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Showing reviews 11-15 of 926
 Ideals vs Human Nature March 23, 2010
Cory Snow-andres (Owosso, MI)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Watchmen is a graphic novel but don't let that frighten you. You say "oh no, it has pictures, that's kid stuff! I can't be caught reading that!" Just relax, we'll get through this. Yes Watchmen has pictures but that doesn't make it any less a novel. In fact, Alan Moore, the primary author or the book, claims that twenty two pages of Watchmen is equal to 135 pages of text, dialogue, and description that he handed in to his collaborator Dave Gibbons. That's about one graphic page for every 6 written pages. If Watchmen were a traditional novel with full descriptions the 419 page book may have been nearly 2000 pages long! Yes, Watchmen is a graphic novel, a comic book. And, yes, Watchmen is about superheroes. But the book explores the superhero genre in a way that questions it and it does so in a very interesting and entertaining way. It defied comic book conventions, depicting very violent people and gritty themes in a time when Batman still had shark repellent on his utility belt. Watchmen explores the basic superhero archetypes from the vigilante adventurer to the near omniscient super powered man. It looks at these characters' codes of justice and tactics and attempts to make sense of them relative to reality. Watchmen asks who among us would really be willing to put on a mask and pursue this brand of justice, and why would a man with god-like abilities bother to fight crime?
Watchmen depicts a set of very basic superhero archetypes; There is the enterprising adventurer, like Batman, or Doc Savage the rich, intellectual idealist who strives for change. The vigilante type like Zorro, the Lone Ranger, or the Punisher with their uncompromising, black and white view of right and wrong. There's the femme fatal, enticing criminals into submission. And the super powered man, the benevolent god among us, the superman sent to protect us all. Watchmen shows us these characters set against the backdrop of the cold war, a very real time in our history when the prospect of total destruction was very real. The characters become rounded as the authors shape them and reveals them as people with real issues in this terrifying world. The authors recognize the horror inherent in human nature and the idea that just because a person puts on a mask, they are not exempt from it. Some of the characters are repressed schmoes, others sexual deviants, others are narcissistic, some are just confused, and some are even sociopaths. Watchmen posits that perhaps those who would choose to pull on a mask and a pair of tights and adhere to a strict, black and white idea of justice may not be the best, brightest, most altruistic among us, but could very well be mentally and emotionally unstable. The story suggests that some may even be so obsessed with their code that they may be willing to do horrific things to achieve their idea of what is right. Even when an act of congress attempts to subvert the heroes' obsession with justice, some persist, even grow more determined. One character goes so far as to brutally murder his foes rather than hand them over to authorities and be forced to reveal his identity. Another allies himself with the US government, reveling in the opportunity to feed his hunger for violence and to be payed to do it. Still another uses his status as a former hero to gain wealth and influence and perhaps use it to reshape society into his image of what it should be, regardless of who or what stands in his way. The authors of Watchmen boldly propose that, yes, superhero crime fighters could exist, but we probably wouldn't want them around if they did.
And what of the super powered god/man? Watchmen's depiction of such a character aims to bring to light the fallacy of the assumption that such a being would naturally fight for "truth, justice, and the American way". So often, Americans want to believe that god is on our side but would he be? Should he be? Why would a god among us care about our ideas of justice or morality? Watchmen suggests that maybe he wouldn't, that maybe a man endowed with fantastic abilities would grow apathetic toward our ideals. Maybe he would grow out of touch with humanity as he begins to feel as though he is no longer a part of it or perhaps never was. In one famous line from the book, a TV program misquotes a prominent physicist as saying in response to this god-like character "Superman exists and he's American". Later this misquoted character authors an article that is one of several articles that Watchmen's authors have inserted in-between chapters to further develop the universe that the characters live in. In the character's article he points out the misquote saying "What I said was 'God exists and he's American'". With this idea firmly in place, Watchmen shows just how our country and its leaders may attempt to exploit such a being, even become dependent on him. With this character, the book is able to illustrate just how dangerous such a situation might be and if a man were given such immense power, a country or even the whole world may be at the mercy of this man and his loyalty or apathy toward humanity.
