So I've enjoyed my first graphic novel.
I've tried reading, oh, I dunno, a dozen or so that most comics aficionados agree are masterworks. But they all left me cold somehow, and I had yet to finish one, much less actually enjoy one.
But Watchmen by Alan Moore (whose photo on the back cover reminds me of Harry Shearer in Spinal Tap) and Dave Gibbons is a pretty good read. The story is complex and nuanced, and the art, while presented simply, is gorgeous.
I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know. After all, there are about 250 reviews on Amazon and the average review is 4-1/2 stars. Readers title their opinions with superlatives including "perfection," "haunting," and "masterpiece." Most comics fans have already read and re-read this book numerous times, but I'm offering my two cents anyway.
Without giving away the plot, Watchmen follows a group of superheroes as they try to unravel a series of 'mask killings.' But what's most interesting is the portrayal of said heroes as people. They have sex, harbor regrets, and display morals in all shades of gray. They're complicated, and it's fascinating.
I will admit, however, that I found some of the long sections of text (presented as news articles, book excerpts and the like) a tad dry and I'd stopped reading them by then end. An Amazon reviewer and I also agree that the pirate novel device grew tedious quickly.
But, all in all this is the first graphic novel that I've actually enjoyed reading. Is it the greatest comic book ever written? I don't know, it would depend on what you're looking for from your superheroes.
I will say that the term 'graphic novel' seems to fit Watchmen exceptionally well here as the work is neither great literature nor simply a comic book. It is, like its characters and plot, complicated, and it makes me want to explore this genre further.
Article comments
1 - SFC Ski
Well, you started offwith one of the best, no doubt about that. The "heroes" are hardly heroic in all senses, they are human and fallible, but they are very well done and very imaginative, you'll find the Rorschach character has a cult following, he truly is an anti-hero.
THe feelings of tension and desparation brought about by the '80's politics are very much in the fore in this novel, and I am sure will strike a chord with readers today.
I agree that it is hardly great literature, but it is a great read and a visual feast, glad that you enjoyed it. I am sure that other commenters will put in their 2 cents worth, but you might enjoy both Dark Horse and Black Library offereings, much of what they offer has great artwork and good storylines. I almost forgot, you should read "The Dark Knight", a Batman graphic novel much in the same vein as "the Watchmen." I also recommend Richard Corben's work in "Vic and Blood" based on Harlan Ellison's writing, and Corben's "Bloodstar" based on a rare Robert E. Howard work.
2 - Jim Carruthers
I would really recommend "Love and Rockets" if you want to read an even better series of graphic novels. Anything by Alan Moore is a good bet (though shame he never completed "Big Numbers"), "Jimmy Corrigan" is both wonderful as a story and as a published piece of art.
On the audio-visual side, there is "Ghost World" both the comix and the DVD, and "American Splendor".
I loved Alan Moore's "Top Ten" (NYPD Blue in a city where everybody is a superhero), though I don't know if it has been published in a single volume.
3 - Kyle S
Congratulations. You have discovered comics' best-kept secret: that comic books can be a viable medium for intelligent self-expression. The bad news is that from now on, any other superhero tale you read will pale in comparison. Watchmen is simply the best of the genre.
From here, I would encourage you to branch out into non-superhero comics to find the very best the medium has to offer. If you have not yet read Art Spiegelman's Maus, you must. If you would like to read something else by Mr. Alan Moore, From Hell is considered his own masterpiece of comics fiction (I must warn you, though: it is not for the squeamish).