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 by thefourthman » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:54 pm
So late I had to go log in at nurama... here ya go!
http://www.newsarama.com/common/forums/ ... 82#p233782
Watchmen
Written by Alan Moore
Illustrated by Dave Gibbons
Watchmen is widely considered one of the greatest comics ever written. It has been on several lists of greatest novels of all time, not graphic novels, but novels.
It has been made into a film. It has been shipped all over the world and recently spent a year at the top of the charts.
It is certainly a phenomenon.
It is also a damn fine book.
In many ways, Watchmen is a reaction to the objective reality of Ditko. Moore uses the 9 panel grid, invented by Eisner, but utilized almost to excess by Ditko to tell the story. Moore takes many of the characters that were near and dear to Ditko’s heart, twists them and places them in a story that is not full of the black and white of that morality.
Instead of a nice concept of stark contrasts, it is very much set in a real place, even if it is an alternate world where Nixon not only remains in office but manages to almost become king of America. But that is only to make it an analog like Moore’s characters. No, Watchmen is very much a statement on the reality of the cold war and the worst excesses of the time period.
It is also a statement on the super hero and as a result, a statement on the nature of humanity itself. Whether it is the cold distance of Dr. Manhattan or the fractured mental state of Rorschach or the sliminess of The Comedian, each of the characters reflects a true human condition. Through deft dialogue and dense story plotting, Alan Moore gives us these archetypal beings and sets up fascinating character studies, while cleverly playing a game. He never spends too much time on one single character. If he did, Ed would become unbearable, Jon would lose the smallest bit of humanity left, Dan would become a caricature. No, instead, these people breath reality and freshness. Something that was most certainly missing from Ditko’s writing and was also missing from most of Superhero comics through out the ages.
The details are immense and could well lend them selves to thousands upon thousands of words. From Moore’s build up around the history of superhero comics, to his greater acknowledgment of times pass through the pirate book. From his enhancements to the main story through fascinating back material that creates a richer more realized world. From the origins of the characters to their ultimate journey and obsessions. Moore crafts a brilliant story that speaks to the human condition at one of the most pivotal times in history. All the while keeping a political consciousness that is not preachy but every bit as potent as what Ditko had to say.
He uses allegory in his analogues of the Charlton characters, the history of comics, the comic within the comic, and comics to history to weave a dense play that is epic and claustrophobic at the same. Catching the powerlessness of the common person in the Cold War. He also gives his humanity a shining brink of hope, not just in the crushing savior of Veidt’s insane gambit, but as the common person goes from set dressing to real person to helping their fellow being before it gets too bad. It is almost a cautionary tale begging humanity to straighten up before the unthinkable happens.
Gibbons takes Moore’s extensive script and creates a master piece of straight comic art. From the nine panel grid, to the uncomparable consistency of his rendering, to the emotional content and darkness of the street corner. Gibbons takes the art form to a level of mastery that is hard to find before or after. No there is no flash like a JH Williams design or the intricate rendering of a Jim Lee drawing or the pop and realism of a Cassaday cover. No, he uses the most traditional line to carefully reconstruct what Moore’s vision is on the page.
It is a pairing seldom seen in comics, a perfection of word and art to create an epic sweeping tale that is a game changer. Not because there were no other books like it. No, it was certainly beat to the punch by American Flagg and Miracle Man. It would be followed by The Authority or more recently the Mighty. No, not for those reasons. It is not some whole original tale. What it is is the careful refinement of an art form that makes a statement about not just its self and its medium, but the world and the human condition. It is a game changer, because after its publication, Marvel and DC began to test what could be done in mainstream comics. It brought about the neutering of the comics code authority, itself a neutering agent to comics. From it, we were given the gift that would allow Millar’s Ultimates or JMS’ Spider-man, for good or bad. It opened the door for comics to be for more then just kids with the characters that we grew up on. It is the secret origin of Vertigo, one of the better publishers working today. It lead to many of the most esteemed creators stepping out of obscurity and being allowed to try their best with in the confines of super heros or on a wider stage then they would get on their own. It allowed the Vaughns, the Ellises, the Ennises, the Millars, and all those that would stretch not just the boundaries of tights and capes, but the medium itself.
It is a touchstone and like humanity, it is not perfect. The conceit of the ending a bit too neat. The portrayal of women questionable at best. But that is how art reaches beyond mere reporting. It allows not just the best to seep through, it can also explore the under side of reality and let us think about what is important and powerful in our own world.
Watchmen gets a 10. It did back when it came out and it still does today. It is one of the works that points to the acme of its genre and medium as a whole. All comics should be this rich, dense, and powerful.
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by thefourthman » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:54 pm
So late I had to go log in at nurama... here ya go!
http://www.newsarama.com/common/forums/ ... 82#p233782
Watchmen
Written by Alan Moore
Illustrated by Dave Gibbons
Watchmen is widely considered one of the greatest comics ever written. It has been on several lists of greatest novels of all time, not graphic novels, but novels.
