Watchmen is often cited as the title that completely changed the comics industry. It routinely makes it into Best Ever lists and has been referred to as the greatest comic ever written so many times that the accolade has lost all meaning. Frankly I think it’s overrated.
Don’t get me wrong, Watchmen is a superior comic, but the amount of praise heaped on it is
ludicrous. No, I wasn’t around when it was first released in the 80s (well,
technically I was but I was around three at the time) and so I don’t know what
sort of impact it had on the industry. Having looked at comics that were around
at the same time it is clear that it did have a strong influence but after a
quarter of a decade that’s largely irrelevant. Watchmen should be able to stand
as a series in its own right, without a constant reminder that it was
revolutionary when it first saw print. Bringing changes does not necessarily
make something worth reading.
My main problem is the book’s ending. The revelation of
why artists, writers and other creative types have been disappearing is
massively disappointing and provides an unexpected science fiction twist that
jars with the world writer Alan Moore has created. When we live in a world
where terrorism is all too real this fabricated menace from the mind of poet-junkies
seems laughable by comparison.
The plot that leads up to the twist is basic, following
the murder investigation of a dead costumed vigilante (no “superheroes” here).
That’s not such a problem. Its simplicity allows the characters chance to breathe,
brought to life by Moore’s excellent characterisation and Dave Gibbons’ incredibly
detailed artwork. Characterisation is the book’s greatest strength, boasting a
pantheon of memorable capes that all have their own quirks, habits and foibles.
The art on display is far more consistent than the
writing. Gibbons doesn’t draw a single bad panel throughout the entire book and
rewards eagle-eyed readers and those enjoying a second or third read-through
with little nods and pieces of foreshadowing. I’d argue that this is Gibbons’
greatest ever work.
If only Moore had been on as good a form. Instead his great
work creating characters and building a believable world is overshadowed by the
self-indulgent Black Freighter vignettes (a comic within a comic, telling the
story of a pirate becoming shipwrecked), an ill-plotted final act, and a tiger
with antlers. If only the inventiveness he ploughs into the additional work at
the end of every issue could have made it into the story proper, as opposed to
being relegated to world-enhancing background material, then maybe some of the
negatives could have been overcome.
This is generally regarded as the greatest example of
work by either of its creators. While that may be true for Gibbons it is not
for Moore. Watchmen may hold historic significance but ultimately it’s overrated.
Critical information:
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Colourist: John Higgins
ISBN: 9781852860240
