So, how to preface this... Well first off, I know almost nothing about this series. There are characters named Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian, Nite Owl and Ozzy...Ozzysomething? I know zero about what they do, their personalities, anything like that.
Also there are aliens.

And that is the full extent of my Watchmen knowledge. It's one reason I'm so intrigued to read the series. It's very famous but I know so little of it. Which is all for the good since this seems like a series that requires your authentic reaction to developments and revelations.

I have avoided reading Watchmen for a long time, in spite of being a comics fan for about ten years. It was just....TOO famous. TOO beloved. How could it ever live up to the hype?

What got me to finally give it a chance was this post from another forum:
Watchmen is basically a big long argument on utilitarian ethics, normative ethics or pragmatism, and moral absolutism. What's interesting is that despite Veidt's adherence to a antiquarian viewpoint he doesn't actually follow Nichomachean ethics. It questions the ethics of the actions of the people who would be "superheroes".

Watchmen asks one question : "Was Veidt Right? "

Basically, people who read the book generally come on one side of the equation of saying

" Well yea, Veidt did what was necessary for the benefit of the many a few must suffer" which Jon agrees with (this is utilitarianism)

" Veidt was a monster who killed millions of people, but he did save lives and while I don't agree with his actions I would not want him punished because that could result in the deaths of more people " Which Dan views as the solution (this is normative ethics and pragmatism)

" Veidt is a monster what he did was wrong and he must be brought to justice" which is Rorschach's view. (moral absolutism)


The whole book in a way can be seen as a ethics test for the reader and who you agree with says a lot about you as a person.
I love fiction that helps me be introspective and understands myself a little bit more. Something as open-ended as Watchmen also leaves ample room for discussion, which is another thing I love about fiction. I love sharing ideas, impressions and views on the same series with other people. You really do grow as a fan by doing this.

Oh and I have to mention, I got this and am reading it on Comixology. I smurfing LOVE their reader. The only other online reader I've used is Viz's and it's okay but this "Guided View" on CX is fantastic. It zooms in on relevant panels and speech bubbles and you just have to press Right Arrow and it goes to the next relevant panel and text and so-on. It works out really well for my eyesight.


WATCHMEN #1

While I've never been active in Watchmen discussions for obvious reasons, I ahve heard people say Rorschach has an undeserved fandom of people who "don't get" the comic. First impressions are a bitch but having read his first few speech bubbles, it's hard to imagine a lot of people siding with them. troutting on politicians? Sure, everyone loves that. Attacking liberals and sex? Seems like something people reading a comic would take offense to.
In any event, it's certainly a very...unique introduction to a protagonist. Vaguely reminiscent of Light Yagami. He starts DN talking about how the world is "rotten" and there are certain people making it rot who deserve to die.

"Keene Act of 1977" allows only "government sponsored weirdos" to be active. Keep a note of that for later.

The art really is superlative, though. I tend to like more modern comics art styles but this is really pretty and sets the atmosphere nicely.

Ya know, maybe it's the weird mask and the kind of noir detective outfit but Rorschach makes me think of The Question. In my head when I read his dialogue, I hear JLU Question's voice but a bit rougher, growlier. Plus, Nite Owl did say she's paranoid, although the paranoid people tend to be right in these series.

Rorschach: "Meeting with Veidt left bad taste in mouth. He's pampered and decadent, betraying even his own shallow, liberal affectations. Possible homosexual?"

...people like this guy?

Man, I need to stop commenting so fast. Forget the homophobia, I just got the "rape = "moral lapses" scene. Oh boy. I have to say, I've neve rseen a series where its first installment did its best to make you hate the main character. Not even Light went bad this fast. It's like Moore has gone to every conceivable length to make him unappealing, all the way down to making him smell bad.

Rorschach has mentioned this impending war and death a couple times now .Dunno if it's literal or not because the guy is a nutcase and no one selse seems worried about Armageddon being around the corner.

And with the loving anecdote of how Rorschach dumped some masochistic loser down an elevator shaft, Watchmen #1 comes to a close. That is actually pretty funny. It be funnier if the rest of the issue didn't make it also tragically smurfed up.

Overall, interesting enough. I can't see where this is going apart from this "Mask Killer" being a threat for some reason. I don't see this ties into the ethics debate as of yet but, well, there's a lot of comic to go.



