autobiography Under the Hood, in which he tells his time as the masked adventurer, Nite Owl and how his legacy as part of the first vigilante emergence inspired the next wave of superheroes, even if looking back, it perhaps meant nothing. This aspect as well as some of the backup features gives great context for the protagonists of the main story, in terms of why did they wore costumes and fight crime, much like the comic book superheroes. Some of the characters have said they were compelled to do so and thinking they could save the world, but in reality, the outcome is not entirely heroic as many of these costumed figures have met a sticky end, such as Dollar Bill, who attempted to stop a raid upon one of his employer's banks, until his cloak became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot at point-blank range before he could free it.
There is no doubt that these characters – originally inspired by the Charlton characters – are Moore's way of saying that the psychological motivations for superheroes can be funny, tragic, scary and even pathetic; it has to be said that seeing real-life news reports of ordinary people donning superhero costumes and getting beat up isn’t that heroic. Certainly, the lust for power is a recurring theme throughout the book as it's displayed in the characterisation of the Comedian and Ozymandias as the former is defined by his cynical view of the world and can only react to it through his violent nature, whilst the latter uses his love of Egyptian iconography in both his costume and corporation as a force for good in the world.
However, the world is a dark place and in 1985 when people feared of being nuked, "the end is nigh." Moore presents a dark and twisted view of humanity, showcasing incidental characters that are warring with each other, including a woman who witnessed her husband killing himself and their children. The most tragic character by far is the fan-favourite Rorschach, who some could see as the cool anti-hero of the book, but that would contradict the whole character. Inspired by Steve Ditko's creations Mr. A and the Question, which were influenced by Ayn Rand's "Objectivism", Rorschach has been through abuse and tragedy, in and out of the costume, and even though he is trying to do some good, his methods are extreme and has a death wish.
As much as Watchmen did influence the Dark Age of Comic Books, Moore was more interested in how you could use the many techniques in sequential storytelling. Using the traditional nine-panel grid layout – a recurring device in some of Moore's comics – artist Dave Gibbons added recurring symbols such as a bloodstained smiley face from the Comedian's badge and the silhouette of two lovers that symbolises Rorschach's past. With its nonlinear narrative, the story skips through space, time and plot, which is at its full potential with Issue #4. In twenty-eight pages, Moore and Gibbons goes through fifty years of alternate Amercian history with Jon Osterman AKA Dr Manhattan as the unconventional narrator, as well as the only character in the story that possesses actual superpowers. This issue goes back and forth from his past to his current place in Mars as he seems to be experiencing emotions from different time frames, allowing masterful transitioning from one sequence to the next.
Through the perspective of Dr Manhattan, formerly a man who is seen as a posthuman god, the book is a true exploration into what makes humanity tick, as the recurring image of a clock that is five minutes before midnight, approaching our impending doom. This is even mirrored in the fictional pirate comic Tales of the Black Freighter as whilst being read by a youth in New York City, the story of a marooned mariner is counterpointed to several aspects of the main narrative.
As its legacy is still going strong as not only do these characters are currently being placed in the main DC continuity with Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Doomsday Clock that continues the narrative of Watchmen, but a potential TV series is being developed by HBO, this is an interesting time to be a Watchmen fan, for better or worse. Whatever your thoughts are on whatever creator does with this world, nothing will ever damage the masterpiece that is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' twelve-issue series, which will forever remain my favourite comic book of all time.
*On a side note, given DC's numerous repackaging of Watchmen, this Absolute edition is the best format to read it on, as not only do we see a greater enlargement of Dave Gibbon's detailed art, but is re-coloured by John Higgins. Sadly, this edition is out of print, unless you got some big change to purchase on eBay.
August 24, 2016
Heartless juvenilia wrapped in a veneer of fashionable nihilism.
November 18, 2023
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Legends appear when you least expect them to. Writer Alan Moore, the wizard behind V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke, From Hell and many more, effortlessly established himself as an iconic creator whose work has managed to convey his most contemporary ideas through the comic book medium in a revolutionary fashion. Going up against universal concepts by breaking them down through symbolism and satire, he has quickly caught the attention of the world and became an important influence in popular culture as his work continues to hold incomparable relevancy to modern politics and philosophies. Amongst his greatest graphic novels is his Hugo Award-winning magnum opus Watchmen, a pivotal piece that instantly changed the comic book industry with its narrative, its themes, its characters, and its philosophical message.
What is Absolute Watchmen about? Set in an alternate reality that draws its foundations on the state of the world in the 1980s, the story is a cross-examination of the superhero concept in regard to its personal and political implications amidst an impending nuclear war. Although Richard Nixon goes on for multiple terms as the president of the United States and the United States win the Vietnam War, the central twist to this realistic tale is the existence of superheroes and their responsibility in the development of international relations and crime-fighting. While tension rises to unfathomable heights, the murder of an ex-hero point towards a larger scheme at play as vigilantes looks into the meticulous assassination of their comrades despite their illegitimacy, forbidding their activities, following the Keene Act. However, is there really a conspiracy theory at work while Soviets pursue their assault on Afghanistan and a nuclear war is within seconds of being unleashed?
Collecting Watchmen #1-12 with remastered colouring as well as bonus material including afterwords by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, this magnificent absolute edition is a must-have for all fans of this chef-d’oeuvre.
A couple of years back, Watchmen opened my eyes to the astounding complexity of adult comic books. Writer Alan Moore tackled a subject that has grown dear to my heart ever since I was a kid and presented a realistic yet nihilistic take on superheroes that has never been accomplished before. Through his multi-layered non-linear narrative, he offers an intimate yet universal tale that looks at the madness of the world through the eyes of vigilantes who found their purpose with actions oriented towards taking the law in their own hands. Whether these heroes worked for the government or not wasn’t central to understanding the notably eye-opening idea that humankind is capable of horrors beyond our imagination. Through various intricate characters, from the elusive, compulsive, and fair-minded Rorschach to the godly, enigmatic, and introspective Dr. Manhattan, a critical commentary on the motivation of heroes is presented in a twelve-part limited series.
The stark dissection of superheroes alongside the compelling murder-mystery plot aren’t the only beautiful traits of this graphic novel. Artist Dave Gibbons also deserves just as much praise for this seminal work as his nine-panel grid configuration remains one of the most iconic elements of this story. The dialogue-less pages also encapsulate incredible emotional range and attest to the whole saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Extremely ambitious and confident, artist Dave Gibbons doesn’t hesitate in ignoring key characters to focus on the environment to help convey the strong symbolism present in the narrative. In fact, there’s amazing wordplay present throughout the story that can be analyzed to the second degree and masterfully perfects the storytelling. This also helps in illustrating some of the best transitions between panels. In the end, the artwork serves as an impeccable vessel to tell this distressing yet riveting tragedy that stands tall on its self-constructed and stunning mythology.
Absolute Watchmen is an exquisite quintessential classic masterpiece deconstructing the concept of superheroes through nihilistic lenses.
December 20, 2020
Rating: 4.75 stars
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew is that I had heard the name "Watchmen" thrown around a lot, and that it was supposedly really good. So I borrowed the absolute edition with all 12 chapters from the library on a whim and I was just amazed by everything this graphic novel did.
I have issues with characters in graphic novels because I often can't tell exactly what they are feeling (I am terrible, and I mean absolutely terrible, at reading faces). Though I did have trouble with this a couple of times during Watchmen, it wasn't nearly as much as I usually do. As a result of this, I was able to understand each and every character, and appreciate how much work was put into building the psychological state of them all, which was done masterfully.
I have few qualms with Watchmen, but they are there, and unfortunately dragged the rating down for me. The ending sequence was dominated by a looooong villainous monologue, which all readers know is the lazy way out. Also, the way a particular character's arc ended up was quite unsatisfying, and my response was kind of similar to (but not necessarily the same as) Padan Fain's final scene in The Wheel of Time.
And so now I understand what all the fuss is about. Do I recommend Watchmen to everyone? No; it's a niche topic. But if it is your kind of thing, I highly doubt you will find a better alternative.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew is that I had heard the name "Watchmen" thrown around a lot, and that it was supposedly really good. So I borrowed the absolute edition with all 12 chapters from the library on a whim and I was just amazed by everything this graphic novel did.
