Watchmen

May 13, 2007 J.G. Keely rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comics, science-fiction, reviewed, capes

Since the movie came out, I've found myself having to explain why Watchmen is important and interesting. Despite being the most revered comic book of all time, it never really entered the mainstream until the film. Now, people are rushing to read it in droves, but approaching Watchmen without an understanding of its history and influences means missing most of what makes it truly special.

The entire work is an exploration of the history and purpose of the superhero genre: how readers connect to i ...more

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May 30, 2011 Mark Lawrence rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I didn't read this until last year. I saw the film about six months later. I'm a new convert still radiant with that 'just converted' glow.

Along with the Sandman graphic novels this is my favourite work in the medium (Zenith and Preacher get honourable mentions). Watchmen wins over all of the other candidates in ambition. This is a work of vast ambition. It doesn't deliver on every level, it isn't perfect, but it contains so much that succeeds, and comes so close to fulfilling its promises that ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Bookworm Sean rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel, 5-star-reads

Morality is a fickle bitch.

This is, simply put, iconic. When any one mentions comics/graphic novels the first thought that enters is an image of the Watchmen. I think there is a strong reason for it. It made me question morality on a scale rarely seen in fiction. Indeed, when considering the characters it is incredibly hard to consider any of them truly good or truly bad. They are simply people who are convinced that they are right.

Take Rorschach, he follows the law to the very letter, but nev ...more

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Aug 11, 2008 Schmacko rated it it was ok

I can understand why this is considered a holy tome in the field of graphic novels. The plot is complex, it’s unique, and it’s well drawn. Also, it’s got the Holy Grail of every geeky comic book fan's wetdreams – lots of cool gadgets and stuff.

I ain’t knocking that. Imagination abounds, and I am thoroughly impressed. I love that comic books and graphic novels create their entire world – but – BUT then again every piece of art creates it’s own world. And ALL OF THOSE OTHER ARTS MAKE EMOTIONALLY E I can understand why this is considered a holy tome in the field of graphic novels. The plot is complex, it’s unique, and it’s well drawn. Also, it’s got the Holy Grail of every geeky comic book fan's wetdreams – lots of cool gadgets and stuff.

I ain’t knocking that. Imagination abounds, and I am thoroughly impressed. I love that comic books and graphic novels create their entire world – but – BUT then again every piece of art creates it’s own world. And ALL OF THOSE OTHER ARTS MAKE EMOTIONALLY ENGAGING STORIES!

I get frustrated because my graphic-novel friends keep foisting these things on me. They love me, they see me as very imaginative and very supportive of their creativity, but they cannot seem to get why I go cold at graphic novels.

This one was thrust upon me, because I was affected by the movie The Dark Knight. I got emotionally engaged. I felt hopeless with Batman. I got a knot in my stomach when that horrible, unspeakable thing happened two-thirds of the way through the film. I was troubled by Joker’s logic, and I was frustrated with the people in the ferries. In other words, I WAS EMOTIONALLY ENGAGED!

A lot of these graphic novels and stuff seem to think that if they simply tickle your creative brain, they’ve succeeded. I want more – I want to laugh and cry and cheer and feel despair. I want a core of true human story. Gadgets and colors and costumes and superpowers don't make me weep or shout or ponder or giggle or sigh. Well, they make me sigh - with frustrationa nd boredom.

I know I sound angry at these things. I get frustrated, because I don’t think this is so hard to understand that I need emotional stimulation. And yet, my graphic-novel friends still press these books in my hand, hoping to unlock my wonder and amazement.

I was full of wonder and amazement at The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a novel about a superhero and the super-human who spawned him. I am not above the magical, mystical, and fantastic (I love Harry Potter), but there has to be more than just gadgetry and explosions. There has to be honesty and the courage to plumb the human experience. I felt terribly at Kavalier’s struggles with violence and anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe. Sam Clay’s secrets were heart-breaking. Kavalier’s search for revenge and Sam’s search for respect were emotionally engaging. In Harry Potter, I rallied behind Mrs. Weasley's maternal drive. I loved Harry's indignance at cruelty. I thought Hermione's concern for elves was sweet, and complicated (who know they wanted to be slaves). Chabon succeeded at making me feel, and so did Rowling. Watchmen did not.

