Watchmen in On Reading Graphic Novels

Aug 23, 2007 Belinda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: braincandy, intrigue, graphic-comics

I struggled with the rating on this one. If I was rating it purely by how much I liked it, it might have been a smidge lower. But what makes this one "amazing" is the incredibly painstaking layering of detail over detail over detail, along with the dovetailing of several stories at once. It's beautiful in the way that it's crafted.

My interest was piqued when Time Magazine added this to its list of the "Top 100 Novels." I doubt that it would make my personal top 100 list, but if I were forced to ...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Phayvanh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, comix, 2009

This extremely ambitious and dense book takes place in an alternate America, where corruption rapidly lead to an age of moral decline. And masked vigilantes, once lauded, were outlawed. It's October 1985.

Loaded with overlapping stories juxtaposed such that the overall read is imbued with even more depth and symbolism. The writing is deft, unfalteringly moving from the New York streets and its characters to diary entries to book excerpts, each voice singular and perfect. The artwork shares equal ...more

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Aug 14, 2007 Ako rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you're given a chance to make this world a better one, which one you choose? Simply by improving the existing things into their better ones or just destroy everything then start a brand new better world?

This book dealt with that. But if you think there will be a lot of superheroes' fights like any other comic books such as X-Men, or Spiderman, Fantastic Four, and all, then you're completely wrong. Yes, this is a comic book and full of superheroes (that you might call as something childish and ...more

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Aug 21, 2007 Jonathan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

You just can't trust clever chaps, best rely on complete nutcases.

And geeks working for nutty magazines, on re-reading to coincide with missing the film in the cinema. Like Gaiman's painted on veil, Moore's use of tone of voice and smell, which the other characters are all too aware of, but which we can never sense are some of the quirks that draw you in. The only real superhero is self absorbed, confused and malign by inaction. Long set ups bring empathy with characters who are unceremoniously ...more

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Aug 16, 2007 Joe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: newfavorites

Absolutely brilliant. One of the (if not THE) best graphic novels ever written. Yeah that's right. It's a comic book. Don't knock it until you've tried it. Done this well, just about anyone with artistic taste can appreciate the use of mixed media to tell an involved and suspenseful story. ...more

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