Adam: The Watchmen is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by Dave Gibbons; oh, and is the reason I read comics. This comic is art, not only in the visual manner of the illustrations, but also in the intricate narrative which it tells so precisely. We chose to review this now, in spite of the fact that it has been out for over 2 decades, because of the film that has been hyped and expected in March. While I would like to stay away from the topic of plot, I will stay generic (to not spoil). The Watchmen mainly focuses on the past, present, and to and extent the future of superheroes in the world and their influence on the public. Each of the main characters are very developed, and by the closing chapters, I truly felt a connection to the purpose and the feelings of these characters. The structure of the panels is also particularly interesting, Moore and Gibbons chose a 9 panel grid to tell the story. Though larger individual images may take say a 3 grid space, the integrity of the 9 panels is still in tact. This structure also creates a great balance when reading, as well as story telling, which I believe adds greatly to the success of the piece as a whole. Separating itself farther from the norms of the genre however, are the reoccurring themes and symbols that appear throughout the work. The themes are very relavant to todays time, escpecially the ones relating to destruction, war, and conspiracy. While it may sound like I may have enjoyed Watchmen too much, let me explain in conclusion the reason for my love. As many forms of media exist, the one question I ask myself everytime I review something is “Could this have been done better in another medium?” The simple answer for Watchmen is no. Watchmen stands on its own as a piece of art, and quite honestly could not work in any other way. Now, as I mentioned above, they are making a movie (and I am excited!), but I honestly doubt that it can even shadow the original piece as far as depth, development, and narrative are concerned.
Matt: It was in 1986 that Alan Moore started work on the Watchmen series with artist Dave Gibbons where he created an alternate reality in which costumed crime fighters actually exist, set in the uneasy period of the Cold War. This work, released as a graphic novel, later became Moore’s most recognized work, and is also considered one of the greatest comic book series of all time. You may know Alann Moore for the creation of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 1999, if you have never heard of the Watchmen.
The Watchmen is set in the United States during the year of 1984. A nuclear war involving Russia and the USA is portrayed as imminent and costume superheroes are commonplace. The story is written primarily from the perspective of Rorschach, who is one of the superheroes that has a prominent role throughout the narrative. Also included, between specific chapters, is Rorschach’s journal entries. These notes give the reader an even deeper perspective of what the character has seen and how his life experiences have shaped his view of mankind. In addition to the journal news clips and various reports are included between chapters. These clips also shape the reader’s view of the variety of individuals found in the plot. Ultimately, the Watchmen tells the story of the costumed heroes and their journey to find a murderer who killed one of their own. The plot is strengthened when the characters each must struggle with their own ethical and personal issues. One noteworthy point is that as a majority they lack any since of individual “super powers”.
Overall I believe that the Watchmen is very much worth reading, and personally I think it should be read before the movie is released. Only a graphic novel can truly capture the feeling and emotion the characters without becoming wordy. Without the visual effects and representation of the situation I feel the reader would be left in stumbling in the dark. Alan Moore talks about the writing and content of Watchmen.
WARNING: Contains Spoiler in the video below