Watchmen is about two generations of heroes. One was human – using costumes, strength, and cunning. The next was led bys a superhuman, Dr. Manhattan – they were both human and somewhat superhuman. Then a law was passed making their work illegal, and they went underground. It’s only when someone starts bumping off the old retired heroes that a mystery starts, a mystery that asks the esoteric and totally intellectual (read: unemotional) question of why humans can be drawn to the edge of doom, and what they need to do to stop just at the edge.

Oh - for the people who know and love Watchmen - I felt bad for how Dr. Manhattan couldn’t have a human relationship. And I understood why Laurie got infuriated. The thrill of Laurie and Dan becoming superheroes again was honest and wonderful. But that was it – I didn’t feel the panic of the world ending (mostly because if it did happen, there’d be no story). I didn’t care for the casual use of rape as a plot point. None of the long-winded, theoretical discussion about whether humanity was worth saving had any emotional pull to me. I didn’t care. In all 413 pages, I had four honest emotional reactions. One of my reactions was anger at the tangential pirate story (don’t ask – it doesn’t have any emotional or thematic reason for being there – it was just added because someone thought it was cool).

Cool. There’s the problem. Cool things don’t make me feel. People can imagine and draw all the cool things in the world, and it won’t make me emotional engage. Cool things don’t make my heart race or break or pause. They leave me cold. Graphic novels are mostly cool.
...more

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Mar 24, 2014 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-2014, boring-as-hell, comix-graphix, dnf, liburry-book

What's this? Unpopular opinion time?

Most of my friends and most of Goodreads love this book. I did not. I read for pleasure. I don't care if reading makes me smart. I don't care if reading makes me pretty. I just want that escape into other worlds.
If I went to this world-I would die from boredom.

I actually like the darker books so I thought this one would sweep me up into the fandom of it. But, alas, it just made me sleep quite well last night.
I didn't even know there was a movie made from i ...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Sanjay Gautam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Alan Moore is the greatest graphic novelist of all time. He has created a world where superheroes are not typical superheroes like super-man, spider-man et al. Each superhero has a unique philosophical perspective. And he has created superheroes who were either in deep complex psychological crisis or are going through one, and they are not perfect who always save the day in the end.

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Feb 07, 2009 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves, graphic-novels

Hmm, what to say. I read this AFTER I saw the movie, which was sacrilege according to some fellow geeks on Twitter, but my definition of "Geek" is someone who doesn't do what people PRESSURE them to do :P They love what they love. So anyhoo I read this and I can summarize this way:

The Movie did a great summary of the plot while formulating a story that missed the subtext of the graphic novel entirely.

I enjoyed both, but after reading the graphic novel, it's almost sad how the impression you tak ...more

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Jul 23, 2008 Nicole Prestin rated it did not like it

Shelves: graphic-novels

I realize that what I'm about to say is as close as you can get to comic book blasphemy, but I think that 1) Alan Moore is the most overrated comic book writer ever and 2) this graphic novel is overblown, pretentious and most unforgivable of all, boring.

To be fair, I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to my reading habits. First and foremost, I want to be entertained. If the story happens to be deep, thought provoking or groundbreaking as well, that's icing on the cake. And the bottom line is th ...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Fabian rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: People turned off by graphic novels but with an open mind

Recommended to Fabian by: M. M.

Not a fan of the graphic novel but this epic actually moved me. It tells of the human drama, the DNA that is passed down generations, the hopelessness of modernity, and which side we'll choose when the apocalypse is neigh. It is pessimistic, dark, & sometimes silly (as a staple of the genre... it wouldn't be a success if it wasn't SOMEhow ridiculous).

"The Incredibles" (the Best Pixar Picture Ever) touched upon many of the themes presented here, mainly about the humanity of "Superheroes." Can ...more

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Mar 25, 2008 Brad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, dystopian, graphic-novel, political, the-best, to-read-again

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've been in many discussions over the years -- some in classes I was teaching, some over pints in the bar, and still others late at night with people I love -- about what Alan Moore was trying to say with Watchmen, discussions about the meaning of his graphic novel, and I am convinced that the meaning is not what most people think.

Most people I have talked to look at Veidt's mini-Armageddon to bring peace as inherently evil -- and the most monstrous act in a book of monstrous acts. Veidt's act ...more

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Dec 09, 2007 Trish rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Aaron's been telling me for a long time that I should read a select few of his favorite comic books. And I haven't been avoiding them. But when I'm looking around the house for something to read, I forget to wander over to the comics section. So finally he just made a stack of books for me, and I started with Watchmen.

