I still haven't had a chance to get to the movies to see the film that this book is based on. As with most things, I tend to want to read the book first anyway so it worked out. The book was actually written a while ago and is set in a 1987 where the Cold War is still in full force and through a Constitutional Amendment, Richard Nixon is still president. Since World War II, masked superheroes have helped fight crime, but that all changed in 1977 when the Keene Act forced retirement on any who were not willing to work solely for the federal government.

As the book opens, the Comedian is being murdered. He is one of the few heroes that took the invitation to stay in service. His history is filled with violence, and he was crucial in the US winning the Vietnam War. It is just the first in a series of attempts on various active and inactive heroes. It leads to a mystery that will bring together old friends in order to find out who is placing them all in danger. The hope is that they can figure this all out before the world falls into nuclear holocaust as tensions rise between America and the Soviet Union as the Russians invade Afghanistan. It quickly becomes clear that all of this is tied together. The question is whether they can rise above everything that created rifts between them and drove some of them crazy before it is too late.

There is no question this is a dark tale. Blood flows freely as superheroes and regular everyday folks are hurt and sometimes killed. One of the heroes, Doctor Manhattan, who takes his name from the fact that he gained his powers through a nuclear accident tied to the Manhattan Project, spends most of the book walking around naked since his god-like powers mean his unaffected by seasonal discomfort.

Moore, the writer is well known to many fans of graphic novels and film-goers since he was the man behind The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V is for Vendetta. Each of them is dark in their own right, but highlight important things about humanity.

The themes in Watchmen are still relevant today in a day in which people have been questioning government power and abuse. It questions what makes a hero and examines whether too much force can be applied to get things right by asking whether the ends do justify the means.

This book had a huge affect on the comics of its day. Prior to its publication in a series of comic books, most superheroes were perfect. They did not suffer from the human failings that we have as everyday people. They were pure of heart, and their actions could not be questioned. Both DC, the publisher of this book, and Marvel saw how well this worked and that people were ready for deeper tales involving their superheroes.