Watchmen

by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Published: Warner Books, 1987
Pages: 384

The Watchmen have retired, but when the masked-heroes start to become victims, Rorschach takes it upon himself to find out who's behind the murders and public humiliation.  He enlists an old friend, Nite Owl, and together they discover just what kind of political conspiracy is taking place.  Will they be able to stop the villain, or will it be too late for them, for the Watchmen, for the world?

Intermixed with the typical graphic novel fashion are sections of text that are either excerpts of memoirs, case studies or newspapers from the world in which Watchmen takes place.  I really like this addition because it gives the reader background information without having the characters live the backstory.  It's like the readers live in the world too and we are reading a real story with supplements that prove that this happened.  It's very engaging and I think it's one of my favorite things about this story.

At the end of each chapter there are quotes that pertain to what just happened in the story. I really like this because it solidifies the story for me.  It gives the action in the story a sense that it could happen to anyone, it is something that anyone can relate with, even though it's about superheros.  Also, I'm a huge fan of quotes.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are quite amazing.  Its realistic quality is fascinating.  The use of color in this graphic novel is very clever.  The muddier colors intensify the situation that we are reading about, and the crisper colors make the scenes more lively.  I really enjoyed the fact that this story was illustrated.  It definitely would not have been as interesting to me had it been a novel.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"A work of ruthless psychological realism, it's a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any."
     -- TIME, TIME MAGAZINE's 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present