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byebrook's review
4.0
overall, an interesting commentary on the ideas of heroes, humanity, morality, and who exactly watches those that watch us. while some aspects are definitely of-the-time and have aged less-than-stellar, i did enjoy this comic and analyzing what makes it tick.
Graphic: Violence, War, Blood, Torture, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Rape, and Cancer
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Homophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Lesbophobia
scoobygirl93's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Genocide, War, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, Child death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Blood, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
moranguinhos's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Genocide, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, War, Death, Rape, Violence, and Police brutality
matchamelon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Edit: After watching the movie I realize it was a pacing issue though I do still have many gripes
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
berlyhansen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, War, and Murder
etienne_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape and Murder
Moderate: War and Misogyny
steveatwaywords's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This ambitious and nearly flawless work has already made history and there is little I want to add here to that: it's complex and tightly-woven with nuanced and genuine characters acting as best they are able. As clumsy and human as they are, their physical and emotional frailties are foremost at focus as they try to do nothing less than every superhero comic: save the world.
Moore's alternate history is (especially today) too too plausible, and the dozens of different readings his characters make of it could as easily be applied to today's news. He details only one of the key differences between universes, however, and that is the step a few individuals make from reading 1930s hero comics to themselves donning vigilante costumes. After that, the political and sociological changes seem relatively inevitable.
And that, as many have argued, offers us a deeper and unsettling look at our affinity for superheroes, the nature of justice and authority and legitimacy, of our collective psychological desperations created by and answered by marketing lifestyles. And, in the truths spoken by Dr. Manhattan, how utterly trivial and uninteresting it all is.
So why not a full 5 stars? The storytelling and artwork are fine enough, the complete work ambitious enough, its execution almost as much. And it's the almost. As immersive as Watchmen is, there are several moments when readers are thrown out of it, where the authorial crafting is too obviously authorial crafting. I'm thinking of a parallel pirate comic that is read at a newsstand, as a for instance, or chapters where each page is a different scenic moment which all (seemingly coincidentally but cosmically) align in word and concept. They are clever, and calculated . . . and so also first clever and calculated, second impactful as narrative. Moore is too excited to show us what he can do, and that excitement--especially for me--was loud enough to disturb the reading.
A quibble, perhaps, but Moore has gone on to do other works. A mesmerizing standard for graphic novels which follow, Watchmen's imitators in later years still pale.
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Rape, War, Death, and Gore
megb64's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Death, Genocide, Murder, and Sexual assault
myclutteredbookshelf's review
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Animal death, Murder, Police brutality, and Blood
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and War
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
josiah17's review against another edition
3.5
Edit 11/11/23: Bumping down to 3.5
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Genocide, and Sexual content