Watchmen (1986)

Watchmen is a 12-issue limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins. Published by DC Comics from September 1986 to October 1987, the series is set in an alternate history where costumed heroes emerged in the 1940s and significantly altered world events, including the United States winning the Vietnam War.

The story begins with the murder investigation of a former government-sanctioned superhero, led by the vigilante Rorschach, who believes it is part of a larger conspiracy targeting retired heroes. The narrative examines two generations of masked heroes, from the original 1940s Minutemen to the 1960s-80s Watchmen, exploring themes of power, morality, and the human cost of heroism during the Cold War era.

Watchmen is widely regarded as a landmark work in the medium, deconstructing the superhero genre through complex storytelling and sophisticated visual narrative. It remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award and was named one of Time magazine's 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. The series was collected as a trade paperback in 1987 and has remained continuously in print.