Watchmen

For other uses, see Watchman. For the upcoming film adaptation, see Watchmen (film)

Watchmen
Cover art for the 1987 U.S. (left) and U.K. (right) collected editions of Watchmen, published by DC Comics and Titan Books.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	limited series
Publication date	September 1986 – October 1987
No. of issues	Twelve
Main character(s)	Second Nite Owl Dr Manhattan Rorschach First and Second Silk Spectres Ozymandias Comedian
Creative team
Written by	Alan Moore
Artist(s)	Dave Gibbons
Colorist(s)	John Higgins

Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Originally published by DC Comics as a monthly limited series from 1986 to 1987, it was later republished as a graphic novel. It was one of the first superhero comic books to present itself as serious literature, and also popularized the more adult-oriented "graphic novel" format. Watchmen is the only graphic novel to have won a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time magazine's list of "100 best novels from 1923 to present."

Watchmen is set in 1985 in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. It follows the story of the last remaining superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. Superheroes are presented in Watchmen as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who have neuroses and failings, and who are largely lacking in superpowers. Watchmen's deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism and multi-layered dialogue, have had a profound effect on later comics.

Background

Alan Moore, who wanted to transcend the perceptions of the comic book medium as something juvenile, attempted, "to create [with Watchmen] ‘a superhero Moby Dick; something that had that sort of weight, that sort of density.’" Moore also named William Burroughs, as one of his "main influences," during the conception of Watchmen, and admired Burroughs use, "of repeated symbols that would become laden with meaning," in Burroughs one and only comicstrip, which appeared in the British underground magazine Cyclops.

In developing Watchmen, during its embryonic stage, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons originally conceived of a story that would take, "familiar old-fashioned superheroes into a completely new realm." Dick Giordano, who had worked for Charlton Comics, suggested using the old Charlton characters, but since Moore and Gibbons wanted to do a serious story-line in which some of the newly acquired characters would die, Giordano suggested that Moore and Gibbons simply start from scratch and create their own characters. So while certain characters in Watchmen are loosely based upon the Charlton characters (such as Dr. Manhattan who was inspired by Captain Atom and Rorschach who was loosely based upon the Question), Moore decided to create characters that ultimately would scarcely resemble their Charlton counterparts.

Originally Moore and Gibbons only had enough plot for six issues and compensated, "by interspersing the more plot-driven issues with issues that gave kind of a biographical portrait of one of the main characters." During the process, Dave Gibbons had a great deal of autonomy in developing the visual look of Watchmen and inserted details that Moore admits he did not notice until later as Watchmen was written to be read and fully understood after several readings.

Composition

Title

The title "Watchmen" is derived from the phrase "quis custodiet ipsos custodes", from Juvenal's Satire VI "Against women" (c. 60-127 CE), often translated as "who watches the watchmen?"

noui consilia et ueteres quaecumque monetis amici,

"pone seram, cohibe".

sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes

cauta est et ab illis incipit uxor

"I hear always the admonishment of my friends:

'Bolt her in, and constrain her!'

But who will watch the watchmen?

The wife arranges accordingly, and begins with them."

Juvenal was credited with "exposing" the vice of Roman society through his expository satires, and in a similar fashion, Watchmen examines the trope of the costumed adventurer, or superhero, by examining the human flaws of its "superhero" characters in lieu of the traditional comic book focus on its characters' strengths. In Watchmen, Moore shows a "grittier" side to the conceived notion of the superhero.

The graffiti "WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN" appears scrawled upon walls throughout New York City during the story, but the complete phrase is never seen; the sentence is always partially obscured or cut out of the panel. The graffiti occurs following the proposition of The Keene Act, depicting the change of public opinion towards the practice of vigilantism. This viewpoint is exemplified by the character of the second Nite Owl, who asks, during an anti-vigilantism riot, "who are we protecting [society] from?" As if to illustrate the many problems with vigilantes who sometimes serve as judge, jury and executioner, the Comedian glibly replies, "From themselves."

Structure

The graphic novel Watchmen is composed of twelve chapters. These chapters were originally separate issues of the comic book series, which were released sequentially in 1986. Each chapter begins with a close-up of the first panel. An excerpt of a famous quote or song lyric appears in the preliminary stages of the chapter, acting as the chapter's heading or title. The quote is given in its entirety at the end of the chapter, summarising the events that have just occurred.

