The first thing I noticed when reading watchmen was how dark it was. The first scene is a shop owner hosing a pool of human blood off the sidewalk. As I continued reading I noticed how dark the comic is drawn. The colors and scenes are intentionally not vibrant like in Superman or Spider man.
The characters are often portrayed in low light and there is a film noir feel to the whole setting of the book. Deep brooding characters, constant smoking, wind and rain in a back alley, not the normal setting for a superhero comic. For example Superman is depicted in a gleaming metropolis. This feels like a darker version of Batman with the central character, Rorschach, seeming to be a Batman without a moral code.
The next thing I noticed was the attention to detail. All of the small references meticulously drawn into each frame. For example the graffiti that says "who watches the watchmen" or the legacy of the sugar cube Rorschach took from the house ate in the government building, then the wrapper being cleaned up by Miss Jupiter. The detail is incredible.
I'm interested to see where the story line goes. The heroes that have been showed to us thus far seem to be at odds with one another and I assume at one point they will unite. The eclectic personality that have been shown thus far will make for an interesting team. I look forward to reading this comic and watching the story progress.
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I agree with a lot of what you say in that the level of detail is truly amazing. When Mr. Farrenkopf pointed out the sugar cube example I was truly amazed as to all the detail that has been put into this comic. Not only is the story awesome, through the artwork, the setting is also awesome. Everything falls into place perfectly in this novel to give off a very grim and dark feel. My favorite part of the novel so far is the reoccuring images such as the smiley face button and some of the characters that reappear due to most of the story taking place on the same block
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I enjoyed about the discussions in class was the findings of the story within the story. We see the alternate reality that the writers are trying to create through the images created. We see the acknowledgment of the Cold War issues. One thing that I thought was interesting was the drawing of the swastika. I was definitely taken back by this and I am sure this was very controversial during the time of publication.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I definitely agree with is the attention to detail that is hidden within each frame of the comic. When it was pointed out to look for the doomsday clock imagery, I noticed that every clock in the comic was set so that both hands were nearly at 12. I really hope that these hidden images in the background of the frames become a reoccurring theme.
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