Trigger warnings: References to rape; murder
Synopsis: Rorschach, a half-psychotic vigilante, must convince his ex team-mates, now middle-aged and retired, that he has uncovered a plot to murder the remaining superheroes - along with millions of innocent civilians... Even reunited, will the remnants of the Watchmen be enough to avert a global apocalypse?
Review: Watchmen is a dark comic book book series that has a very different feel from most superhero stories. The story takes place in different time periods, in the present where retired superheroes are getting killed off, and the past where we can see some of these heroes at the height of their fame. One thing I love is that the "heroes" are very flawed. Not like, Batman is moody and dark. Some of these people who are considered superheroes rape and murder. It's a side of superheroes that we don't usually get to see and I appreciate that Alan Moore made it so the "heroes" aren't necessarily good guys. I found myself a little frustrated at how much of this story focuses on Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach. They're interesting characters, but I thought the story was meant to focus on more than just those two. It just made the other characters feel underdeveloped. Even characters like Laurie didn't feel fleshed out. Most of her existence was how she was connected to Dr. Manhattan.
The plot of Watchmen was a little all over the place It starts with the murder of a former superhero, and I wish the story stuck to that. Instead, we jump from the present, to the past, then back again. There's also a sudden shift in the narrative where, instead of focusing on murder, there's fear that the human race will be destroyed. None of it felt very well-structured. It made me think Alan Moore had a couple of decent ideas for stories, but he shoved them all into one series and they didn't fit as well as they could have. I thought the overall story was interesting. I just wish it connected a bit better.
Far from perfect, but entertaining for what it is.
3 howls
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