Watchmen

Bibliographic Information: Moore, A., & Gibbons, D. (Illustrator). (1986). Watchmen. New York: DC. ISBN: 9780930289232

Plot Summary: The “Watchmen” are a group of masked vigilantes who emerged in the 1930’s to fight crime, but ultimately ended up effecting historical events by working for the government in wars. The story begins in 1985 New York City, after masked crime fighters have been outlawed. Most of the Watchmen are now in retirement, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan (the result of a science experiment gone awry and the only Watchman to have superpowers), the Comedian (works for the government) and Rorschach (who fights crime despite being outlawed).  Rorschach tries to solve the mystery behind the Comedians murder, and is worried that someone wants the Watchmen all dead. Rorschach warns all of the watchmen in retirement that their lives are in danger. Meanwhile, Dr. Manhattan (who is the super-weapon and only protection the United States has against the soviet union declaring war) is criticized by the media for causing cancer in those that surround him. Feeling guilty and remorseful for the damage he’s caused, Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth and questions his existence on Mars. His girlfriend meets him there and convinces him to come back.

            Another vigilante, Ozymandias, was behind the conspiracy to exile Dr. Manhattan, and plans to fake an alien invasion that will kill half of New York City, but ultimately prevent war with the Soviets. Rorschach finds out this truth, and wants to tell everyone on Earth, but Dr. Manhattan decides that the human race is better off not knowing, and kills Rorschach. The story ends with some journalists looking for new material to write about, and they find Rorschach’s journal.

Critical Evaluation: Watchmen is the first graphic novel of the superhero genre that delves into the psychology behind these masked crime-fighters. The world is set in a realistic 1980’s America at grips with war and explores how superheroes might actually affect the real world. Moore tells the story from multiple perspectives, giving insight into the reasons that each vigilante chooses to either quit the crime-fighting cause, become agents of science and law, or become an outlaw. The resounding question throughout the story is, “Who watches the watchmen?” If masked superheroes are looking out for humanity, who is looking out for them? This question points out that even the most powerful, successful, and famous people are merely human, and subject to all kinds of emotions and problems.

Reader’s Annotation: What if superheroes were just average people, dressed up as vigilantes? Watchmen explores the human psyche through a war-stricken American dystopia.

Author Information: Wikipedia states, “Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced series including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell. Frequently described as the best graphic novel writer in history, he has also been described as ‘one of the most important British writers of the last fifty years’. He has occasionally used such pseudonyms as Curt Vile, Jill de Ray, and Translucia Baboon.

Moore started out writing for British underground and alternative fanzines in the late 1970s before achieving success publishing comic strips in such magazines as 2000 AD and Warrior. He was subsequently picked up by the American DC Comics, and as "the first comics writer living in Britain to do prominent work in America", he worked on big name characters such as Batman (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Superman(Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), substantially developed the character Swamp Thing, and penned original titles such as Watchmen. During that decade, Moore helped to bring about greater social respectability for the medium in the United States and United Kingdom. He prefers the term ‘comic’ to ‘graphic novel.’”

Genre: Science Fiction, Superhero, Dystopian

Subjects: superheroes, war, America, alternate reality

Curriculum Ties: War and Politics

Booktalking Ideas: How does the author portray “superheroes”?

The format of Watchmen includes meta-fiction, or multiple narratives—something new for the genre at the time. Does this sophisticated storytelling push the comic book genre into the larger canon of literature?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 16+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to profanity, violence, depictions of war and sex, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: Superb artwork, masterful storytelling, and memorable characters make this one of the best graphic novels, and novels in general.  During my years as a bookseller, I turned several teens onto Alan Moore, and they always thanked me. This is just one of those stories that sticks with you, no matter how old you are.