On Friday Night, a Comedian Died in New York

Throughout the history of comic books, the stories created by writers often excited its fans though many felt that comics weren't taken seriously. While writers would create lengthy series of comics to match a single story or plot line that would eventually become the form of the graphic novel. The form still wasn't taken seriously in the literary world as its devoted followers still believed that comics and graphic novels can make an impact. In 1986, everything would change for the form from the mind of comic writer Alan Moore. The British-based writer had been writing for several comics as he added new layers to comic heroes while reviving Swamp Thing into a popular comic in the early 80s. In 1986, he and artist Dave Gibbons changed the face of the graphic novel and the literary world with their take on superheroes in the story entitled Watchmen.

Written by Alan Moore with illustrations and lettering by Dave Gibbons with additional coloring by John Higgins, Watchmen tells the story of an alternate 1985 as the world is in chaos. With Richard Nixon still the U.S. President and tensions between U.S. and the Soviet Union at an all-time high. With masked vigilantes out of the job following a bill as they're now retired, a former vigilante is suddenly murdered as one of his former comrades investigates the murder. It is there he uncovers a conspiracy that involves ridding some of his fellow former vigilantes as they each deal with their own past and present life. Watchmen is truly a landmark story in the history of literature.

It's October 1985 when a murder has occurred for Edward Blake, a former vigilante known as the Comedian. The evidence found on the streets is a smiley face badge with a blood stain at the 11:00 section. Finding the badge is Rorschach, a former vigilante who still does work despite his paranoid personality and conservative ideals. Rorschach makes his own investigation into Blake's murder while telling his former Watchmen vigilantes about Blake's death. While Rorschach makes his own investigations, his former colleagues each react to Blake's death. With Adrian Veidt, once known as Ozymandias, is leading a successful corporation reacting with confusion in Rorschach claims of a conspiracy. Daniel Dreiberg, is saddened by Blake's death as he once worked Blake as part of the Watchmen team as the second version of the Nite Owl.

Dreiberg's life is now dull despite his love for his study of birds while having conversations with the original Nite Owl in Hollis Mason, who worked with Blake and the original Silk Spectre in Sally Jupiter as part of the Minutemen vigilante group back in the 1940s. After talking to Jonathan Osterman, the only vigilante with super powers from a nuclear accident and can predict the future and multiply as Dr. Manhattan, and Laurie Juspeczyk, the second Silk Spectre that she inherited from her mother. Osterman heard the news this morning though seems distracted by his work while Juspeczyk have mixed feelings considering that Blake had raped her mother several years ago. Juspeczyk later has dinner with Dreiberg, whom she hadn't seen in years as they talk about the Comedian's death.

During the Comedian's funeral that's attended by Osterman, Dreiberg, and Veidt with Juspeczyk visiting her mother at a retirement home. Sally Jupiter reveals the story of a photo shoot with all of the original Minutemen team where it was the night Blake raped her that was stopped by the masked vigilante Hooded Justice. Sally is saddened by Blake's death despite Laurie's anger over him while Veidt recalls a memory of a Watchmen meeting with one of the original Minutemen in Captain Metropolis that was also attended by Osterman's then-girlfriend Janey where Blake burns plans to stop crime made by Metropolis. The funeral also brings memories from Osterman about an incident along with Dreiberg who remembers the last time the Watchmen team worked together during a tense time that led to the moment that vigilantes had caused enough trouble that would get them out of the job from a senator's law.

Making a visit to the funeral is a former enemy in Edgar Jacobi, Moloch, who is later confronted by Rorschach as Jacobi reveals information about a surprise meeting from Blake that was troubling. With Laurie's relationship with Osterman proving to be troubling, she decides to leave to stay with Dreiberg while Osterman goes on TV for an interview. Instead, the interview becomes a disaster when a magazine editor reveals news that a few people from Osterman's life had contracted cancer including his ex-girlfriend Janey and Edward Jacobi. With claims that Osterman gave people cancer, Osterman goes into exile to Mars recalling his own life to the time he got stuck in a nuclear chamber that vaporized his body. Later coming back in blue with powers that are powerful, that eventually led to the disintegration of his relationship with Janey while his mind is stuck into the world of science.

Rorschach continues his investigation as he continues to find information from Jacobi, an assassination attempt on Veidt was thwarted while Dreiberg and Juspeczyk become close with Laurie moving in with Dreiberg. When Rorschach gets a note to meet Jacobi, something happens prompting Rorschach to be arrested. Without his mask and revealed to be Walter Kovacs, he is under intense psychological evaluation about his background prompting Dr. Malcolm Long to realize how insane Kovacs is. With Dreiberg and Juspeczyk's relationship intensifying along with a brief moment of glory that rekindles their vigilante days. With Rorschach in jail, the Comedian dead, Veidt in hiding, and Osterman exiled, Dreiberg and Juspeczyk decide to help Rorschach uncover the conspiracy by busting him out. Instead, something helps happens when Osterman returns unveiling a dark secret while Dreiberg and Rorschach uncover the truth behind a conspiracy that involves the end of the world.

Alan Moore's take on the superhero genre is unique by setting it in a dystopian world where everything is about to collapse. Instead of having them do good, save the world, and things that most superheroes do. Moore creates an idea where what if they're out of the job, trying to maintain normal lives for some with one of them still doing it in secrecy. At the same time, he creates back stories for several of the main characters along with a background into the world of vigilante crime fighting about the Minutemen team that preceded the Watchmen team.

The story is more psychological and dramatic than most superhero tales and origin stories as it revolves around the individuals that make up the Watchmen while they face up to the task that the world is about to end. Particularly on the fact that it's also a character study on its individuals and how they became the heroes that they would take on. Rorschach is a paranoid individual who became a hero from his own troubled childhood explored by Dr. Malcolm Long. Daniel Dreiberg, a man fascinated with birds and the Nite Owl, became one because the Nite Owl was his hero and wanted to live up to its namesake. Laurie Juspeczyk reluctantly inherited her moniker from her mother as she struggles with who she is along with her relationship with Jonathan Osterman. Osterman, a man who was fascinated with watches was forced to take on nuclear studies that would eventually make him become Dr. Manhattan.

Osterman's character is the most detached as he predicts the future but instead of interfering, he lets it happen knowing that it would hurt a lot of people in his life. He's also very interesting in his musings on science and molecules that often makes him multiply and vaporize from one place to another. Even to other people as he's the only one with super powers. Moore's emphasis on character is what makes this story very intriguing as he delves into the psychology of all of these characters along with story about the formation of the Minutemen and its dissolution. The link to the Minutemen and Watchmen comes into the character of Edward Blake, the Comedian, a man with very hard-nosed values. Someone who likes to kill people and the most uncompromising unlike Rorschach who is more controlled.

Blake is also the most troubled as his actions often caused regrets where he would display emotions in front of people he shouldn't have displayed to. Particularly Edgar Jacobi, who saw a side of his former enemy that he shouldn't see which he talks about to Rorschach. If Blake is the most unstable character of the story, there's Adrian Veidt who is the smartest, the most ambitious, and most stable of the Watchmen team. He's also the most mysterious as he's the one who retired early to start a successful corporation. Yet, his ambitions are driven by the ambitions of another famed figure in Alexander the Great where it revealed how he got his superhero name Ozymandias.

The story's structure delves into a multitude of genres from psychological drama, mystery, action, humor, science-fiction, and romance. The story also includes a few sub-stories from articles and such from its characters along with excerpts of Hollis Brown's biography about the formation of the Minutemen. Interviews and articles on Adrian Veidt, Dr. Manhattan, and Sally Jupiter plus notes from Malcolm Long about Rorschach and articles by Daniel Dreiberg. Another subplot that keeps the story together that parallels the dystopian mood of the story. It revolves around a kid reading the story entitled Tales of the Black Freighter, about a shipwrecked man trying to return home as his loses his humanity in the process.

Yet, it's the main story of the Watchmen and their attempts to save the world and find out who has been trying to take them out is the most interesting. Though there's complaints about its abrupt ending, it's more about its aftermath and what was gained and lost. The story that Alan Moore creates is intoxicating and provocative while carrying themes that are more adult than regular comic book stories about superheroes which are attributed to the art work of its illustrator Dave Gibbons.

Gibbons' framing, drawing, and coloring creates a unique look to the comic. It's as if Gibbons had an idea of framing the story as if it's a storyboard for a film in its first page while the compositions he creates is unique. Matching a character's face from one place in time to another. Especially in using the breaks for comics to create unique scenes including a few that spans an entire page or two. Notably in the opening scenes of the final chapter that proves to be some of the most gruesome images on page. Moore and Gibbons' take on violent images and blood is more extreme in comparison to comic stories of the past and the present, with the exception of Frank Miler. Yet, it works for the story along with some of the sexual content which involves nudity from both male and female adds some sexiness to the story.

The coloring and lighting schemes for several scenes work to create a noir-like feel in some spots while playing up to the mood of the story. With additional work from John Higgins on the coloring for its 2005 reissue, the look of the story and costumes is truly fascinating. The look of the clothes of the Minutemen is true to the 1940s period while the Watchmen costumes are a bit futuristic with the exception of Rorschach's costume which is a trench coat, a suit, tie, a Fedora hat, and a mask of blot spots. Everything else has a certain look and feel that is futuristic as well as modern. Plus, the costumes look cool as does the ships and cars that Dreiberg creates in his superhero persona. The overall artwork of Dave Gibbons is truly phenomenal as he matches Alan Moore's unique story.

Watchmen is truly one of the greatest novels in the history of literature. Audiences new to the graphic novel medium should find this as the best place to start as it bends various genres while taking its efforts to study characters and its surroundings. With the anticipation over the upcoming film by Zack Snyder and those already own the book should read it again for enjoyment. It's entertaining, it's provocative, and mesmerizing in its images and stories. Alan Moore's witty take on dystopia, political satire, and psychological exploration of characters along Dave Gibbons' colorful yet eerie illustration is truly fascinating to read and look. While the story isn't something young readers under the age of 13 should get, it does introduce some serious adult themes and images that go beyond the world of comic books. In the end, Watchmen is a must-have novel that is still fascinating from its first page to its unique ending.

Watchmen (film)