Moreover, Watchmen also contains many fictional primary documents, which are appended at the end of every chapter (except the final one), as being a part of the Watchmen universe's media. Biographies of retired costumed adventurers, such as the retrospective Under the Hood by the retired first Nite Owl, are used to help the reader understand the chronology of events, and also changing public opinion and representation of costumed adventurers through the decades. These documents are also used to reveal personal details of the costumed adventurers' private lives, such as Rorschach's arrest record and psychiatric report. Other documents include military reports (of Dr. Manhattan) and newspaper and magazine articles (from New Frontiersman and Nova Express) that are also used in this way.

Watchmen's structure has been analyzed by many reviewers, with The Friday Review calling Watchmen, "a complex, multi-layered narrative, populated with well-realised characters and set against a background that is simultaneously believable and unfamiliar"

Perspective

When reading Watchmen, the reader often assumes the role of third person omniscience, able to see all of the characters' actions, as well as what they may be thinking, which are depicted through facial expressions and body language. Moreover, Watchmen is unconventional in that it does not utilise the "standard" technique in the comic book genre of employing thought balloons to demonstrate its characters' thoughts . The documents that are appended to the end of each chapter (except the last), as well as mediums such as Rorschach's diary, help to elucidate characters' thoughts and feelings throughout the novel, without mentioning them explicitly.

The first person perspective is also utilised, albeit more infrequently. Flashbacks are employed to help facilitate the reader's understanding of events occurring in the present, but also as a means of chronicling the differences in history between the Watchmen universe and our own. Thus, Dr. Manhattan's flashback to the Vietnam War highlights how both his and the Comedian's existence altered their world's history in comparison to our own.

"Watchmen Observations" notes that Watchmen uses a three by three panel structure, and that there is little variation in this format, the effect is to, "reduce the scope for authorial voice--the reader has fewer clues how she should react to each scene; also, they heighten the feeling of realism and distance the novel from standard action comics."

Story

Characters

The cast of Watchmen. (Clockwise from top: Doctor Manhattan, the Comedian, Ozymandias, the second Nite Owl, Rorschach, Captain Metropolis, the second Silk Spectre. Art by Dave Gibbons, coloured by John Higgins.

Main article: Characters in Watchmen

The cast of Watchmen was initially based upon old Charlton Comics characters. Moore and Gibbons agreed that Watchmen required a cast of characters that had continuity and a history upon which a story could be based. DC Comics had recently acquired the rights to some old Charlton Comics characters. This prompted former DC Editing Manager Dick Giordano to suggest that Moore use some of these characters. However, to avoid continuity issues with the recently acquired characters, and due to the fact that some of them would have become useless for future series, Moore decided to create new characters, using the recently acquired Charlton Comics characters as a template. This allowed for a more dynamic and unique set of characters. The Comedian (Edward Blake) is based on Peacemaker with elements of Marvel Comics' Nick Fury. Doctor Manhattan (Jon Osterman) is derived from Captain Atom, while the first and second Nite Owls (Hollis Mason and Dan Dreiberg) are based upon Blue Beetle. Thunderbolt serves as the inspiration for Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt), while the Question and Mr. A did the same for Rorschach (Walter Kovacs). Finally, the first and second Silk Spectres (Sally Jupiter and Laurie Juspeczyk) are based on Nightshade with elements of Black Canary and Phantom Lady .

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler For information about individual Chapters in the graphic novel, see Chapters in Watchmen

In October 1985, Walter Kovacs (Rorschach) investigates the murder of New Yorker Edward Blake and discovers that Blake was the "Comedian", a longtime costumed adventurer/government agent. Forming a theory that Blake's murder is part of a greater plot to eliminate costumed adventurers (or "masks," as Rorschach calls them), Kovacs warns others: Jon Osterman (Dr. Manhattan), Laurel Jane Juspeczyk (second Silk Spectre), Dan Dreiberg (second Nite Owl) and Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias). Veidt, Juspeczyk and Dreiberg are long retired from crime-fighting, the latter two because of the 1977 passage of the Keene Act, which banned costumed vigilantes (a fact that Kovacs, deeply immersed in his Rorschach identity, ignores), and Veidt had retired voluntarily in 1975, disclosing his identity publicly and using his reputation and intelligence to build a large personal fortune. Osterman remained exempt from the Keene Act, being (like Blake) a U.S. government agent, though he does not engage in crimefighting.

