Watchmen
Written by Allen Moore
Illustrated by Dave Gibbons
(5/5 stars)
It's important to note straight off that these are not your father's comic book heroes. What "Watchmen" did when it came out in the mid-80s was to make comic book characters REAL--or as real as can be expected. The "costumed adventurers" depicted in the series are not in it for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. They have varying reasons like psychotic obsessions, family pressure, fame-seeking, or just plain old curiosity. Most of these "heroes" might help you if you were being mugged or trapped in a burning building, but don't expect them to help old ladies cross the road or give a lesson on civics to a 3rd grade class.
The story begins in 1985, a very different 1985 from what you might remember. For one thing, Richard Nixon is still president and American won the war in Vietnam thanks to the costumed adventurers, most notably Dr. Manhattan, a god-like being who is blue and pretty much do whatever he wants to matter--including making it disappear. (Another difference is that thanks to Doc Manhattan electric cars were invented in 1960, thus global warming is not so much of a problem, nor are rising oil prices.) Only Dr. Manhattan and an aging mercenary known as The Comedian (like a sadistic Captain America) are still allowed to fight evil by working for Uncle Sam. The rest are all forced into hiding. Most find other jobs while some, like the obsessive Rorshach, continue to operate at risk of prosecution. (The premise of superheroes being outlawed was later used in the Disney movie "The Incredibles.")
One night, though, The Comedian is found dead in his apartment. As Rorshach investigates the case, he begins to see a conspiracy at work and not only because he's paranoid. Someone is out to eliminate or marginalize all the costumed adventurers. But who and why remains a mystery as the world teeters on the brink of Armageddon with a Soviet incursion into Afghanistan and Pakistan. Can the "heroes" find out what's going on and put a stop to it? With the USA and USSR turn the earth into a radioactive cinder? Tune in to find out.
I have to say, for a comic book (originally published as a series of 12 and now packaged together into a novel) this was fascinating. It's not just one slugfest after another between heroes and villains. The narrative not only goes into the mystery and conspiracy, but it delves into the backgrounds of the characters and includes interesting sidebars, notably a comic within the comic about an evil pirate ship of damned souls that makes the Black Pearl seem like a Carnival fun ship. The comic within the comic fits into one of the overreaching themes of the book, which is: do the ends justify the means? And as is frequently scrawled on walls in the book: who watches the watchmen?
Unraveling the various complexities and symbolic elements of this would take a long time, and I doubt I could nail them all own. Suffice it to say if you think comics are kid's stuff then you are dead wrong in this case. This is a comic for adults with adult situations like rape, impotency, and other stuff you certainly won't see on Saturday morning cartoons. "Watchmen" was one of the first books to really focus solely on the adults and revolutionized the industry. Its influence is still felt today in movies like "The Dark Knight" that strive for a more realistic approach to those costumed adventurers.
That is all.
(BTW, as I have no experience with graphic novels there's nothing I can say about the artwork. I thought it was good, but what do I know?)
9 comments:
I have a similar issue with comics. I think it's because there are too many pictures and not enough words. Regarding the Watchmen, I LOVED the movie. I have considered getting the graphic novel. Now, after this review, I think I will go ahead and get it! There is something about the characters. They have so much depth, when compared to other superheroes. I especially love the complexity of Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. Nice post!
I loved Watchmen all the way through issue 11. I hated the ending. In that respect, I thought the movie was better.
Wow, this is interesting to see the perspective of someone who saw the movie before the comic. I was the reverse, and considered the movie an okay but messy interpretation of the comic series. Honestly, if you liked the movie, the cliche' is true - the book is better. Nice overview, PT.
@Andrew Well, the original ending ties into the overall theme of the novel. Yes, it was horrifying to see all those people dead and that hideous monster, but that was the point. What Ozymandias did was horrific, but caused great good by bringing world peace. It begs the question, "Do the ends justify the means?" I thought the movie ending of New York just evaporating was visually less disturbing, which blunted that message. Also, the idea of turning against Dr. Manhattan wouldn't achieve the same thing, because Dr. Manhattan was clearly identified as American. What should have happened is all the world's governments turning against the US.
The thing about the movie ending is that "Dr. Manhattan" hit all over the world, whereas in the book it's only New York that was attacked. I think 9/11 demonstrated that wouldn't bring about world peace. Other governments might have still been pissed at America for losing control of their asset but his freakout on TV would demonstrate that he'd gone rogue.
This is a world I know nothing about.
I don't read the comic books either. The Watchmen movie was good, but I wasn't overly impressed.
.......dhole
Watchmen = Masterpiece.
Great review Pat. This novel raised the comic book to another at form. At first it feels like another deconstruction of the comic book genre, but then you realize he's telling a story that fits in any genre. Rorschach's journey told how much a man (or boy) could take as a crimefighter before going insane. The Annotated Watchmen is worth reading to see just how detailed and nuanced the fictional history was.
I remember reading "The Watchmen" as a graphic novel collection when it first came out. It really changed the way I looked at comics. It was one of those rare comics that could be read over and over, like a good novel should be. And, like you said, not just a slugfest. "The Watchmen" felt like something new.
The movie, as you said, was also incredible. I think it is immensely underrated. It should've been as well-received as "The Avengers."
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