416 pages
I have only recently jumped on the graphic novel bandwagon and I have to say I am quite enjoying myself. So someone (who is a huge fan of Alan Moore) chose this for our next book club book. Part of this came from seeing the trailer for the movie that is coming out, which we all agreed looked really good.
So how would the actual graphic novel be?
Pretty damn amazing. It was a great story dealing with issues that a lot of "super heroes" do not deal with. A very gritty look at heroes with problems. A world with problems. It was refreshing to see them not be so perfect. Now, I am not a comic book expert, so I cannot say that comic books do not do this (because I am sure some of them do), but the perception is that "heroes" should be a bit more perfect than the rest of us are. Again that is a generalization, but since I haven't read that many comics, that is all I have.
The ending was quite shocking in the sense that I was not expecting it. Which made it that much more interesting to actually read. It does not end the way things normally do and that was sweet.
The art was very good and represented what a lot of comics looked like in the late 80's.
Overall, very good and I will be looking for more. Possibly V, for Vendetta???
For a more detailed review click on the link below.
So how would the actual graphic novel be?
Pretty damn amazing. It was a great story dealing with issues that a lot of "super heroes" do not deal with. A very gritty look at heroes with problems. A world with problems. It was refreshing to see them not be so perfect. Now, I am not a comic book expert, so I cannot say that comic books do not do this (because I am sure some of them do), but the perception is that "heroes" should be a bit more perfect than the rest of us are. Again that is a generalization, but since I haven't read that many comics, that is all I have.
The ending was quite shocking in the sense that I was not expecting it. Which made it that much more interesting to actually read. It does not end the way things normally do and that was sweet.
The art was very good and represented what a lot of comics looked like in the late 80's.
Overall, very good and I will be looking for more. Possibly V, for Vendetta???
For a more detailed review click on the link below.
This all started for me when we saw the trailer for the Watchmen at one of the like 17 movies I have seen this summer. I have heard of it, but never really thought to find out too much about it. Discussion came up in our book club and my friend Dawn would go on an on about how great it was.
So when circumstances came up where we have to pick a book (because someone was leaving the book club for a while) I suggested it. After hearing how good it was, I was ready to see for myself.
So I want to look for it.
The first thing that surprised me was on the cover it said that Time Magazine had it listed as one of its top 100 novels. That is high praise for a graphic novel with all the other types of novels that are more available.
The novel was awesome. I have never read anything comic/graphic novel as gritty as this was. As I mentioned I don't have too much experience in reading either, but I am making up for it now. :) Being a huge fantasy geek I see "heroes" all the time that never really make mistakes and are perfect. Lord knows there are comic books are that way.
The story starts with the death of a former hero named The Comedian. From here the different heroes get drawn into the mystery and try to figure out why someone is plotting against super heroes.
Back to the problems they had. When I say they have problems, I mean it.
Rorschach (Walter Kovaks)-Whom is my favorite, is a mentally unbalanced vigilante. His past is messed up and he is prone to violence.
The Nite Owl (Dan Dreiberg)-Seems to be going through a mid-life crises and is rescued by The Silk Spectre and a mystery.
The Silk Spectre (Laurie Juspeczyk)- She never really wanted to be a hero, she was pressured into because her mother was part of a group called the Minutemen.
Dr. Manhattan (Jon Osterman)- A true "superhero" since he was in an accident that made him into...god, something. He can teleport and alter matter at a subatomic level, but at the cost of his humanity.
The Comedian (Edward Blake)-A man cruel man that used his twisted humor to get by. Uncaring for just about everything he even got on the wrong side of the Minutemen by forcing himself on one a female hero of the group.
Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt)-The smartest man in the world and it is his plot that ties the whole story together. It is frightening to see what people can do when they think they are in the "right".
See my point? These are some messed up people and that doesn't even go into some of the other characters that were in the Minutemen. One died because he worked for a bank and they made his costume flashier, rather than smart. One was in a mental institution. Two of them die in the book (Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, and The Comedian). Being a hero was not always something that worked out the way it does in most other forms I have seen.
The novel kept me guessing throughout. I did not see a few of the bigger things coming.
1. Laurie being the Comedian's daughter. Wow that truly sucked for her.
2. The pointless death of the original Nite Owl by a lynch mob.
3. Ozymandias being the villian. Not enough about him in the story.
4. Ozymandias actually getting away with convincing the world it was being attacked by aliens. He destroyed half of New York to do it, therefore forcing the countries to unite against a "common foe". Even if it wasn't a real one.
5. Dr Manhattan killing Rorschach in cold blood.
6. The Comedian trying to rape the original Silk Spectre (Laurie's mother) and combining that with finding out he was her father.
This was a down and dirty story with real people, with real weaknesses. I freaking loved it. You could see the problems they had and how some of them really did want to make a difference, but seemed to forget how. This was especially true for the Nite Owl. But also how Ozymandias took matters in his own hands and created a conspiracy, but killing so many people to accomplish it.