Watchmen explores the major characters in the world of superhero pulp fiction and attempts to give the reader an idea of the machinations of these archetypes in a real world setting. The book looks at these characters and how they have been grown and shaped out of our ideals. The authors attempt to take a step back and look at these ideals in contrast with human nature. The conclusion seems to be that ideals are nice, but you can't change human nature. And if you could give a man super abilities and change his nature, it would be futile because he would cease to be a man. It is a wonderful read and is every bit as exciting as it is thought provoking. I highly recommend this book for anybody, whether they are fans of the genre or not.
Tonight, A Comedian Died In New York March 16, 2010
Kelsi (Missouri)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Watchmen was my first graphic novel ever, and I LOVED it. I've been a book worm my entire life, but for some unknown reason I never really got into comics and graphic novels. I've always loved the cartoons based off comics, and I'm obsessed with comic-based movies (batman, superman, spiderman, the hulk, etc). When I saw previews for the Watchmen movie, I was so excited I literally couldn't wait to see what it was about. So I bought the graphic novel, and I'm not kidding when I say it changed my life.
Watchmen turned me into a comic/graphic novel fan. If you've seen the movie and you liked it, read the graphic novel, it has SO much more to offer. The movie was kick a**, but you can't fully appreciate the amazingness of the Watchmen until you read it.
A modern classic, March 8, 2010
V. Wayne (the Ozarks, USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Alan Moore's masterpiece The Watchmen should have a spot on every comic aficionado's bookshelf. It has been hailed as the graphic novel that started a revolution in comics, and I like to agree with that sentiment. I was not around when it first came out, and I only just got to reading it, but I can see why it still stands as a solid piece of work thirty years after it ended. The Watchmen is indeed a classic!
Where to begin? Well, let us start with the lesser of its achievements, the art. The line work is crisp and clean, the anatomy realistic, and its action scenes flow like poetry (to say the least). The character designs were set in the early eighties, so they are a bit dated, yet for the most part you feel you could meet these people in your very own city. For me, my favorite thing was the use of color - each scene oozes atmosphere, and you can tell thought and effort was put into the coloring of each panel. All and all, it is superb.
What really makes this different from pretty pictures, and truly a graphic novel, is Moore's writing. The man is a genius. He took something that, for years, had been dumbed down for children's consumption, and made it for adults. After The Watchmen debuted, no one could say that superhero comics were kid's realms. It was truly what the stale comics scene needed at the time. It changed the scene - leaving a standard writers and artists continue living up to today.
Moore's first big achievement in The Watchmen is setting up a realistic and consistent world. Not only did he use the comic to do this, but between each chapter he would add textual tidbits - such as newspaper clippings from the story's world - to further expand the alternate reality. It draws you in, and upon a second reading makes you go "Oh! Now I see what he did there." Each line, each piece of dialogue, every panel is meant to further along the plot, faster and faster on to the final conclusion.
Then there is the recurring symbolism and motifs, something you don't really see anymore in any medium. The story makes continuous references: patterns stitch together where there once was nothing, subtly reminding the reader of what they are reading. Much of it is used to the effect of social commentary; some is there to bring a sense of unease; all of it is perfectly placed and never overused. Almost all of it is in the art, making another perfect example of why the graphic novel is such a powerful medium.
The most important thing, besides the groundbreaking plot, is The Watchmen's characters. Each and every one seems meticulously plotted out, their psychology slowly peeled open throughout the course of the book like a rare flower. Each character serves a purpose - each has their own motives, desires, and fears. They are memorable in their humanity. In real life, you do not see the ending before its due time, and The Watchmen reflects that. Until the final chapters we are left only guessing as to what great and terrible thing will happen to our heroes.
At the end, it will leave you asking - "Who watches the watchmen?"
How a comic book is supposed to be! February 28, 2010
Anthony K. Jenkins
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Watchmen takes the comic genre to an entirely new level. The intricate plot and creative story telling mesh perfectly to give the reader a great expierience. While it does take a little while to get going, once it does it becomes a great read and a memorable one at that. The artwork helps paint the picture of Alan Moore's best writing. This is a must read for anyone who is in to comics or is curious about them. Buy it today!
Read It February 26, 2010
Kevin T. Soldner (Albany, NY)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Read this a few years ago. First graphic novel I read for pleasure (read Maus for a history class). Terrific story and images. Highly recommend. The movie did some justice to the story but do yourself a favor and read the novel.
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