I have issues with characters in graphic novels because I often can't tell exactly what they are feeling (I am terrible, and I mean absolutely terrible, at reading faces). Though I did have trouble with this a couple of times during Watchmen, it wasn't nearly as much as I usually do. As a result of this, I was able to understand each and every character, and appreciate how much work was put into building the psychological state of them all, which was done masterfully.
I have few qualms with Watchmen, but they are there, and unfortunately dragged the rating down for me. The ending sequence was dominated by a looooong villainous monologue, which all readers know is the lazy way out. Also, the way a particular character's arc ended up was quite unsatisfying, and my response was kind of similar to (but not necessarily the same as) Padan Fain's final scene in The Wheel of Time.
And so now I understand what all the fuss is about. Do I recommend Watchmen to everyone? No; it's a niche topic. But if it is your kind of thing, I highly doubt you will find a better alternative.
October 26, 2019
Fazer uma resenha de Watchmen 34 anos depois - e tendo a cultura pop anglófona ficado obcecada como ficou - é, no mínimo, chover no molhado. Quem leu, leu. Quem tá chegando agora (especialmente por causa da série da HBO que acabou de estrear) seja bem vindo, aproveite o passeio.
Mas tô aqui para dizer que reler Watchmen em 2019 é um exercício de revisitar também vários dos tropos e referências literárias que são caras ao Alan Moore, e que escritores depois usaram à exaustão. Então, se eu tivesse o telefone do Alan Moore (ou ao menos tivesse o sigilo certo para conjurá-lo num ritualzinho aqui em casa) eu certamente pediria: "Pelo amor de Promethea, senhor Moore, manda uma nova antologia de poemas para os roteiristas de quadrinho, séries e cinema dos Estados Unidos, porque ninguém aguenta mais ouvir Ozymandias ou Tiger tiger."
Relojoeiro de Dark, mesmo em alemão, estou olhando feio pra você.
Mas tô aqui para dizer que reler Watchmen em 2019 é um exercício de revisitar também vários dos tropos e referências literárias que são caras ao Alan Moore, e que escritores depois usaram à exaustão. Então, se eu tivesse o telefone do Alan Moore (ou ao menos tivesse o sigilo certo para conjurá-lo num ritualzinho aqui em casa) eu certamente pediria: "Pelo amor de Promethea, senhor Moore, manda uma nova antologia de poemas para os roteiristas de quadrinho, séries e cinema dos Estados Unidos, porque ninguém aguenta mais ouvir Ozymandias ou Tiger tiger."
Relojoeiro de Dark, mesmo em alemão, estou olhando feio pra você.
August 14, 2019
“Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says, "But doctor...I am Pagliacci.”
So Watchmen, a graphic novel writen by a mad genius who knows everything about the medium but is a bit tired with it, and mocks it in a way with its crazy cast of misfits. This book for me is sacred. Its one that everybody should atleast try to read. I know superhero antics are not for everyone but this is so much more.. What Moore puts in just 12 issues is stunning, all story no filler, all fleshed out characters with great thought out backgrounds. Not a single panel is wasted, everything and everybody in it contributes to the story. A dark tale about a group of heroes who just act like normal people, with all their flaws. Set in an alternate history on the brink of doom, this story is dark, but great. The use of panels by Dave Gibbons is incredible, with foreshadowing everywhere, entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity, coincidence and repeated imagery. The story skips into through space, time and plot. There is a story inside of the story, with one of the characters reading a comic mixed into this one into the book. And almost all of the chapters have fictional documents to know more about the characters . Alan Moore knows the medium so well and runs with it, making this a great showcase of what is capable with artwork and a tight script. This book is making you love comics even more, or as a first time reader makes you want to try more. This is THE essential graphic novel experience.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars.
Pros,
Story
Artwork
Meaning
Exploration of the medium
Rorschach/ Doc Manhattan
Fair amount of extra's in this editon (Absolute)
Cons,
Some people may find the documents a bit long and the story inside the story a bit vague.
A bit long (not me, i think its perfect as it is)
The word count is 112.000 ( a normal graphic novel is maby half that size.
So Watchmen, a graphic novel writen by a mad genius who knows everything about the medium but is a bit tired with it, and mocks it in a way with its crazy cast of misfits. This book for me is sacred. Its one that everybody should atleast try to read. I know superhero antics are not for everyone but this is so much more.. What Moore puts in just 12 issues is stunning, all story no filler, all fleshed out characters with great thought out backgrounds. Not a single panel is wasted, everything and everybody in it contributes to the story. A dark tale about a group of heroes who just act like normal people, with all their flaws. Set in an alternate history on the brink of doom, this story is dark, but great. The use of panels by Dave Gibbons is incredible, with foreshadowing everywhere, entire scenes and dialogue have parallels with others through synchronicity, coincidence and repeated imagery. The story skips into through space, time and plot. There is a story inside of the story, with one of the characters reading a comic mixed into this one into the book. And almost all of the chapters have fictional documents to know more about the characters . Alan Moore knows the medium so well and runs with it, making this a great showcase of what is capable with artwork and a tight script. This book is making you love comics even more, or as a first time reader makes you want to try more. This is THE essential graphic novel experience.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars.
Pros,
Story
Artwork
Meaning
Exploration of the medium
Rorschach/ Doc Manhattan
Fair amount of extra's in this editon (Absolute)
Cons,
Some people may find the documents a bit long and the story inside the story a bit vague.
A bit long (not me, i think its perfect as it is)
The word count is 112.000 ( a normal graphic novel is maby half that size.
March 3, 2017
Quite simply the best graphic novel ever made, the genre-defying (and defining) Absolute Watchmen astounds with unflinching narrative, prophetic prose, masterful scenes and imagery, attention to detail, and all for one one for all blender of culture, philosophy, science, and fiction, sitting heavy on the palette as a barometer for the spiritual temperature of a world on the brink of the apocalypse with timeless and unforgettable characters and artwork. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins are all to be praised equally for their work in this absolutely stunning masterpiece, and while Watchmen doesn't answer all the questions it asks in the narrative, it presents the reader with a full buffet of food for thought, and a horrifyingly realistic and incredibly personal story so dramatically dense with entendre and metaphor and grit and grandeur and simultaneous storytelling it makes me wonder what it would've been like if Christopher Nolan had directed this DC franchise as well.
February 5, 2009
Uf! This one is hard to judge. On the one hand, a thriller combined with a super-heroes adventure, on the other, some pretty good stuff on human morality. The former isn't my kind of reading, but I like the latter. To continue, everything in this graphic novel is two-sided. I loved the depth put into some of the characters, I absolutely hated the side-stories and the length. I enjoyed the intricacy of the story, I wondered about the need for much of the techno-geek stuff. I liked the moral lessons, but I wondered about the validity of many of the things said. In the end, it's a book that can spark a lot of debate, and this is good.
March 29, 2024
There are so many different kind of comics out there, and so many different types of people out there. There are those who seek escape, sometimes into reading comic books. In my point of view, I do not want comics to be an escape, or a distraction of what is out there in the world. If anything, I want comics to be a mirror to the world. But with a small warped part that makes the reflection a bit different from that of what is looking into it. That is where the superhero part comes in. That warped out of this world part. That makes it unike, but still has so much room left fo all the horrors in this world. This book does not hold back on all different kinds of horrors that are in this world, and because of these horrors being constantly present, this story will also be forever present. In war, in peace, in thunder and in applause.
October 24, 2014
very cool story with some great characters
October 21, 2019
Issue #1
I longed to dive into this series for almost a year now and this seemed to be a very good time as the HBO TV series will be dropping in a month or so. Created by the legendary Alan Moore and critically acclaimed for it's rich, complex and meaniful tone and narration I scrutinized every panel in this issue and easily got acquainted with the philosophy of 'Watchmen'. Just in these 35 pages, a lot of storytelling happens and this is undoubtedly a character and event driven storyline. I'll confess that the cast of characters is large and it gets a bit tough to track who's who but on the whole the build-up towards the end is noticeable at every page. A lot of detail and depth goes into the comic and it calls for the readers attention. The art is good enough, the script and the flow of the text bubbles is where this comic shines. I'm very much @eager and excited to finish this series off and see where things head next.
