Watchmen

[RorschachVII]

Best comic book-based story ever written, and I think it will remain so for decades to come. I make sure to read it once every summer. Sooner or later I'll have to memorize it. [/Moore fanboy]

 

[Steelsheen]

heres a watchmen piece alex ross did. it works fine as a one off pin-up, in fact its great, but certainly wouldnt work for the entire book...

i havent seen this. thanks for posting

you see, for me it totally works. what i really like about Alex Ross is his technique, the way he makes his characters feel like flesh and blood human beings. sure the aesthetics leaves much to be desired sometimes (how his women can look like men and vice versa), but over all its the realism that really impresses me. if only Ross can use some real life references to pattern the looks of his characters it would be THE book to collect.

dont get me wrong. Gibson is a great artist and i have no complaints with his work in Watchmen, but Ross technique is just on a whole different level. i just thought it would be a fanboys dream come true if one of the best graphic novel ever written is drawn by one of the best comic book artists.

 

[Harlekin]

I don't necessarily agree that Ross is on a whole other level. Ross' work is mostly very very pretty. It's good, but I really wowed at what Gibbons' did at Watchmen from time to time.

 

[ang_hulk]

still regret buying it,its an ok stroy and all but way over hyped.

 

[Motown Marvel]

i havent seen this. thanks for posting

you see, for me it totally works. what i really like about Alex Ross is his technique, the way he makes his characters feel like flesh and blood human beings. sure the aesthetics leaves much to be desired sometimes (how his women can look like men and vice versa), but over all its the realism that really impresses me. if only Ross can use some real life references to pattern the looks of his characters it would be THE book to collect.

dont get me wrong. Gibson is a great artist and i have no complaints with his work in Watchmen, but Ross technique is just on a whole different level. i just thought it would be a fanboys dream come true if one of the best graphic novel ever written is drawn by one of the best comic book artists.

i agree with what your saying about ross' talent. he's a completely different style thats on a whole nother level, and he's phenominal. but his ultra realistic style would completely undermine the intentions of watchmen. its SUPPOSE to be real "comic booky", thats part of the books intention and purpose. and when you think of a conventional comic book style, ross is not your man. but gibbons can pull that off in spades! ross, in my opinion, is the better artist, but wrong for watchmen. but gibbons, on the other hand, is the ideal artist for watchmen.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

heres a watchmen piece alex ross did. it works fine as a one off pin-up, in fact its great, but certainly wouldnt work for the entire book...

My point exactly.

i still don't see your point, hell that pic alone just sold me the notion of ross doing a rendition of it.

Was Marvels any less of an epic story? With the exception of the mutants chapter, the entirety of Marvels was big, grandiose colours and larger than life characters meshed in with the real world. Watchmen is dirty, grim and depressing. Even Ross' work on the aforementioned mutants chapter wasn't able to evoke that kind of feeling.

marvels was a great story, but i don't feel as if it was an epic,felt more like very well written documentary of the MARVELS. and that chapter did'nt meant to be gritty. dark and depressing yes, his conveyed that pretty well.

 

[Darthphere]

That pic is a pin-up. A pin up and sequential art are two vastly different things.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

either way i still want to see his version,now get off my balls.

 

[Darthphere]

You never will, because it will never happen. And nevah!

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

says who, its not like moore has the rights.PWNT!

 

[Harlekin]

i still don't see your point, hell that pic alone just sold me the notion of ross doing a rendition of it.

And that's exactly why you'll never procreate.

marvels was a great story, but i don't feel as if it was an epic,felt more like very well written documentary of the MARVELS. and that chapter did'nt meant to be gritty. dark and depressing yes, his conveyed that pretty well.

Did I say gritty? I said grim. It was a 'documentary' about the epicness of the superheroes. Every other page was filled with stuff like Giant-Man towering over everybody. Sure, the perspective was human, but the story was epic. And I didn't really think it that dark and depressing. Re-read it a week or so back.

 

[Darthphere]

says who, its not like moore has the rights.PWNT!

Because DC can't possibly be that stupid.

