Watchmen

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For the Canadian band, see The Watchmen.

Template:Supercbbox Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Originally a limited series published monthly by DC Comics in 1986–87, Watchmen was later republished as a graphic novel. Alan Moore was commissioned to construct a treatment for a comic book story based on characters DC Comics had recently acquired from Charlton Comics. Watchmen was the resulting maxi-series.

The critically-acclaimed story is an adventure and crime drama that incorporates moral philosophy, popular culture, history, art, and science. The novel depicts a 1980s America with a different time line to our own reality, where costumed adventurers are real. However, the U.S. is close to a nuclear war with Russia and public opinion towards the notion of vigilantism is beginning to turn sour. There are public demonstrations in protest, a key demand being that the police be reinstated as the de facto marshalls of law. Meanwhile, there appears to be a plot to murder members of The Minutemen, an ex-organisation of costumed adventurers who tried to fight crime years earlier. As this plot is unravelled, the notion of the traditional superhero is explored, along with the motivations of those who decide to become costumed adventurers.

Watchmen is the only graphic novel to have won a Hugo Award and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time magazine's list of "100 best novels from 1923 to present."<ref name="Time Magazine">"Time Magazine - ALL-TIME 100 Novels" — A Synopsis describing Watchmen (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>

Contents 1 Composition 1.1 Structure 1.2 Perspective 1.3 Title 2 The story 2.1 Characters 2.2 Plot summary 2.3 The Keene Act 2.4 Tales of the Black Freighter 3 Literary significance 3.1 Awards 3.2 References in other works 4 Merchandising 5 Editions 5.1 Film Adaptation 6 External links 7 Footnotes and references

Composition

Structure

Watchmen is composed of twelve chapters; each chapter was an issue of the limited series when released initially. The first begins with an extreme close-up of a bloodstained smiley face badge, a motif that frequently recurs throughout the series. Each subsequent chapter begins with a clock face, first set to 11.49pm and progressing one minute towards midnight as each chapter ends, in the vein of the Doomsday Clock. Likewise, the title of each chapter is an excerpt from a famous quotation, which is given in full at the end of the chapter. The quote reflects the events, or the theme, in that chapter.

Watchmen also contains many documents which are depicted as being of the Watchmen universe. Biographies of retired costumed adventurers are used to help the reader understand the chronology of events, and also the changing public opinion and representation of costumed adventurers themselves. These documents are also used to reveal personal details of costumed adventurers' private lives, information which would be hard to ascertain through merely scrutinising the conversation between characters. Other documents such as military reports (of Dr. Manhattan) and newspaper articles are also used in this way. One of these documents is appended to the end of each chapter, except the final chapter.

Perspective

When reading Watchmen, the reader often assumes the role of third person omniscience, being able to see all of the characters' actions, as well as what they are thinking; this is often portrayed through means such as Rorschach's diary. However, there are some instances where the first person perspective is utilised. Flashbacks are also used often to help facilitate the reader's understanding of events occuring in the present, but also as a means of chronicling the differences in history between the Watchmen universe, and our own. Often, the reader reads the novel in the tone of the most prominent character in that scene because of the diction used in that scene. For example, in the first chapter of Watchmen, Rorschach's method of questioning the other characters instigates the reader to begin to question the characters in a similar fashion, as very little is known about them at that stage of the book.

Title

Watchmen is derived from the phrase "quis custodiet ipsos custodes", which is often translated as "who watches the watchmen?". This phrase was first used in Juvenal's Satire VI Against Women. Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Template:Cquote Template:Col-2 Template:Cquote Template:Col-end

Juvenal was credited with "exposing" the vice of Roman society, and his satires act as a exposition of these ideas<ref name="Satire"> "MSN Encarta: Satire" - A discussion on "Satire" (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>. In a similar fashion, Watchmen deconstructs the notion of the costumed adventurer, and the superhero, attempting to show the characters' flaws, instead of the usual tradition of the comic book in which the heroes strengths are given more credence. Moore's intent for Watchmen was to show a "grittier" side to the conceived notion of the superhero <ref name="The Craft Interview"> "The Craft - an interview with Alan Moore" (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>.

