Name: Matthew Jackson's review of Watchmen by Alan Moore
Item: Watchmen
Rating: 5
Author: Matthew Jackson

Alan Moore

Dave Gibbons

Watchmen

Matthew Jackson

a stunning reworking of comics, significant in its reckoning of all that comics could be and show, with the exception of female superheroes. with such a complex and deep storyline, all characters except the women defy the stereotypes of their genre, flipping the idea of a superhero on its head. if only a woman had input into the feminine storylines! still an amazing read, but needs a lesson in feminism

camille paradis

Nick Perronteau

Marie

The wealth of this book is incredible. Forget the film. Read it.

Jehan Chawla

The best thing I've read this year; until now. I guess I’m gonna saddle up with most other people in the universe and agree this is a pretty phenomenal thing. Everything about this novel was Chef's kiss; the story, the implications, the art style. Not only the novel tells a cool story on the surface but also mix in enough pop culture and historical / literary references. I love the 30s atmosphere and the compelling characters.
Kind of makes you wonder: why must great power and great responsibility go hand in hand - if we look over the course of history it has been the opposite: great power often bears very little responsibility - so why should the most powerful beings in existence feel they owe us their protection?

Watchmen #11

Briar's Reviews

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

The story is almost over... This specific addition just felt lame. The buildup could have been so much better.

Watchmen #1

Full review will be on The Watchmen #1-12.

Overall, a really great start to the series!

Watchmen #2

Full review will be on the Watchmen #1-12.

Great continuation.

Watchmen #3

Full review with The Watchmen #1-12.

This comic was a slow burn for me, but it keeps the story moving.

Watchmen #4

Full review with The Watchmen #1-12.

Jon's backstory is one of the best parts of this series. It's absolutely insane.

Watchmen #5

Full review with The Watchmen #1-12.

This was a very slow addition to the story. It's not my favourite, but it still works and gives some good drama.

Watchmen #6

Full review with The Watchmen #1-12.

This story picked up the pace and was an interesting addition.

Watchmen #7

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

Dan and Laurie's turn. I thought it was intriguing but slightly awkward.

Watchmen #8

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

The story continues... This book didn't stand out wildly to me like some of the other comics in this collection.

Watchmen #9

Full review with The Watchmen #1-12. 

This book was... okay? It wasn't the best comic of the bunch.

Watchmen #10

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

The story is starting to heat up (well...cool down, literally) and trouble is brewing.

I bought this graphic novel a few years back as a birthday gift for myself. I had watched the Zack Snyder film and really wanted to jump into the comics. It's safe to say I made a really smart decision, because I absolutely LOVED this graphic novel (and honestly, Zack did a good job changing the format and making it into a movie... but the comics were better, just saying).

There are superheroes and gods hidden among the everyday people of Earth. The original Watchmen are all older now and a new group of youngsters have been ushered in. Unfortunately, these superhuman, masked individuals are being killed off by someone... but why? This 12 book run dives deep into humanity and god-like powers. 

This series starts out with The Comedian (Edward Blake), a former Watchman, being murdered. Rorschach (a name I have the hardest time spelling and pronouncing) decides to look into the murders and try to figure out what's happening. Rorschach's arc turns out to be one wild ride, and along the way we learn out a fair bit about The Comedian and his past. After Rorschach grabs a few more of the newer Watchmen, Laurie (Silk Spectre, who's Mother was also Silk Spectre in her day) and Dan (Hawkman, but not Hawkman - he's the NiteOwl) they decide to fight crime and try to determine what evil is affecting the world. Did I mention that Laurie goes out with both Dr. Manhattan (the naked blue man who has crazy super powers) and Dan? 

These characters have lots of depth to them. The Comedian is a nasty man who rapes women and doesn't care for children, yet he's... funny? He felt like a Joker-esque man but almost worse. He's more sane than the Joker... Yet he has such a strong back story that I still felt bad for him. That's how you know this book is good. I felt bad for a man I should have hated.

Laurie and her Mother also have a very intriguing arc. The twist about Laurie's family was easy to spot, but still hit hard. 

Side note: The giant lynx was really cool - it really should have gotten some more scenes. 

Dr. Manhattan, Jon, has some of the most intelligent and intriguing sets of dialogue that I've ever seen in graphic novels. I found his character to be very interesting and I'm curious how his story arc would have continued into the future. I am curious why he speaks so formally. Was that because of the crazy accident that turned him into a blue man? Why does he insist on being naked all of the time? He's such a weird character but really interesting too. 

This book is 100% an R-rated read, but it's well worth it. The blood, the gore and the insanity of this comic series just feels right. I couldn't see a story this honest and brutal be anything less than an R rating. There's also sex scenes, a naked blue man and rape. It's definitely a strong R but it felt like it fit the narrative. Although, Dan and Laurie's sex scenes just felt... awkward? 

To move onto the illustrations themselves - they're classic. The story is colourful, felt like a real comic book and didn't feel wasted. Yes, the series is a little bit older, but it still felt just as real as an updated comic book. Overall, it really packed it's punch.

My final notes: I suggest reading the entire graphic novel. The comics don't stand alone by themselves and it'd be a real waste to only read half. To get the full impact, read all twelve. It's worth it! There are some slower comics in this mix, but all together they make for a really great story. The entire story is a real gem if you give it a chance. I have to say I did really enjoy it and I'd read it again in the future. The ending left it a little ambiguous yet it left me wanting to find out more about the characters who made it to the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel! It's a shame I didn't pick it up earlier because it was truly marvelous and one of the greats.

Five out of five stars.

Watchmen #12

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

The finale, the bow, the end. I'd like to see what happened after this final chapter - it was that good!

Erik Wallace

I don't tend to reread books again and again, but I think I will revisit Watchmen. The story/stories are so intricate that you can't process everything the first or possibly even second read.

rumbledethumps

This is the third time I've read Watchmen, and it just gets better every time I read it. It is a classic for a reason. 

In-depth characters, cinematic techniques, subtle foreshadowing, so many other things that are too numerable to mention, all make this a great work of literature.

Michael Springer

A beautiful graphic novel. It's complex, nuanced, heartbreaking, and it's about washed up superheroes.

Matthew Jackson &
Watchmen by Alan Moore

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Matthew Jackson &
Watchmen by Alan Moore