Watchmen #1 Best Comic Book Ever Written *
WHAT IF SUPERHEROES REALLY EXISTED? What if costumed vigilantes changed the course of our history?
Watchmen was a 12-issue series published by DC that was set outside the normal DC Universe. No Superman or Wonder Women existed here. In this world, the heroes of yesterday are retired, dead, on the run from the law or kept under careful surveillance by governments eager to exploit their powers. A half-insane hero called Rorschach (he hides his face behind a mask of shifting shapes) decides that someone is trying to murder the remaining heroes, and so he searches for the truth. As the plot progresses, he and his former teammates learn of a plan that will bring world peace by killing millions of innocent people, and they're horrified to discover it's the handiwork of a former superhero who has taken his mission to save the world to its logical extreme.
Personal Note:
Click on the above link, and the "Watchmen" link in that.
It's just called, "The Watchmen". "Who Watches the Watchmen" is the catch-phrase. It implies that the watchmen watches US, But who keeps tabs on HIM?
In these books it is revealed that these masked vigilantes are far more screwed up in every sense, than the average person could ever conceive of being!
For instance, what's up with guys obsessed by playing dress-up in tight rubber suits who 'get off' on beating, (AND being beaten by) criminals.
For the first time the lines separating good/bad, black/white, sane/insane, duty/obsession. are questioned and explored.
Up until then, "HEROES" like the Batman were viewed as hyper/civic crusaders. After this, their motive becomes somewhat less clear.
The book is a compilation of 12 comic books that were originally released once a month
over the course a year.
They were later gathered into a Hard covered book, that was issued at $50.00, and was inflated to $150.00 (as a collector's item) before it even hit the streets.
It was reissues in a soft cover addition for about $15.00.
It's available, but it's usually up in a "keep-your-jelly-stained-fingers-off this-book!"
place of honor.
If you go into a comic book store (whole 'nuther world) It is still the Key that parts the waves.
The old timers will just grunt and nod respectfully, "OHHH, 'The WATCHMEN!', that's the comic book that completely changed comic books -------- FOREVER.
(actually I'm not a comic book reader, I gave it up in my youth), The Watchmen was forced on me, and from the first page, I couldn't put it down, 4 times.
When I force it on someone else, they usually begin by protesting, and then after their 4th reading, force it upon the next unsuspecting bystander.
-WWtW
*hotlinx