Watchmen #8: Old Ghosts

Watchmen #8

by Alan Moore (Writer), Dave Gibbons (Artist), John Higgins (Colorist)

Watchmen, Chapter VIII: Old Ghosts.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

35 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

rorschach is just so smart he always find away to fight with anything around him fat chance lol
silk specter and nite owl springing him out of prison was a good choice
but the old nite owl dying that was really sad and u think to yourself why the hell did someone like him die but then again welcome to watchmen world its chaotic

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buen capítulo, en el trata sobre la vuelta de antiguos enmascarados sacados de su retiro forzoso, la huida o rescate de la prisión de Rosrschach por parte de antiguos compañeros y una posible e inminente tercera guerra mundial (átomica), por esas fechas la guerra fría estaba en pleno apogeo.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

So we're back to normal again: everyone makes an appearance and Niteowl 2 + Silk Spectre 2 are as useless and annoying as ever.
Luckily there is a lot of action where they are not involved that is still lovely to read. However, not all of it is pleasant to the eye or heart.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

That pirate comic continues to disturb me. Who is Max Shea? Is he a hero or a villain? What exactly is the difference at this point?

Full review HERE.

[Rachel MacNaught · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this instalment outside of Rorschach's prison moments and the final page assault. I have no interest in Night Owl or whatever the heck the girl's name is, and the plot is still nothing to speak of.

[Jesus Velasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profundiza en la lucha por la libertad y la identidad en un mundo caótico. La conversación entre Hollis Mason y Sally Jupiter evoca nostalgia, destacando el contraste entre sus vidas: mientras Sally vive cómodamente, Hollis enfrenta la soledad y el desasosiego de su pasado como vigilante.

La reactivación de Dan Dreiberg y Laurie Juspeczyk como vigilantes simboliza una liberación personal, pero también plantea interrogantes sobre la moralidad del vigilantismo. La brutalidad que Rorschach inflige en prisión refleja la misma violencia que los "top knots" buscan ejercer, cuestionando el verdadero significado de la justicia.

El perfume "Nostalgia" sirve como un poderoso símbolo del pasado, sugiriendo cómo la sociedad consume su historia. La muerte de Hollis, a manos de los "top knots", subraya el trágico legado de los vigilantes y sus consecuencias. Así, "Old Ghosts" se convierte en una meditación inquietante sobre la memoria y el precio de la justicia en un mundo sombrío.

[Eslem Ouederni · Rating 3 out of 5]

my fav is Rorschach tbh

[Javier Lárraga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es increible lo que un par de acontecimientos sin relación aparente pueden causar y como el miedo crece a la par de la anarquía en un mundo donde esta a punto de desatarse una guerra mundial.

El volumen comienza fuerte y termina aún más impactante; las escenas violentas son brutales y los diálogos de los transeuntes son desoladores y ni que decir de la historia secundaria del comic de piratas que ya esta llegando a su final.

Mi corazón no puede con 2 cliff hangers seguidos, necesito continuar con el próximo número ya...

[Tessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trick or treat, friend. This is bigger than I thought.

[Gabriela · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this issue, Silk Spectre and Nite Owl team up to break Rorshach out of prison.
A messy and over the place segment, there are a few interesting scenes, such as Rorshach's dealing with other inmates, but pretty much nothing stands out from the mayhem.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 2 out of 5]

[REVIEW FOR THE SERIES...]

Watchmen (Vol. 1-12)

"Who watches the Watchmen?"

Watchmen was a very interesting read and I’m glad to have finally gotten around to it. While I really appreciated some aspected such as the gritty world and symbolic, satirical plot line, there were times when it really didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it, at least not in my opinion. When compared to V For Vendetta, one of Moore’s best in my opinion, it just didn’t cut it for me, nor strike me with anything really meaningful afterwards. This is going to be a really hard one to rate and review for me— but here it goes.

P.s. If haters wanna hate, please go hate elsewhere. ;)



"This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.

