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sten_bone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
flowersforcharile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
hodges_wt's review against another edition
5.0
Watchmen is one of those books that is a classic of a genre, and I'm always afraid of those types of books.
Let me be clear: this book let me down, until I read about the story itself.
To appreciate this book, you have to understand the world into which Alan Moore put it. Before the Watchmen, there weren't dark and gritty comics, and there weren't that many (if any) superhero antiheroes.
And most superheroes had powers. The only Watchman with a superpower is Dr. Manhattan. But, back on track, Watchmen was also revolutionary in its color palette: it used secondary colors for almost everything, and before this, all comics and heroes were drawn in primary colors cough Spider-Man cough
The world that Moore and Gibbons created with this story is vivid and certainly comes to life. It is engaging and fun to read.
I'm just not certain it's one of the best books of the 20th century. A game-changer, though, certainly.
Let me be clear: this book let me down, until I read about the story itself.
To appreciate this book, you have to understand the world into which Alan Moore put it. Before the Watchmen, there weren't dark and gritty comics, and there weren't that many (if any) superhero antiheroes.
And most superheroes had powers. The only Watchman with a superpower is Dr. Manhattan. But, back on track, Watchmen was also revolutionary in its color palette: it used secondary colors for almost everything, and before this, all comics and heroes were drawn in primary colors cough Spider-Man cough
The world that Moore and Gibbons created with this story is vivid and certainly comes to life. It is engaging and fun to read.
I'm just not certain it's one of the best books of the 20th century. A game-changer, though, certainly.
dubitzz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly violent, but very interesting story. Great things done using the unique picture/word/time qualities of comics that are not available in any other medium. Recommended if you're a comic or super hero fan. Not recommended if you are squeamish or don't like your heroes to have flaws.
If you enjoyed the movie at all, definitely read the book. It is very similar but much with much more depth.
If you enjoyed the movie at all, definitely read the book. It is very similar but much with much more depth.
marisawhy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
blondierocket's review against another edition
4.0
After a long wait at the library, I was finally able to read this long anticipated book. I had the debate over whether I should watch the movie first or read the graphic novel, but in the end I’m probably glad I read first before watching.
Watchmen, for those who don’t already know, is about the next generation of super heroes who come together when some of them start getting killed. It’s much more than that, but hard to explain in quick terms. The graphic novel was good, the longest one I’ve read so far, and at times I had to admit confusing in the beginning. Once I got into it more I was able to follow the character development and back stories.
I’m not sure how the movie compares but I’m looking forward to finding out soon.
Watchmen, for those who don’t already know, is about the next generation of super heroes who come together when some of them start getting killed. It’s much more than that, but hard to explain in quick terms. The graphic novel was good, the longest one I’ve read so far, and at times I had to admit confusing in the beginning. Once I got into it more I was able to follow the character development and back stories.
I’m not sure how the movie compares but I’m looking forward to finding out soon.
hollyreddy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.25
edbell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
alex_watkins's review against another edition
4.0
Probably one of the first graphic novels written in comic book format that I liked. It is really quite good, and I can see all the things that have been influenced by/totally rip off it. I was into the whole alternate history thing, though I find it kind of unlikely. For example if Nixon was willing to use Doc Manhattan to win Vietnam, you would think that he would of been willing to use nuclear weapons in reality, so I'm not sure. Also I don't think the public would go for the whole amendment to let him run more times. I did like some of the other history twists that I won't spoil here. I didn't find the whole pirate thing that disgusting, it was sort of gross, but I did like the whole superhero comic books go out of style because actual superheros aren't that exciting, Pirate comic books are where it's at. This book actually has an ending, unlike some of the other books I've read recently that is satisfying even if ambiguous.