Watchmen DC Comics - Alan Moore

If you have never heard of Watchmen, prepare yourself for an introduction to a world of pure brain candy, you will go out and buy this and then personally thank me for bringing it to your attention.

So it's a comic. Do not let this put you off. It is a fine work of literature that trancends any boundaries set upon it by mere descriptions of genre. The Watchmen Graphic Novel collects the full series of Watchmen Comics by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. It is not a comicbook for children, infact some of the content is quite strong and it is recommended for mature readers. It begins with the murder of an ex-costumed vigilante called the Comedian and is initially narrated by excerpts from a journal by another costumed fugitive - Rorscach (a torture, sad and amaged individual that rises above his past, but I dont want to spoil the story....). The plot begins to revolve around solving who killed the comedian but soon spirals into a carefully woven and beautifully detailed story about the nature of power, responsibility, predjudice and madness that will draw you in like no other book/play/film or comic before ever has or ever will.

There are a number of complex characters in the book, and between each chapter (OK each issue of the comic) is a four or six page insert of text to cover some of the backstory, these take the part of extracts from books within the book, psychiatric reports on the characters, and newpaper columns relating to events within the plot, this actually works very well.

The artwork is full of tiny details and background asides that add to the outstanding dialogue in a way I have never seen before or since, it HAS to be read at least twice just to understand some of the plot mechanics and at least four or five times to appreciate the subtle nuances and amazing attention to continuity and detail.

There are some genuine moments of raw emotion and it is one of those very rare reads that you are sad to finish, anyone with an interest in fantasy/sci-fi/comics or just anyone with an interest in quality writing and artwork MUST read this before they die. If you know someone with limited time left, kidnap them, lock them in a romm, chain them to the bed and do not let them out until they have read Watchmen, they will thank you for it.