Watchmen

This is a fantastic work of graphic fiction. From the layout to the colors to the dialogue to the pacing and everything else - it is all extremely well crafted. This is a work that stands as a masterpiece of graphic-fiction, and that cannot be duplicated in another medium. You wouldn't watch a movie about good wine if you wanted to know what good wine tasted like. Watchmen is best appreciated as a graphic fiction. It achieved things in the graphic medium that were innovative and difficult, and it pushed the boundaries of what sort of story could be told. There is a lot going on in this book that was lost in the film, but, more importantly, there are many things to appreciate about Watchmen that are impossible to reproduce in any other format. Buy it, read it, enjoy it as it was meant to be experienced. Alan Moore will love you for it.

This is a classic. My original copy was stolen and I had to replace it with this one. It is even better than the original.

The Watchmen limited series comic penned and drawn by comic legends Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons issued in the late 1980's reached new heights in genre bending graphic and "super hero" storytelling. What had increasingly become a stagnant industry, where the same moralistic(if flawed) heros 'swooped' in to save the damsel in distress or citiznry in disarray against a cardboard villain, the Watchmen characters, built loosely around retired, archetypal Charlton Comics' characters were complex and multidimensional. Set in an alternative future of 1985, where an arms race and potential, nuclear Armageddon sets the background, we are enveloped by this world with its several sub-plots and subtle humor, that it warrants re-reading. The non-primary color choices by colorist John Higgins just add to the surreal nature of a time that 'Almost Was', in an era of 'Could Still Happen', against a backdrop of 'What If?'. Get your hands on this and enjoy.

WOW! IVE READ MOST THE WATCHMEN SERIES! I LIKE THEM ALL, BUT THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. TO SAY IT WAS A PAGE TURNER IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT! ITS EASILY THE BEST OF THE WATCHMEN BOOKS EVER PUT OUT, AND THE ANIMATION, INCREDIBLE.

This is one of the big three. "Watchmen", "Maus" and "The Dark Knight Returns" changed the way we look at comics. There are already many reviews of this book and mine will live in the forest, but this book is truly monumental. Much, much more than just another superhero yarn, it raises questions of the dreadful implications of nuclear warfare and placing our lives in the hands of a select few, be it the shaky hand of autocratic president Richard Nixon or a being who has the power of destroying our species with just a thought. Many unforgettable characters populate this book: the uncompromising vigilante Rorschach, the dire truth seeker Comedian, the omnipotent Dr. Manhattan, the virtuous Nite Owl, the brilliant Ozymandius. The term "must read" is used too often but this book truly is just that and the only graphic novel to be included in Time Magazine's greatest novels list. The corner of your bookshelf reserved for the best of the best is incomplete without it.

I can honestly say I saw the amazing movie before reading the even greater original book. Much to my amazement, Zack Snyder was pretty faithful to the source material. And as for the book itself, it really is a must read. The book brilliantly touches on the most sensitive issues of the time , including the above all the Cold War. But it also hints at and studies the sad and undeniable history of human violence, and subtly makes the fact known that humans are savage by nature. That perhaps, it is within our nature and natural forecast to destroy our selves. To sum up all the emotions and ideologies of this book seems to be impossible, but one character himself said it perfectly in what remains to be my favorite quote of a fictionalized character ever to be written down: "Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose."- Rorschach, Watchmen.

I've been trying to get this book for a few years now and because of my finances that wasn't possible. Then word of the movie being made really stirred my interest. I saw the movie and loved it. I was begging for more so once tax time hit I came to the site and ordered it. I am not finished just yet but this book is already 10x better than the movie. I think the movie did good but it left out so many great aspects of this story. I love the characters and just this whole world that the others created. I forget sometimes its a comic because it has phenomenal conversations and plot and description. And then you got the illustrations which are great too. I love this story and I know if your a comic fan or book lover you will want this one. Grade A.

This is the first graphic novel I ever read (and I haven't read many since). I thought it was very "dense" and that's what I admired most about it. Once I finished, I began reading it again immediately. There are parts that are better than others (Rorschach's backstory was great; Dr. Manhattan's not so much). But it was really interesting and I liked all the stories going on simultaneously. It was a bit confusing the first time around, but I've read it three times now and admired it and enjoyed it each time. If you've never read a graphic novel, give this one a try.