Issue #2
Things are becoming much more clear and I'm getting a good idea about character elements and hidden plot points. Primarily this issue offers a lot of backstory about the disbanding of the Minutemen and the assembly of the Watchmen, a new league of superheroes who more or less want a better America and by extension, a better world. I loved this issue just a bit more than I loved the first one and that's saying a lot. Dr. Manhattan does posses a bunch of supernatural powers that fascinate me. There's something conspiratorial going in the background that hasn't been yet unveiled. The issue established the public dislike for the Watchmen and how it lead to their dismissal in the present timeline. The story is getting much more complex and detailed. I really have an affinity for side quotes, tags and comics panels merging into each other. The writers and artists of Watchmen certainly know how to engross the reader and tell a masterpiece, steadily and boldly.
Issue #3
This was much more intense and dramatic than the previous two. This felt more of an analysis and a powerful storytelling experiment that absolutely hit the mark. Most of the story here revolves around Jon Osterman a.k.a Dr. Manhattan as the news reports exploit and exile him for his supposed cancer contagian. The flow of the comic panel leave the reader engrossed and allow them to take in information the way they are comfortable. I was awestruck with the subtle hints and the way dialogues from one panel were shifted into another not as a contrast but with much symbolism and similarity. There is indeed a tangible and though provoking idea about Dr. Manhattan and his cosmic powers which add depth to the story. This issue had low key elements and introduction of the possible nuclear war. The imagery and color scheme in this issue captivated me and blew my mind. The dialogues intertwining with each other added a much more philosophical touch to the story.
Issue #4
This issue completely changes the way I'll be reading Watchmen. Told entirely by the point of view of Dr. Manhattan and constantly shifting in the past and the present, questioning the ruling of the universe with some truly impressive philosophy and awe inspiring quotes that are engraved in the mind, this is definitely my favorite issue of 'Watchmen' so far. The way the story begins and flows naratting the experiences and the life of Jon Osterman as he builds his empire on Mars in a somber solitude the reader is involved and impressed by the pace and the complexity of the story and how it addresses modern day issues. This issue focuses on the principle of the functioning of the universe, the existence of a natural order and force and how time is the ultimate key to all the events occuring simultaneously all over the universe. The symbolism of the watchmaker was fantastic. I never have been more involved in any other comic as much as I've been in Watchmen thanks to it's unique and intriguing narration style and poetic verse which is beguiling and enchanting to say the least. This issue also sets the tone and atmosphere for greater (or worse) things the reader will stumble upon in later issues.
Issue #5
Feels a lot more like Issue #1 as things get momentum and the danger is high as ever. Rorschach continues his investigation with great intensity and recklessness to be honest and takes the readers along with him as multiple conspiracies, enemy movements and occurinces take place. His journal entries are certainly worth noting. This issue of Watchmen highlights and addresses the degradation and the deteriorating state of the world and where the modern civilization is heading, unchecked and enforced by vices. The symmetry of the story with the parallels was really interesting a very good move by the writers. I did not expect the issue to end the way it did. Also, the story is heavily narrated from another comic book inside this comic which helps the readers to contextually identify where the author plans to take the story and impress upon the themes and issues of 'Watchmen'. I'm very anxious and excited to know about the Mastermind behind all the vigilante elimination conquest. The stakes have never been so high. The color palette is vibrant and ingenious complementing the storyline.
Issue #6
This issue dives deep into the origin and the idea of 'Raschach' and how the vice, wicked and oblivious world shaped him to be what he is today. The events are recalled as he is consulted by a psychiatrist in police custody. The reason I loved this so much and read it with solemn respect and horror is beacuse this has been written without holding back and the world's true face and nature is revealed in a powerful prosiac way with a lot of philosophy and extravagance paired with exquisite comic panels. The book builds up towards the climax and I as a reader have a lot more respect for Raschach and the cruelties he has had to face in the prime of his life. This comic accurately delivers a kick to the reader that is shocking as well as much needed for the story to propogate. The thoughts, ideas and the life experiences narrated by Raschach are serious and worth scrutinizing. This issue also offered some interesting background on the psychiatrist and used imagery and metaphors wildly resulting in enormous impact on the plot and how the reader comprehends it.
Issue #7
There is something powerfully inspiring about this issue and I don't just mean within the comic. This issue makes the reader actually care about the real world and act a certain way and lend a helping hand to those in need because of the urgency of the cataclysm and the apocalypse that is nigh. Following the build-up to the relationship between Laurie and Den a.k.a Nite Owl and their subsequent act to get their act together and see the bigger picture and take a bold action of rescuing the commoners from the fire was something I'd never expect to happen. This also reflects upon the post disbanding of the caped crusaders. There's a lot of sensual pleasures shared, high tech machinery and inspiring quotes to notice. This issue gives an appreciative bod to the previous issues and continues a radical journey into the future and highly prioritizes the message that the masses must function together if survival is to be attained. Pleasureable reading as always.
Issue #8
A lot of stuff gets done in this issue. I mean, the story has propgated itself at a faster rate than I'd imagined but still offers much material for the reader to contemplate about. Dan and Laurie have stolen the spotlight and this couple is really interesting with complex character. The journalists and the detectives have taken the foreground in the bigger picture. The comic book inside the Watchmen which narrates the survivor highlights the dark, gruesome, ruthless and unrelenting face of the world. The danger of the apocalypse still stands high but seems a bit faded in this issue. As the supes team up again, the readers get to ponder and speculate upon the situation in '77 which led to their fallout. (which is a running gag/tragedy) Also, I'm very much hyped up about Dr. Manhattan saving the world and it really is going to be interesting to see where the story goes from here. Raschach seems to have hit rock bottom as he appears to conceal his emotions and thoughts. Lot of action, explosions and blood in this issue. Fun as always.
Issue #9
Watchmen is simply perfect. It's fantastic. It's brilliant. It's unparalleled and it's unprecedentedly important. Even as a comic it has so much to absorb from. Reading the last few pages of the issue truly raises some emotion from you as a reader. I literally had goosebumps. Dr. Manhattan's quote about life and it's unique fate was perhaps the best in the series. Watchmen is full on, unstoppable and tends to reveal a cosmic truth about life and its connection with the universe. The events happening in this issue are certainly anything but low key. The way the writers executed this complex narrative style impressed me so much. I mean it's a hell of a job to imagine and execute it with utmost perfection and that's why Watchmen is undisputably my favorite comic book ever. Secrets are revealed which in turn has consequences, grave consequences and changes the probable date of the universe. Also, most of the story takes place on Mars. The art is breathtaking. The philosophy behind the conversation between Dr. Manhattan and Laurie is unlike anything I've seen before. Absolutely the best.
Issue #10
This wasn't a typical Watchmen issue, jammed with revolutionary philosophy and over the top quotes. This issue features to-the-point business that needed to be done. The nite owl and Raschach Continue their mission to find the persona responsible for supes death and exile and arrive at a snow clad mountain follows the hints of the inner circle. The reveal at the end was certainly pondering upon. There's nothing extraordinary about this issue other than it's direct contact with the main story, depth, details in illustration and the distribution of the panels. Also, much of the story takes form the point of view of the masses and common celebrities as they anticipate the end of the world.
Issues #11
The way this issue began with such complexity of words and Extraordinary quotes regarding the study of human minds and the natural species of the world you know it's beyond what was though possiblem this issue overcomes and breaks through the limits of a comic book to deliver something more biblical and enlightening. Adrian is obsessed with Alexander and his journey is narrated in this issue which I loved all the way through. The monster madness conspiracy was a bit hard to believe but absolutely surprising and intricate. The whole endgame is revealed which answers most of the questions which were raised right form the first issue very satisfactorily. The color pallets of the book is stunning with forms of white, gold and green across the pages which adds a climax like atmosphere. Watchmen truly does symobolize the dread of the world and how ignorant people are of the looming doom over them. Adrian's motives and his master endgame was acceptable to me. But still, there was a gruesome and a freaky execution to it. Let's see. Can't believe I've arrived at the end of the journey. A lot will go down in the final part of this stunning and remarkable series.
