Book · 1986
Watchmen
by Alan Moore
Retired costumed vigilantes investigate one of their own's murder while the Cold War doomsday clock ticks toward midnight.
What does Reddit think of Watchmen?
The joke comment (↑121) sets the tone: 'the most comic books 101 comic book of all comic book 101 comic books,' the thing every used bookstore and every ex-boyfriend in America already owns. A separate comment (↑103) is blunter, calling it a 'terrible recommendation for first time comic readers,' full stop. Compare that to the defense at ↑90: 'this book is important,' the only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer, with the caveat that an adult should read it alongside a kid rather than hand it over cold. None of this reads as consensus, even with 1,167 recognized mentions logged in r/graphicnovels alone, the only subreddit tracking it. Ranking comments split it between #1 and #3 in Alan Moore's own bibliography, depending on who's counting Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta. The 2019 HBO sequel gets a nod (↑60) for finishing the point the movie missed: this was never supposed to glorify its heroes.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Overexposure: the 'everyone already owns a copy' joke
- · Disagreement over whether it's a good first comic
- · Pulitzer Prize status as its own argument
- · Ranked against the rest of Alan Moore's bibliography, not judged alone
Common praise
- + The ↑90 comment calls it 'important,' pointing to its Pulitzer Prize as something no other graphic novel has matched.
- + Two separate ranking comments (↑88, ↑80) put it at or near #1 in Alan Moore's own body of work, ahead of Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta.
- + The ↑60 comment credits the HBO sequel show for finishing the point the 1986 book made about not glorifying superheroes, something the movie missed.
Common criticism
- − The ↑103 comment calls it 'a terrible recommendation for first time comic readers,' full stop, no hedge.
- − The ↑121 joke treats it as over-owned and overexposed: 'every used book store and every ex-boyfriend in America has a copy.'
- − The ↑60 comment says the film adaptation 'stylistically sorta missed one of the book's points,' getting the plot right but the theme wrong.
Who it's for
Already own a stack of Vertigo trades and want to know where this actually ranks? Two separate comments (↑88, ↑80) put it at or near the top of Alan Moore's own bibliography, ahead of Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta. New to the medium entirely? That's the split: one comment (↑103) calls it a bad first pick outright, while another (↑57) argues the opposite: plenty of people 'have only read Watchmen or got into comics because of Watchmen and both loved it.' Watched the movie and figure you've got the gist? The ↑60 comment says the film nails the plot but 'stylistically sorta missed' the point about not glorifying its heroes, and points to the HBO sequel as the version that gets there.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Watchmen?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Watchmen. Just perfect
“Watchmen is the most comic books 101 comic book of all comic book 101 comic books. I advise you not to pay full price for a copy of Watchmen; every used book store and every ex-boyfriend in America has a copy of Watchmen on a shelf somewhere.
“Watchmen, by Alan Moore has a good claim. Although I personally think From Hell is the pinnacle.
“For me, his best is V for Vendetta. Watchmen is really good, but I think the historical and political relevance and basis of V just makes it SO good. I’m also a Brit so it’s cool having a comic set in a dystopian Britain, but also love how it was Moore’s interpretation of the future of Britain if Th…
“Have you tried reading 'Watchmen'?
“A growing library collection is such a fun project. Here's where I might start. I've roughly categorized by sections. I've tried to list only items that … Ethics of Immigration * March (3 vols) * Glenn Gould, A Life Off Tempo * What Is Obscenity * Tetris: The Games People Play * The Photographer * G…
“Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns are terrible recommendations for first time comic readers.
“I literally do this for a living. I teach comics as Lit. I’ll assert that many many works are worthy of study in some way, but if we’re looking for some sort of artistic merit. I could probably list 100, but I’ll start with some basics. Fun Home Watchmen The Best We Could Do Maus American Born Chine…
“OP, I would never drop this in a 10 year olds lap unless they were already super interested in the holocaust. Read it with them. FOR the love of God. This book is important. Not just because of its subject matter. It is the only graphic novel to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. The year the trade paperb…
“Lengthy, but definitely top 3 Moore. Two would be V and 1 would be Watchmen of course.
“I've been reading Watchmen once a year since 1987. It never ceases to amaze me.
“1. Alan Moore‘s run on Swamp Thing 2. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman 3. Watchmen by Alan Moore 4. Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison 5. Sin City by Frank Miller
“The graphic novel for V for Vendetta is very different from the movie though. Watchmen movie was very similar for the most part, but NOT the ending - it also stylistically sorta missed one of the book's points (not to glorify superheroes). Do check out the Emmy award winning sequel TV show on HBO …
“I think that the more you’re familiar with the comics as a medium the more you’re able to appreciate what Watchmen does. That said, I know plenty of people who have only read Watchmen or got into comics because of Watchmen and both loved it. It’s also very re-readable for that reason.
“Watchmen by Moore and the entire Sandman series by Gaiman are must reads, imo. Beyond that, everything’s fairly murky in regards to any sort of canon. The Complete Maus by Spiegelman is a really close third though. Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics would absolutely be the textbook for the class …
Convinced? Pick up Watchmen
What else does r/graphicnovels read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Guides featuring Watchmen
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Watchmen — frequently asked
Is Watchmen a good first comic book to read?+
Reddit disagrees. One comment (↑103) calls Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns 'terrible recommendations for first time comic readers.' Another (↑57) argues the opposite: plenty of people 'have only read Watchmen or got into comics because of Watchmen and both loved it.' Both views sit in the same 1,167-mention dataset, so treat this as a real split, not a settled answer.
Is the Watchmen movie a faithful adaptation of the book?+
Mostly, with one exception. The ↑60 comment says the film 'was very similar for the most part, but NOT the ending,' and adds that it 'stylistically sorta missed one of the book's points' about not glorifying superheroes. The same comment recommends the HBO sequel show as the version that lands that theme.
Where does Watchmen rank among Alan Moore's other books?+
At or near the top, per two separate ranking comments. One (↑88) calls it 'top 3 Moore,' behind V for Vendetta, ranked at #1. Another (↑80) lists it third on a five-book Moore-and-adjacent ranking, behind Swamp Thing and Sandman, a Neil Gaiman book included in the same list.
Why does Reddit call Watchmen overexposed?+
One heavily upvoted comment (↑121) puts it bluntly: it's 'the most comic books 101 comic book of all comic book 101 comic books,' and 'every used book store and every ex-boyfriend in America has a copy.' The advice attached to that joke is to not pay full price for one.