Posted by GTJDorris at nat-gateway-1.top.biltmorecommunications.net on December 11, 2003 at 00:34:51:
SPOILERS: I'm going to discuss details of the book, if you haven't read it, don't read on if you don't want anything revealed.
*******READ THIS MUCH AT LEAST*********
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL OF THIS, but have an opinion on WATCHMEN then here's the jist of this.... I guess I'd just like final thoughts on what made this "classic" to each of you. Why/what parts of the story did you specifically like? What did you get as an ultimate meaning and why does that "matter" so to speak? Etc. etc.
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A few folks shared thoughts about Alan Moore's story as I said I was part-way through reading it. Well, and I note that I'm not done with it yet I have most of the last issue to read, I must say I'm still not impressed. And I want to elaborate why though instead of just being one of those asses that says "everyone's wrong, it blows" just to be contrarian.
It seems really "forced" to me. The Gordian Knot Lock Co. and Gunga Diner and the Utopia theater showing DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL seemed very very obviously placed to me. Somebody mentioned about Moore crafting something much bigger than you realized by the end of the story, where as these things seemed to stick out to me. And the comic within the comic about the Black Freighter was pretty obvious it was going to mimic if not parallel the character's progression in the story. Oh, and "Pyramid" Deliveries which owns the extraspatial whatever across from the newspaper stand. And how Doc Manhattan/Jon said he was going to end up in the snow killing someone (which I haven't gotten to yet) really seemed very obvious to me he was going to end up in Antarctica at Adrian Veidt's retreat.
And if those were the kinds of details that you liked about the story and what made it "classic" to you, then that's obviously your opinion, but I couldn't disagree more. Those detract from the story for me. I was hoping for a much better examination of "who watches the watchmen" when that really wasn't the central theme to the story in my opinion. Because Veidt was a "watchmen" in the sense that he put on a costume at one point in his life, but his status as a "superhero" is not what led to his ability to concoct this plan of his. And the Comedian's relationship with Sally Jupiter detracted from the story to me as well. It either should have been explored much more, or essentially not at all. The medium-depth given on that aspect was aggrevating.
I don't know, I guess I just don't feel intrigued by any of the characters; granted they're obviously not ones that should feel like you could encounter on the street tomorrow. And the story is just very dull. Had there been an actual "mask killer" loonie on the loose (with the only intention of killing heroes) that could have interested me much more. I guess I'd just like final thoughts on what made this "classic" to each of you. Why/what parts of the story did you specifically like? What did you get as an ultimate meaning and why does that "matter" so to speak? Etc. etc. Just anything anyone has to say other than "it rules" or something as useless as that I'd be interested in hearing/reading.