And within the first few pages I was testing his patience with questions/comments including:

"Why is Rorshach the hero when he's clearly insane?"
"None of these people are very pl ...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Will Byrnes rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorites-fiction

I reread this in anticipation of seeing the film in 2009.

description

Rorschach

Watchmen is one of the all-time great graphic novels. Someone is killing the costumed adventurers and the very dark Rorschach, our guiding Virgil into this Inferno, is trying to get to the bottom of it. Watchmen deals in multiple time lines, from the early days of the 40’s 50’s and 60’s when the superheroes were welcomed and appreciated, to the 70’s when laws were passed to limit their legitimacy, to the current day, the 80’s he ...more

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Mar 04, 2009 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: youre-a-graphic-novel, dysto-teque

okay i finally read it. and although i hate hate hate the art (which is why i didnt read it long ago until everyone kept telling me it was better than the art) the story is mostly very good. there are a couple of cringe-y things in there, mostly just dated material that cant be helped, but i am glad i read it, and you all can stop shouting at me now.

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Aug 17, 2007 Punk rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-novel

Graphic Novel. It's 1985. We won the Vietnam War. Nixon is still president. Someone is killing off costumed superheroes, and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. I wasn't expecting to like this book. What, I wondered, did a comic from the late eighties have to offer me, a hip and happening girl in the oughts? You can practically see the dots in the color! I'd checked it out from the library on the advice of friends, and I'd tried to read it once before, but gave up before I got even five pa ...more

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Sep 11, 2015 Mia (Parentheses Enthusiast) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wtf-did-i-just-read, made-me-think, who-needs-sleep-anyway, psychopaths-are-fun, side-characters-i-love, amorality-and-antiheroes, books-with-pictures

MIA'S JOURNAL. JANUARY 31st, 2016:

Finished book today. Was good. Interesting. Review to come, much to say.

When people see this, they will demand to know. Down below, the readers will look up at me and beg, and they will ask: "Should we read this book?"

And I'll look down and whisper, "Yes."

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Sep 27, 2016 Heidi The Hippie Librarian rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-art-or-comic

I can't stop thinking about this graphic novel. It's not something I'd usually like- ultra-violent with a very dark vision of humanity- but there is something incredibly compelling about it.

It starts with a murder. Watchmen is the story of a group of super heroes who don't fight crime anymore because vigilantism was outlawed. Among the many costumed regular heroes (The Comedian, Rorschach, Nite Owl), there is an actual superhero, Dr. Manhattan, who suffered a freak radiation accident and was cha I can't stop thinking about this graphic novel. It's not something I'd usually like- ultra-violent with a very dark vision of humanity- but there is something incredibly compelling about it.

It starts with a murder. Watchmen is the story of a group of super heroes who don't fight crime anymore because vigilantism was outlawed. Among the many costumed regular heroes (The Comedian, Rorschach, Nite Owl), there is an actual superhero, Dr. Manhattan, who suffered a freak radiation accident and was changed, permanently. He perceives time as happening all at once and can manipulate matter in multiple dimensions. Each of the heroes has a story, some are very sad, and all of them are upset as one of their own has just been killed. Can they figure out who the murderer is before he/she strikes again?

My favorite character out of the bunch is Dr. Manhattan. "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." pg 27, Chapter XI. He's nearly godlike in his capabilities but that makes it practically impossible for anyone to understand him.

My husband's favorite is Rorschach, which I could understand, but he was far too violent for me to truly appreciate the character. I feel like there's an underlying importance to that character though, something that I couldn't quite grasp...I tried thinking about Rorschach as a rorschach blot for the Watchmen and it nearly broke my brain. (view spoiler)

And the comic within the comic? Fascinating. (view spoiler)

The Watchmen is more than a superhero story: it's an examination of power both physical and in the heart. It's a criticism of government, the media, and art used to manipulate others. It looks at gender roles, rape, and sexual preferences and predilections. It asks: why would a person dress up and create an alter ego in the first place? And, beyond all that, it is a mystery and a love story. There's a lot to enjoy in here if you can get past the blood, gore, and soul crushing darkness. Recommended for an adult audience only.

