Watchmen

Rating:
Summary: An incredible masterpiece
Review: This is a good book. Most people say that. What works best at the heart of this book is how labor intensive it is. It would be nice to see this kind of treatment turned onto say the XMen.

Rating:
Summary: This is a book that makes you think about the world...
Review: After reading this wonderful TPB, my perspective of the world changed. It reminded me so much of todays world that it gave me goose bumps( I'm not joking ). All the chaos and carnage going on, with only one way to stop it all. This is a very good book. I highly recomend it to all readers. This should someday be an american classic.

Rating:
Summary: Over-rated
Review: Though it is an excellent story this book didn't really interest me until later issues. Though I do respect it, it is definetly not as good as V for Vendetta.
In an altered reality where heros are outlawed, one that has been retired for years is suddenly and mysteriously killed. Now Five of his teamates come out of retirment to track down the killer, while America slowy slips into the brink of war.
It's good, and should be read, But nowhere near as good as people say it is.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, It Really is THAT Good...
Review: Although I've been a comic-shop hanger-onner for a number of years now, it was only recently that I finally decided to take a look at Watchmen™. Part of the reason I put off checking it out was due to my disappointment in another comic series that is often hailed by many as the "hallmark" of the four-color format alongside Watchmen™: Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns © series. If I didn't consider Dark Knight all that impressive, my biased and jaded sensibilities told me, why should Watchmen™ be any better? Another off-putting factor was the pompous statements from more than a few pretentious comic geeks about how Watchmen™ "requires multiple readings for one to really understand all the nuances and hidden meanings in the story." Whenever I hear something like this, I usually blow it off as the ramblings of intellectual wannabes who try to make their favorite reading material seem more profound than it actually is. That, and they're likely suffering from attention-deficit disorder to boot. But finally the time came when I could relax and give this bad-boy a read, and see if it could rise above my less-than-stellar expectations...

My first run-through put to bed any comparisons I would've made between Watchmen™ and Mr. Miller's Batman™ tale, 'cuz there really is no comparison-the former funnybook is far more enjoyable than the latter! It was one of the few TPBs longer than eight issues that I've ever read from cover to cover in one sitting! As for that whole "requires a second reading" deal: I'll be dipped if the people making such statements aren't right on the money! I went through Watchmen™ a second time, and picked up on all sorts'a stuff I hadn't paid attention to the first time 'round! Of course, having already read it once, it's easier to follow the second time through, which in turn makes it easier to sift through the subtle foreshadowing events, flashbacks, backstory, and subplots. So maybe those "intellectual-wannabes" are on to something after all! Or maybe I'M the one with A.D.D., who knows. All I know is, every time I give Watchmen™ a read, I'm unbelievably obsessed with finding out every little snippet of 'hidden meanings' and 'subtle nuances'... it's become a sickness with me. I find myself trying to come to grips with the book's alternate-reality setting (Nixon serving his fifth term as prez in 1985; the U.S. won the Vietnam War; electric-powered cars are the standard mode of transportation; etc.). I become fixated on seeing the foreshadowing elements contained in the end-of-chapter articles "written by" or related to the book's characters. I try to get into the minds of the core characters and make efforts to understand what motivates them, especially Rorschach's cold, mentally-unbalanced and uncompromising approach to solving crime, and the nigh-godlike Dr. Manhattan's gradual severance from his human side. To make a long story short, I read and processed Watchmen™ in a way that I'd never done with any other four-color tale (or any other form of literature for that matter), and found it to be an unusual and enlightening experience. Yeah, enlightenment from a comic book... who'da thunk it?

All right, time for me to top this all off with my assessment of the recurring face-with-blood-covering-the-right-eye dealie. I'm aware that there's been some discussion regarding the symbolism of this image-- what it means, why it keeps popping up the way it does, and so forth. After processing all the info and other peoples' thoughts about it, I finally arrived at my own conclusion: there is no actual significance to the 'stained face'- Moore & Gibbons intentionally placed this 'sign' in various parts of the book to make people believe there's some deeper meaning behind it when there really isn't any at all. Simply put, they're goofing on the readers, testing them to see if they, like the late Comedian™, "get" the gag. It's sortuva Andy Kaufman kinda thing, you know? Hey, wait a minute... dear lord, I'm startin' to sound like one of those stereotypical pompous academic types who deconstruct every piece of literature they read to show everybody how scary-intellectual they are, aren't I? Never thought I'd see the day when something like that would happen! But I suppose there's a first time for everything...

