Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

*Spoiler alert: If you have not yet read Watchmen, read it before picking up this book or reading the rest of my review.

This is the second book I have read in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, the other being Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul. This book is somewhat shorter, but makes up for it in not really having a weak or overly technical section (like the middle third of Batman and Philosophy). I'm not a philosophy buff by nature - never even took a course in it - but this book never really was too far over my head for me to grasp the concepts.

This book tackles a lot of issues implied in the graphic novel, mainly focusing on Ozymandias and the ethics of his scheme to trick the world into peace, Rorschach's view of justice and the aspect of time (and, consequently, predestination and free will) with regard to Dr. Manhattan. There are also a few interesting chapters, like one proposing that Nite Owl's pot belly actually makes him a better hero and another that considers if Watchmen is bona fide literature or not. I particularly liked chapters three through five, which do a lot to challenge the reader to figure out who the "good guy" in the story really is.

That's not to say the book is without its shortcomings. In particular, I was disappointed that the Comedian wasn't covered more. As one of the central characters - and the only character to be in all the major time periods of the novel (Minutemen-era (1940s), Crimebusters-era (1970s), and the actual setting of the story (1985)) - and especially with his deep psychological profile, you would think more than one chapter out of fifteen would really delve into him (although it is a very engaging chapter). There is a chapter titled "Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis: The Ambiguously Gay Duo" that takes an interesting, if a bit preachy, stand on homosexuality, but doesn't reference Watchmen at all except in pointing out that the pair may be gay, and even then gives no justification for that supposition. Also, the book never discusses identity with regard to the "masks," which in Batman and Philosophy was perhaps one of the most engaging discussions.

Despite these shortcomings, Watchmen and Philosophy is a very worthwhile read. It is engaging, smart and, at times, funny, but never tilts too far in any direction.

This cool new Wiley paperback explores lots of philosophical and spiritual questions related to the landmark comic book series and, in effect, the new film as well. If you're trying to discuss the movie in a small group, it's a good idea to grab a copy of this book.

The themes of the original "Watchmen," which first was published decades ago, couldn't be more timely today. Among the major questions explored in the original comic books (and in this new Wiley companion volume) are themes about authority in our rapidly changing and deeply troubled world.

Who should we regard as heroes? What standards should we require? If super-powerful figures claim the right to be called heroes, should we trust them? As people become extremely powerful in our world, can they betray us? Or, even worse in some cases, can they be so oblivious to the needs of their neighbors that they wind up causing great damage? Is it even possible to be a really super hero today?

This cultural milestone is so complex that -- to crack open a discussion in a small group you're going to need some help. Between these covers, you'll find lots of intriguing pointers.

The Watchmen graphic novel has garnered an increasing amount of attention with the recent release of the movie version of the graphic novel. What was developed by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is considered by many to be a masterpiece, combining stunning drawings with equally stunning story line, full of action, politics and many questions - some answered, some not. In creating heroes and anti-heroes in Watchmen the duo pose a lot of questions about right, wrong and the grey area in-between. It is in this ambiguity that Mark D. White and his fellow authors search for meaning and answers to philosophical questions. Each of the authors take on different aspect of the novel, happily with very little overlap on topics. (See The Matrix and Philosophy for repetition on the same quotes again and again). Most of the essays are succinct and quite accessible while exploring topics such as feminism and stoicism. Most of the essays enhance the enjoyment of the book and continues to make the reader think. The large clunker that keeps a star from this book is Robert Arp's discussion of homosexuality is well thought out, but only superficially relates to Watchmen, and delves deeper even into where the topic of Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis being gay comes from. This aside a great thought provoking novel gets a great through provoking discussion making the reader continue thinking and learning even after the story is over.

Any anthology is a grab bad of good and bad. And yet, I really love anthologies, because nothing but an anthology allows for such a wide view of different perspectives and writing styles. While this is especially true for fictional anthologies, it seems to be no less true for nonfiction. At the very least, Watchmen and Philosophy followed the general rule of anthology: grab bag of good and bad.

