Watchmen | 
 enlarge | Author: Alan Moore
Creator: Dave Gibbons
Publisher: DC Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
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Rating:  625 reviews
Sales Rank: 49
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.9
ISBN: 0930289234
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5941
EAN: 9780930289232
ASIN: 0930289234
Publication Date: April 1, 1995
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Amazon.com Review
Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, but Watchmen remains the critics' favorite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to gather praise since. The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite
Product Description
This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.
One of the most influential graphic novels of all time and a perennial bestseller, WATCHMEN has been studied on college campuses across the nation and is considered a gateway title, leading readers to other graphic novels such as V FOR VENDETTA, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and THE SANDMAN series.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 620 more reviews...
 Over-rated December 5, 2008
The lavish praise seems over-rated. It may have a bit more depth than the average comic (or perhaps it's that it brought about an increase in the depth of the average comic?), but I don't see it as a contender for one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present, as TIME would have it. Don't believe the hype.
 Great, but a Weak Ending December 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was a very tough call for me. I was sure I would give it 5 stars until the very end, when I was sure Id give it one. Lemme explain.
The good:
I read comics as a kid, and I retain a lot of nostalgia for them. However, whenever I pick one up at the grocery store (at least twice a year I do this) I'm disappointed, able to predict the feeble plot after a couple of pages. I'm not saying comics are bad, but they definitely seem to be for kids, and I guess I've outgrown them. They are what they are, and I've moved on.
Enter Watchmen. This book, with it's pragmatic, possibly even cynical view of vigilantism, is wonderful. It addresses every single thing I can no longer stomach about mainstream comics, and more, it has real meat on its bones. The author has a lot on his mind, and he develops his themes artfully. Also, the book uses the medium of the graphic novel to do things no other medium can. It's a unique reading/viewing experience. The characters are far more substantial than you'll find in any comic (at least the ones I read from Marvel and Image). I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone out there who, like me, used to like comics but has outgrown them.
The bad:
Sometimes it gets kindof pedantic, being heavy-handed with its message, especially in those juxtaposition sequences. However, compared to regular comic books, it was subtle.
And the real doozy: The Ending. The actual way it turned out, I mean, the decisions that the characters made, who the Bad Guy (or whatever he is) ended up being, how he manufactured his plans, all that was great. It was the way in which it was revealed that was such a letdown. Two heroes end up in his cartoonish lair, and he spends three or four pages laying out every detail for them. Yes, it gets that cheesy. The mastermind making a tedious lecture to the heroes as a cheap and lazy device for the writer to reveal his cleverness. And yes, it is clever, the mastermind's plans and actions and all, but why couldn't the author reveal all of the info to the reader in a more organic way? Why did it have to be so postured and forced? The writing got really weak in the final act, and I was frustrated. Angry, actually. Angry enough to give this thing one star.
I just felt so incredibly cheated that an author who took such care building his characters, his plot, tension, atmosphere through the majority of the book would take such a facile approach to the ending.
I do appreciate the quality of this book, but nothing p***es me off like a bad ending, even MORE so when there was so much promise leading up to it.
So, I'm splitting it down the middle, 3 stars. And I'm definitely going to be reading more Alan Moore!
 watchmen December 5, 2008
this is absolutely by far one of the best books that i've read so far.alan moore and dave gibbons have created a work of pure genius.in this complex story that questions the principles that define a hero.this book is entertaining all the way through with its great dialogue and amazing illustrations.watchmen is a must read for any comic fan or anyone looking for something different to read.and it brings up the question of "who watchs the watchmen?"
A Must Read! December 3, 2008
This graphic novel is unparalleled by other works in the medium. The psychological profiles of the characters are deep, the story is intricate, and the art is spectacular! It brings up issues of right and wrong, black and white, the greater good. No other graphic novel is this deep or well written! The book is, however, fairly dark and not very appropriate for younger readers.
Who reviews the Reviewers? December 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Okay. It's NOT a comic book. It's a graphic novel. Had to get that out of the way.
But the truth is, it IS a novel, and a really good one at that. Just because there are pictures doesn't diminish the superior plot or well drawn (get it?) characterizations in "Watchmen".
I'll admit I bought this book out of sheer curiosity, having seen the trailers for the upcoming movie on Rotten Tomatoes, and wondering WHAT THE HELL THAT was all about. And why was everyone so excited that a movie was coming? AND that their only concern was that the movie couldn't possibly be as good as the novel. The bloggers all said that "Watchmen" (the graphic novel) was the best of its genre, and was in fact one of the best novels of our time. Could such hyperbole POSSIBLY be correct? I had to find out for myself. So I bought the book.
Now I'm sorry. Sorry that I waited 23 years to read the best SciFi and one of the best EVER novels that I have ever laid my greasy little hands on.
Not to say it is without flaws. Mommies, you probably ought to know that Watchmen is bloody, intense, and, well, relentless. There's nudity and sex. Lots of senseless killing (or is it senseless?- That's kind of the point...) There's a big blue guy who is running around as naked as the day he was born (or is 'synthesized' a better word?). Maybe 12 year olds ought to find something else to read.
And if it's closure you want, you probably ought to be reading Barbara Cartland or something, cause there ain't none here. Who wins and who loses? Aside from Richard Nixon, it's kind of hard to say. The only character who remains true to his ethical code is certifiably insane, after all.
But if you want something intelligent, something thought provoking (e.g., if there WERE superheroes, what would comic books be about?), and something downright fun, Watchmen may be for you. Try to get it before 030609.
And don't wait 23 years to read it!
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