A similar comic, in my mind, is The Walking Dead, Compendium 1 by Robert Kirkman. But, really, Watchmen is in a class all of its own. ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 ♞『Ƙєє Qυєєη』 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, my-reviews

It’s been fairly said a hundred times in the 27 years since its publication that writer and artist Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons respectively have created something immortal which then influenced other works and changed the comics medium forever. Watchmen also won the Hugo award in 1988 and was the only graphic novel to make it to Time magazine’s 100 Greatest Books 2005 list. So why the enduring legacy?

Like any other kid, I’ve loved superheroes for as long as I could remember. I consider Batman a ...more

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Jan 03, 2014 Donovan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-classic-comics, highly-recommended, owned, hardcover-to-buy

Watchmen. How to review the unreviewable?

Iconic. Classic. Nostalgic. Reinvented comics and the anti-hero. Redefined meta-fiction. If Alan Moore is known for only one thing, it's Watchmen.

It's pre-apocalyptic alternate 1985 America. The Cold War. Gay rights. Women's rights. And costumed heroes are outlawed. Suddenly these retired heroes are being killed off, and it's left to the anti-hero Rorschach and depressive Nite Owl to discover the mysterious truth!

What's funny is that Watchmen is a one t

Watchmen. How to review the unreviewable?

Iconic. Classic. Nostalgic. Reinvented comics and the anti-hero. Redefined meta-fiction. If Alan Moore is known for only one thing, it's Watchmen.

It's pre-apocalyptic alternate 1985 America. The Cold War. Gay rights. Women's rights. And costumed heroes are outlawed. Suddenly these retired heroes are being killed off, and it's left to the anti-hero Rorschach and depressive Nite Owl to discover the mysterious truth!

What's funny is that Watchmen is a one trick pony, but a really fucking incredible pony. It's drama, pure and simple, gritty and dark and stylistic. With underlying allegory, sociopolitical commentary, suspense, mystery, and hardcore violence. Seriously, if there's one thing Watchmen isn't it's funny. But that's okay.

I really do like Alan Moore's writing here. This is my second read since 2009, and even seven years didn't dull my enjoyment. It's a slow burn, but it's like sci-fi soup, rich and complex and weird, with plenty of things to mentally chew. Especially as most of the story takes place in New York. The city, the world, and its inhabitants are unique and dynamic. We see far beyond just Nite Owl and Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre. We see the newspaper vendor and comic book kid, both named Bernie. We see the psychiatrist and his wife. We see the cabbie and her girlfriend. Moore populates his hero world with incredible characters.

Dave Gibbons is awesome. I'm biased because I'm so young. I have no idea what comics were in the 1980s. I've heard that Gibbons' style isn't especially striking for the time, but his colors and cinematic vision are, however. I've said it before, colors make or break a comic book. And these really are incredible. What strikes me about these colors is their arbitrariness. They're just weird. But they're eerie and beautiful, and lend to the story's alternative world.

So there you have it. Watchmen is badass. Alan Moore isn't a god but you can't deny his impression. And Dave Gibbons absolutely made this book and made these characters and this world come alive.

A short note on the Deluxe Edition... This sucks. I bought it several years ago before I knew what to look for in editions and this is my first time reading it. The black and yellow dust jacket looks fine, but it wraps a cheap cover that damages easily. The paper is terrible. Thin, low gloss pulp that's almost newsprint. The heavily glued binding is crazy tight and refuses to lay flat, with moderate gutter loss. And there's so much glue that two pages stuck together and tore! How's that for deluxe? The extras were okay, mostly light pencil sketches, not really worth paying more than the paperback. If you love Watchmen and want a proper edition, I would suggest the Absolute, which I will be getting to replace this. ...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Madeline rated it really liked it

Shelves: the-list, science-fiction

Two realizations occurred to me while reading this book:

1. The movie version, while long as hell, is actually really well done and accurate. And by "accurate" I of course mean "basically a frame-by-frame reproduction of the graphic novel." Not necessarily a bad thing, although they do change some details of the ending a little. I was okay with both versions, though. I think I still prefer the graphic novel, mostly because when I read it I don't have to deal with the horribly miscast Malin Ackerm Two realizations occurred to me while reading this book:

1. The movie version, while long as hell, is actually really well done and accurate. And by "accurate" I of course mean "basically a frame-by-frame reproduction of the graphic novel." Not necessarily a bad thing, although they do change some details of the ending a little. I was okay with both versions, though. I think I still prefer the graphic novel, mostly because when I read it I don't have to deal with the horribly miscast Malin Ackerman. I knew she was ruining Silk Spectre II before I even read the original story. Every other character is perfectly cast, though, so it's mostly okay.