It has been made into a film. It has been shipped all over the world and recently spent a year at the top of the charts.
It is certainly a phenomenon.
It is also a damn fine book.
In many ways, Watchmen is a reaction to the objective reality of Ditko. Moore uses the 9 panel grid, invented by Eisner, but utilized almost to excess by Ditko to tell the story. Moore takes many of the characters that were near and dear to Ditko’s heart, twists them and places them in a story that is not full of the black and white of that morality.
Instead of a nice concept of stark contrasts, it is very much set in a real place, even if it is an alternate world where Nixon not only remains in office but manages to almost become king of America. But that is only to make it an analog like Moore’s characters. No, Watchmen is very much a statement on the reality of the cold war and the worst excesses of the time period.
It is also a statement on the super hero and as a result, a statement on the nature of humanity itself. Whether it is the cold distance of Dr. Manhattan or the fractured mental state of Rorschach or the sliminess of The Comedian, each of the characters reflects a true human condition. Through deft dialogue and dense story plotting, Alan Moore gives us these archetypal beings and sets up fascinating character studies, while cleverly playing a game. He never spends too much time on one single character. If he did, Ed would become unbearable, Jon would lose the smallest bit of humanity left, Dan would become a caricature. No, instead, these people breath reality and freshness. Something that was most certainly missing from Ditko’s writing and was also missing from most of Superhero comics through out the ages.
The details are immense and could well lend them selves to thousands upon thousands of words. From Moore’s build up around the history of superhero comics, to his greater acknowledgment of times pass through the pirate book. From his enhancements to the main story through fascinating back material that creates a richer more realized world. From the origins of the characters to their ultimate journey and obsessions. Moore crafts a brilliant story that speaks to the human condition at one of the most pivotal times in history. All the while keeping a political consciousness that is not preachy but every bit as potent as what Ditko had to say.
He uses allegory in his analogues of the Charlton characters, the history of comics, the comic within the comic, and comics to history to weave a dense play that is epic and claustrophobic at the same. Catching the powerlessness of the common person in the Cold War. He also gives his humanity a shining brink of hope, not just in the crushing savior of Veidt’s insane gambit, but as the common person goes from set dressing to real person to helping their fellow being before it gets too bad. It is almost a cautionary tale begging humanity to straighten up before the unthinkable happens.
Gibbons takes Moore’s extensive script and creates a master piece of straight comic art. From the nine panel grid, to the uncomparable consistency of his rendering, to the emotional content and darkness of the street corner. Gibbons takes the art form to a level of mastery that is hard to find before or after. No there is no flash like a JH Williams design or the intricate rendering of a Jim Lee drawing or the pop and realism of a Cassaday cover. No, he uses the most traditional line to carefully reconstruct what Moore’s vision is on the page.
It is a pairing seldom seen in comics, a perfection of word and art to create an epic sweeping tale that is a game changer. Not because there were no other books like it. No, it was certainly beat to the punch by American Flagg and Miracle Man. It would be followed by The Authority or more recently the Mighty. No, not for those reasons. It is not some whole original tale. What it is is the careful refinement of an art form that makes a statement about not just its self and its medium, but the world and the human condition. It is a game changer, because after its publication, Marvel and DC began to test what could be done in mainstream comics. It brought about the neutering of the comics code authority, itself a neutering agent to comics. From it, we were given the gift that would allow Millar’s Ultimates or JMS’ Spider-man, for good or bad. It opened the door for comics to be for more then just kids with the characters that we grew up on. It is the secret origin of Vertigo, one of the better publishers working today. It lead to many of the most esteemed creators stepping out of obscurity and being allowed to try their best with in the confines of super heros or on a wider stage then they would get on their own. It allowed the Vaughns, the Ellises, the Ennises, the Millars, and all those that would stretch not just the boundaries of tights and capes, but the medium itself.
It is a touchstone and like humanity, it is not perfect. The conceit of the ending a bit too neat. The portrayal of women questionable at best. But that is how art reaches beyond mere reporting. It allows not just the best to seep through, it can also explore the under side of reality and let us think about what is important and powerful in our own world.
Watchmen gets a 10. It did back when it came out and it still does today. It is one of the works that points to the acme of its genre and medium as a whole. All comics should be this rich, dense, and powerful.
Pull list: Afterlife with Archie, Bodies, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Coffin Hill, Dead Boy Detectives, The Fade Out, The Goon, Harley Quinn, Hinterkind, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon,The Maxx Maximized, Miracleman, Ms. Marvel, Multiversity, Rasputin, Rocket Raccoon, Sandman: Overture, Silver Surfer, The Walking Dead, Wonder Woman
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