Watchmen by Alan Moore

Watchmen by Alan Moore is considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time; it is the only graphic novel to have made Time magazine's list of top 100 novels of all time. Reading it, one can see why it is so highly thought of, and rereading it, one can find new details that escape notice the first time around. Moore has set us up with a story that is surprisingly detailed, interlocked, and complex but makes sure to lay out all the details of the story in such a way that, as long as one is paying attention, it is not hard to follow at all.

The story does begin to feel a bit dated because the time period it takes place in is receding further and further from our thoughts; it was published in the late 80s and took place in 1985; 20 years later 1985 might as well be 1285 for some readers. However, it is perhaps saved from being completely obscured by the passage of time because the 1985 the story takes place in is not the 1985 we all lived through; it is a 1985 where superheroes are quite real and where one, who can create matter at will, has completely changed the course of history, technology, and the like. He is also the one thing keeping the world from mutually assured destruction, and therein lies the entire problem.

The story plays out like a mystery, and while there are superheroes and some superheroics, the costumed crime-fighters are presented in a very realistic way – far more realistic than in your average comic book – as is their impact on the world. The mystery unfolds and gets deeper and more complex, and in the end, it is solid detective work and investigation, not super powers, that gets the job done. There is no 4-color comic book ending where good is right and evil wrong, but instead the motivations and actions of multiple individuals are both called in to question and supported by the results, if not the means.

This is a thinking person’s graphic novel, and it well deserves the accolades it has accumulated over the years. - Reviewed by John