The United States and the Soviet Union have been edging toward a nuclear showdown since the 1959 nuclear accident that transformed Osterman into the super-powered Dr. Manhattan. Due to Osterman's presence, the U.S. has enjoyed a distinct strategic advantage, allowing it to defeat the Soviet Union in a series of proxy wars -- most notably in Vietnam. This imbalance has dramatically increased global tension. In seeming anticipation of global war, American society has assumed a general sense of fatalism about the future. Signs of this in daily life range from "Meltdowns" candy to graffiti inspired by the Hiroshima bombing to the designation of many buildings in New York as fallout shelters.

Veidt, observing Osterman's increasing emotional detachment from humanity, forms a theory that military expenditures and environmental damage will lead to global catastrophe no later than the mid-1990s. As part of an elaborate plot to avert this, Veidt acts to accelerate Osterman's isolation by secretly exposing more than two dozen of Osterman's former associates to harmful radiation, inflicting a variety cancers on them. Meanwhile, Veidt manipulates the press into speculating that Osterman himself was the cause of these cancers.

With the public revelation of these cancer suspicions, Osterman teleports himself to the planet Mars to contemplate the events of his life. His break with the U.S. government prompts Soviet opportunism in the form of an invasion of Afghanistan, greatly aggravating the global crisis. With nuclear war only days away, Kovacs, Juspeczyk, Osterman and Dreiberg confront Veidt at Veidt's Antarctic retreat, but too late to prevent the final phase of his plan. Using a teleportation device, Veidt moves a massive, genetically-engineered, psionic creature into the heart of New York City, knowing that the teleportation process will kill the creature. In its death-throes, it will release a psychic shockwave containing imagery designed to be so violent and alien that it will kill half the residents of the city, drive many survivors insane, and convince others worldwide that the creature is the first of a potential alien invasion force. Thus presented with an external threat, the United States and Soviet Union withdraw from the brink of war and form an accord to face this apparent menace.

The murderer of Blake is revealed to be Veidt himself, acting after Blake had accidently discovered details of Veidt's plot. Veidt has also eliminated numerous employees and minions. At the end, the only people aware of the truth are Veidt, Dreiberg, Juspeczyk, Kovacs and Osterman. Dreiberg, Juspeczyk and Osterman agree to keep silent out of concern that revealing the plot could re-ignite U.S.–Soviet tensions, but Kovacs refuses to compromise and is killed by Osterman.

The ending is deliberately ambiguous about the long-term success of Veidt's plan. After killing Kovacs, Osterman talks briefly to Veidt. Veidt mentions how he hoped Osterman "would understand, unlike Rorschach..." to which Osterman replies "...yes, I understand, without condoning or condemning." The last shot of Osterman shows him framed by the astrolabe in Veidt's study. Veidt asks "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out in the end." Osterman's reply is cryptic: "In the end? Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." He then disappears, leaving Earth forever, his departure leaving the frame with the solar system framed by a residue appearing distinctly similar to an atomic mushroom cloud.

However, before travelling to the Antarctic to confront Veidt, Kovacs had mailed his journal detailing his suspicions to The New Frontiersman, a far right-wing magazine Kovacs frequently read. The final frame of the series shows a New Frontiersman editor contemplating which item from the "crank file" (to which Kovacs's journal had been consigned) to use as filler for the upcoming issue.

Tales of the Black Freighter

File:Blackfreighter.gif

A panel from The Black Freighter, a comic book set in the Watchmen universe.

The Black Freighter is a comic book which exists within the Watchmen universe. The specific issues shown in the Watchmen chronicle a man's attempts to return home to warn his family of the arrival of The Black Freighter, a phantom ship which houses the souls of the dead. As the man's journey progresses, he becomes more and more unscrupulous, attempting to justify his increasingly irrational, paranoid disposition, and his criminal acts. The events of The Black Freighter act as a parallel to the plot of Watchmen itself; the comic is being read by a teenage boy whilst he sits beside a newspaper vendor. As events unfold, the newspaper vendor speaks of the latest headlines in the newspapers he sells, and speaks with those who patronise his stall .