Issue #12
Even as I knew Watchmen was unique, original and it carved its own way of storytelling I hoped that the world would be saved but I was way wrong. Of course, Watchmen will not go down the expected or the orthodox path. No, it will take the least expected path, something truly horrifying and teach the readers a hell of a lesson out of it. The final issue in the Watchmen series gives the readers apocalypse, crushing any and all of their expectations and promotion nhilistic approach towards the world. Raschach, the character who we all followed for numerous issues just died in a blink just beacuse he went to do the morally right thing and there's no remembrance of him anywhere. That points out how unrelenting and nhilistically superior Watchmen is. The end of the world and it's subsequent fruitful unison seems dark and gritty but like Adrian says, 'A downfall is necessary for tomorrow's building empires'. Can't believe that guy is still alive and kicking backed up by Dr. Manhattan. Still, the story went a bit sideways than I'd expected but it was original and satisfying till the end. This series did a great work of caring the least about the readers and this world's moral values and doing the rational and necessary evils that needed to get done and it deserves it's rightful praise and appreciation. The epilogue was heart wrenching but it's all cool now that the world has achieve piece though Dr. Manhattan questions it by stating that 'nothing lasts forever'. Watchmen will always have an enormous impact on today's pop culture and comic enthusiasts with it's rich and complex nature and philosophy that goes beyond the moral compass. Nice Reading. Absolutely my favorite comic!
I longed to dive into this series for almost a year now and this seemed to be a very good time as the HBO TV series will be dropping in a month or so. Created by the legendary Alan Moore and critically acclaimed for it's rich, complex and meaniful tone and narration I scrutinized every panel in this issue and easily got acquainted with the philosophy of 'Watchmen'. Just in these 35 pages, a lot of storytelling happens and this is undoubtedly a character and event driven storyline. I'll confess that the cast of characters is large and it gets a bit tough to track who's who but on the whole the build-up towards the end is noticeable at every page. A lot of detail and depth goes into the comic and it calls for the readers attention. The art is good enough, the script and the flow of the text bubbles is where this comic shines. I'm very much @eager and excited to finish this series off and see where things head next.
Issue #2
Things are becoming much more clear and I'm getting a good idea about character elements and hidden plot points. Primarily this issue offers a lot of backstory about the disbanding of the Minutemen and the assembly of the Watchmen, a new league of superheroes who more or less want a better America and by extension, a better world. I loved this issue just a bit more than I loved the first one and that's saying a lot. Dr. Manhattan does posses a bunch of supernatural powers that fascinate me. There's something conspiratorial going in the background that hasn't been yet unveiled. The issue established the public dislike for the Watchmen and how it lead to their dismissal in the present timeline. The story is getting much more complex and detailed. I really have an affinity for side quotes, tags and comics panels merging into each other. The writers and artists of Watchmen certainly know how to engross the reader and tell a masterpiece, steadily and boldly.
Issue #3
This was much more intense and dramatic than the previous two. This felt more of an analysis and a powerful storytelling experiment that absolutely hit the mark. Most of the story here revolves around Jon Osterman a.k.a Dr. Manhattan as the news reports exploit and exile him for his supposed cancer contagian. The flow of the comic panel leave the reader engrossed and allow them to take in information the way they are comfortable. I was awestruck with the subtle hints and the way dialogues from one panel were shifted into another not as a contrast but with much symbolism and similarity. There is indeed a tangible and though provoking idea about Dr. Manhattan and his cosmic powers which add depth to the story. This issue had low key elements and introduction of the possible nuclear war. The imagery and color scheme in this issue captivated me and blew my mind. The dialogues intertwining with each other added a much more philosophical touch to the story.
Issue #4
This issue completely changes the way I'll be reading Watchmen. Told entirely by the point of view of Dr. Manhattan and constantly shifting in the past and the present, questioning the ruling of the universe with some truly impressive philosophy and awe inspiring quotes that are engraved in the mind, this is definitely my favorite issue of 'Watchmen' so far. The way the story begins and flows naratting the experiences and the life of Jon Osterman as he builds his empire on Mars in a somber solitude the reader is involved and impressed by the pace and the complexity of the story and how it addresses modern day issues. This issue focuses on the principle of the functioning of the universe, the existence of a natural order and force and how time is the ultimate key to all the events occuring simultaneously all over the universe. The symbolism of the watchmaker was fantastic. I never have been more involved in any other comic as much as I've been in Watchmen thanks to it's unique and intriguing narration style and poetic verse which is beguiling and enchanting to say the least. This issue also sets the tone and atmosphere for greater (or worse) things the reader will stumble upon in later issues.
Issue #5
Feels a lot more like Issue #1 as things get momentum and the danger is high as ever. Rorschach continues his investigation with great intensity and recklessness to be honest and takes the readers along with him as multiple conspiracies, enemy movements and occurinces take place. His journal entries are certainly worth noting. This issue of Watchmen highlights and addresses the degradation and the deteriorating state of the world and where the modern civilization is heading, unchecked and enforced by vices. The symmetry of the story with the parallels was really interesting a very good move by the writers. I did not expect the issue to end the way it did. Also, the story is heavily narrated from another comic book inside this comic which helps the readers to contextually identify where the author plans to take the story and impress upon the themes and issues of 'Watchmen'. I'm very anxious and excited to know about the Mastermind behind all the vigilante elimination conquest. The stakes have never been so high. The color palette is vibrant and ingenious complementing the storyline.
Issue #6
This issue dives deep into the origin and the idea of 'Raschach' and how the vice, wicked and oblivious world shaped him to be what he is today. The events are recalled as he is consulted by a psychiatrist in police custody. The reason I loved this so much and read it with solemn respect and horror is beacuse this has been written without holding back and the world's true face and nature is revealed in a powerful prosiac way with a lot of philosophy and extravagance paired with exquisite comic panels. The book builds up towards the climax and I as a reader have a lot more respect for Raschach and the cruelties he has had to face in the prime of his life. This comic accurately delivers a kick to the reader that is shocking as well as much needed for the story to propogate. The thoughts, ideas and the life experiences narrated by Raschach are serious and worth scrutinizing. This issue also offered some interesting background on the psychiatrist and used imagery and metaphors wildly resulting in enormous impact on the plot and how the reader comprehends it.
Issue #7
There is something powerfully inspiring about this issue and I don't just mean within the comic. This issue makes the reader actually care about the real world and act a certain way and lend a helping hand to those in need because of the urgency of the cataclysm and the apocalypse that is nigh. Following the build-up to the relationship between Laurie and Den a.k.a Nite Owl and their subsequent act to get their act together and see the bigger picture and take a bold action of rescuing the commoners from the fire was something I'd never expect to happen. This also reflects upon the post disbanding of the caped crusaders. There's a lot of sensual pleasures shared, high tech machinery and inspiring quotes to notice. This issue gives an appreciative bod to the previous issues and continues a radical journey into the future and highly prioritizes the message that the masses must function together if survival is to be attained. Pleasureable reading as always.
Issue #8
A lot of stuff gets done in this issue. I mean, the story has propgated itself at a faster rate than I'd imagined but still offers much material for the reader to contemplate about. Dan and Laurie have stolen the spotlight and this couple is really interesting with complex character. The journalists and the detectives have taken the foreground in the bigger picture. The comic book inside the Watchmen which narrates the survivor highlights the dark, gruesome, ruthless and unrelenting face of the world. The danger of the apocalypse still stands high but seems a bit faded in this issue. As the supes team up again, the readers get to ponder and speculate upon the situation in '77 which led to their fallout. (which is a running gag/tragedy) Also, I'm very much hyped up about Dr. Manhattan saving the world and it really is going to be interesting to see where the story goes from here. Raschach seems to have hit rock bottom as he appears to conceal his emotions and thoughts. Lot of action, explosions and blood in this issue. Fun as always.
Issue #9
Watchmen is simply perfect. It's fantastic. It's brilliant. It's unparalleled and it's unprecedentedly important. Even as a comic it has so much to absorb from. Reading the last few pages of the issue truly raises some emotion from you as a reader. I literally had goosebumps. Dr. Manhattan's quote about life and it's unique fate was perhaps the best in the series. Watchmen is full on, unstoppable and tends to reveal a cosmic truth about life and its connection with the universe. The events happening in this issue are certainly anything but low key. The way the writers executed this complex narrative style impressed me so much. I mean it's a hell of a job to imagine and execute it with utmost perfection and that's why Watchmen is undisputably my favorite comic book ever. Secrets are revealed which in turn has consequences, grave consequences and changes the probable date of the universe. Also, most of the story takes place on Mars. The art is breathtaking. The philosophy behind the conversation between Dr. Manhattan and Laurie is unlike anything I've seen before. Absolutely the best.