Watchmen is an exceptional comic book. It takes an unflinching look behind the motives of its characters. At times making it seem as if what we are reading may spill over into our reality at any time. This book also at a meta level reveals our fasicnation with caped crusaders of justice & the reasons that attract people to this genre. Much better than movie of the same name, in fact its safe to say that the movie only covers about a 3rd of this incredible masterpiece.

A dark, intense, and absolutely brilliant piece of literature, to my knowledge Watchmen is the only graphic novel to have won the Pulitzer. Telling the story of retired "real" superheroes and the history and motivations behind doing what they did, this book explores an alternate history where the Cold War was inevitably culminating into nuclear war, and the twisted and brilliant plots to avoid such a catastrophe. This book is very grim and bleak, so take caution when reading. It is a study of human nature, not a superhero novel. And for the love of God, DON'T watch the movie!!

Beaucoup de choses ont été dites sur cette oeuvre et ses auteurs dans la période récente qui a vu sa réédition. Evitons ici l'hagiographie. Confirmations : - l'idée de base de WATCHMEN est très bonne, - le(s) récit(s) est (sont) remarquablement mené(s), avec notamment un côté "polar" puisqu'il s'agit de meurtre(s), - le dessin, s'il est un peu "rigide" selon les canons actuels (mais, après tout, plutôt moins "rigide" que le dessin d'un très actuel Steve DILLON), est efficace et clair, - l'ouvrage dans cette édition est bien présenté, - sa lecture est un vrai plaisir, peut-être plus marqué pour ceux qui possèdent (ou souhaitent acquérir) les "codes" des comics de super-héros que pour d'autres lecteurs. Plusieurs des idées de ce livre ont ensuite été reprises, poursuivies, adaptées à d'autres comics. On peut penser notamment au cross-over CIVIL WAR. On peut évoquer suite à WATCHMEN, plus généralement, le "coup de vieux" pris en général par les comics de super-héros, dont le lectorat a gagné en maturité, à tout point de vue. En conclusion, WATCHMEN est une oeuvre fondatrice, qui reste pertinente et une très bonne lecture aujourd'hui.

Una historia épica, fundamental para los amantes de las buenas novelas gráficas, los super héroes y la narración histórica. La impresión es americana (por DC), y esto es una apuesta de calidad segura. Evidentemente está en inglés. Las ediciones españolas tienen peor papel e impresión, además de ser más caras... La única pega quizá sea la tapa blanda, pero de ahí su suculento precio. Como ventaja de este tipo de encuadernación, es más cómodo de leer. Muy recomendable

Nachdem ich den Film "Watchmen" im Kino gesehen hatte, erwachte mein Interesse für das Original Comic. Im Großen und Ganzen könnte man das Comic als Sozialstudie des Lebens von ausgedienten Superhelden bezeichnen. Das Leben eines jeden Charakters wird beleuchte und geschickt in die Handlung eingebaut, sodass diese nicht schleppend wird. Die Handlung ist insgesamt sehr spannend, die Erzählung aus der Sicht Rorschachs untermalt das ganze mit einem sehr düsteren, fast schon misantropischen Charakter. Das Comic ist in Kapitel unterteilt, am Ende eines jeden Kapitel gibt es interessante "Zusatzinformationen", zum Beispiel die medizinische Akte Rorschachs oder Ausschnitte aus den im Comic erwähnten Zeitungen. Der Zeichenstil ist sehr zusagend, da es dem Zeichner sehr gut gelungen ist, Stimmungen und Atmosphäre in seine Bilder einzubringen. Das Einzige, was ich an dem Comic auszusetzen habe, sind die Comicausschnitte über einen geistig verwirrten Seefahrer/Mörder. Diese stören den Handlungssfluss, da sie mit der eigentlichen Geschichte oder den Charakteren nichts zu tun haben. Sie sind aber leicht zu überfliegen (was ich auch getan habe). Insgesamt aber ein sehr empfehlenswerter Comic, der zum Nachdenken anregt.