A pirate comic book was implemented by Moore because he and Gibbons thought that since those in the Watchmen universe experience superheroes in real life, then "they probably wouldn't be at all interested in superhero comics." A pirate theme was suggested by Gibbons, and Moore agreed because he is "a big Brecht fan." Moore intended the opening panel in Chapter II to reinforce the reader's identification with the radioactive warning trefoil; Moore thought that the close-up of the trefoil in the first panel looked like a "stylised picture of a black ship". The trefoil then came to represent "a black ship against a yellow sky".

Moore has said that the story of The Black Freighter ends up describing "the story of Adrian Veidt." In addition, the comic can also be seen to "[relate] to Rorschach and his capture; it relates to the self-marooning of Dr Manhattan on Mars; it can be used as a counterpoint to all these different parts of the story". Template:Endspoiler

Artwork

Penciller and inker Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins have been credited with giving life to the various characters in Watchmen. They employed a variety of innovative techniques, a style that contained elements of the Golden Age of Comics and a deliberate attempt to inject cinematic realism, uncommon in comic-books in the 1980s. Gibbons, who had worked with Moore on previous occasions, including a notable 1985 Superman story (Annual 11, 'For the Man who has Everything'), avoided convention in his work and literally developed a storyboard-style to the dialogue written by Moore. Nearly every panel included significant details to the story-line or were indicative of running symbols (such as triangles and pyramids) with themes important to the plot. Gregory J. Golda describes the artwork as "both a tribute to the Gold and Silver age style of super hero comics." He also writes that there "are symbols embedded in this work that require a book to fully discover." Gibbons used other cinematic techniques such as having two main characters somewhat obscured by their surroundings and background characters in order to avoid the usual extreme focus upon the primary characters prevalent in most comicbook art. Moreover, Watchmen rarely uses motion lines to indicate motion, another technique often utilised in the comic book industry. In Watchmen, motion lines are only used to indicate small actions, and are not utilised in fight scenes. Instead, Gibbons uses "posture and blood" to highlight the motion and movement of the characters, which "[adds] to the feel of realism and [limits the] authorial voice"

Gibbons also described his design of the characters as his own, derived from Moore's character notes. Moore credits Gibbons with coming up with many of the signature symbols in Watchmen including the infamous smiley face, which was, "derived from behavioural psychology tests. They tried to find the simplest abstraction that would make a baby smile." Contrary to popular opinion, Gibbons contends that Rorschach's subtle body language and not his rorschach test-inspired mask are the real indications of his mood. In addition, John Higgins' coloring technique was to rely upon primary colors, again indicative of the Golden Age style, rather than a wider color selection.

Gibbons, who had no formal art training, notes among his inspirations Norman Rockwell, who was sometimes described as an illustrator with an idealized portraiture style, and Jack Kirby among many others. The art, while deriving inspiration from various predecessors, including Will Eisner and Wally Wood (both artists Gibbons also names as major influences), is at once original in its execution and can be seen as a precursor to later 'realistic' comic book artists such as Alex Ross.

Themes

Realism is a primary focus in Watchmen, which features themes that relate superheroes to the human condition. Moore explores the fantastic world of costumed adventurers by raising various social issues that begin with the perception of authority. The novel's examination of trust in authority can be summed up in the phrase, "Who watches the Watchmen?" In a Weberian sense, authority is seldom endorsed morally by those who do not have it, with institutionalised authority being unchallenged simply due to intrinsic aspects of social power. The vigilantes in Watchmen, before the Keene Act, represent superheros as an institution, generally unquestioned until the issues of responsibility and culpability are raised. This questioning of authority mirrors the Opposition to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, both of which are discussed in Watchmen.

These ideas are also apparent in what post-modernist Gregory J. Golda calls the "anti-veneration" throughout the novel, illustrated by depicting superheroes as "cranky and inept old timers" and that "Anti-veneration... treats destructive societal norms as the direct responsibility of the viewer by attacking the principles society holds most dear. This lack of respect for the past is the crux of the Watchmen."

