In continuation of my recent foray into comic books, I started reading Watchmen this week. Hard to know what to expect when reading something so famous but so far it has been very interesting. Up to this point it's been almost entirely backstory (aside from the little bit that's been happening with Rorschach). I keep wondering when the "present day" is going to kick into high gear but at the same time I can't seem to put it down.
For anyone not familiar, Watchmen is about an alternate history America (covering most of the twentieth century up till 1985) where masked vigilantism is not only popular but briefly legal. Things eventually fall apart with the rise of an actual superhuman superhero (who's actually more interested in research than heroics) and the crimefighters hang up their capes. Some severe anti-vigilante legislation doesn't help. The story starts with the mysterious murder of one of the old guard in 1985 and then we get glimpses into the lives and histories of the various characters.
Like I said, not much has happened in the present day since the murder but it's still very interesting. I'm about halfway through and if Alan Moore (the writer) can keep this up for the rest of the book, we'll have a classic on our hands...which everybody says that it is, so I have high hopes.
Rorschach is definitely nuts but he's a pretty cool guy and the only one trying to get anything done so far.
i never got around to reading the graphic novel...but the movie is badass
After I finish the book I want to watch the movie.
Rorschach is one of my favourite comic book characters ever. Right up there with Spider Jerusalem and V.
Funny that one of your other top picks, V, is also from an Alan Moore book. Guess he makes good characters! But yeah, I really like Rorschach. I'm glad that *spoilers* Nite Owl is going to spring him out of jail. In that chapter right now.
I still have to read that. Rorschach was the best thing about the movie, I thought.
Check your local library! 
I'm assuming mine has the movie as well. Hoping to watch that once I finish the book.
I know a particular library around me that has lots more graphic novels than any of the others. I'll hit that sometime.
I dug the graphic novel. I actually had different experiences watching the animation of the novel, then reading the novel, which has extra white pages not in the animated version, then seeing the movie when it came out in the same year.
I really need to watch that extended cut DVD sometime soon.
I didn't know there was an animated version. Interesting. Do those versions all noticeably differ in the story? I know the movie is certainly controversial. Some people love and some hate it. Reading the book, I can see that it would be difficult to adapt.
The animated version is literally just an animation of all the colored pages, so not much difference there. I also found the movie about as faithful as it could be, though some of the changes and edits for time were troublesome.
I started first with the movie and then started reading the comic (which I haven't finished) much later. So far, the comic is great and as for the movie, it's one of my favorites.
I've heard the movie is love it or hate it but everyone on here seems to like it so far. Gives me hope lol
I love me some Watchmen. I have the DVD of the movie and the "animated" graphic novel. somewhere and I devoured the graphic novel. I don't have that any more. My daughter took it when she left home.
Yeah, I was like...hmm, Mothman...lol. He hasn't made an appearance in the "present day" yet. They've mentioned several times that he's in a mental institution in northern Maine...which I assume must be a euphemism for Cananda
love the Watchmen, Moore is one of my favorite writers and I dig Promethea and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as well.
Of course, there's also Miracle Man, which is old and great, but not published under his name anymore. Check it out on Amazon if u get a chance.
I saw the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie and it was a resounding "meh." But I'd love to write the graphic novel. Think I might try V for Vendetta as well.
oh man that Sean Connery movie is terrible! but the comic is dope.
I've actually seen the movie. Whoa, gore and nudity! Very dark, but the premise of the story is unique and interesting.
You'd probably find the graphic novel a little tamer then. That stuff is still there but it's not real people in this case, so...you know. More sylized and whatnot. I can see how it'd be real easy to get an R rating with this though.
This is one of my favorite reads ever, comic or otherwise. Such a great story told so well with amazing characters and social commentary.
Like I said, I can't seem to put it down 
I've been meaning to get to this coming, moreso since it deals with alternate timeline, but I've just not gotten to such yet. I figured I'd just watch the movei but I'm told it doesn't do the source material justice which is usually the case with any movie adaption. Plus this guy speaks of it too.
This was like my favorite thing ever when I read it back in my first year of college. It also really spoke to that pessimistic side of me. I haven't really delved into many other comic books since however.