This is something that will stick with me for some time. I feel better for having read it.
My only real complaint was that you did not get enough of Ozymandias. I would love to have had more about him so I could have really wanted them to take him down.
My rating system
My rating. On the cusp of greatness. 9.5 out of 10. This is the first book I have read during my time on LJ that gets that rating. This graphic novel was amazing. It was gritty and tough, and it punched you in the mouth. It was awesome.
So when circumstances came up where we have to pick a book (because someone was leaving the book club for a while) I suggested it. After hearing how good it was, I was ready to see for myself.
So I want to look for it.
The first thing that surprised me was on the cover it said that Time Magazine had it listed as one of its top 100 novels. That is high praise for a graphic novel with all the other types of novels that are more available.
The novel was awesome. I have never read anything comic/graphic novel as gritty as this was. As I mentioned I don't have too much experience in reading either, but I am making up for it now. :) Being a huge fantasy geek I see "heroes" all the time that never really make mistakes and are perfect. Lord knows there are comic books are that way.
The story starts with the death of a former hero named The Comedian. From here the different heroes get drawn into the mystery and try to figure out why someone is plotting against super heroes.
Back to the problems they had. When I say they have problems, I mean it.
Rorschach (Walter Kovaks)-Whom is my favorite, is a mentally unbalanced vigilante. His past is messed up and he is prone to violence.
The Nite Owl (Dan Dreiberg)-Seems to be going through a mid-life crises and is rescued by The Silk Spectre and a mystery.
The Silk Spectre (Laurie Juspeczyk)- She never really wanted to be a hero, she was pressured into because her mother was part of a group called the Minutemen.
Dr. Manhattan (Jon Osterman)- A true "superhero" since he was in an accident that made him into...god, something. He can teleport and alter matter at a subatomic level, but at the cost of his humanity.
The Comedian (Edward Blake)-A man cruel man that used his twisted humor to get by. Uncaring for just about everything he even got on the wrong side of the Minutemen by forcing himself on one a female hero of the group.
Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt)-The smartest man in the world and it is his plot that ties the whole story together. It is frightening to see what people can do when they think they are in the "right".
See my point? These are some messed up people and that doesn't even go into some of the other characters that were in the Minutemen. One died because he worked for a bank and they made his costume flashier, rather than smart. One was in a mental institution. Two of them die in the book (Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, and The Comedian). Being a hero was not always something that worked out the way it does in most other forms I have seen.
The novel kept me guessing throughout. I did not see a few of the bigger things coming.
1. Laurie being the Comedian's daughter. Wow that truly sucked for her.
2. The pointless death of the original Nite Owl by a lynch mob.
3. Ozymandias being the villian. Not enough about him in the story.
4. Ozymandias actually getting away with convincing the world it was being attacked by aliens. He destroyed half of New York to do it, therefore forcing the countries to unite against a "common foe". Even if it wasn't a real one.
5. Dr Manhattan killing Rorschach in cold blood.
6. The Comedian trying to rape the original Silk Spectre (Laurie's mother) and combining that with finding out he was her father.
This was a down and dirty story with real people, with real weaknesses. I freaking loved it. You could see the problems they had and how some of them really did want to make a difference, but seemed to forget how. This was especially true for the Nite Owl. But also how Ozymandias took matters in his own hands and created a conspiracy, but killing so many people to accomplish it.
This is something that will stick with me for some time. I feel better for having read it.
My only real complaint was that you did not get enough of Ozymandias. I would love to have had more about him so I could have really wanted them to take him down.
My rating system
My rating. On the cusp of greatness. 9.5 out of 10. This is the first book I have read during my time on LJ that gets that rating. This graphic novel was amazing. It was gritty and tough, and it punched you in the mouth. It was awesome.
- Mood:
satisfied
Profile
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
staceyinastoria- Staceyinastoria
Comments
'Do it?' Dan, I'm not a Republic serial villain. Do you seriously think I'd explain my master-stroke if there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? I did it thirty-five minutes ago.
I will be interested to see how the movie plays out. Will they include the pirate story? Probably not. That's an easy chunk to cut, but allude to with clever nods in the background. I was really surprised, watching the trailer, how many of the scenes faithfully mirrored the book, without being duplicates like you saw in Sin City.
The eternal question about the Watchmen, though, is whose story is it? Is it Rorschach's story? Dr. Manhattan's? Those two certainly get the most "screen time." Is it really an ensemble piece? After all, it is a "team" comic, in the loosest sense of the term.
Interestingly enough, Dan was my favorite character. I really identified with him.
I do recommend V for Vendetta. Though I, personally, liked the movie better, the novel is also quite good.
I'm just a dabbler in graphic novels, this being like my third or fourth foray into them ever. The others that I've read, and that I think you might enjoy, or may have already enjoyed, are the Sandman by Neil Gaiman and The Preacher by Garth Ennis.