A review of Alan Moore's "Watchmen"

 The book I'm reviewing today is Alan Moore's seminal 1986 comic book miniseries Watchmen. This book, about a conspiracy to assassinate superheroes is full of dark twists and turns, and gives a convincing portrait of what a meta-human filled world would really be like. Although some parts of it are corny (Ozymandias' plan was to SPOILER ALERT destroy New York City with  an alien squid?), the references to the Afghan-Soviet War are dated, the plot got a little confusing near the end (wait, so what really happened with The Comedian and Silk Specter I?), and the characters are all annoying, self absorbed idiots, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, because of the deep questions it raises about power, gender, war, and the human psyche, but don't let that scare you away: Watchmen is at turns dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking, and action packed, and is a solid mystery story on top of that. If you're a fan of American comic books, you'll think deeper about the ramifications of the actions of your favorite heroes, but if you're new to comic books, Watchmen will provide a jumping in point.

Grade: A