Tag Archives: Superheroes

Watchmen

Leave a reply

Title: Watchmen

Author: Alan Moore

Illustrator: Dave Gibbons

Publisher: DC Comics, April 1995

Summary: After a summer of blockbuster movies, you might just be sick of superheroes. But soon (pending some legal wrangling) the greatest graphic novel ever is coming to the big screen: Watchmen, by legendary scribe Alan Moore (responsible for such classics as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta.) It is the story of a group of superheroes undone by their all-too-human frailties. Set in the mid-80s, a killer is stalking the former ‘masks,’ who have either retired or been driven underground by anti-vigilante legislation, as the world moves closer and closer to nuclear conflict.

This is a thoroughly post-modern take on heroes, and while characters like The Comedian, Nite Owl, Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan might not be as familiar as Batman and Wolverine, their stories are just as unforgettable. If you think you’re too grown-up for comics, read Watchmen. This is a true masterwork that explodes any expectations you might have for the flying and tights genre, named an essential book by Entertainment Weekly and Time magazines. Read it before the movie comes out!

Who will like this book?: Superhero fans who have read it all. People who like stories that expose the humanity, for better or worse, of heroic figures.

If you like this, try this: Anything by Alan Moore, especially V for Vendetta and From Hell. 300 by Frank Miller.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian

Batman: The Long Halloween

Leave a reply

Title: Batman: The Long Halloween

Author: Jeph Loeb

Illustrator: Tim Sale

Summary: I reread this fantastic graphic novel before I saw The Dark Knight.  While the plot lines aren’t exactly the same, both the movie and the book share a similar film-noir feel and focus on the same three characters: Batman, Lieutenant Gordon, and D.A. Harvey Dent.

Over the course on one year, from Halloween to Halloween, they track a killer who strikes only on the holidays. As the year wears on, familiar villains appear as suspects, victims and surprising allies. If you, like the millions of others who flocked to the theaters this weekend, are in the grips of Batman fever, The Long Halloween is the book you are looking for.

Who will like this book?: Fans of the Caped Crusader, particularly those who read the comic books or watched the either the live-action or animated TV show. Fans of The Godfather movies. Be advised: Like many Batman graphic novels, this is an intense, mature title.

If you like this, try this: Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. Heroes volume 1, also illustrated by Tim Sale.

Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian