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Song of the Day: Forget Her - Jeff Buckley

• Author: Alan Moore
• Category: Fiction - Graphic Novel

So it took me this long to finally read what many people claim to arguably be the greatest graphic novel of all time: The Watchmen. That argument has been given to me for a while and perhaps it was the hype itself that made me originally reject it; or maybe it was the fact that stylistically, the artwork itself did not seem to magnetize me; or was it the character concepts with a certain old school je ne sais quoi which simply did not interest me. Even after Todd and I made reports on Turtle Pellets regarding the upcoming movie I did not feel compelled enough to pick this novel up.

It was, in fact, not until Comic-Con just this past month that my interest was piqued. By then I had already seen the trailer that came ahead of The Dark Knight, which had failed to impress me much. However, attending the panel and seeing the extended footage showed me a side to this story I had simply not understood before. The panel itself seemed passionate about the work and though I am very hesitant of Synder at the helm (you need only read my review of 300), I came out of that panel wanting to read this novel and find out more about it.

I finally did and though I am by no means in a position to call it or disregard it as the ‘greatest graphic novel of all time’, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it is the greatest graphic novel I have ever read. That may not mean much; though I am perhaps more familiarized with comics than the average person, my comic knowledge is still relatively limited and my hands have not held that many graphic novels to begin with. Nevertheless, it does not take an avid comic book reader to appreciate a book that contains not only finesse, but also enough smart and heady content to satisfy the most intellectual of readers.

Surely, The Watchmen served as the inspiration for Pixar favorite The Incredibles, though the content has not been watered down for the younger audience. Dealing with heavy morality and ethical questions, the novel basically looks at a world where heroes were forced to retire in the seventies due to legalities, changing public perception and resentment from cops who felt increasingly marginalized and incapable of doing their job. They all seem to have settled in their retirement, some more comfortably than others, when a ‘mask killer’ suddenly emerges, bent on taking out the group of vigilantes, one by one. Racing against time, the former heroes must don their costumes one more time to solve the crime that may save their lives or more importantly, the planet.

After reading the novel, I have to say that my comments on the illustration remain remarkably the same. I am still unimpressed with the old school style and incredibly simple layout, though perhaps, my eyes have been opened to Dave Gibbons’ (illustrator) own spartan efficiency. Even in its barren form, each cell seems to serve its duty with precision, in both composition and content. There may be no gravity defying poses, or humanly impossible contortions from the aged protagonists on the paper, but all the information is drawn out with a purpose which is married most interestingly with the often multi-layered content.

Let it be known, this is not your typical superhero tale. It is a tale of humanity that happens to have hero’s as its central figures, allowing for a much grander scheme which is nonetheless timeless and applicable to just about any person that has ever questioned their actions in relation to good and evil. This is exciting in that it feels refreshing and new. Considering that this graphic novel came out in the eighties, it is a surprising achievement, that it is able to hold out so well against the recent works that continuously try to paint themselves in the same light. At the same time, however, when considering the movie that looms in the horizon, I can only grow in my skepticism and concern. I repeat, this is not your typical superhero tale. Having seen the trailer and the footage, I have to wonder how many people that have not read the novel will go in expecting another Iron Man or Dark Knight. More than an action story, this is a drama, a story about what goes on behind the scenes and the crime fighting itself takes a secondary role to the character and plot development which, as I mentioned earlier, is much more broad than your run of the mill, evil villain trying to destroy the world story.

It is perhaps that I am still elated from my read (I just finished it about half an hour ago), that I fail to find any reasonable flaw with this book. It reads in complex layers and carries a theme of epic proportions and it is populated by a cast of characters that are so well fleshed out and developed, that they are likable beyond their obvious flaws, of which they have many. Careful reading of the novel, and a good eye will show details peppered throughout the story that make it a delightful read, on top of the challenging theme it decided to tackle. My recommendation? Go read it, because if Snyder happens to screw up this movie (which I am praying he will not), you will at least know where he went wrong and be able to hold your knowledge to the movie and say…no, the original work was much, much better.

Rating: 5 out of 5
Notes: There are some adult themes here and very brief nudity. Language is kept in check but, this comic book is really not intended with for your six year old.