2. The movie The Incredibles is Watchmen for kids. For example, in excerpts from his book that are spaced throughout the graphic novel, a former superhero discusses his costume-making process: "I experimented with a cloak, remembering how the Shadow would use his cloak to misguide enemy bullets...In practice, however, I found it too unwieldy. I was always tripping over it or getting it caught in things, and so I abandoned it for an outfit that was as streamlined as I could make it."
Or, as Edna Mode would say, "NO CAPES!"

Movie references aside, I really liked all the technical details about being a superhero I'd never considered before (for example, how do they keep those little masks stuck to their faces? Spirit gum.), as well as the psychology of the superhero. That's really the whole point of Watchmen: the kind of people who are willing to put on a costume and fight crime may not be the kind of people you actually want to have running around beating up criminals. Case in point: Rorschach. I...I don't even have words to describe this character. The movie didn't even really do him justice.

In conclusion, amazing and thought-provoking and everyone should read it, even if you've never picked up a graphic novel before.

"Yes, we were crazy, we were kinky, we were Nazis, all those things that people say. We were also doing something because we believed in it. We were attempting, through our personal efforts, to make our country a safer and better place to live in. Individually, working on our separate patches of turf, we did too much good in our respective communities to be written off as mere aberration, whether social or sexual or psychological.
It was only when we got together that our problems really started....Dressing up in costume takes a very extreme personality, and the chances of eight such personalities getting along together were about seventy-eleven million to one against." ...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Aubrey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, reviewed, r-2013, r-goodreads

Imagine the poster of a superhero. Bold lines curving around supple limbs, a palate of strong colors suffusing every empty space with black, yellow, red arcing in a heroic spray of vitality. It inspires an intense nostalgia for the days of black and white, where good was good and evil was evil, the latter never lasting for very long. You remember your childhood, filled with dreams and hobbies and racing through the world with bright eyes and an eager mind.

The poster is in an alleyway. It is fil Imagine the poster of a superhero. Bold lines curving around supple limbs, a palate of strong colors suffusing every empty space with black, yellow, red arcing in a heroic spray of vitality. It inspires an intense nostalgia for the days of black and white, where good was good and evil was evil, the latter never lasting for very long. You remember your childhood, filled with dreams and hobbies and racing through the world with bright eyes and an eager mind.

The poster is in an alleyway. It is filthy, and dark, and cold, and there is a sour smell of urine mixed with mustard and pot blowing across your face. You can see the poster hung by a door by way of the guttering light of a neon sign, 'LIQUOR' buzzing faintly into the night. The superhero's bold and strong design is marred with the bulges of its brick framework, poster plastered in wedges that have managed to survive the brutal onslaught of the elements for many years. Holes poke through where the survival was incomplete, including an unfortunate rip that reduces the right eye to a gaping maw, edges fluttering faintly as the acrid wind continues to blow.

You turn. There is something in the alleyway you can't quite see, a limp bundle nearly invisible to the eye, save for the glitter of something that manages to catch a little light from the decrepit sign. You step closer. The glitter is from a cheap metal bracelet, hanging from the slim ankle of a leg that even in the flaky light shows evidence of abuse, worsening as skin approaches skirt. You crouch, get a good look at her face. She can't be more than fourteen. Then you see the hole in her forehead, partially obscured by her bangs that frame a face still in the flush of youth, save for a gout of blood that is sluggishly pooling on her shoulder.

You stand, hastening to leave the alleyway with its silent sentinels. It's a tragic shame, what happened to her. But you can't afford to be caught with her. Would cause too much trouble. Besides, you're no superhero or crime fighter, someone capable of punishing the culpable. You have a normal job, a normal family, a normal life. There's no time to care about the misfortunes of complete strangers. Let the stronger ones, the smarter ones, the richer ones worry about all of humanity. Your mind whispers, what if they are the ones responsible? Who will keep them in line? But you squash it. You have enough problems of your own.

Making your way home takes you by a church in the midst of a mass, choir voices ringing out in a hallelujah that compels you to pause and listen for a small while. The lights, shining through slender archways, rising with the climbing voices to noble towers that frame the night sky so much more elegantly than their crude apartment complex neighbors. A single choir member reaches a single note so pure, you momentarily forget whatever concerns you were dwelling on, and marvel on 'the music of the spheres', a phrase you haven't heard since your days at high school.

