Maybe it's because I did not read it at the time it was first written, but after I finished reading it, I did not "get" what the big deal was. I enjoyed it but it wasn't, in my opinion, worth the adulation it seems to garner.
Maybe it's because I did not read it at the time it was first written, but after I finished reading it, I did not "get" what the big deal was. I enjoyed it but it wasn't, in my opinion, worth the adulation it seems to garner.
When I read 'Watchmen' in 2006, it was the first graphic novel I'd ever read. I thought it was fabulous. The release of the movie has prompted me to read it again. Since then I've read Bechdel's 'Fun Home' and Lemire's 'Essex County' books, and 'Watchmen' now seems rather adolescent. The art is gorgeous, and the dialogue is good, but the two-dimensional characters � especially the women! Of course, I understand that Moore created 'Watchmen' more than 20 years ago. He was using the elements of superhero comics and taking them further than they'd ever gone before, laying the foundation for the kind of work that's being done today.
When I read 'Watchmen' in 2006, it was the first graphic novel I'd ever read. I thought it was fabulous. The release of the movie has prompted me to read it again. Since then I've read Bechdel's 'Fun Home' and Lemire's 'Essex County' books, and 'Watchmen' now seems rather adolescent. The art is gorgeous, and the dialogue is good, but the two-dimensional characters � especially the women! Of course, I understand that Moore created 'Watchmen' more than 20 years ago. He was using the elements of superhero comics and taking them further than they'd ever gone before, laying the foundation for the kind of work that's being done today.
The only graphic novel to make the 1001 books to read before you die list, the Watchmen is a reprinted of all the series and put into a collected graphic novel. Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to critique the superhero concept and he did this extremely well. Watchmen is a superhero story like no other. Watchmen takes place on an alternate history Earth where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. The country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed superheroes are in retirement or working for the government. The story focuses on the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement.
This was simply "wow." This is one of the most complex works of literature I have read, and a great graphic novel to boot. When the ending is revealed, it is just amazing. Talk about having to make a choice. I won't reveal it for those who have not read it, but it does make a reader wonder what would they choose if they were in the situation. That may be part of why this book has remained popular over time: because it presents heroes as complex, often tormented, individuals who are faced with conflicts and choices. It's not all about the adventure. Thus they are people we can identify with. Of course, the novel is still a very good story as well. This is absolutely one of the best, if not the best, works I have read this year. Definitely one that invites reading again. And the work definitely …
This was simply "wow." This is one of the most complex works of literature I have read, and a great graphic novel to boot. When the ending is revealed, it is just amazing. Talk about having to make a choice. I won't reveal it for those who have not read it, but it does make a reader wonder what would they choose if they were in the situation. That may be part of why this book has remained popular over time: because it presents heroes as complex, often tormented, individuals who are faced with conflicts and choices. It's not all about the adventure. Thus they are people we can identify with. Of course, the novel is still a very good story as well. This is absolutely one of the best, if not the best, works I have read this year. Definitely one that invites reading again. And the work definitely confirms Alan Moore's place as a great author.
By the way, for those readers who like a little history, seeing the alternate world that Moore creates for the U.S. is interesting as well. Who becomes president of the U.S., the Cold War, so on. While this element is not the main thrust of the book, it certainly adds to the ambiance and makes it even more interesting.
