Wow, has it really been fifteen fucking years since I posted on this blog? Time flies, eh? Hope you've been well.
To what do we owe this momentous occasion? Well, I've gotten together with some fellow Alan Moore enthusiasts on social media to sort of crowdsource annotations for what is most likely the most acclaimed comics series of all time (spoiler alert: it's WATCHMEN).
Yes, we're aware it's been done before (more than once!). No, we don't have any guarantee that our version will be any better or any more definitive than previous versions, but I think it's fair to say that we're having a lot of fun trying; I, for one, am having a blast reigniting the Moore-loving sections of my brain after leaving them dormant for far, far too long.
So what's this particular blog post about? Well, in the process of gathering various comics/Moore-related materials for said annotations (most of which, much like this blog, having been gathering a bit of dust, I'm afraid), I came across my copy of the excellent Slings & Arrows Comic Guide, which contains my very favorite review of WATCHMEN (by one Fiona Jerome), which I thought I'd share here. I think this one really highlights what makes this particular series so special. It's presented below in its entirety as it appeared in the print edition of the book, with a couple of minor typos corrected and links added. Enjoy! (PS An updated WATCHMEN review by Jerome, which discusses in part why the comic succeeded where the 2009 Zack Snyder film adaptation failed, can be found here.)
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WATCHMEN
DC: 12-issue limited series 1986-1987
It's several years since costumed adventurers had their heyday. An Act of Congress outlawing vigilantes has put a stop to their role as enforcers and moral avengers. Some, like the shy, retiring Nite Owl, and Ozymandias, the smartest man in the world, have mothballed their cowls and gone quietly. Some, like the Comedian, a wisecracking warmonger, and Dr. Manhattan, a scientist irradiated in a freak accident, have returned to the warren of counter-intelligence agencies and government projects whence they came. Others, like the sociopathic Rorschach, have carried on a one-man crusade against crime. When the Comedian is killed Rorschach is the only one who senses that time is running out for his old team-mates; in fact, time is running out for everyone.
Watchmen looks long and hard into the dark corners of the superhero psyche. It asks what kind of people want to dress up in funny costumes and beat the shit out of villains. It examines the practical ramifications of a traditional superhero story dynamic, where a character like Dr. Manhattan, who can control matter and exists in serial time, where past, present and future are laid out in front of him like frames in a film, brush up against cheerful boy-scout vigilantes who just want to help people and guys who get a kick out of dressing up and doing violence. And it looks at why society might condone and support this behaviour, and how the presence of such people, from ordinary thrill-seekers to god-like beings, affects that society. Writer Alan Moore examines each character one by one, peeling back the layers slowly, turning over the familiar elements of the superhero team until all their glitter has rubbed off. Each one becomes a real person (or a real demi-god) as they slowly reveal their deepest anxieties. At the same time he writes an intriguing murder mystery that works on multiple levels and leads into a massive conspiracy, as the Comedian's old comrades (many of whom hated his guts) begin to wonder if there's something going on behind the scenes. There's also a counter-plot in which a young boy is reading a strange pirate comic whose psychological story points up the horrors being faced by the 'heroes', and additional information in the form of memoranda, features and newspaper reports at the back of each issue.
The telling of much of the story is left to the pictures. Not only does Dave Gibbons create a cohesive world, subtly different from our own, he also builds up a web of symbols and icons around which the story is built. His clean, detailed style is perfectly suited to a story that shakes up how we look at superheroes forever, because it's exactly what we expect a good superhero comic to look like. Nothing is taken for granted in Watchmen. The view down a street behind a character's head is there for a reason, and is consistent with a view from the other end of the street shown eight issues previously. If only all comics were crafted and polished like this.
Originally supposed to be a reworking of old Charlton characters whose rights had just been bought by DC, Watchmen had a huge impact when it was published, and although it didn't generate many direct imitations (too much like hard work, one suspects, more's the pity) it altered the whole approach to superhero comics taken by many writers, encouraging them to deconstruct the myth of superbeings. It remains a superb read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, while enriching your understanding of humanity.-FJ
Recommended: 1-12
Collection: Watchmen (1-12)
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