Been a while since I've blogged. Been busy with school, and decided to give up Facebook for lent. Hm, so what's in store for today?
*Warning: Extreme levels of fanboy geekiness approaching. *
What the hell is Watchmen?
Part I of my three-part coverage on all things Watchmen! If you're reading this, you probably want to know just what this Watchmen craze is all about. This also works as a great refresher for fans of the graphic novel.
With prose by Alan Moore, illustrations by Dave Gibbons, and coloring by John Higgins, Watchmen is widely considered as the graphic novel that has changed the comic book industry and defined a genre. Set in an alternate 1980s United States, ordinary people dress up masked vigilantes and have been running around since the '40s, battling crime on the streets of New York. The U.S. and the Soviet Union are on the brink of nuclear war, Nixon is serving a 5th term, and masked vigilantes are now outlawed. After one of these masked men is brutally murdered, one of their own starts looking for clues to the killer's identity, leading to the unraveling of a political mystery and a truly shocking ending.
To describe this book's plot is a task in itself. The story is packed rich with back story and character development. Supplementary material at the end of each chapter provides the reader with better insight into this strange world with people running around in masks trying to be heroes. The plot is intelligent, increasingly complex, and full of intrigue and mystery. It portrays the heroes in a realistic and more human way. None of these costumed heroes, save for one, has any real superpowers.
The characters are portrayed as actual people, flaws and all. The second Nite Owl, Dan Dreidberg, lives an unsatisfying and sex-starved life. Edward Blake, aka the Comedian, is a cynical, ruthless, and brutal character, yet understands the world more than anyone else. Rorschach is a mentally unbalanced man who believes that all evil must be punished. Moore has succeeded in bringing to life such believable and deep characters. It's what sets this series apart from other superhero comics. This is no kids comic book. This is Watchmen, dark and gritty.
*Part II continues tomorrow, with my review of the Watchmen film, directed by Zack Synder*
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