Such beauty, not more than five blocks away from the scene of such an ugly crime. Such small, violent, petty concerns, framed alongside an ancient society concerned with adulation of grand cosmic forces. A brutal squirming of the physical, and the stately worship of surmounting it. Survival, squaring off with the reason to survive.

And humanity is responsible for both.

You hurry home. It's cold, and your thoughts are troubling. Better to drink and sleep it off. Tomorrow's another day. ...more

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May 04, 2009 Tatiana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009, graphic-novels, 1001, dystopias-post-apocalyptic

Frankly, I've always looked down on comic books and graphic novels. That is until I saw "Watchmen" - the movie that amazed me by its complexity and cleverness. Needless to say, I just had to see what kind of material it was based on. I wasn't disappointed.

Let me start by saying that I though the movie did this book justice, especially visually. But reading this graphic novel just added an entire new layer to the story, making it even deeper and more complex than I thought it was. The characters ...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Stuart rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, dystopian, near-future, graphic-novels, superheroes-villains

Watchmen: Changed the genre forever (Graphic Novel & Movie Review)
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
What more can be said about this brilliant, game-changing graphic novel from 1987? It challenged, deconstructed, and redefined the superhero story to the point that it’s hard to imagine any comic book writer not being fully cognizant of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen when they put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). Despite it coming out almost 30 years ago, it’s remained continu ...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Anne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy, read-in-2009

Ok, first let me say that I have never read a graphic novel. (I apologize in advance to all those who will be offended when I make this next statement.) I thought it would be a nice easy read that I could finish in a few hours. Oops! What can I say, I figured it was just an adult version of some comic book. Boy, was I wrong. This thing took me days to finish! It was an in-depth, gritty, dark, mostly sad look at an alternate world a lot like ours. The "superheroes" were just dysfunctional guys (a ...more

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Aug 09, 2007 John Wiswell rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fanatical comic book readers

I admire Alan Moore as a public figure and regard how much he apparently shook up superhero comics. That’s not going to make me like The Watchmen. Fundamentally, every character felt like the same uninspired shape, that jaded celebrity in search of catharsis at the expense of someone else. I held out hope for The Comedian to play a dynamic personality, for if ever a universe needed The Joker to kick it in the ass, it was this one. Instead, The Comedian turned out to be the apex cynic, and so I d I admire Alan Moore as a public figure and regard how much he apparently shook up superhero comics. That’s not going to make me like The Watchmen. Fundamentally, every character felt like the same uninspired shape, that jaded celebrity in search of catharsis at the expense of someone else. I held out hope for The Comedian to play a dynamic personality, for if ever a universe needed The Joker to kick it in the ass, it was this one. Instead, The Comedian turned out to be the apex cynic, and so I didn't care who killed him, I didn't care why Rorschach was torturing people, and I definitely didn't care about the world going to hell because it was so obviously not in contention. This was just more bleak fiction where, naturally, things go to hell. That's not conflict. That's as destined an ending as happiness at the end of an episode of Care Bears.

There's craft to this, and I won't pretend otherwise. Gibbons throws talent at the project, with striking angles on many panels, a strong sense of color, and moments of brilliance, like Rorschach's mask mimicking the clouds he watches. And Moore obviously wrote this as a dissection, with ample references to the American superhero comics he's critiquing by making people similar to them miserable. It was simply too dreary and monotonous an experience to feel worth it.

The Watchmen is considered one of the most important comic books in history, and I won't pretend its hype didn't hurt my experience of it. If not for so many people telling me to read it, I might have dismissed it as more violent maudlin SF. Hype and legacy are not its fault, and I regretted gritting my teeth against those elements.

Because man, the costumes are less spectacular, the origins more bleak, the heroes more despicable and/or self-loathing, the villains almost non-existent, the relationships more strained and the political overtones more blatant than were almost ever seen in mainstream comics before. The comic’s effects were massive: it ushered in a new wave of "cool," where Superman and Spider-Man were lame, and everyone wanted murderous and self-destructive anti-heroes. This movement spawned approximately ten good characters and millions of pages of worthless crap, so I'm still not sure why its existence as critique considered a good thing, but it's certainly a landmark in the history of comic book writers who were so self-loathing they had to call their work "graphic novels." I found it simply painful to read back then and not worth owning today. Behind what has fast become the cliché of comics (and popular film in general) are some slivers of real humanity and possible redemption or at least love, which are vital. Yet new readers who pick this up today are going to wonder what was so important about a slow, long, drawn-out murder mystery surrounding sociopaths, rapists and killers who call themselves superheroes, yet who only care about each other when they die, in a dated dystopia that isn't even half as self-aware, cynical or meaningful as what's being pumped out today.
...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Rainbow rated it it was amazing

My friend Lynn was reading this book, so I reread it (for the first time in at least 15 years) so we could talk about it.

