I must confess. Before seeing the preview for next year's Watchmen movie, directed by 300-director Zach Snyder, I knew next to nothing about the comic it is based on. I could recognize some of the characters and the smiley-face logo, but if asked about the details of the book's plot… I would have merely shrugged my shoulders. So of course when my friend Jared, who I consider to be my personal authority in comic-related dealings, asked me if I’d read the rather lengthy trade paperback and I responded with a “no”… well he berated me accordingly and went out and bought the brightly-colored graphic novel for my birthday present. I was curious, and once I had it in my hands, I gave the cover a once-over. “Winner of the Hugo award, huh? One of Time Magazine's 100 best novels, huh? And it was written when?” were among some of the first few thoughts that sprang to mind. “So why had this escaped my radar before?” I wondered. I opened it up eagerly, and dove right in. What I dove into was a seedy world rich in color, which is surprising considering how most of it plays out like a gritty black-and-white noir film from the 40’s. The plot starts strong, with a compelling mix of “who-done-it” and great writing. But what else could I expect from the author who brought us V for Vendetta and From Hell? I sank further into the world of Watchmen. As I read on, I started to think to myself, “Where are all the super-heroes? Where are the ridiculous over-the-top action sequences and the steroid-sized muscle men shooting lasers from their hands or eyes?” Well if that’s what you’re expecting to find in this book. get ready to be surprised. Surprised in the best way possible. What you will find is an ingenious psychological mind trip that delves into the deepest parts of the human psyche and makes us all ask ourselves who we really are.

The characters are real. Really real. They are so real that it makes you wonder why you never thought of patching a costume together and running out and beating up criminals and thugs yourself. But that’s not what the book is about, that’s just the background…the “costume” if you will. The book is quite simply about fear. A fear that has emerged ever since the First World War and a fear that is no less relevant today despite the fact that this book was written over twenty years ago. I’m talking about the fear that eventually the shit will hit the fan and every nation will be at each other’s throats in a race to be the last one standing. But it’s the stark originality in which the plot is conveyed that makes this book truly worth of the praised it has received.

Reading this book, we feel Rorschach’s disdain for humanity in our hearts. Our conscience teeters on Nite-Owl's reluctance to take up arms again. And we definitely come to understand why they call one man the Comedian, though not at first. But these aren’t super-heroes like those we’ve seen in comic books so far. These people act and react just like you or I. And it’s their flaws that make these characters special. The flaws are what keep them grounded, make them flesh-and-blood. There are no happy-go-lucky super do-gooders who save the day with only slight effort and fly off into the sky never asking to be thanked or rewarded. Instead we have Dr. Manhattan, the Superman-type character who forces us to think of what having an almost unlimited source of power does to both the nation that possesses it and its enemies. Not unlike, say, an incredibly wealthy and powerful nation using atomic weapons on another.

The series also makes good use of famous quotes, literary references, and pop-culture phenomena, playing off and on the plot. The imaginative liberties that Moore takes with some of history’s biggest events are both intriguing and refreshing, and each issue is wrapped up by an extremely relevant quote from the likes of Bob Dylan, Friedrich Nietzsche, and even William Blake. This all ties in to the massive countdown that has been building suspense since page one. As readers we are always made vividly aware of how close to doom we are as each issue begins with a clock face, its hands slowly making their way towards midnight as it's gradually enveloped by a sheet of blood. And there is no shortage of surprise and shock waiting for us in the final showdown.

The story tightens its firm hold with what seem like trifle plot points and characters that wind up making up more of the story’s whole than one might think. For example the recurring glimpses we receive periodically from one character’s comic, Tales of the Black Freighter, are a pleasing contrast pertaining to much of the plot in the world of Watchmen. More so are the benefits we receive at reading this story in the form of the trade paperback. Benefits like the lengthy filler between issues that dives into character's pasts and their private and public lives. If not read the first time around, these separate excerpts, throughout the story, are a fun way to start re-reading the book.

Having read through the book a few times now I think what I took away the most were the almost chilling connections I was able to make with many of the key characters; the kind of connections that you never realized were there. After all, isn’t that what good writing is? Forcing the reader into realizations and revelations that send a chill up their spine is, I think, the main effect that all writers hope to receive. Having now stared into the inky black spots of Rorschach’s face and asking myself “Do I really see something there?” I can safely say this…Alan Moore has secured his place among my list of favorite authors of all time. The art by Dave Gibbons is damn good too.

Eagerly awaiting the film,
Quinn Allan

Labels: comics