One of the most influential graphic novels of all time and a perennial best-seller, Watchmen has been studied on college campuses across the nation and is considered a gateway title, leading readers to other graphic novels such as V for Vendetta, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and The Sandman series." -Book Blurb



Because I’m reviewing the entire series, and want to avoid an overly long review as well as story spoilers, in this review I’m just going to cover a few things, some things that stood out, things I liked, things I didn’t etc.



In the beginning of Watchmen the readers are introduced to this dark world, an alternate history, and are initiated into the story through the mysterious and grim character of Rorschach, whom I instantly liked albeit his strange attitude and growingly apparent fact that he was lacking some amount of sanity. He operates outside the law, as superhero’s are outlawed by the government. The mystery was compelling enough, the world is very dark and interesting.



As the story goes on we are introduced to other ex-heroes like Nite Owl II, (who seemed ironically a parody of Batman), and Ozymandias, as well as heroes contracted by the government such as Doctor Manhattan (the only actually superhuman in the series), The Comedian and Silk Spectre II. While the characters were interesting at times, most notably Doctor Manhhattan and Rorschack, many of the others felt dull to me, like bland caricatures.



One aspect I disliked was the weird, and seemingly pointless romance between Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II. It felt creepy and out of place, boring me and ultimately jarring me from the otherwise interesting plot. Why was it necessary to bog the plot down with their awkward affair, (including facts about his erectile dysfunction)? What was perhaps meant to flesh out the side characters, just ended up feeling like a lot of filler material. Bleh. It slowed the overall momentum for me.



Another irritant was the issue concerning the backstory of Silk Spectre I and The Comedian, and the flippant way her sexual assault/rape was dealt with. It felt only a cheap tactic used to give the readers a twist later on, which was obvious to me miles away, and ultimately felt an easy way to manipulate the reader and story. It did not have that effect on me. The matter was not handled very tastefully, in my opinion. Silk Spectre I’s response— or lack thereof—to the crime against her made the writing and overall story have a very misogynistic undertone, which continuously reared its head throughout the following issues.



That continuous feeling was highlighted and accentuated by the apparent uselessness of most of the female characters, who rarely if ever, contribute to the story in any meaningful way. Not to mention the fact that so few women were present at all, the story tiresome by their lack of contribution. One obvious exception being Silk Spectre II’s pleading with Doctor Manhattan on Earth’s behalf later on, even then he probably would have come to the decision on his own, given how his mind worked. So perhaps I’m reading between the lines here, but that’s how it struck me. It didn’t sit well, and I’m overly used to comics using women in the usual ways, to titillate as eye candy and fan service, serving no real purpose. I guess I expected more, too much, from something hailed as an innovative masterpiece.

Moving on.



There were things I did really like, though the story was bogged down with politics, propaganda and misogyny. I really like the satirical take of the golden age superhero story, the way the story makes you think about things in a different light, albeit a very pessimistic—dare I say—nihilistic light. I like the jaded hero perspective. The art was very fitting and did a good job setting the overall tone, even though it wasn’t as pleasing on the eye. It conveyed the general vibe of the plot really well.



I loved the fact that the series read more like a mystery noir novel that a traditional action comic book. I really enjoyed the characterizations of Rorschach and Doctor Manhattan the most. I LOVED Doctor Manhattan’s backstory. It was so epic and philosophical; those chapters really made me think. While Rorschach’s background was very sad, it was also a bit underwhelming, considering how much I loved his character. He made an excellent anti-hero.



Overall, I really enjoyed it, but could not say I loved it by any means. I appreciate what it means to the world and legacy of comic books and graphic novels, I think it changed the industry in many ways, not all for the better, but in many ways it was good. I liked how original it was. I like the philosophical mindset it gets you in. Some of the characters were so memorable, but the bad somewhat equals the good for me. There was a lot of filler material that felt tedious to read through, dragging the story out. As much as I enjoyed it, I also felt annoyed by it. I felt it was lacking in some pivotal areas, where it could have done more. Many of the characters were so unlikeable and dull, like cardboard cutouts. Seeing how much depth Rorschach and Doctor Manhattan had, I think all of the characters had that potential as well.



