Watchmen

The Comicologist — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:32:10 +0000

Alan Moore's Watchmen is often described by critics as being 'seminal'. Now, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I had to look that word up:

sem·i·nal: highly original and influencing the development of future events: a seminal artist; seminal ideas.

For the record, it can also mean "pertaining to, containing, or consisting of semen." In the case of Watchmen, the first meaning here is definitely the most appropriate.

Watchmen was originally published as a monthly 12 issue comic book limited series from 1986-1987, and later collected as a trade paperback (meaning all issues in the one book). It was written by Alan Moore, also known for V for Vendetta, and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

Watchmen is a deep read, carrying the distinction of being the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award (up until writing this at least), as well as being the only graphic novel to appear on Time Magazine's 2005 list of the 100 best English language novels from 1923 to present. Watchmen was one of the first comics to break free of the traditional 'super hero' constraints that dominated the industry throughout the 80's and arguably paved the way for a number of more 'adult' orientated works embracing themes not really touched upon before. It's part mystery, part drama and part historical document in that it gives the reader an indication of what the political climate may have been like in the US during it's initial run.

Much of the story is set in the USA in 1985. It's an alternate reality where costumed heroes and villains are real, although a majority of the hero and villain community have are now either dead or retired (ala. The Dark Knight Returns). The main villain of the piece now appears to be the establishment. The primary story traces the past and present of a group of aging 'superheroes' (some active, and some semi-retired) as they reconnect with one another to try and piece together the events surrounding the murder of one of their former comrades. As a backdrop to this, the USA is also on the verge of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Could the two be connected? Paranoia starts setting in as the end of the world seems to be fast approaching.

What can we learn from Watchmen? Well, if you take nothing else away after reading the Watchmen, make sure you remember this. A podgy man in his mid-40's is not meant to wear spandex.

Watchmen is highly recommended reading for the casual reader to full blown comic geek.

Incidentally, Watchmen is being developed into a feature film, with Zack Snyder at the helm (the guy that brought Frank Miller's 300 to the big screen). If the teaser trailer below is anything to go by, Watchmen then movie, appears to be a faithful adaptation of the book. It will be interesting to see the finished product.