Watchmen (1986-1987)

I don't read comics.

I don't know how to read comics. Do I look at the text first? The picture? How long do I spend looking at the artwork? Am I overanalysing it? Probably.

I don't really know the point of comics. The written word is amazing – the English language contains more words than any other. I find myself unable to accept that pictures, despite their apparent value of 1,000 words, are a valid substitute – or supplement – to such varied and vast tools for description as the written word. Am I being narrow-minded? Probably.

I don't read comics. And Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is the exception that proves the rule.

Like most people outside hardcore comic fans, I had never heard of Watchmen prior to the upcoming film adaptation entering production. After hearing how acclaimed the book is, I examined a copy in a bookstore a few months back only to find myself sold by, of all things, the quotes on the back cover.

"A work of ruthless psychological realism, it's a landmark in the graphic novel medium" – one of Time Magazine's 100 Best English-Language Novels since 1923

"Watchmen is peerless." – Rolling Stone

"Remarkable... The would-be heroes of Watchmen have staggeringly complex psychological profiles." – New York Times Book Review

"Groundbreaking..." – USA Today

"A masterwork representing the apex of artistry." – Entertainment Weekly

Very convincing praise from a number of respectable sources, but it was actually this quote from Damon Lindelof, co-creator of possibly my favourite television series of all time, Lost, that sold me on Watchmen: "The greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced."

Lindelof's claim is a strong, but curious one; if Watchmen is so monumentally brilliant, why had I – and, I'm assuming, many others – never heard of it? Having reached its final page, I can safely say that Watchmen's very brilliance is precisely what makes it so inaccessible.

Watchmen is not an easy read. Firstly, it's bleak. Very bleak. Set in an alternate version of the 1980s, in which the Cold War is not thawing and the world is on the brink of unprecedented nuclear conflict, Watchmen is populated by jaded washed-up heroes, who were once inspired by comic book characters to dress up in costumes and fight crime. Briefly famous, the heroes were forced to give up their alter-egos when an act was passed outlawing vigilante activity. Some obliged and hung up their costumes, while others – such as Rorschach, the masked hero whose grim, noir-esque opening narration perfectly sets Watchmen's tone – refused to quit.

Watchmen, originally published as 12 separate editions, possesses a rich, layered narrative. Like Lost, which has clearly sought inspiration from this graphic novel, Watchmen demands a high level of attention to fully appreciate its array of pop culture references, profound musings and parallel storylines. One standout is the story-within-a-story, an instalment from the fictional comic series "Tales of the Black Freighter" called "Marooned", a mirthless tale about a man who becomes shipwrecked on an island, but remains determined to return to his hometown to warn of the impending arrival of the title vessel. It's a captivating story in its own right, but it's also a great parallel to certain parts of Watchmen's story.

I've deliberately not mentioned much of the plot as I found my enjoyment of Watchmen was greatly enhanced by the fact I knew next to nothing about it. Needless to say, it's not your typical superhero story, nor, I imagine, your typical comic book. I'm not quite sold on the ending, thought-provoking as it was, but I may grow to accept it in time. Nevertheless, Watchmen remains a bleak, bloody and utterly brilliant story, rich in subtext and subversion.

But how did I reconcile Watchmen's greatness with my inability to appreciate comics? Quite simply, Watchmen's post-modern genre-bending would not have worked in any other literary format. I'm keen to see whether director Zack Snyder, who appears to have faithfully adapted Watchmen, plays on the conventions of comic book films as much as Watchmen plays on the conventions of comic books themselves.

With The Dark Knight's billion-dollar success proving that Joe Public can handle a comic book film with depth, I'm looking forward to seeing how well Watchmen translates to the big screen, and how well moviegoers will accept it. I was fortunate enough to score tickets to an exclusive midnight screening of Watchmen starting in just a few hours, so expect my thoughts on the adaptation tomorrow.