Analysis Of Alan Moore's Watchmen Graphic Novels

Superheroes can be defined in many ways by many experts. Clare Pitkethly’s academic background consists of comparative literature, culture and communication as she also speaks and writes comic books and superhero, defines a superhero to be different. In Pitkethly’s article “Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference,” talks about

More than 70 years ago, the very first superheroes debuted in the dire times of the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. Their names became legend Superman and Batman or as he was then known, the Bat-Man), Wonder Woman, Captain America and they 're still with us today. A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles celebrates these icons from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Through a collection of rare original artwork and comics, the exhibit explores how a group of mostly Jewish artists created the costumed heroes who came to symbolize the hopes of a beleaguered nation."ln the 1930s, the American Dream had become a nightmare, and I think comic books and superheroes in particular provided an escapist form of entertainment that allowed the American public to go into a fantasy world where all the ills of the world were righted by these larger­ than-life heroes," says Erin Clancy, a curator at the Skirball. Guest curator Jerry Robinson not only organized the exhibit, he 's a part of it. The comic book pioneer created Batman 's arch-enemy, The Joker, and named the caped crusader 's sidekick Robin.

Is this modern concept much different than other stories we have grown up watching from an early age? I believe there are many similarities in stories of superheroes and comic many of us grew up reading and watching on Saturday mornings. Batman, a well-known super hero, fought crime in Gotham and was the “Dark Knight” that restored peace in his community. While Batman did not kill the criminals he was chasing after he did bring them to justice!

stories during World War II. This gave an impression that all superheros were patriotic, perfect people and never had a problem. Moving ahead in time to 1985, this started the Modern Age of comics and during that time the comic book genre took a dramatic turn. We had just come from the Silver Age, which was wacky and crazy now to the Modern Age that changes back to its roots of psychotic Joker and dark origin stories. This is shown in Batman Begins, when Bruce is about to kill the man who murdered his parents his friend Rachel Dawes found him with a gun about to execute his plan Rachel says “ It's not who we are but what we do that defines us” (Nolan,Batman Begins).

Watchmen is a revolutionary piece of literature. It is technically a comic book, some prefer to call it a graphic novel. There is a negative connotation that goes along with that. Graphic novels are frequently presumed too childish and fantastic to actually teach any insightful lessons or even make you ponder them at all. Watchmen is a graphic novel that transcends this undue criticism of comic books. It is, “One of the first instances ... of [a] new kind of comic book ... a first phase of development, the transition of the superhero from fantasy to literature." (Klock, pgs. 25-26)

Instructional Activity: This book would be as part of a book group in a third or fourth grade classroom. While reading the book the group would have questions to help them follow along and prepare them for the final activity. The questions will mainly focus on the characteristics and actions of the different characters. For the final activity the student will create their own superhero and write a story using their new character. The story will involve

Subsequently, while most superhero plots involve an element of fantasy, the characters in Moore’s graphic novel are, for the most part, embedded into pessimistic version of reality with only lifelike traits. Obviously, the one glaring exception in Watchmen is Doctor Manhattan, who is transformed into a being capable of a number of otherworldly abilities. However, the other five heroes in the story are regular humans who take the initiative to aid in the protection of society. This is unlike most superheroes in previous comics, who are often blessed with a divine power that allows them to conquer all evil. Additionally, referring to the society in which Moore’s heroes are immersed in, it is situated in a location known to its readers, with a certain twist. While Superman has his Metropolis and Batman has his Gotham City, the six costumed adventurers are based in New York City, or more accurately, a filthy parody of it. The universe in which Moore sets his story is the closest to reality, with a hyperbolic emphasis on the evil in society, in which superheroes have been set it. Hence, the problems presented to the superheroes are not something to be combatted with fantastical talents, but more nuanced with realistic obstacles without a clear solution. In Watchmen, the imminent threat of nuclear war is a state of affairs that would have been realistic for readers, particularly during the time period of the graphic novel’s release in 1987. This, coupled with the urban violence

He is not an action hero per se, but he sure lives the life of one. Stone Barrington is an ex-police officer turned lawyer who experiences almost more action than James Bond himself. The story is very clearly laid out with interesting parts to keep you intrigued throughout the book. The story starts off with him talking to one of his friends after a crazy night. Basically, he got jumped by two ex-police officers; but we’ll talk about that later. The story itself will take you through an exhilarating rollercoaster of emotions because there is always something new to expect. The

\ The acclaimed graphic novel author Alan Moore is well known for his extremely detailed, almost book like graphic novels. His most popular works are the Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Moore has won many awards for his writing such as the Eisner award, and his most distinguished award, the Hugo Award in 1988. His book, The Watchmen was at one time listed in the top one hundred of books ever written.

The artistic representation of the Batman myth is an important cultural artifact of our time because it represents modern society's thirst for heroic ideals in popular entertainment. Since his creation, readers and viewers have admired Batman's unique ability to battle villainy, transcend the law and administer justice. As cultivators of the noir genre in film as well as in literature, Americans have always identified with this enigmatic hero, who exists on the margins of society and yet represents one of the largest corporations in the world. The evolution of Batman in particular and the superhero genre in general (from comic book to television to film and back again) has seen in the latest adaptation from Christopher Nolan's Batman revamp a veritable tilting point for the character once known as the World's Greatest Detective. This paper will analyze why Batman is an important cultural artifact of our day, how he came into being, what he means for society, and how he will be treated in the future.

Watchmen had a very challenging past. He had been abused as a child and was not psychologically stable. Because of his troubled childhood, Skoble points out that “Watchmen forces us to rethink the superhero is by portraying several costumed crime-fighters as at least to some extent psychologically troubled” (34). Skoble then explains the story of Kitty Genovese being murdered, and that Watchmen was embarrassed that no one stepped up to help Genovese. Therefore, Watchmen may have started to play the superhero role because of the events that happened up to the present of his life.

During the day, Raven transforms from an aggressive personality into a shy and vulnerable one with zero knowledge of her abilities -- the perfect superhero cover. Rival street gangs learn of the biological weapon and plan to steal it for profit. They incite a large scale riot that decimates the streets of Brooklyn. Raven secretly follows Terry to a warehouse only to discover it’s an Odessa trap to lure her out. She is overwhelmed by tasers, cattle prods and Russian Gangsters who immobilize her for the arriving Darya. A mob-style interrogation begins. Through physical torture, Darya forces our hero to reveal the exact strain of poison used and then immediately leaves to save her

The number of movies adapted from comic books has, in recent years, become more and more popular, and more comic book films are being released now than in the past. In this essay I will explore the reasons why this pattern has emerged and potential reasons for 'the prevalence of comic book adaptations in post 9/11 cinema'.

When thugs take over a campus and home of a former masked crime fighter, it’s up to the superhero’s sidekick and reticent son to save everyone.

Set in cold war era New York, the world crafted by Moore in “Watchmen”1 is very much dystopian in nature. America is on the brink of nuclear annihilation, with the president seriously considering possible nuclear strike scenarios and the millions of Americans who would die instantly in Russian second strikes. The temperament on the street is one of despair, with citizens holding signs with gloomy messages such as “The End Is Neigh.” And with the