Issue #10
This wasn't a typical Watchmen issue, jammed with revolutionary philosophy and over the top quotes. This issue features to-the-point business that needed to be done. The nite owl and Raschach Continue their mission to find the persona responsible for supes death and exile and arrive at a snow clad mountain follows the hints of the inner circle. The reveal at the end was certainly pondering upon. There's nothing extraordinary about this issue other than it's direct contact with the main story, depth, details in illustration and the distribution of the panels. Also, much of the story takes form the point of view of the masses and common celebrities as they anticipate the end of the world.
Issues #11
The way this issue began with such complexity of words and Extraordinary quotes regarding the study of human minds and the natural species of the world you know it's beyond what was though possiblem this issue overcomes and breaks through the limits of a comic book to deliver something more biblical and enlightening. Adrian is obsessed with Alexander and his journey is narrated in this issue which I loved all the way through. The monster madness conspiracy was a bit hard to believe but absolutely surprising and intricate. The whole endgame is revealed which answers most of the questions which were raised right form the first issue very satisfactorily. The color pallets of the book is stunning with forms of white, gold and green across the pages which adds a climax like atmosphere. Watchmen truly does symobolize the dread of the world and how ignorant people are of the looming doom over them. Adrian's motives and his master endgame was acceptable to me. But still, there was a gruesome and a freaky execution to it. Let's see. Can't believe I've arrived at the end of the journey. A lot will go down in the final part of this stunning and remarkable series.
Issue #12
Even as I knew Watchmen was unique, original and it carved its own way of storytelling I hoped that the world would be saved but I was way wrong. Of course, Watchmen will not go down the expected or the orthodox path. No, it will take the least expected path, something truly horrifying and teach the readers a hell of a lesson out of it. The final issue in the Watchmen series gives the readers apocalypse, crushing any and all of their expectations and promotion nhilistic approach towards the world. Raschach, the character who we all followed for numerous issues just died in a blink just beacuse he went to do the morally right thing and there's no remembrance of him anywhere. That points out how unrelenting and nhilistically superior Watchmen is. The end of the world and it's subsequent fruitful unison seems dark and gritty but like Adrian says, 'A downfall is necessary for tomorrow's building empires'. Can't believe that guy is still alive and kicking backed up by Dr. Manhattan. Still, the story went a bit sideways than I'd expected but it was original and satisfying till the end. This series did a great work of caring the least about the readers and this world's moral values and doing the rational and necessary evils that needed to get done and it deserves it's rightful praise and appreciation. The epilogue was heart wrenching but it's all cool now that the world has achieve piece though Dr. Manhattan questions it by stating that 'nothing lasts forever'. Watchmen will always have an enormous impact on today's pop culture and comic enthusiasts with it's rich and complex nature and philosophy that goes beyond the moral compass. Nice Reading. Absolutely my favorite comic!
May 31, 2019
As Dr. Manhattan and Silk Specter soar over Valles Marineris on Mars, the largest canyon in the solar system, he turns to her and asks “Does the human heart know chasms so abysmal?”
Alan Moore spends 12 issues giving us his answer.... "Yes".
I last read this maybe 5 years ago, and I had read it multiple times before then. What strikes me most about the book is that even though I know the story beats, the ending, and I know the twists, it still managed to fully engage me all over again. By issue 4 I'm hooked by the plot - not so much because of the mystery or the fact that it has "super heroes", its because of the way Moore and to a certain degree, Gibbons, presents the world.
Moore and Gibbons exploration of the superhero set against a "real life" backdrop is essentially THE book that people are referring to when they say "comics aren't just for kids anymore".
The book still has me finding things that I had not noticed in my 3-4 rereads before this one. Things like the stain on the smiley face mirroring the silhouette of the newsstand seller and kids' embrace in their last panel. The pyramid delivery truck on the first page, subconsciously embedding itself for the reveal later. The mirroring of the pirate story to our characters plights.
The overall themes and allusions the book puts forth by demonstrating qualities, human or otherwise, in each character is only augmented by the situation that they must find their way out of. Ultimately the moral greys win out in a world that is not black and white. We must bend to the constant weight of our lives or otherwise break.
There are heavy handed elements to the story, but there's also a lot of subtle and subliminal symbolism that buries itself into your mind as you read it. So when Moore is racing towards the crescendo, all the data you picked up along the way has you feeling the tension and unease as Ozymandias reveals his master stroke. Everything we picked up, subconsciously or consciously helps us understand that, much like the buccaneer in the black freighter story, Ozymandias has sacrificed his morality and honor, for what he believes is the greater good.
I think it has to do with my position in life that the book still feels relevant and masterful. But age has caused me to view things from a different angle now. The anger of youth previously had me liking.... well maybe liking is too strong a word, but at least understanding Rorschach the most, to now, as an older man, I understand Dan the most. Something I would never have thought would happen.
I cant really say anything that hasn't been said before about Watchmen. If you're into comics and haven't read it, go and read it. Its as essential, if not more so, as Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Sandman, etc... because it deserves to lead, if not at least be part of, the greatest comics ever written. And even if you don't get what the big deal is, you should at least see the skill and craftsmanship that went into creating this deeply layered work.
If not, then take it at face value and surface level meaning. Like the young comic book reader in the story says, comics "...don't make no sense man! That's why I gotta read 'em over".
Alan Moore spends 12 issues giving us his answer.... "Yes".
I last read this maybe 5 years ago, and I had read it multiple times before then. What strikes me most about the book is that even though I know the story beats, the ending, and I know the twists, it still managed to fully engage me all over again. By issue 4 I'm hooked by the plot - not so much because of the mystery or the fact that it has "super heroes", its because of the way Moore and to a certain degree, Gibbons, presents the world.
Moore and Gibbons exploration of the superhero set against a "real life" backdrop is essentially THE book that people are referring to when they say "comics aren't just for kids anymore".
The book still has me finding things that I had not noticed in my 3-4 rereads before this one. Things like the stain on the smiley face mirroring the silhouette of the newsstand seller and kids' embrace in their last panel. The pyramid delivery truck on the first page, subconsciously embedding itself for the reveal later. The mirroring of the pirate story to our characters plights.
The overall themes and allusions the book puts forth by demonstrating qualities, human or otherwise, in each character is only augmented by the situation that they must find their way out of. Ultimately the moral greys win out in a world that is not black and white. We must bend to the constant weight of our lives or otherwise break.
There are heavy handed elements to the story, but there's also a lot of subtle and subliminal symbolism that buries itself into your mind as you read it. So when Moore is racing towards the crescendo, all the data you picked up along the way has you feeling the tension and unease as Ozymandias reveals his master stroke. Everything we picked up, subconsciously or consciously helps us understand that, much like the buccaneer in the black freighter story, Ozymandias has sacrificed his morality and honor, for what he believes is the greater good.
I think it has to do with my position in life that the book still feels relevant and masterful. But age has caused me to view things from a different angle now. The anger of youth previously had me liking.... well maybe liking is too strong a word, but at least understanding Rorschach the most, to now, as an older man, I understand Dan the most. Something I would never have thought would happen.
I cant really say anything that hasn't been said before about Watchmen. If you're into comics and haven't read it, go and read it. Its as essential, if not more so, as Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Sandman, etc... because it deserves to lead, if not at least be part of, the greatest comics ever written. And even if you don't get what the big deal is, you should at least see the skill and craftsmanship that went into creating this deeply layered work.
If not, then take it at face value and surface level meaning. Like the young comic book reader in the story says, comics "...don't make no sense man! That's why I gotta read 'em over".
September 17, 2020
The book is in my hand.
It’s 2020 and I’m reading Watchmen for the umpteemth time. In a few minutes, I will publish a mildly amusing review of one of the greatest comic books ever committed to paper.
Now it’s the early 90s. I’m barely a teen and I’m reading Watchmen for the first time. This Rorschach fellow seems cool?
The book is no longer in my hand. This is the Absolute Edition and it’s bloody heavy. It’s still there 168 hours in the past when I pulled it off the shelf for the first time in a few years.
It is April 2012. I am recording an episode of Behind the Panels on Watchmen in the Sydney suburbs. I am also in Paris looking at an exhibit on Art Spiegelman. Time and space is a construct. There are six paragraphs left now.
It’s 2015 and I’m recording what I think is the final episode of Behind the Panels in front of a live audience, discussing all of the Watchmen publications to date. I think this will be the final word on the book. The Doomsday Clock is already ticking.
In 2020, I will get the idea to write a review in the style of Dr. Manhattan. I’ll reflect on how this book is the kind of tome that keeps evolving with the reader. That the confluence of environmental, political and pandemic threats is all too real at the moment. That Rorschach is basically Twitter given voice in a Question-shaped avatar. That the heroes of the past are the villains of today. That it’s 1985 again.