The phrase "quis custodiet ipsos custodes" appears several times throughout Watchmen as graffiti scrawled about the city. However, the whole phrase is never seen; it is always partially obscured, or cut out of the panel. Such graffiti occurs in the Watchmen universe upon the proposition of The Keene Act, depicting the change of public opinion towards the practice of vigilantism. This viewpoint is exemplified by Nite Owl II who asks, during an anti-vigilantism riot, "who are we protecting [society] from?"<ref name="Watchmen pg17"> - Watchmen page 17, panel 6 (ISBN 0930289234)</ref>

The story

Characters

Template:Main Image:Watchmencharacters.jpg The cast of Watchmen were initially based upon old Charlton Comics characters. Moore and Gibbons agreed that Watchmen required a cast of characters that had continuity, history upon which a story could be based. DC Comics had recently acquired some old Charlton Comics characters; Dick Giordano, who had previously worked with Charlton Comics, suggested that Moore use some of these characters. However, to avoid continuity issues with the recently acquired characters, Moore decided to create new characters, using the recently acquired Charlton Comics characters as a template. This allowed for a more dynamic and "interesting" set of characters.<ref name="Characters2">"Alan Moore Interview - Comic Book Artist #9" — An interview with Alan Moore (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>

Each major character has a unique persona, which is exemplified by their choice of costume. For example, Rorschach's style of dress is very similar to that of a traditional film noir detective. This costume is indicative of both his own personality, and the themes and motifs found in the genre: his mask is comprised of stark light and dark patches, echoing the dark and light contrast found in film noir. Rorschach also characterises himself as someone who must turn to violence to combat those less moralistic than he. This theme is often explored in film noir, whereby the lead character, often a detective, is trapped in a situation outside of his control, and must find some way back to normalcy. <ref name="Rorschach Film Noir"> "Characteristics of Film Noir" - (retrieved 14 April 2006) </ref>

Below is a list of Watchmen characters, and their Charlton Comics counterparts, upon which the Watchmen characters were based: <ref name="Characters">"Watchmen — Introduction" — An overview of the plot and characters in Watchmen (retrieved 12 March 2006)</ref>

Plot summary

For information about individual Chapters in the graphic novel, see Chapters in Watchmen

Image:Watchmen-com-02.jpg

In October 1985, Walter Kovacs (Rorschach) investigates the murder of New Yorker Edward Blake and learns that Blake was also The Comedian, a longtime costumed adventurer/government agent. Forming a theory that Blake's murder is part of a greater plot to eliminate costumed adventurers, Kovacs extends warnings to four others; Jon Osterman (Dr. Manhattan), Laurel Jane Juspeczyk (Silk Spectre II), Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl II) and Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias). Veidt, Juspeczyk and Dreiberg are long retired from crime-fighting, the last two because of the 1977 passage of the Keene Act, banning costumed vigilantes (which Kovacs, deeply immersed in his Rorschach identity, ignores). Osterman remains exempt, being (like Blake) a U.S. government agent, though he does not engage in crimefighting. Veidt had retired voluntarily in 1975 and publicly disclosed his identity, using his reputation and intelligence to build a large personal fortune.

The world of Watchmen is dark and violent, with the United States and the Soviet Union edging toward a nuclear showdown. Since the 1959 nuclear accident that transformed Osterman into the super-powered Dr. Manhattan (the only super-powered character in Watchmen), the U.S. has enjoyed a distinct strategic advantage, allowing it to force the Soviet Union in a series of defeats, most notably in Vietnam. This imbalance has dramatically increased global tension. In seeming anticipation of global war, American society has a general sense of fatalism about the future. Signs of this in daily life range from "Meltdowns" candy to graffiti inspired by the Hiroshima bombing to the designation of many buildings in New York as fallout shelters.

Veidt, observing Osterman's increasing emotional detachment from humanity, forms a hypothesis as early as 1966 that military expenditures and environmental damage will lead to global catastrophe no later than the mid-1990s. As part of an elaborate plot to avert this, Veidt acts to accelerate Osterman's isolation by secretly exposing "more than two dozen" former Osterman associates to harmful radiation, inflicting various cancers on them, while manipulating the press into speculating that Osterman himself was the cause.

With the public revelation of these cancer suspicions, Osterman teleports himself to Mars to contemplate the events of his life. His break with the U.S. government prompts Soviet opportunism in the form of an invasion of Afghanistan, greatly aggravating the global crisis. With nuclear war only days away, Kovacs, Juspeczyk, Osterman and Dreiberg confront Veidt at Veidt's Antarctic retreat, too late to prevent the final phase of his plan: using a teleportation device to move a massive genetically-engineered psionic creature into the heart of New York City, knowing the resulting explosion and psychic shockwave will kill half the residents. Within the psychic flash is imagery designed to convince survivors worldwide that the creature was the first of a potential alien invasion force. Thus presented with an external threat, the United States and Soviet Union withdraw from the brink of war and form an accord to face this apparent menace.

