Customer Reviews

Watching the Watchmen: The Definitive Companion to the Ultimate Graphic Novel

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't feel the need to praise Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbon's "WATCHMEN" anymore than it has been praised already, and I do feel that a supplemental book to look back on the original material was a great idea, but for the most part "WATCHING THE WATCHMEN" just catalogues some of the original sketches and storyboard layouts. Without question, the quality of the printing is up to snuff, and the design of the book is flawless...the problem is there just isn't much content. The book would do better if there was more writing and reflection on the part of Gibbons (and Moore, of course), because most readers are probably more curious as to the ideas and sensibility that helped shape the original "WATCHMEN." There is not much in that department - of course one can just as easily look all of that up on Wikipedia at this point.

But overall I have no regrets in buying this book. It is a nice collector's item for those who have an affinity for the original "WATCHMEN" - just don't expect it to be much more than that.

I didn't want to like this book. Watchman is a literary classic and, as such, its interpretation is best left to the reader. How could any examination do justice to the graphic-novel equivalent of Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel? Sure, one of the creative geniuses behind Watchmen, Dave Gibbons, is involved with Watching the Watchmen, but sometimes examinations of works of art by the actual sources from which they've sprung can tarnish one's feelings about said art. Case in point: George Lucas's claim that in Star Wars: A New Hope it was always his intention that Han Solo not shoot Greedo without provocation, that Han Solo was always meant to shoot in defense of Greedo trying to kill Han first. I am not alone in disagreeing, and Lucas's assertions to the contrary will always be a burr in my side. I would that he rather kept this explanation to himself. Would da Vinci's Mona Lisa, be quite as seminal in the annals of art had he scripted a Watching Mona, divulging the facts behind his work, and forever depriving the world of one of, if not the, greatest mysteries of the art world? I think not.

So it was with great trepidation that I opened Watching the Watchmen . . .

I was first struck by the design by Chip Kidd, the Frank Lloyd Wright of book design. One need not be a fan of graphic novels to be drawn into the artistry of the page layouts; intricate juxtapositions, adversely placed against single-images, powerful in their simplicity; full-page sketches and panel-by-panel breakdown, in which Chip allows Gibbons's genius to speak for itself.

And speak for itself it does, gone are the overwrought explanations by industry professionals or learned academics that often leave one scratching their heads in bewilderment or wrinkling their brow in disappointment, as if to say, "That's not how I see it at all!" Watching the Watchmen is page-upon-page of visual treats, a voyeuristic peek into the secret vaults of a masterpiece. It rewards its fans without the insult of telling them what they should have thought when they read the series. In actuality, it enflames further one's appreciation of the complexities, the integrate layering of themes and story that have made this series one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time.

Never before had I seen that much thought and effort go into a project. It was January 1985 and I was representing DC Comics to the British talent. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and I spent a delightful afternoon reviewing the project and Dave showed me sketches for the characters, the covers and even a marketing campaign that was as sophisticated as it was smart. It's a terrific that so much of this material was saved and is finally seeing the light of day, so Dave's wonderful efforts can be celebrated. The book is a visual treat and a terrific companion to the graphic novel.

HARD TO READ. My eyes were bleeding by the end of it. Purple and green type on black backgrounds does not a pleasurable reading experience make. I was surprised at how badly the content other than the phenomenal artwork was presented...THAT is my ONLY grip and what keeps it from being a five star book. If it were not for the content in fact it would be a 2.3 star book, but Sigh...Yes it does have that content, which is AMAZING. The fact that Dave Gibbons has saved some of these amazing artifacts of what now is a cultural touchstone and will be even MORE so when the movie come out, its pretty special.

Some highlights.

1. The sketches, which show HOW Dave and Alan came about creating the characters.

2. Actual inkblots used to inspire Rorshach

3. Copies of the actual typewritten on onion-skin manuscript from Alan Moore.

This book is like I said AMAZING, But it doesn't tell the whole story, just part of it, maybe because some was told in the Absolute Watchmen edition published a few years back. This is a companion book that is a must have for either of those editions. If you have Absolute Watchmen, get this book. If you have this book only, go out and get Absolute Watchmen.

I know I will find myself looking at this book as I do the other editions of the Watchmen I have.

Watchmen is and will be the Citizen Kane of comic books.

This is a product first and foremost for those who would like to learn how Watchmen was created. You get a pretty good insight in how the collaborative process of making Watchmen proceded. Those who wants new insights in the story itself will not get what they hope for. Then you are better off with some of the annotations you can find on the internet. It also contains some chapters about how Watchmen was recieved by readers and the impact on comics at the time.

If you have already read the absolute edition you will find overlaps in the material in this book.

Having said that, I still enjoyed the book. Gibbons presents his overview sketches of the series and for those who has wondered about his part in the creation of the story (not the art), you get your answers here.

I mostly enjoyed the chapters that went outside the story of Watchmen itself - the parts that are the most original for the book.

This item is really great but before I get into this review I am going to describe what this item actually is. It is a very unique thing, as is Watchmen, that is part graphic novel part written documentary and has a very reality based thought process that shows exactly what Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were thinking while developing the story. It also tells how they met, what they were doing before Watchmen, and plenty about what Watchmen means to them. Great book, great story, amazing transformation drawings of pretty much every character, including a full body spandex blot suit that Rorschach started out in. Just to mention, this book is a high quality hardcover with a dust sleeve so it will really last a long time and looks more sophisticated then a bunch of comics sprawled all over the place. This really is THE definitive companion to the graphic novel and is highly recommended by me on just the artwork alone. Hope this helps.

First of all, Dave Gibbons is a pack rat after my own heart. That he kept all of these sketches, etc. is a gift to all Watchmen fans.

And now it's in a book that the rest of us who loved the original classic can see what Dave was thinking and how he put the book together.

This book adds one more level to what is already a masterpiece. Now I want to go through the books side by side to compare things. Which will inevitably lead me to reading Watchmen again.

If you love The Watchmen. Get this book, you'll love it more.

Like the other reviewers stated, this is alot of artwork from Gibbons, and some manuscripts.. some which are hard to read, and some which isn't.. but, all in all, this is a great companion piece (especially if you have the Absolute version, or the upcoming (cheaper) hardcover.

The item details, above, say "Not final artwork", but this is the final version of the direct to market version. Potential buyers of this should be aware that local comic shops carry a Retailer Exclusive/Diamond Previews variant, with integral character Comedian on the cover instead of Doc Manhattan, and this version (for 10.00 more than the retail's cover price) includes a sketched-on-paper style print of a character (I don't know if this character is random or what not, but mine was Comedian) signed by Dave Gibbons. I'm not sure if it's a printing process or if the signature are real, but the image and signature look pretty convincing to me. Also, the Previews version includes 8 framing-quality art prints of various characters and costume designs.

If you are interested in Dave's great art, more Watchmen, or learning some of the background story, shoot for this version.. but if you're a diehard, visit your local comic dealer. ;)

As an artist myself, I find getting into the head of other creators to be one of the best ways to find my OWN inspiration. Dave Gibbons has always been one of my favourite creative fellows, and this collection of excerpts, sketches, notes and drawings are as close as we'll ever come to seeing just how the mind of someone with THIS MUCH creative drive works. A must for anyone with a desire to create, and also for anyone who enjoyed the original graphic novel. It's like a great DVD bonus supplement disc - only with pages.

This book has everything you could want to see. Dave Gibbons must have saved every sketch, every piece of art that went into WATCHMEN. Thank goodness he kept it all these years. There can't be a better way to see all of his thought processes and all of the beautiful images as they evolved. Thank you Dave!