Several minutes into the future, and I’m writing about Dave Gibbons art. In the past, I read the book in the confines of the now beaten-up trade paperback that has served me well. In the Absolute Edition, the bigger canvas and wonderfully textured paper make the connection between the 1980s and 2020 more tangible. Each of the intricately detailed 9-panel grids leap off the page like a collection of photographs. All we ever see of the past are their old photographs.
Three paragraphs now. It is later in 2020 and I’m re-watching the film adaptation and the superb TV series. The latter captures the foresight that Alan Moore had with predicting the rise of celebrity leaders and the social discourse being led by the fringe publications.
I am sitting near my balcony writing a review. Perhaps comics like these are not made. Perhaps nothing is made. Perhaps it simply is, has been, will always be there. I contemplate writing a more straightforward piece. But it’s too late, always has been, always will be too late.
Above my apartment the sun is shining. The sound of the keyboard is about to cease its mechanism and the kettle begins to boil.
NB: Read as part of my DC Crisis and Beyond Journey: #5
It’s 2020 and I’m reading Watchmen for the umpteemth time. In a few minutes, I will publish a mildly amusing review of one of the greatest comic books ever committed to paper.
Now it’s the early 90s. I’m barely a teen and I’m reading Watchmen for the first time. This Rorschach fellow seems cool?
The book is no longer in my hand. This is the Absolute Edition and it’s bloody heavy. It’s still there 168 hours in the past when I pulled it off the shelf for the first time in a few years.
It is April 2012. I am recording an episode of Behind the Panels on Watchmen in the Sydney suburbs. I am also in Paris looking at an exhibit on Art Spiegelman. Time and space is a construct. There are six paragraphs left now.
It’s 2015 and I’m recording what I think is the final episode of Behind the Panels in front of a live audience, discussing all of the Watchmen publications to date. I think this will be the final word on the book. The Doomsday Clock is already ticking.
In 2020, I will get the idea to write a review in the style of Dr. Manhattan. I’ll reflect on how this book is the kind of tome that keeps evolving with the reader. That the confluence of environmental, political and pandemic threats is all too real at the moment. That Rorschach is basically Twitter given voice in a Question-shaped avatar. That the heroes of the past are the villains of today. That it’s 1985 again.
Several minutes into the future, and I’m writing about Dave Gibbons art. In the past, I read the book in the confines of the now beaten-up trade paperback that has served me well. In the Absolute Edition, the bigger canvas and wonderfully textured paper make the connection between the 1980s and 2020 more tangible. Each of the intricately detailed 9-panel grids leap off the page like a collection of photographs. All we ever see of the past are their old photographs.
Three paragraphs now. It is later in 2020 and I’m re-watching the film adaptation and the superb TV series. The latter captures the foresight that Alan Moore had with predicting the rise of celebrity leaders and the social discourse being led by the fringe publications.
I am sitting near my balcony writing a review. Perhaps comics like these are not made. Perhaps nothing is made. Perhaps it simply is, has been, will always be there. I contemplate writing a more straightforward piece. But it’s too late, always has been, always will be too late.
Above my apartment the sun is shining. The sound of the keyboard is about to cease its mechanism and the kettle begins to boil.
NB: Read as part of my DC Crisis and Beyond Journey: #5
March 11, 2009
http://www.dccomics.com/sites/watchmen/
Gambarnya bagus, ceritanya daleummm, tapi... mengganggu. Bagi saya yang saat itu masih remaja, ini bikin stress berat. Mungkin kalau saya membacanya setelah setengah baya, akan sangat mengena.
Ini adalah kisah terperinci mengenai berbagai segi post-power syndrome dua generasi pahlawan bertopeng, yang berusaha sekuat tenaga menegakkankebenaran keadilan dan kemanusiaan di dunia ini.
Kebenaran Keadilan dan kemanusiaan seperti apa?
Bagi saya saat ini, moral objektif seperti yang dianut Rory. Tapi mungkin kalau sedang bete, selera humor Comedian lebih cocok. Sedangkan kalau sempat menggunakan kecerdasan untuk meraup banyak duit, logika Ozy juga bisa diterima. Si Doc sih ga usah diperhitungkan, dia mah sudah bukan manusia lagi. Tokoh yang dua lagi, euh, saya gak begitu peduli...
Sulitnya membahas komik ini, adalah bahwa komik ini merupakan kritik terhadap genre superhero, sementara saya sendiri belum sanggup memperbandingkannya dengan komik-komik superhero lainnya. Ya, beberapa tokoh bisa saya kenali, mirip siapa, meledek siapa. Tapi belum yang lainnya. Karena saya mengalami masa balita dalam timbunan bande dessinée, dan masa remaja kebanjiran manga, tidak pernah benar-benar terjerumus ke dalam komik berciri khas Amerika.
Yang membuat saya mulai membacanya bukanlah karena komik ini masuk ke dalam jajaran seratus novel terbaik versi majalah Time, atau karena menang penghargaan Hugo Award, atau memberi polesan nama baru terhadap komik sebagai "graphic novel", tapi semata gara-gara di diskusi alt internet (masa awal-awal globalisasi tuh) orang-orang Amerika yang juga berpengalaman membaca manga dan bande dessinée, ternyata masih meletakkan Watchmen ke dalam urutan teratas. Wah, komik mana pula yang bisa melampaui Akira, Tintin dan Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa? Penasaran tentunya.
Yang saya paling suka, adalah narasi bertingkat melalui komik bajak laut (tentu saja, secara BAJAK LAUTTT gitu loh!!!) yang dibaca seorang anak nongkrong setiap hari di kios majalah. Di tempat lain terjadi berbagai aksi, di sini dia diam bergeming tapi dengan kepala penuh petualangan. Mungkin itu juga yang sedang dialami pembaca komik ini, ketika di belahan dunia lain juga terjadi segala macam peristiwa. Hebat.
Akhir ceritanya agak aneh, tapi memang fenomenal. Menurut desas desus, dalam film akan diganti. Berhubung filmnya sudah mau tayang, memang ada baiknya membuka-buka kembali buku ini. Mampukah film tersebut menampilkan segala kerumitan yang disampaikannya secara tetap kompak dalam format yang berbeda?
Gambarnya bagus, ceritanya daleummm, tapi... mengganggu. Bagi saya yang saat itu masih remaja, ini bikin stress berat. Mungkin kalau saya membacanya setelah setengah baya, akan sangat mengena.
Ini adalah kisah terperinci mengenai berbagai segi post-power syndrome dua generasi pahlawan bertopeng, yang berusaha sekuat tenaga menegakkan
Bagi saya saat ini, moral objektif seperti yang dianut Rory. Tapi mungkin kalau sedang bete, selera humor Comedian lebih cocok. Sedangkan kalau sempat menggunakan kecerdasan untuk meraup banyak duit, logika Ozy juga bisa diterima. Si Doc sih ga usah diperhitungkan, dia mah sudah bukan manusia lagi. Tokoh yang dua lagi, euh, saya gak begitu peduli...
Sulitnya membahas komik ini, adalah bahwa komik ini merupakan kritik terhadap genre superhero, sementara saya sendiri belum sanggup memperbandingkannya dengan komik-komik superhero lainnya. Ya, beberapa tokoh bisa saya kenali, mirip siapa, meledek siapa. Tapi belum yang lainnya. Karena saya mengalami masa balita dalam timbunan bande dessinée, dan masa remaja kebanjiran manga, tidak pernah benar-benar terjerumus ke dalam komik berciri khas Amerika.
Yang membuat saya mulai membacanya bukanlah karena komik ini masuk ke dalam jajaran seratus novel terbaik versi majalah Time, atau karena menang penghargaan Hugo Award, atau memberi polesan nama baru terhadap komik sebagai "graphic novel", tapi semata gara-gara di diskusi alt internet (masa awal-awal globalisasi tuh) orang-orang Amerika yang juga berpengalaman membaca manga dan bande dessinée, ternyata masih meletakkan Watchmen ke dalam urutan teratas. Wah, komik mana pula yang bisa melampaui Akira, Tintin dan Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa? Penasaran tentunya.