WATCHMEN #2

Also I should mention the impression I got from my vague readings of various Watchmen conversations over the years is that Dr. Manhattan was basically god, or the dictator of the world. First chapter doesn't seem to support that impression.

I have a feeling this nice old lady will be the next hit. Maybe this Mask Killer is starting with the "old guard" first and working his way up. So these three Minutemen are the first to go.

I dig the flashback to the Minutemen in their prime. I can't figure out if Sally is disguising her Polish ancestry because of shame or for security. And I really should have seen where the flashback was going. I now dig it much less.

So I guess this is the flashback chapter. That's neat. Thank you Dr. Manhattan for winning Vietnam for us.
...wait, is that a good thing?

Comedian's "Moral Lapses" count at two, possibly three. Rape, probably another and then murder of a pregnant woman. I'm unsure of what to make of Dr. Manhattan, though. As the the only one who looks inhuman, I also read his dialogue in a sort of inhuman way, too. Like his condemnation of what Blake did to that poor woman I read it as a sort of mildly reproachful and almost thoughtful tone. It was not the flat horror or outrage anyone else would experience, maybe like he was going through the motions of being disapproving. But if he was a true psycho like Blake, he wouldn't even go through the motions. I feel like he's...uncertain or confused more than anything.

What's happened to the American dream?
It came true. You're looking at it.

Hey, Comedian said something smart.

I'm interested in hearing about this kidnapping that apparently drove Rorschach crazy, though.

Some sort of weird smurfed up island that scared even The Comedian. Interesting. I wonder what could be happening there.

Rorschach hearing the old man - Moloch - out and not killing him makes me respect our protagonist more. He's not as evil or crazy as I thought. I figured him for a "you littered? Death" or "reformed? You never reform so die" type.

It was indeed a pretty good joke and a fine way to end the chapter.

Overall, much better chapter than the first one. The flashbacks firmly establish what a monster Blake was and then we see him reduced to a gibbering mess by something so horrible he can't even fathom it. Really invests you in the mystery of this "island." Rorschach also became far rmore bearable.


WATCHMEN #3

So far Doc Manhattan and Laurie are my favorite characters. Doc is so...alien and bizarre but it feels like he's trying, bless him. And Laurie is of course struggling with living with someone so alien, not to mention her complicated relationship with her mother. Basically the most human character and the most inhuman character at this point. I think they make a great and fascinating pair. It was probably intentional.

"I just don't nuh-know anybody else! I don't know anybody except goddammed suh-super-heroes!"

Line seems hilarious but maybe also poignant. Knowing superheroes would be a good thing in other comics, after all.

Doc Manhattan himself is actually an alien? The one news person said he's from "outta space." Maybe they're full of it. Earlier on somebody said he's an H-Bomb.

Well I could see where this was going a mile away with the whole Jon gives them cancer thing. I'm mostly just interested in if he's aware of it. And from his facial expression, apparently not. It's the first bit of emotion I've seen from our hero.

So if you don't know me and how I tend to do these things, I say a lot less if I'm engrossed. I don't want to waste time typing and break off from reading when I'm so thoroughly captivated. Chapter III was the best chapter BY FAR at this point. I told you, Manhattan was my favorite character but there was also the neat Black Freighter stuff and that ending which was absolutely perfect.

Now, how the hell does any of this play into Rorschach's theory of a Mask Killer or the stuff about an island? I have no friggin' clue. Maybe Rorschach is just plain wrong. I don't see any place for a superhero killer in this story, or even a need for one. The island stuff I'm sure will be explained and is real, though.

But yeah, the world rests on the brink of destruction. That's one thing Rorschach was right about.

Finally, let me say again that this Guided View thing is amazing. It adds a whole new dimension to the comic storytelling. We're told it all rests in the hands of a higher power, we see Doc Manhattan on Mars and then the final "shot" as presented by Comixology's Reader is


Man...atmosphere. It's all about immersion and sucking you in and Chapter 3 did that in a way the previous two chaptrs didn't.

And I think I will stop there for now. I don't want to rush this. It's only 12 chapters I think. I could read that in one sitting but man, that would be....it would ruin everything I think.


P.S.
I bought the Ultimate Cut Collector's Edition blu-ray too. It's being shipped to me presently, though. It comes with the physical graphic novel which is neat as I'll actually own a piece of history. Plus I do want to see the film and compare it and stuff. Also the box for the CE looked snazzy.