Watchmen

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterisation is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling, rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the fine pace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it retains its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite

This is no short 5 minute read , like those who are uninitiated with graphic novels may expect . Instead , this is a story that will take time to read ( and should be relished ) , with intermissions between chapters that help to flesh out the protaganists characters and give us insight into their world .

The story has been rightly decribed as one of the main influences on modern comic story-telling , and the superlatives have been deserved .

Without doubt , a story deserving of anyone's attention , whether a graphic novel enthusiast , or new to the genre .


Like it's going to get any less than 5 stars   October 14, 2003
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

This is THE best graphic novel ever written. I might be the first to vote on this but I won't be the last and I confidently predict that everyone else who votes for this also gives it 5 stars. The Moore/Gibbons team is so strong the sotry has become a legend within the comic world. No-one who has read it has a bad word to say about it. Set it 1985, it charts the progress of a group of costumed vigilates basing themselves on comic book heroes. Without spoling the story, shall we just say things are a little larger than you first believe, in true Moore style.

If you haven't read this, do so immediately. A truly amazing piece of work.


Pure magic in graphic novel form   October 1, 2002
P. C. Chapman
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Watchmen is simply sublime. Not only the greatest example of the comic book medium I have ever read, but also one of the finest pieces of literature I have read, a work of art that transcends the genre.

Moore is a genius. He has used the medium of comic books to tell a story which could not be told with power using any other medium. I have yet to find a flaw in the story or presentation, and the perfect balance of passion and intellect with which the .

Even if you don't think you like comic books or superheroes, read this. To those who do enjoy the medium, I say this - I had read thousands of comic books and graphic novels when I read Watchmen, and whilst many were good, and some were great, Watchmen was on entirely another level. It is the graphic novel against which I now judge all others.


This is not a comic   September 29, 2000
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

Graphic novels have always had a bad press. "Kid's stuff" they said. Whilst 2000AD tried to change comics in the 80's, along came a new breed of, well, comics that were not for children. Amongst these was Watchmen, and it's one of the best things you will ever read.

Why? It has plot. My Lord, does it have plot. I can't even begin to describe it now, because it would just be babbling about superheroes. Superheroes? Yep, but not like you've seen them in the films. There are two groups, the old ones, who have gone to seed with spare tyres and bald patches, and the new guys, who are either ultra-rich or genuinely super. All the characters are beautifully fleshed out. The friendships and loyalties, the betrayals, the love affairs; you're never in any doubt that you are reading about people who could be your next door neighbours.

The art is superb, never imposing on the eye, always leaving things to the imagination - like the best cinematography. The storyline is so beautifully constructed you will be going back to this book years later and find things you never saw after 2, 3 or 10 reads. The climax still shocks me (and I'm saying nothing more in case I give something away).

In short, buy this, buy it for your friends and family, and for strangers on the street.


Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (Who watches the watchmen?)   May 2, 2005
Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

Comic books superheroes are basically fascist vigilantes, with Superman and his dedication to truth, justice and the American way being the exception that proves the rule. Both "Watchmen" and "The Dark Knight Returns," the two consensus best examples of graphic storytelling of our time, deal explicitly with the underlying fear the ordinary citizenry have of the demi-gods they worship. The one inherent advantage that "Watchman" has over Frank Miller's classic tale is that it requires no knowledge of the existing mythos of its characters because Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, the Comedian and the rest of the former members of the Crimebusters.

The brainchild of writer Alan Moore ("Swamp Thing," "V for Vendetta," "From Hell") and artist Dave Gibbons ("Rogue Trooper," "Doctor Who," "Green Lantern"), "Watchmen" was originally published by DC Comics in twelve issues in 1986-87. Moore and Gibbons won the Best Writer/Artist combination award at the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards ceremony. The central story in "Watchmen" is quite simple: apparently someone is killing off or discrediting the former Crimebusters. The remaining members end up coming together to discover the who and the why behind it all, and the payoff to the mystery is most satisfactory. But what makes "Watchmen" so special is the breadth and depth of both the characters and their respective subplots: Dr. Manhattan dealing with his responsibility to humanity given his god-like powers; Nite Owl having trouble leaving his secret identity behind; Rorschach being examined by a psychiatrist. Each chapter offers a specific focus on one of the characters, yet advances the overall narrative.

Beyond that the intricate narrative, Moore and Gibbons offer two additional levels to the story. First, each chapter is followed by a "non-comic" section that develops more of the backstories, such as numerous excerpts from Hollis Mason's autobiography "Under the Hood" or Professor Mitlon Glass' "Dr. Manhattan: Super-Powers and the Superpowers," an interview with Adrian Veidt, or reports from the police files of Walter Joseph Kovacs. Second, almost every issue has scenes from "Tales of the Black Freighter," a comic-book being read by a kid near a newsstand, which offers an allegorical perspective on the main plot line.

"Watchmen" certainly nudged the comics industry in the right direction towards greater sophistication and intelligence, although a full appreciation of its significance is always going to be lost on the bean counters. The Book Club Edition of "Watchmen" offers the teaser: "He's America's ultimate weapon . . . and he's about to desert to Mars." As a representation of the work as a whole that description is simply stupid, especially since it is followed by a glowing recommendation by Harlan Ellison that concludes "anyone who misses this milestone event in the genre of the fantastic is a myopic dope." If you ever spent time reading and enjoying any superhero comic book, you will appreciate what you find in "Watchmen." Those of us who first devoured it when it came out in comic book form are still enjoying taking it out and reading it at least once a year in this hardback version.