So I guess I’m in a love-hate thing with Watchmen, no matter which way I slice it, I can’t seem to pick a definite stance. I was pretty disappointed with the ending. I would recommend reading it, to appreciate the leaps Watchmen gave the genre of graphic novels, and for the interesting plot and setting, but in my opinion V for Vendetta was better in most regards.

[VOLUMN RATING: 2 STARS]

[OFFICIAL RATING: 3.5 STARS]

[Index Purga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watchmen 8 of 12, Collector's Edition
pág. 0:
créditos #8
pág. 1:
OLD GHOSTS
Pág. 29:
New Frontiersmen, October 31, 1985 selection
Pág. 33:
créditos editoriales

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in an alternate history where costumed heroes have helped shape society since the beginning of time, the controversial yet prolific costumed hero Edward Blake (more commonly known by his alias The Comedian) is found dead and the perpetrator is nowhere to be found. Unable to solve such a bizarre murder by conventional means, the masked vigilante Rorschach who once served as a costumed hero alongside Comedian and four others takes matters into his own bloodstained hands to track down a mysterious assassin that's taking out costumed heroes one by one. Conspiracies abound, political tensions are through the roof, the threat of WWIII is lurking just around the corner and the gritty and depressive atmosphere of a rotting New York City during the 1980's sets the scene for a grim dissection and criticism of classic superhero archetypes.

Watchmen redefines the term superhero. With the exception of Dr. Manhattan, none of them have any notable powers. The Comedian is merely a grotesque reflection of American society and all its shameless faults, as well as how misguided patriotism can be used to justify mindless violence and prejudice. Rorschach is a vigilante who throws around the words good and evil to justify his brute force and questionable methods of solving problems. Silk Spectre is a normal woman struggling between following her own path in life and forever remaining trapped in the shadow of her mother's legacy. Nite Owl almost feels like a comedic parody of Batman, poking fun at the fact that he's an awkward old nerd that loves owl-themed gadgets and dressing up in what is essentially a big Halloween costume. Dr. Manhattan is the embodiment of how power, knowledge, wealth and limitless freedom to do anything imaginable can alienate and dehumanize a person from the rest of the world. All of the superheroes are extremely flawed everyday people with everyday issues and imperfections who hide behind masked personas to cope with the questionable acts they're performing and the faulty morals behind them.

The heroes of this tale defy the image of flawless paragons of justice that can do no wrong. They are just as capable of being selfish, abusing their powers and doing evil things out of spite and unchecked negative emotions as everyone else. This critiques the very idea of putting idols on a pedestal in the first place. This can be compared to the famous actors, pop stars and politicians of today. It's easy for people to treat the words and actions of their idols like the words of God himself, forgetting that they're ordinary people with many imperfections just like everyone else. Again, most of the Watchmen have selfish reasons for hiding behind their costumed personas, because they feel powerless, guilty and ordinary without them. What does it say about who you are when you can't even show yourself in public without hiding behind a carefully crafted disguise? Why wear a mask if you're in the right and have nothing to hide?

All of this deception and abuse of authority is where the popular slogan (Who watches the Watchmen?) comes from. The people in power are constantly watching and judging the actions of the average person, but who are watching and judging the actions of the people in power? The people in power punish us for our wrongdoings but who punishes the people in power for theirs? Dismantling the infallible images that figures of authority try to maintain, dissecting issues of confused morals and identities hiding behind literal and figurative masks, tearing the veil from the one-dimensional definition of superheroes, all of these things are masterfully challenged in the shape of a dark psychological crime-thriller with many timeless themes that go harsh on politics and society.

Our heroes and leaders are never the flawless, perfect beings we romanticize them to be.

