Colin Ellis
Dr. Angel
ENGL 2322.P01
21 March 2016
Watchmen
Watchmen, by DC Comics, should be considered a literary work for its great use of realism and deconstruction, storytelling and subplots, and the focus on personal character development and their moral codes. Watchmen utilizes these aspects in a way that makes the reader change the way they think about their popular culture and what is valuable to them. These aspects help solidify the idea that Watchmen is the first in a new breed of comics, one in which they make the transition from fantasy to literature. It is a work that is recognized by many as a revolutionary comic series, and is even lauded as one of the best novels and most significant works of the 20th century. It has solidified its place as a cultural classic in America and it would be injudicious to not see Watchmen as a literary work.
In order to see Watchmen as a literary work, one must understand what that is. A classic is a literary work our culture studies due to its ability to maintain being conventional, or popular, and relevant despite times changing. When people think of an American classic, people think of stories like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. In these novels, the authors utilize certain aspects of language, such as intense character development, subplots, and realism, and ties them together to create great, detailed storylines. This use of language and
Watchers, by Dean Koontz, describes the themes of the powerful effects of love and the dangers of technology. Watchers starts off with three different subplots but ends with one cohesive story. Travis Cornell believed his life was in a constant downhill spiral until he meets a dog who he later names einstein. Vincent Nasco is an mentally-ill cereal killer who will do anything for money and fame. Nora Devon is a quiet person who believes she is not anything special, until she lets her guard down and meets the love of her life. Throughout the story, Nora and Travis meet and fall in love and discover what Einstein truly is. When a creature from a secret experiment escapes, the Outsider, Travis, Nora and Einstein are faced with a series of difficult
When read with a critical eye, the world of superhero comics often offers a lens with which we can examine society, our values, the meaning of justice, and the role of the individual in regards to the greater community. If all of this information is garnered from critical reading, then the way in which the medium of comics constructs these meanings will reflect an embrace or a rejection of the common symbols and ideology of it’s source culture. In the case of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s 1987 graphic novel, Watchmen, the second approach is used, as Moore’s writing draws upon the common cultural understanding of superheroes and exaggerates or tweaks them, exposing their underlying ideals. In this way, Watchmen functions not only as a
The representation of diverse people and experiences in comics is important to expand the thoughts and minds of readers. Yang and Wilson, the minds behind American Born Chinese and Ms. Marvel, use the medium of comic books and graphic novels to help bring a new sense of belonging and acceptance to marginalized people. They do this by applying a “millennial mindset” to their respective stories. What this means is that the characters they have created, whether they are based off real people or are fiction, address the problems of race, religion, or sexuality that we are facing today. These characters also act to threaten the current atmosphere of the comic book industry. Typical comic book characters and superheroes, before now, were mostly white and from a typical American background. Heroes that were women were generally over-sexualized and unrealistic. These two authors hope to challenge the current status quo of the comic book industry by creating characters whose background is much different than previous superheroes.
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)
Think of a world with superheroes like DC or Marvel. But it's corrupted and only one person has actual superpowers, and is praised as a god. Then on top of that it is the 1980’s America won Vietnam, Nixon is in office for a 3rd term and instead of a cold war, a nuclear war is about to occur any day now between the U.S and Russia. That is the world of The Watchmen, in the story ‘’Watchmen’’ by Alan Moore.
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
The three operational styles of policing as identified by James Q. Wilson include the Legalistic style, Watchman style, and the Service style. The legalistic style include the emphasis is on violation of the law and the use of threats or actual arrests to solve disputes in the community, in theory, the more arrests are made, the safer the community will be, this style if found in large metropolitan areas. The Watchman style is the emphasis on informal means of resolving disputes and problems in a community, keeping the peace is the paramount concern, and arrest is used only as a last resort to resolve any kind of disturbance of the peace, this style is most commonly found in economically poorer communities. The Service style is the emphasis
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.
Allen Moore’s sordid depiction of twentieth century life presents a complex world, where the distinction between a virtuous hero and a villainous wrongdoer is often blurred. In stark contrast to the traditionally popularized portrayal of superheroes, whose unquestionably altruistic motives ultimately produce unrealistically idealized results; the realistically flawed characters of Watchmen exist in a multi faceted world characterized by moral ambiguity. America’s imperialistic ambitions have long been justified as an expression of American idealism. Much like the portrayal of superheroes in popular culture, America’s intervention in foreign affairs was portrayed as the result of a clearly defined problem, where American intervention was
This phase started in the early 1980s and continues till today. The concept of the superhero changes radically in this age. The Superhero is still the savior of mankind but his idea of saving a particular community and process of doing it is sharply in contrast with his earlier methods. This shift in the portrayal of the Superhero is best described by Alan Moore in his graphic novel Watchmen.
In this dissertation I will discuss how DC Comics have developed and improved the design of their comic books since their establishment in 1937. I will compare comics from past and present and talk about the different styles of comic books that have been released from the company. I will also talk about how the artwork from the comic books have influenced character and costume design in recent DC Comic films. I will do this by studying the history of the company and researching the designers behind the comic books. I will thoroughly research in detail the characters and the designs of their costume and equipment and compare them to the different films that have been released over the years. The main character I will look into is Batman. I will study the origins of the character, the man behind the character, the reason behind Batman’s creation, how he has changed over the years, the development of other characters in the series, the famous villains that Batman has had to face, the different costumes he has had over the years and I will also be researching and studying how Batman has become a national icon in American society, and the effects the character has had on people living in the country. Batman
“I heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world. Doctor says: "Treatment is simple. The great clown - Pagliacci - is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. "But doctor..." he says "I am Pagliacci." Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains” (Moore. 64).
The busy lifestyle, the children’s needs, all those requirements play a role in time constraints. Comic books offer a solution to the everyday, active person (Bendis 1). The reader is usually short on time so he or she must be intrigued immediately for the comic to gain full attention. As soon as the reader commits himself or herself, the situation changes. He or she is thrown into an unknown situation that demands total attention (1). The plot is pulled together and the hero is cast in circumstances that demand a resolve. A confrontation follows and against seemingly impossible odds, the hero finds an answer within an unlikely source that the reader would believe they could also find if put in the same situation. Once the comic book is finished being read, the readers recognize that very little time has gone by and they can continue on with their normal lives.
The aim of State is to facilitate social agreement on moral and practical principles that should guide State rule, such that an entire society of individuals can coexist peacefully under a single flag. Were a state able to achieve such complete social agreement, it would represent a utopia: One in which each man holds the same values and ideologies of those of his neighbor, resulting in a truly peaceful, conflict free, and perfect society. In this paper, I posit that Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” critiques the possibility of such a utopia existing, arguing that while all states seek to achieve complete social agreement, inevitable irreconcilable conflicting ideologies amongst a state’s citizens make utopia an impossible goal, and eventually precipitate the downfall of State. While I concur with the “Watchmen”’s1 assessment, I argue that democracies specifically acknowledge the futility of achieving complete social agreement, but nonetheless allow for conflicting ideologies to compete within the model of state, without need for rebellion.
I commend the authors who stick their neck out on the line to express themselves in a creative way. A way in which attracts and pulls the reader in, possess them to enjoy the book. A book that’s not only a comic and is a good read, but as a deep meaning to it. The comic books talks about controversial topics that nobody else dears to talk about or express their own opinion on. The most common superhero that stars in many comic books, Wonder Woman has a secret; and a deeper mean than what is perceived. She’s the iconic image of women’s suffrage and rights. “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of women who, I believe, should rule the world” (Lepore pg 2) Wonder Woman conveys the strength, courage and bravery women had to