Yang saya paling suka, adalah narasi bertingkat melalui komik bajak laut (tentu saja, secara BAJAK LAUTTT gitu loh!!!) yang dibaca seorang anak nongkrong setiap hari di kios majalah. Di tempat lain terjadi berbagai aksi, di sini dia diam bergeming tapi dengan kepala penuh petualangan. Mungkin itu juga yang sedang dialami pembaca komik ini, ketika di belahan dunia lain juga terjadi segala macam peristiwa. Hebat.
Akhir ceritanya agak aneh, tapi memang fenomenal. Menurut desas desus, dalam film akan diganti. Berhubung filmnya sudah mau tayang, memang ada baiknya membuka-buka kembali buku ini. Mampukah film tersebut menampilkan segala kerumitan yang disampaikannya secara tetap kompak dalam format yang berbeda?
August 12, 2008
Wow! This thing really does live up to all the hype. Alan Moore has become one of my favorite authors with each new thing I read by him. For a graphic novel, Watchmen is extraordinarily complex and adult dealing with the psychoses of superheroes ranging from the sexual hang-ups of someone who dons a cape and cowl and beats the crap out of people for a living to the messiah complex that necessarily goes along with the profession.
There are so many layers to this story it's hard to know where to begin. It's set during an alternate timeline of the 1980s, one in which the Cold War still rages, but with the U.S. victorious in Vietnam. I love stories of the Cold War, especially of either the espionage or science fiction genre, and this one has a little of each. The mystery of the Mask Killer, the impending nuclear show down between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. serve as a backdrop through which we can examine how ordinary people might become involved in vigilantism and how ordinary people would react to masked vigilantism around them.
The characters and their development are unique and I was especially drawn to the figure of Jon Osterman (Doc Manhattan), who is really the only character in the story who has any type of "super" powers to speak of. His cold detachment from the world and the role he is expected to play in it is really eye opening compared to the run of the mill stories from the superhero world. Another awesome character to me was Rorschach. I loved his quirky observations about the human condition, and I think in many ways he was the most developed of the characters.
It'll be interesting to see how this is going to be condensed into one film, or how they're going to fit a lot of the brilliant narration into the visual medium. Moore makes insightful observations about humanity and the world in such clear and evocative ways that you wish you could just quote every line.
Loved it. Maybe, because I've always been a comic nerd though. This piece may bridge the gap for those who've never been interested in the genre - it definitely reads more like literature than a comic.
There are so many layers to this story it's hard to know where to begin. It's set during an alternate timeline of the 1980s, one in which the Cold War still rages, but with the U.S. victorious in Vietnam. I love stories of the Cold War, especially of either the espionage or science fiction genre, and this one has a little of each. The mystery of the Mask Killer, the impending nuclear show down between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. serve as a backdrop through which we can examine how ordinary people might become involved in vigilantism and how ordinary people would react to masked vigilantism around them.
The characters and their development are unique and I was especially drawn to the figure of Jon Osterman (Doc Manhattan), who is really the only character in the story who has any type of "super" powers to speak of. His cold detachment from the world and the role he is expected to play in it is really eye opening compared to the run of the mill stories from the superhero world. Another awesome character to me was Rorschach. I loved his quirky observations about the human condition, and I think in many ways he was the most developed of the characters.
It'll be interesting to see how this is going to be condensed into one film, or how they're going to fit a lot of the brilliant narration into the visual medium. Moore makes insightful observations about humanity and the world in such clear and evocative ways that you wish you could just quote every line.
Loved it. Maybe, because I've always been a comic nerd though. This piece may bridge the gap for those who've never been interested in the genre - it definitely reads more like literature than a comic.
February 18, 2025
Rereading it just gets you to notice more layers. I love the way that the backstory was revealed so it feels like a continuation of a long history of comics that you're catching up on with golden age and silver age type characters. The difference is mostly the way that it stays firmly rooted in reality. Like what would actually happen in reality if costumed vigilantes and then an actual super man existed? What does this do politically, internationally, in regards to local laws and groups? What does it do to the psychology of an average person? What kind of people would actually do this sort of thing and what would become of their vision?
And then, of course, is the larger discussions of morality through each of the characters' perspectives. For Ozymandias, it's like a giant trolley problem. For Rorschach, it is only black and white, right and wrong, no matter the laws, and everyone who has done wrong deserves whatever punishment he meets out. And for each character, there is a different version of morality and reasons why they do what they do. For each, you can understand some of their perspectives while abhorring others. It is truly a lesson in the fact that no one is all good or all bad, but some mixture of both.
There have been a plethora of essays on this book, and there will continue to be, and it deserves all the analysis and praise that it gets. The sequel TV show is also a really good follow up.
And then, of course, is the larger discussions of morality through each of the characters' perspectives. For Ozymandias, it's like a giant trolley problem. For Rorschach, it is only black and white, right and wrong, no matter the laws, and everyone who has done wrong deserves whatever punishment he meets out. And for each character, there is a different version of morality and reasons why they do what they do. For each, you can understand some of their perspectives while abhorring others. It is truly a lesson in the fact that no one is all good or all bad, but some mixture of both.
There have been a plethora of essays on this book, and there will continue to be, and it deserves all the analysis and praise that it gets. The sequel TV show is also a really good follow up.
March 30, 2011
I think having read this book now instead of when it came out changes my view of this book. While extremely good, it doesn't seem the classic that it was then. Then it was a genre-changing, world-busting classic. Now it's a very good read with historical literary significance. But then I imagine Huck Finn was taken differently hot off the presses as well.
I saw the movie first (sin, I know). But I don't think it colored me to this book, other than giving me an idea of the timbre and rythm of speech for the characters. And reading the book that all seemed to fit. What I found interesting was the completely different approach despite the fact that the plot was almost beat-for-beat the same. The movie seemed to be more about the characters and their relationship to the world around them. Reading the novel itself it seemed to be much more about the characters' internal struggle. It seemed to want to explain who would become a costumed hero and why, and what it would do to them as a result.
As a military commander, going forward I will be recommending this book to any of my Soldiers who are struggling with PTSD. While it offers no answer and little consolation, every one of the Watchmen and several of the minor characters was going through their own version of PTSD. While none of them seemed to know how to cope, it could certainly help people in the real world to see people in a fictional world dealing with the same issues.
I saw the movie first (sin, I know). But I don't think it colored me to this book, other than giving me an idea of the timbre and rythm of speech for the characters. And reading the book that all seemed to fit. What I found interesting was the completely different approach despite the fact that the plot was almost beat-for-beat the same. The movie seemed to be more about the characters and their relationship to the world around them. Reading the novel itself it seemed to be much more about the characters' internal struggle. It seemed to want to explain who would become a costumed hero and why, and what it would do to them as a result.
As a military commander, going forward I will be recommending this book to any of my Soldiers who are struggling with PTSD. While it offers no answer and little consolation, every one of the Watchmen and several of the minor characters was going through their own version of PTSD. While none of them seemed to know how to cope, it could certainly help people in the real world to see people in a fictional world dealing with the same issues.
November 17, 2011
As is apparently a tradition among comic book readers, I borrowed this from a friend instead of buying my own copy.
It's interesting to hear that Watchmen has writing worthy of being called a great work of literature. I don't think I'd finish this book if I was reading it as text only. For me, part of the power of great literature is its ability to evoke compelling images from the reader's imagination with words alone. watchmen (rather, comic books in general) don't have this constraint. Not that they're any lesser for avoiding it - this is a different medium.
And what a medium! I was gobstruck by how beaufiul/cool some of the frames were in the context of the story. These are more emotionally laden than "single-frame" paintings, but far more discrete (non-continuous?) than the story in a regular novel. It makes me wonder how I actually process action in a novel - how do I fill in the blanks between the sentences?
Well, some of that is a bit idealistic. It turns out I'm actually not a very good comic book reader ("graphic novel", whatever). I often caught myself focusing too closely on the writing while I glossed over the images to keep pace with my interest. I really only registered a few gorgeous frames per chapter - how many others were left unappreciated?
It's interesting to hear that Watchmen has writing worthy of being called a great work of literature. I don't think I'd finish this book if I was reading it as text only. For me, part of the power of great literature is its ability to evoke compelling images from the reader's imagination with words alone. watchmen (rather, comic books in general) don't have this constraint. Not that they're any lesser for avoiding it - this is a different medium.
