Watchmen

When Watchmen came on the scene in 1987 it was absolutely revolutionary. Here we have a graphic novel rooted in a forty year long tradition of superhero comics, that swiftly proceeds to deconstruct the genre until it is practically in ruins. Yet in the process of critiquing every superhero comic book that came before it, Watchmen created something new and wonderful: a beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel (complete with explosions, fights, and awesome gadgetry) that still offers deep and profound insights into human nature and political controversies.

As with much of the stuff I read, I discovered Watchmen from another book, the previously reviewed Eleanor and Park. The two main characters of E&P bond while reading Watchmen together, and the novel continues to reference Watchmen throughout, so I thought I'd give it a read. Little did I know that E&P was merely reflecting the greater light of Watchmen, as the moon reflects the sun. When I started reading Watchmen I almost immediately got absorbed into a dark and vivid alternate history where America has won the Vietnam War, possesses a huge tactical trump card over Russia, has abundant cheap energy, and is tearing itself apart at the seems.

The chronological events of Watchmen begin shortly after World War II, when police officers and retired soldiers choose to don masks and fight against corruption and vice within their communities. These masked adventurers are praised for their good deeds, and many of them enter the employ of the government. Eventually an accident involving experimentation with nuclear power creates the world's one and only true superhero, Dr. Manhattan, a blue baldy whose ability to control matter at the atomic level makes him all but omnipotent. In short, Dr. Manhattan changes everything. Technology leaps forward, long-term peace seems assured, and the world sits on a new frontier of prosperity. Yet in the absence of conflict and challenge apathy grips society, and spreads like a cancer throughout America. Corruption and rioting become rampant, the costumed adventurers are outlawed due to the Keene Act, and President Nixon uses Dr. Manhattan as political leverage to elevate himself to near-dictator status. From the moment of Dr. Manhattan's creation the timeline of the story begins gradually diverging from recorded history until the reader is left staring at a strange, and strangely familiar, alternate reality that is dark, chilling, and frighteningly close to the world we live in today.

Watchmen's captivating first page.

Not only is the story profound and thought-provoking, the characters themselves are compelling. My personal favorite character is Rorschach, a masked adventurer who refused to retire when the U.S. government outlaws costumed vigilantes. Rorschach's dogged commitment to punishing evil represents an odd sort of morality that is both repellant and admirable. Other characters like Dan Dreiberg and Laurie Jupiter represent a fascinating commentary on the process of aging and maturing, and how much of ourselves is bound up in what we do.

There is so much that I could say about Watchmen, but I don't want to spoil one minute of this incredible graphic novel. This book was amazing. If you are a fan of superheroes, politics, history, human nature, good writing, or good art, then you will almost certainly enjoy this compelling and chilling vision of what might have been and, if we aren't careful, what may yet be.

Score: 10/10
Read this book if: You are a fan of comics or graphic novels in general, and in particular if you like political commentaries that also tackle deeper questions about the nature of morality and humanity.
Don't read this book if: You are averse to cartoon violence. Though not bad by modern standards of violence, Watchmen certainly doesn't shy away from the graphic side of graphic novels.