Watchmen

After yesterday’s lecture I had a few new thoughts on the comic in general.

Looking at Dr. Manhattan, aka John, the comparisons between him and Superman are very visible. I liked how the lecturer said that Superman is your friendly neighbor. He will always help you, because that’s what he does. Dr. Manhattan on the other hand seems indifferent to what happens to humanity. And unlike Superman, Dr. Manhattan seems more alien in comparison to the other characters of the novel.

The lecturer also mentioned that because the book is a comic, one would think it would be easier to read than the other novels (for example Nietzsche). That is not the case. My senses were assaulted by the numerous colors of the comic. It is true that a comic is a different media and when your reading it you get sucked up trying to keep the images and information given to you in order. So much is happening on every page that reading the comic in one sitting seems unimaginable.

The repetition of images and phrases are scattered all over the novel. Once you notice one you begin looking for them everywhere.

Superheroes like the Comedian were fascinating to me. Can you even call a man like that a hero?

Rorschach honestly disturbed me. Just by being in the comic his character felt threatening, even more so than the Comedian. Maybe it was his mask or maybe it was how he just broke into people homes to have chats.

1 thought on “Watchmen

  1. I agree with many of your points here: Rorschach really disturbs me, the colours of the comic make it much more assaulting on your senses, the repetition of phrases and images really stands out once you start looking for it, and more.

    I’m trying to figure out whether the book is asking us as readers to somehow think well of Rorschach or not. In some ways it seems yes; maybe just having him as a kind of main protagonist helps, but also, at the end, he is the only one of them to refuses to go along with just keeping quiet about what Veidt did. He insists that the truth must be told, even if it is not what will lead to peace. I am not sure if the idea here is that we are supposed to think this was a good thing, or whether we are supposed to think the others were right to keep their mouths shut. Rorschach dies for not being willing to do so, which makes him into a martyr figure…thus also suggesting to me that maybe we are to read him sympathetically. I’m just not sure about that, though.

    I really don’t like Rorschach, and I’m wondering how much of that is that he reads and only trusts the New Frontiersman, which publicizes racist things, among other problems. That alone is enough to make me dislike Rorschach. Then there’s also his habit of breaking into people’s homes, as you point out.

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