It’s right there on the cover. Winner of the Hugo Award (given each year for the last half century to “the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year”. Included in Time magazine’s “100 Best Novels” (put together in 2005 for the 100 best novels [NOT “graphic novels”] since 1923). Clearly, Watchmen, authored by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, colored by John Higgins, published by DC Comics, is not your standard comic book. First presented as a limited 12-part series appearing issue by issue on the comic racks in 1986-87, now available bound together in hardback and soft cover as one 407 page story, Watchmen captivates and delights, pulls the reader in and stimulates on multiple levels.

But so far there has been little in terms of books detailing the themes, hidden meanings, double entendres, and other gems that makes Watchmen so enjoyable. Little, that is, in the way of analysis. Sure, there are a few lists of “Watchmen observations” on the web. And of course many of these meanings are evident, and part of the joy of the book is to find them yourself. But I’ve read the novel over a dozen times and continue to find new “observations” each time.

So the point of this reference work is to allow everyone to appreciate the texture and subtext of what may possibly be the best comic story of all time. No claim here is made to “getting it all” or even “getting it all right”. Watchmen hermeneutics is still in its infancy. I hope this book constitutes a worthy contribution.

Watchmen is a trademark of DC Comics Inc., copyright 1995