I was torn about how many stars to give it. On the one hand, I think it's a breathtaking, fascinating accomplishment. On the other hand, I find it really grim and depressing.

I went with five stars because, technically, five stars means "it was amazing." And it was that.

But I don't think I'll reread it for at least another 15 years.

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Jan 28, 2009 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, graphic-novels-comic-books, 2009, mysterious

Basic Plot: Someone has murdered the "hero" the Comedian, and the retired costumed heroes begin to investigate, turning up all kinds of nasty messes.

I'm seriously tempted to give spoilers here, as the book was utterly mind-blowing (GAH! Rorschach! GAH!), and there were some serious twists in the book that, while I can't say I didn't see them coming, still really affected me strongly.

This is not a comic book for those who want their superheroes infallible icons of Americana. This is a graphic nov ...more

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Mar 30, 2015 Argona rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, classic, fantasy, mystery, reviewed, dark, dystopia-post-apocalyptic, double-identity, superheroes

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 t 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.
...more

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Oct 28, 2013 Argona rated it liked it

Shelves: comics, crime, classic, fantasy, mystery, reviewed, dark, dystopia-post-apocalyptic, double-identity, read-in-buddy-read, superheroes, david-the-amazing

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 t 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. ...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Jonathan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

I refuse to let the hype of this novel influence me. And so here is my statement about the book in one sentence: I liked the story but the philosophy behind the novel I did not like.

Watchmen - many people know the idea behind the title 'Who will watch the Watchmen' - but not everyone has read this acclaimed novel. As the title suggests it is a graphic novel that deals with the idea of who exists to watch the superheroes if they go out of control. And really, part of my problem with reading this I refuse to let the hype of this novel influence me. And so here is my statement about the book in one sentence: I liked the story but the philosophy behind the novel I did not like.

Watchmen - many people know the idea behind the title 'Who will watch the Watchmen' - but not everyone has read this acclaimed novel. As the title suggests it is a graphic novel that deals with the idea of who exists to watch the superheroes if they go out of control. And really, part of my problem with reading this novel is that when a hero goes out of control you get a villain. I don't subscribe to the idea of the anti-hero like many people. I believe in absolutes and as such I think that the hero is the character who performs more good than he does evil.

In the end of this novel the whole idea of what Watchmen is really trying to convey wraps together. It's really about psychological conflict, about Nihilism and about the Jungian shadow. Many psychological theories I do not subscribe to but find useful to use as discussion points. Because I do not believe that the world is all full of darkness and evil when you strip it down as Watchmen appears to portray. I believe that there is much evil in life but that there is also hope and light for anyone to see.

I did not like either the idea that perhaps in order to create greater good we must compromise. But then I suppose that was the whole point of the novel. The novel was full of compromise made by these super men who are really very human in morality. As Rorschach* says "No, never compromise."

Of course it could simply be the spirit within me that says 'I dislike non Justice League DC comics on the whole.' After all for me while Marvel make few brilliant comics for me to enjoy I do rate them still highly due to the overall story telling in them. DC just don't have the fun of Marvel - they're too dark and gloomy except when the Joker plays with Batman or Superman battles a few enemies. On that note Marvel reigns supreme and The Avengers is one of the greatest films of all.

*Named after the blot test and definitely the most interesting character in the comics as a violent vigilante ...more

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Mar 08, 2015 Vladan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: proud-owner

Remek delo!

Iako je stil crtanja kao iz 30-tih godina proslog veka, prica je genijalna i brutalna (stvarno brutalna).

Super junaci na kakve nismo navikli.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Around the Year i...: Watchmen, by Alan Moore	4	11	Feb 14, 2017 06:58PM
Morality	3	34	Jul 21, 2016 05:16PM
Play Book Tag: Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons 3 stars	7	22	Jun 27, 2016 08:39PM
LITERARY HURRICANE: Maio/2016 * Watchmen * Terminado / Possibilidade de spoilers	4	14	Jun 03, 2016 06:10PM

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