Who Watches the Watchmen?

So I read my first graphic novel. It was Watchmen, a graphic novel written by Alan Moore (of V for Vendetta and From Hell fame). Watchmen is the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is pretty much considered to be one of the first serious attempts at a literary graphic novel. But I honestly didn't know what to expect when I picked it up. I've never read graphic novels and don't know much about the genre, so I went into this with no previous expectations.

But I am happy to report that I enjoyed it. It was written in the mid-1980s, so it was kind of like going back in time. It's about the cold war between the US and the USSR, and it takes a pretty dim view of humanity. It's not an optimistic read, but very thoughtful. And dense. Very, very dense. You cannot read this novel quickly. It is rife with symbolism and literary allusion, not to mention some creative usage of metafiction. Archie comics, this is not. And although I did enjoy the story, I think the complexity of the novel made me enjoy it more because I love rich texts. You know, the type of text that is full of symbolism and imagery and allusion, and you have to read it eight times to catch it all because it's all so interwoven and flows together. In any case, I would definitely recommend it. Don't read it if you're squeamish (lots of blood and violence), if you're in a hurry (you'll miss stuff), or if you are depressed (it won't cheer you up). But it will make you think. And, I just had coffee with a graphic-novel-loving friend the other day who informed me that they are making a movie of it. So, there you go. Not surprising considering all the movies that have been coming out based on graphic novels and comics lately (V for Vendetta, Sin City, 300, Spiderman and all the other "superhero" movies, just to name a few). My friend was skeptical of the ability of someone to successfully transfer such a complex story to film, so mayber you should check out the graphic novel first!