 

[Whirlysplat]

Is Watchmen the best graphic novel ever produced by DC?

No and it's a trade paperback as it was originally published in monthly form. It is very good though and the best trade ever published by DC. The best trade paperback of all time, is not Watchmen either it is Miracleman Olympus alsoand the best trade ever published by DC by Moore.

 

[Caliber]

Is Watchmen the best graphic novel ever produced by DC?

It is and I would go as far to say that its the best story ever printed in comics. It made character who are people not trying to keep each character like gods who can do no wrong.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

And that's exactly why you'll never procreate.


Did I say gritty? I said grim. It was a 'documentary' about the epicness of the superheroes. Every other page was filled with stuff like Giant-Man towering over everybody. Sure, the perspective was human, but the story was epic. And I didn't really think it that dark and depressing. Re-read it a week or so back.

No no. HOPEFULLY is what you meant. Because stranger things have happened.

 

[J.R.]

Very good. I really don't think it's the best graphic ever written. Kingdom Come takes the cake for me.

 

[Steelsheen]

it comes down to preference i guess. Kingdom Come was the best graphic novel for me before getting my hands on The Watchmen. now i think Watchmen is better than KC, but not by a lot. KC gets a big boost because of the photo-quality artwork. that why in the other thread i said that that if Alex Ross does Watchmen that version will leave KC in the dust.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Watchmen, by not doubt, is EASILY one of the best written stories. But I wouldn't know if it's THE best.

 

[rigel7soldiers]

One thing I thought was interesting, reading it again just a few weeks ago, is that the Keane act forced heroes to either register with the government or retire. I don't suppose that sounds familiar to anybody, does it?

 

[Punch]

Best superhero graphic novel maybe, but my number one graphic novel is still From Hell

 

[StorminNorman]

One of the best novels I have ever read.

 

[spider-neil]

the best graphic novel I ever read (but not the best comic book i.e. single issue) it is so complex you read it over and over and get something new.
I think the shipwretched sub story is a waste of time however.

also alex ross wouldn't have been good for watchmen as his style is far too 'staged' there is no fluency and his poses look stiff.
gibbons style is perfect for watchmen.

also I think you'll see a watchmen movie in the theatres within the next three years especially with the success of '300' and to a lessor extent spider-man 3 (it looked that comic book movies had run out of puff after the poor showing of SR but this patently isn't the case).

watchmen = best ever (although miracleman runs it close)

 

[Ikaris-Eternal]

there is so much visual foreshadowing and allusion in gibbons' artwork that might be lost in ross's photorealistic style (ie the repeated appearances of the "splatter", the "burned couple in silhouette)

watchmen is certainly the most dense and intense sequential art story i've read, with many close seconds. moore utilizes comic style for elements that could not be accomplished even in traditional prose. his notes for each frame are copious - extremely detailed. He elevated the entire genre. every time i read it i pick up new nuiances. and having "watchmen annotated" by your side (look it up online) doesn't hurt.

the actual plot, while ingenious (sp?), is not my favorite part of his story. the richness and "reality" of the world he creates, the depth of each individual character, and the meticulous attention to detail in each frame sell the whole book to me.

 

[Max Shrek]

the best graphic novel I ever read (but not the best comic book i.e. single issue) it is so complex you read it over and over and get something new.
I think the shipwretched sub story is a waste of time however.

How? The story is a parallel to almost EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER in the book.

 

[Ikaris-Eternal]

the pirate comic (play within a play a la macbeth) is a great example of why Watchmen is just a step above

the need for sharp literary criticism of the work and its various elements are what truly set the work apart from most everything. It is one of the only graphic novels i would have chosen to critique for a college essay (i was an english major). i can understand why a casual reader may find it too "dense" or "boring" - much of the "meat" of the work bubbles under the surface, needing a sharp mind/eye to uncover.

please bear in mind i'm not trying to be condescending to those of you who didn't enjoy it as much. not everyone wants to dig that deep into a work. A novelist like Thomas Pynchon won't appeal to everyone, and that's okay.

Coincidentally, i think Moore deserves to be added to the literary pantheon which includes modern masters like Pynchon