Watchmen Offers Up the Hero's Burden

Earlier in the year I expressed my disdain for various superheroes when I reviewed the superb Devil's Cape. I apologize to any hardcore comic book fans, but I just can't relate nor sympathize with some heroes that are damn near invincible and God-like. I also dislike the way they justify how some superheroes return after being killed. It's a slap in the face of the readers. Go read up on the death of Superman if you disagree with me. I'll wait. The heroes of Watchmen have a lot in common with the heroes in Devil's Cape. They have no superpowers, they drink, they smoke, and some are mentally unstable but they are all vulnerable to things like bullets, knives, arc welders, cancer, age and nuclear weapons. The notable exception is Dr. Manhattan, the only "true" superhero, but even a guy who can manipulate subatomic particles, teleport and see the future (to an extent) loses all touch with humanity and sees little reason to protect it other than the fact he is ordered to by the American government.

Speaking of which, the setting in Watchmen contributes greatly to the story. Set in 1985, Richard Nixon is in his 18th year as president, America won the war in Vietnam, non-government sponsored vigilantes have been outlawed due to the Keene Act and because of Dr. Manhattan, electric cars and airships are the transportation of the day.

A murder gets the attention of the outlaw and brutal vigilante Rorschach, as the victim was "The Comedian", a government sponsored hero. As the mystery of this attack progresses, events are set in motion and the world comes to the brink of nuclear war, denoted by the Doomsday Clocks at the end of each chapter, blood flowing ominously from the top of the page. Luckily I wasn't alive during most of the Cold War, but it's chilling to hear government officials refer to losing the East Coast in a nuclear war as "acceptable".

I'm not a huge comic book reader, so while reading, my eyes tended to want to take in the entire page at once, which was annoying when someone dies at the bottom of the page. You'll have plenty of time to adapt to this because Watchmen is over 400 pages long. The artwork by Dave Gibbons is interesting and contains a lot of subtleties, a noteworthy one is on one of the more brutal scenes and if it doesn't invoke some kind of emotion, then you may be more emotionally distant than Doctor Manhattan.

What Alan Moore, the author, does is present a gritty look at the life of superheroes. Fighting the dark underbelly of humanity takes a toll on some, disillusions others and the hopelessness of other situation, mainly the twist at the end, shows us that nothing is black or white, but many muddled shades of gray. If you're wondering why your geeky friends are, well, geeking out over the upcoming movie, the graphic novel will answer your questions. The beginning is a bit slow, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with a story that raises several interesting points that will sit in your mind until you get to see the Silk Specter and Nite Owl kick some ass.