A review by lbarsk
Watchmen by Alan Moore

2.0

I know that this is hailed as one of the most groundbreaking of all graphic novels, and I can appreciate it for the fact that it did set the gold standard of graphic novel storytelling and it blew open the genre, but.. I just couldn't like it. I've read it SEVERAL TIMES and tried my best to get into it, and it just always rubs me the wrong way. I will say that Alan Moore is a deft storyteller who knows how to weave a plot and keep readers engaged--I did want to see how it all came together--but all of his characters felt two-dimensional to me, and the whole thing sort of stank of machismo and posturing. I like the premise (superheroes in a dystopian America who are powerless to change anything) and I appreciated the backstories that were provided, but it just felt flat to me. Also, there have been too many instances of friends and not-friends trying to explain the plot and nuances to me, "because maybe I don't like it because I'm missing something," which really isn't the case. I just plain didn't like it.