'Late

Rating:
Summary: A monumental classic of comic literature.
Review: Comic books were never "just for kids" as anyone familiar with a lot of EC titles already knows, but the censors in America, with their "Comic Codes Authority" had long made it difficult for more mature titles to surface before Alan Moore, Frank Miller and others popped up. This book is an awesome melding of "typical superhero" fiction with a dystopian twist. The characters have flaws, scars and varying intentions, which makes them more three dimensional than many other "superheroes". By the late eighties, many others had followed the trend of darker and more mature themes in the comic medium. Even Batman was affected by this trend, obviously fitting in with the film noir elements already inherent in the series. This book is one of my favorite books period, and is entertaining and contains more twists than a whole season of the "Twilight Zone". I recommend to any fan of the modern "Dc Vertigo" type comics for a glimpse at the very exciting start of the "Suggested for mature readers" modern comic book movement.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating deconstruction of comics
Review: In Watchmen, Moore has not only created an astounding work of art but has also shed light on all the important themes of comics. Watchmen is it's own self contained story chronicling a world much like ours where heroes, super or otherwise, exist. It's also an analysis of where the archetypal figures in all other comics originate. He explores each character's past and how they came to be who they are today. He also explores the common themes of comics: good vs. evil, the end of the world, the contrivance. He's created a story that not only entertains but also teaches.

Rating:
Summary: Calling this a classic is more than an understatement
Review: For anyone to ever argue the point that comics should be seen as actual literature should use this as their only example. Alan Moore crafted an unflinching, highly intelligent, and unbelieveably haunting story with this original 12 issue maxi-series (originally published in 1985) that is considered Moore's best. In a world where super heroes are no longer fantasy, we see a society torn apart by cold war paranoia, and an uncertain future. When a retired super hero is mysteriously murdered, an almost fascist hero named Rorshach is trying to find the killer, which leads him to convincing his old partner Nite Owl to come out of retirement to help. What is uncovered is more than either could have ever imagined, and what develops is nearly beyond comprehension. Moore's explosive, compelling storytelling and Dave Gibbons' great artwork make Watchmen an unforgettable read whether your a fan of comics or not. Everything about this collected story is exquisite; from the interludes to hero interviews and autobiography excerpts to the complex yet riveting story all make Watchmen truly one of a kind. All in all, this is an essential book to be in your comic collection, or even in your book collection as well, it is just that ... good.


Rating:
Summary: An Attention Getter
Review: An acquaintance of mine passed me a copy of Alan Moore's WATCHMEN
sometime in the late 1980s. I wasn't into comics at the time,
never really had been, but WATCHMEN got me hooked. I read it in
one long sitting.

So what is this graphic novel all about? To put it simply,
it creates an alternate history timeline for our world that
asks and provides some answers for three "what if" questions:

1: What if ... when superhero comix came out in the late 1930s,
people actually decided to dress up in superhero costumes and
fight crime? What kind of people would do such a thing? Of
course, some would be true heroes, but the ranks would also
include self-promoters, exhibitionists, fascists, and violent
nut cases.

2: What if ... in such an environment, a real superhero, with
demigodlike powers, arose? And would a creature so far above
humans really care about us, any more than we care about ants?

3: What if (and this is the kicker) ... you thought, in very
specific and detailed terms, that the world was faced with
destruction, and that you had a plan that could save it? What
would you be willing to do to carry it out? *How many people
would you be willing to kill?*

Saying much more would be giving away the neat and engrossing
plot of this book. However, I have to admit that WATCHMEN
also had a few limitations. The artwork is competent but
not impressive, and more to the point the story is a bit over
the top, not to mention grim, humorless, and violent. I am
usually not all that interested in fiction, particularly comix,
that take itself seriously, but the plot of WATCHMEN was
still enough to keep me going from beginning to end without a
stop.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest comic story ever told.
Review: Anyone looking for a good read will be floored by Alan Moore's 12-issue classic, Watchmen. In this maxiseries, we are shown a world rife with Cold War paranoia, moral decay, superheroes, conspiracies, and Nixon. It starts off with the mad rantings of a half-insane and fascistic hero, Rorschach, who is trying to solve a mystery of a murdered superhero. Although he is beyond creepy (issue 6 almost will make you pity criminals), the scary part is, most of his theories are accurate.

From the spineless Dan Dreiberg, to the robotic Dr. Manhattan, this is a story of complex characters, Machiavellian schemes, and a world not too different from our own. Even non-comic fans will enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Sagging Under the Burden of Time
Review: Yes, I know I'm going to get a lot of "unhelpfuls" for the two stars.

I feel it's important to bring Watchmen up from more of a recent viewpoint, though. Many of the people who gave it five stars either read it 20 years ago and have let it accumulate a rosy glow ever since, or else simply aren't familiar with the state of modern comics.
I spent the first ten years of my life reading hundreds or thousands of comics (and books too, thank you very much), and there's little about Watchmen that distinguishes it from the current crop. The art is subpar, the cliches glaring, and the "mature humor" nearly as subtle as Roseanne. The integration of contemporary issues such as nuclear tension and sexism lends it more weight as a snapshot of an age without actually contributing to its longevity.
The attempts at sophistication- the subcomic "Tales of the Black Freighter", the repetitive wordplay- fail miserably, and do more to make the book an embarassing showcase of pretension than comic innovation. As my father is fond of saying, "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bulls**t."
If you're a comic fan, Watchmen is a harmless waste of a few hours. If you want a real introduction to the comic medium, though, stick to Maus or Hepcats.