The "and Philosophy" series is a mostly lighthearted group of essays on any chosen aspect of pop culture. For example there is a pop culture philosophy book for the following things: Metallica, House, Heroes, South Park, Family Guy, Batman, X-Men, Matrix, Johnny Cash, Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica, Final Fantasy, Twilight, and so much more...). The first one to really pique my interest was Watchmen and Philosophy--mostly because Watchmen begs a lot of morality-driven philosophical questions. I picked up a copy of Watchmen and Philosophy not really knowing what to expect, but optimistic all the same.

Truly, I wasn't disappointed. As I read, I separated the different essays into columns: Good, Average, and Bad. The "good" column ended up with 6 essays, the "average" column with 5, and the "bad" column with 4. Despite this disturbingly even distribution, I think that the quality of the well-done essays far outweighs the mediocrity of the others. Though I believe that the volume would have been far stronger had they just not included some of these essays--particularly "Hooded Justice and Captrain Metropolis: The Ambiguously Gay Duo" by Robert Arp (which took a good topic and then shied away from actually discussing anything indepth) and "The Virtues of Nite Owl's Potbelly" by Mark D. White (which read like an inside joke gone badly wrong with a side of stating the obvious). Despite these disappointing essays, reading the essays by J. Robert Loftis, Jacob M. Held, Arthur Ward, and Taneli Kukkonen made the purchase well worth it, because these essays truly attempt to tackle the questions brought up by Watchmen while drawing on relevant philosophical texts for evidence. The assorted essays try to explain Dr. Manhattan's perception of time, if Rorschach was doing the wrong thing by refusing to lie, the very question of "who watches the Watchmen?". After all, these are the questions I've been tossing around my head since reading the graphic novel--and it only makes sense that their should be informed opinions of others to read. Now, I'm not saying that I ended up agreeing with everyone, but I certainly enjoyed reading the particular essays that obviously had put some thought into their topic.

Therefore, if you're interested in Watchmen and looking for some new perspective, give this a try. My advice is to skip Arp and White's essays and instead particularly pay attention to these:
1. "Can We Steer This Rudderless Ship" by Jacob M. Held
2. "Super Vigilantes and the Keene Act" by Tony Spanakos
3. "Means, Ends, and the Critique of Pure Superheroes" by J. Robert Loftis
4. "A Timely Encounter: Dr. Manhattan and Henri Bergson" by Christopher M. Drohan
5. "Free Will and Foreknowledge: Does Jon Really Know What Laurie Will Do Next, and Can She Do Otherwise?" by Arthur Ward
6. "What's So Goddamn Funny? The Comedian and Rorschach on Life's Way" by Taneli Kukkonen

A great book for any fan of Watchmen or pop culture mixed with philosophy. A must try for fans, but definitely relies heavily upon a working knowledge of its parent text.

Just in time for the motion picture adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's The Watchmen, the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series tackles one of the greatest graphic novels of all time in Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test.

The Watchmen deals with an alternate reality in which the world is on the brink of a nuclear war and a serial killer is out to rid the world of retired masked vigilantes and one atomically rearranged, real life superhero, Dr. Manhattan. Watchmen and Philosophy examines the motives and significance of each character in a series of witty essays with easy to follow character analysis in relation to the ideologies of philosophers such as Joseph Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. We learn of Dr. Manhattan's function as a stoic sage; Sally and Laurie Jupiter present the views of different branches of the feminist theory; Nite Owl represents the virtues of Aristotle; and Rorschach's role as the unwavering enforcer of justice goes deeper than just an obsessive quest to right wrong.

Watchmen and Philosophy presents insightful interpretations on the renowned story that will allow long time fans and first time readers a greater understanding of one of the most significant graphic novels in the world of comic books.

Reviewed by Jennifer Carter