One of Time Magazines top 100 Novels of all time and continuously in print since the original 12 issue Maxi-series appeared in 1988 this tale of flawed heroes and the human condition was penned by Alan Moore with art from Dave Gibbons.
Appearing towards the end of the Cold War (if indeed that ended or simply entered another phase is a question for future historians) this tale saw mankind facing Armageddon as the two superpowers prepared for nuclear war. The countdown to Midnight was a common feature of politics back then and appeared on the cover of each issue ticking down to the ending.
The Watchmen consisted of a group of costumed adventurers plus the worlds only real super-powered individual Doctor Manhattan whose abilities seemed limitless. If you have not yet read the book please do so especially if thinking of watching this TV series because this is the sequel.
You could watch the movie but for some reason I will never understand the producers changed part of the ending so the graphic novel will explain the background you need to appreciate a lot of the references made in the show.
Starting with Tulsa race riots and the tragedy of racism existing in much of white America we get to meet one of the main characters whose influence on events will be clear as the story progresses. We then meet Sister Night, a costumed police officer in Tulsa in the present day who is the central character. Feisty, committed yet in herself a normal flawed human being the story takes across time and space as we meet the others in this quite excellent continuation of the Watchmen.
Jeremy Irons plays a wonderfully deranged individual whose identity and staus eventually becomes clear as the story progresses. I have no wish to make any spoilers as this nine episode "limited series" from DC/HBO progresses.
Disturbing and not for the faint-hearted this tale of love, heroism and race in an alternative history of the USA is a joy to watch and although Dave Gibbons participated in the show's production. Alan Moore as usual sadly didn't. His right of course. He has never forgiven DC Comics for the deal they made about ownership of the Watchmen.
The rights were supposed to revert to him after the comic went out of print but it never has, becoming one of DC's top selling books constantly in print in various formats around the world since the late eighties with no end in sight. Good for the genre though not for the creator.
For those interested the idea originally pitched by Alan Moore was to use the Charlton Action Heroes which DC had purchased the rights to but the company had other ideas for their use so the watchmen became pastiches of the Charlton characters and probably all the better for it.
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