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1986-87 Watchmen Series: The Comedian By Alan Moore

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This image is from the 1986-87 Watchmen series from DC Comics, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The artwork depicts the superhero-slash-vigilante Edward Blake, otherwise known as “The Comedian,” delightfully using a flamethrower in Vietnam. Blake was deployed during the Vietnam War as an agent of the United States government, acting directly on their behalf. The devastation he caused, therefore, is a product of the nationalism and militant drive fostered by the US government during the war, which fueled the anti-war movement. The text boxes—from the perspective of another US superhero, the god-like Dr. Manhattan—convey the following:
He suits the climate here: the madness, the pointless butchery… As I come to understand Vietnam and what it implies about the human condition, I also realize that few humans will permit …show more content…

This panel, therefore, reflects the foundation of the anti-war movement. Protesters were driven to oppose the Vietnam War because of its extremity and, again, “pointless butchery.” The conflict was heavily featured in news and media, which allowed the American public to follow events from the comfort, or discomfort, of their homes. Because of this exposure, the war was given the name “the living room war” (Hill & Helmers Ed., 2004, p. 4). The role of the media is applied to this panel, as the Watchmen comics represent a continued critique of American participation in the Vietnam War and its lasting effects, as well as a general anti-war sentiment embodied in the characterization of Blake as a superhero. As symbols, superheroes represent sociocultural values, particularly ethnocentric ones, that are distilled into a caricature. The Comedian is a parody of American heroism, for he embodies militant extremism and indifference toward global policy. His characterization, therefore, critiques the US as an agitator during the Vietnam

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