The subject of anti-veneration explores superheroes who are treated as veritable gods to be worshipped at one point (with Dr. Manhattan taking on the literal manifestation of a deity) and then are deconstructed in order to reveal flaws, which makes them less worthy of hero worship, in the eyes of the public. Nonetheless, heroes can still be worthy within the valetism form of hero worship as theorised by classical sociologist Thomas Carlyle and expressed in Watchmen. Carlyle, who is identified with early fascist philosophy, developed a concept of hero worship that was meant to overlook human flaws as he contended that there was no need for 'moral perfection'. Along these lines, Rorschach even belittles what he terms as "moral lapses" when discussing the Comedian's past acts of violence. These Carlyle-inspired ideas are depicted throughout Watchmen, as Ozymandias, during a discussion with Rorschach, refers to the Comedian as, "a Nazi." To further exemplify this issue of superheroes as fascists, the extreme right-wing publication New Frontiersman appears to be the most ardent supporter of masked vigilantism with one headline reading, "Honor is like the Hawk: Sometimes it must go Hooded".

Apocalypticism and conspiracy theory are elements of both plot and mood in the series. The threat of nuclear annihilation is ever-present throughout the novel. According to an interpretation by director Darren Aronofsky, "the whole motivation for Ozymandias is the impending doom of the world." The plot is based around a conspiracy, and the character Rorschach is obsessed with conspiracy theories, and appears to derive much of his thinking from the right wing newspaper New Frontiersman. Aronofsky argues that Watchmen's treatment of the subject was pioneering; but has since "become so ‘pop’, because of JFK and The X-Files, it’s entered pop culture consciousness, and Rorschach’s vision is not that wacky any more."

Conspiracy theories invoke a lack of control on the part of characters like Rorschach and lead to the examination of other themes in Watchmen such as determinism. Gregory J. Golda describes the relationship between the philosophy of determinism and Dr. Manhattan who "lives his now immortal life with a perception of time and events as unchangeable. He becomes the symbol of Determinism, " and that, "He lives his own life under this illusion of determinism failing to see that there was a superior intellect that could outsmart even an "all knowing" being." This ties into notions of free will as discussed by Thomas Hobbes, a prominent philosopher of determinism and human nature. Hobbesian views tended to support the notion that there was no absolute free will as Hobbes, "was a determinist in the sense that [he espoused that] although one's actions are free, one's will is not." It is often Dr. Manhattan who discusses issues of determinism and free will as when he explains to Silk Spectre II: "We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings."

Watchmen also explores issues dealing with memory by utilizing flashbacks, which define the characters and how they are remembered by their peers. For example, the past actions of the Comedian are all selectively recalled by Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, and Nite Owl II as each recalls some significant event that defined who the Comedian was to them and how he influenced them. Further flashbacks by Dr. Manhattan, and the first and second Silk Spectres also relate to the power of memories as they serve to provide epiphanies or an idealised, "past, even [with] the grimy parts of it, well, it just keeps on getting brighter all the time," as the retired first Silk Spectre explains to her daughter. It is Rorschach though, who constructs the most idyllic past with a father he never knew and a strong reverence for President Truman.

Megalomania is also addressed in Watchmen, but not with conventional 'villains'. Instead, Ozymandias is presented as an idealist who looks to the past for inspiration so that he may better utilise his prodigious intellect to help mankind. At first idolising Alexander the Great, he later relates himself to Ramses II (and adopts his Greek name Ozymandias) and the golden age of the Pharaohs. This has parallels with Hawkman, who believed himself to be the reincarnation of an Egyptian prince as well. Ozymandias exhibits various aspects of Narcissistic personality disorder including behavioral grandiosity and a lack of empathy.

Many of the themes in Watchmen are explored in Moore's other works including V for Vendetta, which also dealt with issues relating to fascism and hero worship. In addition, the Nietzschean Übermensch (literally 'overman' or superman) archetype is personified throughout much of Moore's work, including Ozymandias in Watchmen and other characters Moore has created including Miracleman and Tom Strong.

Significance

Reception and criticism

Time Magazine placed Watchmen on its list of the 100 Greatest Novels from 1923 to Present, stating that it was "told with ruthless psychological realism, in frugal, overlapping plotlines and gorgeous, cinematic panels rich with repeating motifs...a heart-pounding, heartbreaking read and a watershed in the evolution of a young medium." Watchmen was the only graphic novel to be listed. Watchmen has also received several awards spanning different categories and genres including: Kirby Awards for Best Finite Series, Best New Series, Best Writer, and Best Writer/Artist, Eisner Awards for Best Finite Series, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer, and Best Writer/Artist, and a Hugo Award for Special Achievement.

