The Sasquatch Journal

Regardless how you feel about the term “graphic novel” used to describe a collection of comic books, “The Watchmen” a 12-part series written by “V for Vendetta” creator Alan Moore, is a big part of comic books “growing up” and the reason the showing of X-Men 3 I saw a couple weeks ago to be filled not with nerdy, awkward, adolescents, but of young and middle-aged adults.

The complex, textured plot actually is has some elements reminiscent of the X-Men. The setting is the 1980's and world has changed from its “innocence” of the 30’s and 40’s. According to a Wikipedia entry, “the Watchmen is set in 1985 in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. It tells the story of the last remaining superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own.”

The overall attitude in “Watchmen” is one of cynicism with a touch of nilism. The costumed heroes of the previous generation felt like they were making a positive direction by stopping ordinary crime, but in a world where two superpowers threatened to blow each other up by pressing buttons, what difference did a guy in a silly owl mask make?

Moore’s world contains a lot of the Cold War paranoia/cynicism seen in lots of other literature and movies at the time, mixed with a touch of something more radical. As in “V for Vendetta”, Moore seems to have a respect and admiration for the vigilante who operates outside of the “establishment” , even if he presents them as very flawed individuals.

In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the character of “V” and in Watchmen’s Rorsharsh. And in the end, (without giving away too many spoilers) the final plan to save humanity from itself is also a lot like the one in “V for Vendetta.”

The characterizations in Watchmen were also pretty revolutionary for the time they were written.

In Watchmen, superheroes are presented as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who have neuroses and failings, and who are largely lacking in superpowers.

The original collection of superheroes bickered, fought and finally disbanded years later. The first Nite Owl decided to become a car repair salesman. Ozymondous becomes a corporate toymaker resigned to making profits from his superhero days. There’s a certain gritty realism to Watchmen, even if the whole idea of the superheroes is still a fantastic one.

So, how does “Watchmen” hold up two decades later?

Very good, if parts of it seem dated and/or gratuitous. The story of the Watchmen, the mystery of who is behind the “mask killer” and potentially trying to cause nuclear war is a great and compelling one. But the overarching pessimism of so many of the characters is wearying and the visual depictions of rape, murder, and infidelity seemed to verge on being “adult” for the sake of being adult.

I’d give Watchmen an 8 out of 10, overall.

Interesting side note: According to Wikipedia, Time Magazine placed Watchmen on its list of the 100 Greatest Novels from 1923 to Present, stating that it was "told with ruthless psychological realism, in frugal, overlapping plotlines and gorgeous, cinematic panels rich with repeating motifs...a heart-pounding, heartbreaking read and a watershed in the evolution of a young medium." Watchmen was the only graphic novel to be listed.