Watchmen - why the hype?

The graphic novel, Watchmen, finally gets the attention it deserves as a seminal literary work, writes Aubrey Paton

MM: Aubrey paton goes on to say thatthe point of Wacthmen is to "break down the superhero archetype and portray heroes as only human." You might wonder what is the point of portraying heroes as flawed? Well, there is one. If you can't turn to heroes (leaders) in times of crisis, who is left? Only ourselves. Moore tries to discourage the weak human response to a conundrum - which is to wait for someone else to sort it out.

clipped from www.thetimes.co.za Comics were considered merely for kids or thickies — Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four never said a word or performed an action likely to bring about a blush. Watchmen, however, was strictly adult fare, changing the public’s perception of the mainstream comic and engendering the graphic novel. Alan Moore encourages us to ponder the psyche of a costumed avenger — what kind of person dresses up in a ridiculous costume, wears his Y-front on the outside of his tights, and adopts an asinine nom-de-guerre such as Nite [sic] Owl or Captain America? An exhibitionist? A psychotic? An obsessive-compulsive? Or just your basic moral evangelist? Watchmen rivals any traditional literary work for its depth of plot and its extraordinary examination of what it means to be human. This makes it a seminal work of literature and it is now getting the attention it deserves.