The murderer of Blake was Veidt himself, after Blake had uncovered details of Veidt's plot. Veidt had also eliminated numerous employees and minions (few of whom knew the entire plan) to keep the plot secret. At the end, the only people aware of the truth are Veidt, Dreiberg, Juspeczyk, Kovacs and Osterman. Dreiberg, Juspeczyk and Osterman agree to keep silent out of concern that revealing the plot could re-ignite U.S.–Soviet tensions, but Kovacs refuses to compromise and is killed by Osterman, who then leaves Earth permanently for another, "less complicated", galaxy.

Before confronting Veidt in the Antarctic, however, Kovacs had mailed a journal detailing his suspicions to The New Frontiersman, a far right-wing magazine he frequently read. The final frame of the series shows a New Frontiersman editor contemplating which item from the "crank file" (to which Kovacs's journal had been consigned) to use as filler for the upcoming issue. Template:Endspoiler

The Keene Act

The Keene Act, a legislative act proposed by Senator Keene following a nationwide police strike, was passed on August 3, 1977. The act outlawed vigilantism and undid legislative changes that had allowed the U.S. to unofficially employ the "strategically useful talents" of Dr. Manhattan and others. This forced most costumed adventurers to retire. Pressure from the public was also instrumental in the acceptance and implementation of this act; protests and riots were staged in Washington D.C. with members of the public carrying signs which read "Badges Not Masks" and "Ban Vigliantes Now". <ref name="The Annotated Watchmen">"The Annotated Watchmen" - (retrieved 14 April 2006) </ref>

The act forced most of the costumed adventurers to retire. Ozymandias was the only adventurer to reveal his true identity to the public. Capitalising upon his newfound fame, Ozymandias - Adrian Veidt - became a successful businessman, owning a large company which monopolised many business markets. Adventurers who operated under official government supervision were allowed to continue their activities. Edward Blake — the Comedian — who had been in government employ for some time (most notably in Vietnam) continued to operate on official missions, including successfully rescuing victims of the Iranian hostage crisis, and also conducting covert operations in Nicaragua. Dr Manhattan was also exempt as he had become a major part of American strategic defence, effectively protecting the country from Russian attack. Rorschach was the only adventurer to carry on his activites as a vigilante. <ref name="Watchmen pg23">Watchmen page 23 (ISBN 0930289234)</ref>

Tales of the Black Freighter

The Black Freighter is a comic book which exists within the Watchmen universe. The specific issues shown in the Watchmen chronicle a man's attempts to return home to warn his family of the arrival of The Black Freighter, a phantom ship which houses the souls of the dead. As the man's journey progresses, he becomes more and more unscrupulous, attempting to justify his increasingly irrational, paranoid disposition, and his criminal acts. The events of The Black Freighter are told parallel to the plot of Watchmen itself; the comic is being read by a teenage boy whilst he sits beside a newspaper vendor. As events unfold, the newspaper vendor speaks of the latest headlines in the newspapers he sells, and speaks with those who patronise his stall <ref name="Vendor"> "Review of Graphic Novels" — A review which describes Tales of the Black Freighter (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>.

A pirate comic book was implemented by Moore because he and Gibbons thought that since those in the Watchmen universe experience superheros in real life, then "they probably wouldn't be at all interested in superhero comics."<ref name="Moore Interview">"The Alan Moore Interview: Watchmen, microcosms and details" — An interview with Alan Moore (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>; a pirate theme was suggested by Gibbons, and Moore agreed because he is "a big Brecht fan." Moore intended the opening panel in Chapter III to reinforce the reader's identification with the atomic symbol; Moore thought that the close-up of the atomic symbol in the first panel looked like a "stylised picture of a black ship". The atomic symbol then came to represent "a black ship against a yellow sky".

Moore has said that the story of The Black Freighter ends up describing "the story of Adrian Veidt"; however, the comic can also be seen to "[relate] to Rorschach and his capture; it relates to the self-marooning of Dr Manhattan on Mars; it can be used as a counterpoint to all these different parts of the story".<ref name="Moore Interview" /> Template:Endspoiler

Literary significance

Watchmen received praise from those working within the comic book industry, as well as external sources, for its avant-garde portrayal of the traditional superhero.

