Book Club: Watchmen

The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!" ... and I'll look down, and whisper "No."
-Rorschach's Journal

This one's been bouncing around the old noggin for a while now.

On first read through Watchmen, you may wonder "Where is all the action?" Sure, the Comedian gets killed right at the beginning, but otherwise it just seems like a bunch of dudes in masks talking about doomsday and conspiracies. You see the pages dwindling down. Suddenly you're at chapter 12 and it's all, what the hell just happened? Mars? Not too mention the whole pirate sub-story.

This is one of those that really rewards repeated readings, even though it has pictures. Second time through you are all like, "ohhhhhh" and slapping your forehead a bunch.

Basic plot is this: Set in an alternate version on the mid-80s where the United States won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president and the doomsday clock is ticking ever closer to midnight -- someone is killing masked heroes (none of which have superpowers, except one). Most of said heroes have hung up their capes after some sort of registration act was passed. There are three exceptions:

The Comedian: Pretty much a badass. Deals with being a fascist evil prick by treating all of society as an elaborate joke. Unfortunately the joke ends up being on him, and not just when he shoots his unborn Vietnamese love-child.

Dr. Manhattan: Obvious play on the Manhattan Project, this big blue bastard is the only one in the book with any powers, which happen to be the god-like ability to manipulate matter and space. He's sulky.

Rorschach: The only non-government sanctioned mask still operating when the book opens. Has a propensity for right-wing literature and breaking peoples fingers. Likes beans.

Oh yeah, and there is a movie coming out next year, not sure if you heard. I would recommended to reading the book beforehand, just so you are in the know. Plus the trailer is way better if you know what's going on.


Questions
Political themes: right or left?
How does the pirate stuff relate to the rest of the book?
Does this hold up since the cold war ended?
Alan Moore: Great beard or greatest beard?