Watchmen received praise from those working within the comic book industry, as well as external reviewers, for its avant-garde portrayal of the traditional superhero. Watchmen became known as a novel which allowed the comic book to be recognised as "great art," rather than a low brow or unsophisticated genre. Don Markstein of Toonopedia wrote that, "What The Maltese Falcon did for detective stories and Shane did for Westerns, Watchmen did for superheroes. It transcended its origins in what was previously considered a low brow form of fiction."

Watchmen's status as a seminal book in the comic book field was recently boosted when acclaimed comic book author Stan Lee called it his, "all-time favorite comic book outside of Marvel." A review by "Revolution SF" goes on to say that Watchmen is "one of the most important stories in comic book history..."

There has also been some criticism of Watchmen. In terms of the artwork, the colours have been characterized as "flat" and too "contrasting" by one reviewer. There has been some questioning of the complexity of Watchmen, as well as Gibbons' involvement in it, saying that he "always felt a bit like the fill-in guy." The same source criticizes the long-term influence of the work, and Alan Moore generally, and asks "did the comic book have to 'grow up'?"

References in other works

Watchmen was parodied by the The Simpsons's comic book series Radioactive Man in issue #679 "Who Washes The Washmen's Infinite Secrets Of Legendary Crossover Knight Wars?" (September 1994).

Nite Owl and his ship make a cameo appearance in the third issue of Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. Under the Hood, the book written by original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason, is seen in a shop window and Rorschach is visible in the background of the superhero bar in Kingdom Come, also illustrated by Alex Ross.

In an issue of the late-eighties DC series The Question, by Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan, the Question reads a Watchmen trade paperback and then contemplates Rorschach's crimefighting ideas and their relationship to his own. Rorschach's character is partly based on the Charlton Comics' version of The Question.

In 2004, the movie The Incredibles was released, with reviewers commenting upon themes expressed in the film which seemed to pay homage to Watchmen.

Merchandising and adaptations

See also: Watchmen (film)

In 1987, Mayfair Games produced two adventure modules based on Watchmen for its DC Heroes role-playing game. These modules, entitled "Who Watches the Watchmen?" and "Taking out the Trash", included background information about the fictional Watchmen universe, approved by Alan Moore. His approval made these publications valuable to fans as the only outside source of supplemental information about the characters in the story (especially minor characters, such as the Minutemen and Moloch).

DC Comics also released a limited edition badge set featuring characters and images from the series, including a replica of the blood-stained smiley face badge worn by The Comedian that was featured so prominently in the story. It is claimed that this badge set caused friction between Moore and DC Comics — DC claimed that they were a "promotional item" and not merchandising, and therefore DC did not have to pay Moore or Gibbons royalties on the sets. Although neither party has stated the exact reason for the withdrawal of the figures, DC Comics did say in a press release that they would not go forward without the author's approval.

A film adaptation is currently in pre-production. While Moore believes that David Hayter's screenplay is "as close as I could imagine anyone getting to Watchmen" he does not intend to see it. The film will not be endorsed by Alan Moore, as he "refuses to have his name attached to any...films."

Editions

Originally published as twelve individual issues (with the last released nearly a year after the others), Watchmen was later reprinted as a graphic novel (ISBN 0930289234). A special hardcover edition was produced by Graphitti Designs in 1987, containing 48 pages of bonus material, including the original proposal and concept art. On 5 October 2005, DC released Absolute Watchmen (ISBN 1401207138), a hardcover edition of Watchmen in the Absolute Edition series to celebrate its upcoming 20th anniversary. The book features a slipcase as well as restored and recolored art by John Higgins at Wildstorm FX, under the direction of Dave Gibbons. The new book also includes the bonus material from the Graphitti edition, marking the first time this material has been widely available.

External links

• Links to Alan Moore Fansites
• Ralf Hildebrandt's Annotations
• Doug Atkinson's Annotations
• Samuel Effron's Analysis
• Toonopedia entry
• Spanish article about the comic, its authors and its repercussions
• Alan Moore Interview
• Ninth Art review
• Watchmen at IMDb