"And if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you..."
So yeah, that's pretty much how I felt when I was reading the Watchmen. There was so much there psychologically, so much below the surface, that it was hard to just read without really having to stop and think. The amount of text was a little challenging at first but once the story got going, I found it hard to stop reading. Oddly enough though, it was somewhat difficult to relate to the characters. One would think that this more "realistic" portrayal of humans would make more sympathetic protagonists, but that's just not the case. Each character is disconnected in some way from the rest of society and while we get a good understanding why, it's a little disturbing to think that that kind of person could be and probably is walking around with us every day. Despite all of this, I liked Rorschach a lot (or as much as I could given what kind of "hero" he is). I appreciate the way that Alan Moore intended him to see with sort of an unclouded eye and to have a really gritty view of how humanity can be. Also, "I'm not stuck in here with you - you're stuck in here with me." How many people can really pull of a line like that? Yeah.
And, since I'm being a little off-topic anyway, that monster being teleported into the city at the end was so random! I really never would have expected something like that at all and it reminded me a bit of Cloverfield as that monster's finding itself suddenly in a city was equally random. It just seemed so... strange. But then again, I suppose that's really in keeping with the general theme of the work. Hmmm...
Overall, I enjoyed the Watchmen and I can understand why it's regarded as one of the most dynamic and complex (graphic) novels of our time. The story is prophetic, the characters have a great deal of depth, and the art is beautiful. I'm really glad we had a chance to read it and that we spent so much time talking about it so I could feel the full affect.
So yeah, that's pretty much how I felt when I was reading the Watchmen. There was so much there psychologically, so much below the surface, that it was hard to just read without really having to stop and think. The amount of text was a little challenging at first but once the story got going, I found it hard to stop reading. Oddly enough though, it was somewhat difficult to relate to the characters. One would think that this more "realistic" portrayal of humans would make more sympathetic protagonists, but that's just not the case. Each character is disconnected in some way from the rest of society and while we get a good understanding why, it's a little disturbing to think that that kind of person could be and probably is walking around with us every day. Despite all of this, I liked Rorschach a lot (or as much as I could given what kind of "hero" he is). I appreciate the way that Alan Moore intended him to see with sort of an unclouded eye and to have a really gritty view of how humanity can be. Also, "I'm not stuck in here with you - you're stuck in here with me." How many people can really pull of a line like that? Yeah.
And, since I'm being a little off-topic anyway, that monster being teleported into the city at the end was so random! I really never would have expected something like that at all and it reminded me a bit of Cloverfield as that monster's finding itself suddenly in a city was equally random. It just seemed so... strange. But then again, I suppose that's really in keeping with the general theme of the work. Hmmm...
Overall, I enjoyed the Watchmen and I can understand why it's regarded as one of the most dynamic and complex (graphic) novels of our time. The story is prophetic, the characters have a great deal of depth, and the art is beautiful. I'm really glad we had a chance to read it and that we spent so much time talking about it so I could feel the full affect.
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