Watchmen, Book Review

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Who Watches the Watchmen

Malach has just finished reading Watchmen, yes, the 1986 groundbreaking comic mini series. While I have the originals in my collection, I wanted to read it again, having not read it since 1986, and being 14 years old. I remember enjoying it immensely, but with the upcoming movie, I wanted to reread it with adult eyes.

Now, yes, this is a very critically acclaimed series, and an influence not only on modern comics, but modern movies and cinematography as well. To date it is also the only comic series to ever win a Hugo Award and was also voted to TIME Magazine's top 100 best English Novels since 1920.

So, I went out and bought the trade paperback. Wow! I quickly remembered reading it back then, but WOW, what an amazing piece of fiction. What an amazing visual feast for the eyes.

Written by Alan Moore, and Illustrated by Dave Gibbons (Colored by John Higgins), Watchmen is set in a alternate reality to our own world. It is 1985, in the midst of the Cold War (how I miss you), costumed vigilantes are real, and the Doomsday Clock moves ever closer to Midnight. It tells a story of a group of costumed heroes, past and present, and a mysterious murder of one of their own.

Superheroes are real, with a slight catch. Unlike most comics, no one has superpowers, save one, the rest are just normal people who decided to fight crime as anonymous costumed vigilantes. These are normal people with the typical issues, neuroses, and the failings of you or I. Superheroes have been around since the 1940's, and as they get older, younger people replace them or even take over their identities; that is until 1977, where the Keene Act made it illegal to be a costumed hero, unless your registered with the government. Most chose to retire, while some became government employees

The only hero with any power is Dr. Jon Osterman AKA Dr. Manhattan. Dr. Manhattan was accidentally locked in a nuclear testing device, he was apparently killed, only to reform as a blue skinned being with Godlike powers called Dr. Manhattan (he can manipulte matter down to the smallest atom, teleport instantly whereever he wants to, and sees time all at once). He of course comes to work for the US Government making him the ultimate weapon of the Cold War, giving the US a decisive advantage.

The US and the Soviet Union have edged ever closer to Nuclear War, but the presence of Dr. Manhattan keeps the Russian at bay, though dramatically accelerated the arms race. Richard Nixon has somehow remained in office since the 70's, manipulating the Constitution to give him an unprecedented 5th term. It is into this world that we are thrust, very close to our own.

Edward Blake, is a retired costumed hero known as Comedian (also a government employee, very instrumental to the way this world has developed). He is murdered violently thrown from a upper floor window at the very beginning of the book. This event sets in motion a mysterious far reaching conspiracy, that will eventually effect the entire world order. The last vigilante left operating illegally, Rorschach, begins to uncover this plot which he feels is a conspiracy to kill off costumed adventurers. And the story takes off from there.

Soon, Dr. Manhattan, disillusioned and disinterested by humanity and the world, and said to be causing cancer in the loved ones, abandons the Earth for Mars, which immediately causes the Soviets to invade Afghanistan, and immediately creates real palpable fear of nuclear armageddon. This is where the plots begins to twist, so I won't reveal more.

Character development is as good as any novel I have read, you get a good feel for these characters, their interest, quirks, and feelings. The godliness of Dr. Manhattan, the insanity of Rorschach, the calculating nerdiness Nite Owl, and overt sexuality but lack of self esteem of Silk Spectre . . . The dialogue is rich and realistic.

The comic book itself, it's layout and art, is a work of pure genius. While Dave Gibbons is not the best artist in the comics scene, the way he and John Higgins set up the panels is breathtaking. Done very minimalistic, four colors, slight shadings, and deep blacks, it evokes a mood of paranoia and hopelessness. It is also a homage to 1940's early comics. The repetitive nature of the symbols and icons throughout the work is amazing. Analyze the pages, as images, words, and phrases appear and reappear throughout out the book, the most famous being the bloodstained smiley face. Gibbons also illustrates it like a storyboard, it is more akin to watching a movie, that reading a comic book. He uses no thought balloons throughout the book, and prefers to show thought by character expression and body language. In addition he rarely show wide shots in any panel, instead shrinking the panel upon face, objects, and actions. He uses no actions lines, preferring to show action with a spray of blood, or flying of glass. There are also no onomatopoeic sound effects, very common is comic books.

They also as groups (Moore, Gibbons, and Higgins) do some really unique things. One is the comic within a comic plot device. Throughout the comic Watchmen, and young man is reading a pirate comic called The Black Freighter which as your read along with him, relates directly in sections with what is going on with the comic book, even to the point of trading narration and dialogue. In addition, every chapter (originally issues) is addended with a real few page of something going on the in the story, for example a excerpt from a book about his life as a costumed adventurer from the first Nite Owl, or the psychological evaluation of Rorschach, which helps fill in back story.

If you have never read a comic book, or haven't read one in a long time, pick this up, your will be pleasantly surprised. I honestly cannot wait for the movie, this book will translate well to movie, hopefully they do it right, it will be an AMAZING movie.

I am Malach and who watches me?