The superhero known as the Comedian is murdered under mysterious circumstances in a time when superheroes have fallen out of favor with the public, and the heroes soon learn the death is part of a larger conspiracy. The characters, crusaders for justice with their own flaws, each have their own ties to the Comedian, and the plot is as much about their role in the changing world and their internal conflicts as it is about the mystery itself.
The premise in and of itself would be enough to draw readers in, but Watchmen easily goes beyond that, and provides an insightful look at the superhero genre itself by way of deconstructing the many cliches, like superhero costumes and tactics. Nite Owl's many gadgets are highly impractical and potentially dangerous, Rorschach comes to consider his superhero identity his true personality and the brilliant Ozymandias finds himself isolated from the rest of humanity. The comic also touches on superhero history, and effectively shows how superheroes would mesh with law enforcement, the kinds of personalities needed for superheroes, and even the kind of entertainment people would turn to if superheroes were no longer fictitious.
The story effectively contrasts the different moral standards of the heroes without too heavily favoring one view over the others, and does a good job of presenting each with a situation that challenges their ideals, effectively showing how they react and reconsider their stances.
The art is nicely done, with many subtle touches and visual motifs, especially the iconic blood-stained smiley face. The pictures mesh well with the dialogue, often ironically depicting what the characters are talking about, like a reporter asking Dr. Manhattan if he will "be prepared to enter hostilities," as elsewhere, Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II fight some thugs.
The novel has many extra features between chapters that help shed light on the characters' pasts and personalities, as well as the history of superheroes in Watchmen. Even minor aspects are explained, like the identity of Veidt's three servants as refugees from the Vietnam War, living in Antarctica due to it not being owned by any other state, show Moore's attention to detail and give life to the world of Watchmen.
Watchmen is an excellent story, but the small touches help make it truly great.
The Comic: An interesting deconstruction of the superhero genre
The superhero known as the Comedian is murdered under mysterious circumstances in a time when superheroes have fallen out of favor with the public, and the heroes soon learn the death is part of a larger conspiracy. The characters, crusaders for justice with their own flaws, each have their own ties to the Comedian, and the plot is as much about their role in the changing world and their internal conflicts as it is about the mystery itself.
The premise in and of itself would be enough to draw readers in, but Watchmen easily goes beyond that, and provides an insightful look at the superhero genre itself by way of deconstructing the many cliches, like superhero costumes and tactics. Nite Owl's many gadgets are highly impractical and potentially dangerous, Rorschach comes to consider his superhero identity his true personality and the brilliant Ozymandias finds himself isolated from the rest of humanity. The comic also touches on superhero history, and effectively shows how superheroes would mesh with law enforcement, the kinds of personalities needed for superheroes, and even the kind of entertainment people would turn to if superheroes were no longer fictitious.
The story effectively contrasts the different moral standards of the heroes without too heavily favoring one view over the others, and does a good job of presenting each with a situation that challenges their ideals, effectively showing how they react and reconsider their stances.
The art is nicely done, with many subtle touches and visual motifs, especially the iconic blood-stained smiley face. The pictures mesh well with the dialogue, often ironically depicting what the characters are talking about, like a reporter asking Dr. Manhattan if he will "be prepared to enter hostilities," as elsewhere, Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II fight some thugs.
The novel has many extra features between chapters that help shed light on the characters' pasts and personalities, as well as the history of superheroes in Watchmen. Even minor aspects are explained, like the identity of Veidt's three servants as refugees from the Vietnam War, living in Antarctica due to it not being owned by any other state, show Moore's attention to detail and give life to the world of Watchmen.
Watchmen is an excellent story, but the small touches help make it truly great.