The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced. --Mark Thwaite
Product Description:
This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.

One of the most influential graphic novels of all time and a perennial bestseller, WATCHMEN has been studied on college campuses across the nation and is considered a gateway title, leading readers to other graphic novels such as V FOR VENDETTA, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and THE SANDMAN series.

Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.5

Rating - 3 Date: 2008-10-13
Content: I'm a huge graphic novel fan....I especially like the dark and serious ones. So I have to thank Watchmen for helping to usher in this style of graphic novel....but the actual experience of reading it isn't that enjoyable. It is so self-indulgent and pretentious, that it often becomes boring to read. Frankly, I was disappointed considering all of the hype surrounding it.
Summary: So masterful it sucks the fun out of reading it

Rating - 4 Date: 2008-10-09
Content: Great story, great artwork. Alan Moore tells an excellent tale of superheros and the human condition. An adult storyline, not for young children.
Summary: Watchmen graphic novel

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-10-09
Content: This book is a phenomenal read. I had a really hard time putting it down from the moment I got it and finished it in two days. I highly recommend this book, both for its graphic style and for its story. It's a little eerie how this cold war era book rings true today, many years later.
I think this book is a great read for both comic and graphic novel fans as well as the casual reader. If you're looking at getting a friend into graphic novels, this is the book to use to hook them in.
Summary: Watchman paperback review

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-10-08
Content: I had heard quite a bit of the hype for Watchmen, particularly with the movie being announced. So I finally decided to give it a shot and see if it lived up to it.

It's so rare for any form of media to stand up to today's hype machine. Between the trailer for the movie, friends constantly talking it up, forums constantly talking it up. It's almost not fair to book, comics, games, music, etc. But this is one of the few things I've come across recently that lived up to - and shattered - all the hype. This is just plain phenomenal in every way.

If you're a fan of comics, if you're a fan of great artwork, if you're a fan of great storytelling. You'd be doing yourself a disservice by not reading this.

Get it! It's that simple!
Summary: As good as storytelling gets

Rating - 5 Date: 2008-10-08
Content: I have to say this was my first graphic novel and I couldn't put it down. After reading this I was immediately hooked on any type of comic, the DC Universe especially! The illustrations are vibrant, the characters are wonderfully depicted by the author, and the story line is riveting. This is a great hero comic diffferent from the rest that is essential to every comic book reader's collection.
Summary: Great Read!!! If you've never read a graphic read this!