And what a medium! I was gobstruck by how beaufiul/cool some of the frames were in the context of the story. These are more emotionally laden than "single-frame" paintings, but far more discrete (non-continuous?) than the story in a regular novel. It makes me wonder how I actually process action in a novel - how do I fill in the blanks between the sentences?
Well, some of that is a bit idealistic. It turns out I'm actually not a very good comic book reader ("graphic novel", whatever). I often caught myself focusing too closely on the writing while I glossed over the images to keep pace with my interest. I really only registered a few gorgeous frames per chapter - how many others were left unappreciated?
February 1, 2009
From a non graphic-novel-junkie point of view, I thought that "Watchmen" was a solid 4 stars. It had a strong, tightly crafted plotline, the characters were clearly delineated and fleshed-out, and the visual component rocked.
So why did "Watchmen" not get a 5 star rating from me? Because two of the main protagonists, Rorshach and Dr. Manhattan, are inherently cold, clinical characters - as a result, they kept me from feeling too deeply about the story. Which, although probably a good thing given the content of "Watchmen", made this book less vivid than the The Sandman Vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes series.
I'd wanted to read this in advance of the "Watchmen" movie coming out in March, and I'm glad I did. I'll be really interested to see how true the spirit of the movie adheres to the graphic novel.
So why did "Watchmen" not get a 5 star rating from me? Because two of the main protagonists, Rorshach and Dr. Manhattan, are inherently cold, clinical characters - as a result, they kept me from feeling too deeply about the story. Which, although probably a good thing given the content of "Watchmen", made this book less vivid than the The Sandman Vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes series.
I'd wanted to read this in advance of the "Watchmen" movie coming out in March, and I'm glad I did. I'll be really interested to see how true the spirit of the movie adheres to the graphic novel.
August 15, 2023
Having seen the 2009 film adaptation (the proper director's cut, not the butchered theatrical release) of this comic book, I was somewhat intrigued to read the source material. And finally I did. And it was worth reading.
One of the things that has always kept me away from comics (apart from Calvin & Hobbes and Don Rosa's work) are their never-ending stories (and yes, I know about story arcs, but still). Watchmen is great that it is a self-contained piece of fiction: you get in, you read it, you get out. End of story.
At times, Watchmen is quite exhausting. The amount of (mainly textual) info dumped on the reader is fatiguing. Most of the times, the book strikes a good balance between the drawings and the text, but at times, it is a slog to get to the next panel, never mind the next page. Thankfully, most of the times you want to find out what is going to happen in the next pages. And even having seen the film, I was still engaged with the story, so I suppose it is pretty solid.
Good stuff, but this does not turn me into a comic book reader (maybe...).
One of the things that has always kept me away from comics (apart from Calvin & Hobbes and Don Rosa's work) are their never-ending stories (and yes, I know about story arcs, but still). Watchmen is great that it is a self-contained piece of fiction: you get in, you read it, you get out. End of story.
At times, Watchmen is quite exhausting. The amount of (mainly textual) info dumped on the reader is fatiguing. Most of the times, the book strikes a good balance between the drawings and the text, but at times, it is a slog to get to the next panel, never mind the next page. Thankfully, most of the times you want to find out what is going to happen in the next pages. And even having seen the film, I was still engaged with the story, so I suppose it is pretty solid.
Good stuff, but this does not turn me into a comic book reader (maybe...).
April 6, 2007
Few things that are this hyped live up to the reputation, but then few graphic-novels reward each and every re-reading with yet another bit of genius you missed the last time around. Stan Lee once said "the only thing that could make "The Watchmen" even better is if Marvel had published it." This book is almost impossibly perfect and well plotted, and as usual Moore selected the perfect draftsman to complement his tale. The art is crisp and classic comic-book, even as the story deconstructs everything you know about super-heros; Alan Moore pretty much single-handedly began the "serious super-hero" genre with this book. Many of the issues still give me goose-bumps when I read them even for the 10th time (when Mr. Manhattan is on Mars, for example), and the ending gives me chills just thinking about it. I envy everyone reading this for the first time.
June 8, 2007
When I'm asked about graphic novels, I usually point to two must reads. One is V for Vendetta. The other is this one, Watchmen.
This isn't your typical story of men in tights. There isn't really even a lot in the way of super powers. Rather, the heroes of this comic are crime fighters, the old fashioned way. All in retirement, the story starts with someone systematically killing off the old school of heroes, forcing old friends to unite again in a story that ultimately leads to the safety of the Earth itself.
Brilliantly paced, Watchmen is an example of how graphic novels can be about excellent story telling, and not just 'comics for kids'. Also has perhaps one of the best endings in any story I've read.
This isn't your typical story of men in tights. There isn't really even a lot in the way of super powers. Rather, the heroes of this comic are crime fighters, the old fashioned way. All in retirement, the story starts with someone systematically killing off the old school of heroes, forcing old friends to unite again in a story that ultimately leads to the safety of the Earth itself.
Brilliantly paced, Watchmen is an example of how graphic novels can be about excellent story telling, and not just 'comics for kids'. Also has perhaps one of the best endings in any story I've read.
July 15, 2019
Watchmen is a seminal work, there's tens of thousands of reviews out there explaining its historical significance within comicdom and why it is a tour de force of the superhero genre up until the time it was written (mid-80s). So can I say anything new that hasn't already been covered numerous times? Not really, so I'll keep my review brief.
Alan Moore crafts a brilliant layered story with nuanced characters that feel real. It's dark and poignant themes resonate with readers even today. Dave Gibbons art is timeless, and complements the story wonderfully. Watchmen may feel familiar due to thousands of comics mirroring its themes since it released, but if you bear in mind its place within the history of comics there's a series here that engages you on a deep level. It is well worth reading!
Alan Moore crafts a brilliant layered story with nuanced characters that feel real. It's dark and poignant themes resonate with readers even today. Dave Gibbons art is timeless, and complements the story wonderfully. Watchmen may feel familiar due to thousands of comics mirroring its themes since it released, but if you bear in mind its place within the history of comics there's a series here that engages you on a deep level. It is well worth reading!
September 9, 2024
There's something very poignant about a bunch of masked heros on their decline. Everybody is fallible, and everybody falls – gone are the glory days of 'adventuring'. For all the accolades, for all the difference between these people and the hoipolloi, the two groups are ultimately still one and the same. They suffer from insecurities, they fall ill, they are tormented and broken – just like any regular human being you pick off the street, but somehow, perhaps in their self-ascribed position as a 'masked hero', seemingly worse. Why do we do all the things that we do? Why do we feel the way that we do? What is the point of it all?
It's certainly depressing but an excellent read perhaps precisely because of it.
It's certainly depressing but an excellent read perhaps precisely because of it.
March 5, 2021
Sometimes Watchmen goes out of fashion, but it is its own brand of perfection. Perfect marriage of panels to text, dense as hell end material for each chapter, and the final page of the penultimate chapter is still as deeply moving as it was on the first read many moons ago.
As a thought experiment, if you've read it before: try it the opposite way. If you did it all in a day or two, try it over a week, or a month. If you spread it out, do it close together. Your relation with the text may change.
But don't read one chapter a month like they had to do in the dark ages. That sounds painful.
As a thought experiment, if you've read it before: try it the opposite way. If you did it all in a day or two, try it over a week, or a month. If you spread it out, do it close together. Your relation with the text may change.
But don't read one chapter a month like they had to do in the dark ages. That sounds painful.
March 6, 2008
This is as good as its fans say it is, but only if you're marking on a curve. It's a great comic, on various levels, at the time just about the best, but if we're going to be serious and be taken seriously when we talk about comics as literature, we have to measure it against novels without pictures too (which is how I assume Moore was thinking of it), and in that context, it's just not first rate.
Which is not to say I didn't enjoy it thoroughly, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wanted to read a really good superhero comic. Because I did. And would. Or do. Am doing.
Which is not to say I didn't enjoy it thoroughly, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wanted to read a really good superhero comic. Because I did. And would. Or do. Am doing.
February 19, 2019
So glad I finally got around to reading this. I've seen all the hype, had it recommended to me by all kinds of unexpected people, and must say that I didn't expect Watchmen would live up to it. It did. I've spent hours going back through chapters and just looking at the details in each panel, having loved every second of reading it.
The storyline itself isn't that amazing, it's more the depth of the characters and the completeness of the world. I love the prose extracts from other books in particular.
The storyline itself isn't that amazing, it's more the depth of the characters and the completeness of the world. I love the prose extracts from other books in particular.
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