"Revolution SF" says Watchmen is: Template:Cquote

"The Friday Review" is also complimentary, calling Watchmen: Template:Cquote

"Time Magazine", who named Watchmen on their list of 100 Greatest Novels of All Time, said Watchman was: Template:Cquote

Don Markstein of "Toonopedia" wrote that: Template:Cquote

Renowned comic book writer Stan Lee went as far as to say: Template:Cquote

However, not all reviews of Watchmen were favourable. The style of coloring used was sometimes derided, with the implication that it makes Watchmen appear old and dated. Bob's Comic Reviews criticised the colours, calling them "flat" and too "contrasting". <ref name="Bob's Comic Reviews"> "Bob's Comic Reviews" Criticism of Watchmen (retrieved 14 April 2006)</ref>

Awards

Image:Watchcats.gif Image:Radioactiveman679.jpg Watchmen has received several awards, spanning different categories.

References in other works

Watchmen (along with The Dark Knight Returns, Crisis on Infinite Earths and other crossovers and "event" comics of the period) was parodied by The Simpsons Comics' Radioactive Man series: Radioactive Man #679 (September 1994), entitled "Who Washes The Washmen's Infinite Secrets Of Legendary Crossover Knight Wars?" by Steve Vance. A single issue black and white comic entitled "Watchcats" also appeared around the time the series was in print.

The bloody smiley face pin was referenced in Neil Gaiman's Sandman in Worlds' End, episode "The Golden Boy". Gaiman, a Moore protégé, drives the message home by making a sinister man with a yellow smiley face (Boss Smiley) the villain of the episode. Though it is possible that, since that issue was an adaptation of the failed Prez Rickard series (which originally featured a smiley-faced mob boss) that the similarity is coincidental. However, the blood-stained smiley face button from Moore's work appears in connection with the obsessed Wildcat fan whose attack on Rickard damages the optimism of the era.

In an issue of the late-eighties DC series The Question, by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan, the Question reads a Watchmen trade paperback and then contemplates Rorschach's crimefighting ideas and their relationship to his own. This is especially significant because Rorschach's character is partly based on the Charlton Comics' version of The Question.

In the third issue of Marvels, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, Nite Owl and his ship make a cameo appearance.

Merchandising

In 1987, Mayfair Games produced two adventure modules based on Watchmen for its DC Heroes role-playing game. These modules, entitled "Who Watches the Watchmen?" and "Taking out the Trash", included background information about the fictional Watchmen universe, approved by Alan Moore. His approval made these publications valuable to fans as the only outside source of supplemental information about the characters in the story (especially minor characters, such as the Minutemen and Moloch).

DC Comics also released a limited edition badge set featuring characters and images from the series, including a replica of the blood-stained smiley face badge worn by The Comedian that featured so prominently in the story. It is claimed that this badge set caused friction between Moore and DC — DC claimed that they were a "promotional item" and not merchandising, and therefore DC did not have to pay Moore or Gibbons royalties on the sets. <ref name=Merchandise">"PeterDavid.net" - a personal blog entry where fans discuss Alan Moore</ref> Although neither party has stated the exact reason for the withdrawl of the figures, DC Comics did release this in a press release: Template:Cquote<ref name="DC Statement">"Comics Continuuum" DC Comics statement regarding Alan Moore's refusal to be involved with their proposed line of action figures - (retrieved 15 April 2006). </ref>

Editions

Originally published as twelve individual issues (with the last nearly a year after the others), Watchmen was later printed as a graphic novel (ISBN 0930289234).

A special hardcover edition was produced by Graphitti Designs in 1987, containing 48 pages of bonus material, including the original proposal and concept art. DC did not distribute the book in quantity as planned, but a small quantity were printed and can still be found for sale occasionally.

On 5 October 2005, DC released Absolute Watchmen (ISBN 1401207138), a hardcover edition of Watchmen to celebrate its upcoming 20th anniversary. The book features a slipcase as well as restored and recolored art by John Higgins at Wildstorm FX, under the direction of Dave Gibbons. The new book also includes the bonus material from the Graphitti edition, marking the first time this material has been widely available.

Film Adaptation

Main article: Watchmen

A film adaptation is currently in pre-production. The film will not be endorsed by Alan Moore however, as he "refuses to have his name attached to any...films." <ref name="Alan Moore - Films"> "Moore Leaves DC for Top Shelf" - An article speaking of Alan Moore's decision to leave DC Comics (retrieved 15 April 2006) </ref>

External links

Template:Wikiquote

• Links to Alan Moore Fansites
• Ralf Hildebrandt's Annotations
• Doug Atkinson's Annotations
• Toonopedia entry
• Spanish article about the comic, its authors and its repercussions
• Alan Moore Interview
• Ninth Art review
• BBC News article about purported smiley face found on Mars - April 12, 2006
• A Site which discusses the themes of Film Noir (Rorschach)
• {{{2|{{{title|Watchmen}}}}}} at The Internet Movie Database

Footnotes and references

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