Watchmen as Literature: A Critical Study of the Graphic Novel - Paperback

by Sara J. Van Ness (Author)

Watchmen has been hailed as the quintessential graphic novel and has spawned a body of literary criticism since its 1986 initial appearance in installments. This work explores the graphic novel's reception in both popular and scholarly arenas and how the conceptual relationship between images and words affects the reading experience. Other topics include heroism as a stereotype, the hero's journey, the role of the narrator, and the way in which the graphic layout manipulates the reader's perception of time and space.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Author Biography

Sara J. Van Ness is a contributor to The Lost Art of Ah Pook is Here: Images from the Graphic Novel (Fantagraphics, 2012). She currently lives in New Jersey, where she teaches English and a course on graphic novels and visual literacy.