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bardiphoukaI've been asked to expand a bit on my thoughts about Alan Moore's Watchmen..in true squirrel fashion it is hard not to throw in some other things (hiding the kitchen sink behind my back).
I am not, by nature, a prolific reader of graphic novels or manga. This is not so much a matter of taste as it is economics. This is not a complaint about the price (which can be hefty) so much as priorities. For a book that takes me 1/2 an hour or so to read I could get two or three novels.
Of course in this day and age the general public is learning more and more about graphic novels through movies. Alan Moore has been a writer for several series that have eventually made it to the big screen...Batman, Swamp Thing, LXG and From Hell come to mind.
Watchmen is one of those graphic set pieces that would be..at the best..different transposed. A good deal of the quality is Dave Gibbon's artwork. A quality artist it seems (and Gibbon is certainly one) provides not only illustration but also mood. They are in effect, not only cinematographer but also provide a sort of soundtrack. This could well be one of the reasons I do not like manga as well..The same applies..but they tend to be more techno. Moore and Gibbon I think were quite aware of this, as witnessed by their homage midbook to Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil's Three Penny Opera.
Meanwhile, back at the story. I am not even going to try to get into the plot here, which involves several strands..most but not all of which end up tied together by the end. There are the forcibly retired costumed heroes (sort of like Wild Ace's without power). THere is is the magalomaniac good/bad guy. And wandering in and out of it is refusing to retire charachter of Rorshach.
Rorshach is a sort of unique fellow. He is not antisocial so much as without a society. He shows every indication of being a sociopath, but the fact is that he is not. He has a very strict set of morals and principles, which he will adhere to regardless of its acceptance by society or the consequences even to himself. Which in the end proves..err well I shan't go into that part.
Did I enjoy the book? That is a frightening thougt. Watchemn is not the sort of book one enjoys. Is it worth reading? Most certainly. Well written, well illustrated and in the end challenging the reader to examine their own beliefs in many aspects.
Which I think is another difference between this and much manga. Far too much manga (and there are, I admit, some brilliant exceptions) are considered 'adult'because they have obscenities,sex and violence. But they do not make you think beyond the pages. Moore does.
Which does lead to another question..does one have to agree with an author to appreciate them? But I shall leave that for another time.
I am not, by nature, a prolific reader of graphic novels or manga. This is not so much a matter of taste as it is economics. This is not a complaint about the price (which can be hefty) so much as priorities. For a book that takes me 1/2 an hour or so to read I could get two or three novels.
Of course in this day and age the general public is learning more and more about graphic novels through movies. Alan Moore has been a writer for several series that have eventually made it to the big screen...Batman, Swamp Thing, LXG and From Hell come to mind.
Watchmen is one of those graphic set pieces that would be..at the best..different transposed. A good deal of the quality is Dave Gibbon's artwork. A quality artist it seems (and Gibbon is certainly one) provides not only illustration but also mood. They are in effect, not only cinematographer but also provide a sort of soundtrack. This could well be one of the reasons I do not like manga as well..The same applies..but they tend to be more techno. Moore and Gibbon I think were quite aware of this, as witnessed by their homage midbook to Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil's Three Penny Opera.
Meanwhile, back at the story. I am not even going to try to get into the plot here, which involves several strands..most but not all of which end up tied together by the end. There are the forcibly retired costumed heroes (sort of like Wild Ace's without power). THere is is the magalomaniac good/bad guy. And wandering in and out of it is refusing to retire charachter of Rorshach.
Rorshach is a sort of unique fellow. He is not antisocial so much as without a society. He shows every indication of being a sociopath, but the fact is that he is not. He has a very strict set of morals and principles, which he will adhere to regardless of its acceptance by society or the consequences even to himself. Which in the end proves..err well I shan't go into that part.
Did I enjoy the book? That is a frightening thougt. Watchemn is not the sort of book one enjoys. Is it worth reading? Most certainly. Well written, well illustrated and in the end challenging the reader to examine their own beliefs in many aspects.
Which I think is another difference between this and much manga. Far too much manga (and there are, I admit, some brilliant exceptions) are considered 'adult'because they have obscenities,sex and violence. But they do not make you think beyond the pages. Moore does.
Which does lead to another question..does one have to agree with an author to appreciate them? But I shall leave that for another time.
