The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood, and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown.
The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, "Save us!"...
...and I'll look down and whisper, "No."
For the unfamiliar, those are the opening lines of Alan Moore's landmark story Watchmen as documented in the journal of Rorschach, my favorite character in the book. I've had a copy of Watchmen sitting around for a while now, and decided it was time to finally dive into it two nights ago. After finishing it's quite easy to see why so many people hold it in such high regard; never before have I read something in the medium with such complexity and insight. I'd love to discuss certain points throughout the story, but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't had the chance to read it before.
Throughout my reading, my thoughts strayed to my Dad several times. He grew up a fan of comics, and helped feed my interest in them when I was younger. During a conversation we had a short time ago after I lent him my copy of Batman: Dark Knight Returns to read, he talked about how it was slightly disappointing to him in certain ways. He enjoyed the story, but he was bothered to some extent that it wasn't a tale likely to be easily stomached by a young kid. When he was growing up in the '60s comics were always aimed for a younger audience, free of the violence, language, and more adult themes often prevalent in the medium today. It was easy to see where he was coming from, but I grew up with comics that were sometimes darker in approach, so the oppressive atmosphere in Dark Knight Returns struck a different chord with him. As he pointed out, when he was growing up Batman wasn't quite the brooding, psychologically-troubled anti-hero he's often portrayed as today. I'm aware that that DKR was written over 20 years ago, but realize what era my Dad is coming from. And really, it's more of the change to a classic hero that my Dad wasn't fond of. As a huge fan of Sin City, violence, sex, and drugs in a graphic novel isn't anything new to him.
This all came to mind because I wondered what his reaction would be to Watchmen. It's a dark, often-depressing tale that lacks any character you can agree with entirely and count on to serve 'justice.' The mortality and wellness of the cast is a forefront issue, and they're constantly reminded of it throughout. Also, I couldn't help but feel that when they looked back on the past it was like looking back on the past of the comic industry. Times were more simple, with heroes fighting a more straightforward battle with their villans. Granted, it wasn't that straightforward, as the reader sees the darker side of things as well. To me it had, to an extent, the same feel as it does when I look back the origin of some of today's comic heroes, and I found it to be an interesting, if minor, parallel. My dad would enjoy reading such sections, and probably the entire book, but I know it would be a very different read than what he grew up with and loved.
To anyone with an interest in comics I recommend reading this, though I think the majority of fans have at this point. I love comics, but my spare time is often spent on other things, so there are plenty of classics I've never gotten around to. When I read something this spellbinding I have to stop and wonder why I don't pick up graphics novels more often.