***

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[Simbasible Comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Ghosts is the eighth issue in the twelve-issue series Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons.

This issue finally moves the plot forward by focusing on Rorschach’s escape as Dan and Laurie help him break out of prison. This is clearly a transitional moment in the story, so there isn’t really any emotional investment to be found here to its detriment. Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are still not all that interesting characters, but at least they were crucial to the story here as they actually helped one of the main characters escape.

The final literary supplement is pretty good here, though it’s not among the best in the series. The illustrations are fantastic as always and the action is very well told through those busy, meticulously detailed panels that contained very memorable imagery. The dialogue is also excellent.

There are two moments in this particular issue that elevate it to a great status. One is Rorschach beating up the other inmates in one gruesome, unforgettable sequence. Him also wanting to piss in the middle of a prison break was also hilarious and very believable for his character. The final plot point with Dr. Manhattan taking Laurie to Mars was also a great cliffhanger that will undoubtedly prove to be important to the rest of the story.

Old Ghosts lacked depth in comparison to some of the best Watchmen issues, but it features strong action and a couple of important, memorable plot developments.

[Aleksandar Janjic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Као што сам и претпостављао, ствари су се закувале! Роршах се успјешно обрачунао с неким кепецом који га је троловао и пријетио му с друге стране решетки, а онда је избио хаос у затвору и онда су то онај лик што га је у филму глумио Патрик Вилсон и бивша женска др Менхетна искористили да ослободе Роршаха, али онда се појавио и др Менхетн и одвео своју (бившу) женску на Марс (тако да контам да би врло лако могла поново да му постане садашња женска) и онда се руља неких беспосличара толико изнервирала што су оно двоје ослободили Роршаха да су ријешили да се крви напију Патрику Вилсону (тј. оном лику што га је Патрик Вилсон глумио у филму), али су идиоти закуцали на погрешна врата... И то све док се апокалиптична пријетња надноси над цијелим човјечанством! Аппровед!

[Jéssica Resende · Rating 5 out of 5]

Os documentos do final, trazem de forma bem perturbadora a realidade impressa do mundo atual. Isto faz com que a leitura tenha consigo uma carga de impotência, frente a um mundo cada vez mais sobrinho, pois as estruturas nacionalistas ou as representações dessas, no caso, são cada vez menos problematizadas e avaliadas, pois se tem a impressão que a realidade e essa e não há nada que se possa ser feito, sendo que tem q se ter esperança e fé que as coisas iram melhorar, se não iremos entrar em um mar de desespero e barbaridade como e posto nessa hq, sensacional.

[Jacob Helberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yup. I officially despise Laurie and Dan at this point. Dan is again drunk on the idea of being a hero and Laurie's "charm," which I don't see any but whatever. Laurie won't shut up about Jon Jon Jon and sure enough he comes back. Also, she calls herself and Dan "young lovers..." When!? They hooked up randomly because Dan was pining over her and she needed some loving after Jon left. I hate these two. And to top if off.... they get one of the actual homies killed because of their prison breakout, one that Rorschach seemed to have a handle on the whole time and didn't require their help.

[Lilamedusa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one alright. I think it was rather exciting.

I really like Rorschach, but so far, reading the comments, I think he's one of those characters who is alright but whose fanboys make it unbearable.

And I also like Laurie, what can I say? I like her relationship with Dr Manhattan.

By the way, it did not escape me the way The KKK was romanticised in the written part at the end. Disgusting. Sort of reminds me of something a GWTW fan would say.

[Isra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vaya tomo espectacular, la verdad es que me quedé bastante encantando con esta parte, donde todo se va a la Mier**. Tremendo la verdad, el desarrollo de personajes al parecer ha terminado y ahora es donde comienza para lo que el autor te andaba preparando desde hace mucho tiempo.

[Roshnara Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featuring, once again, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre 2, the most bland Watchmen, at least this instalment has a bit more action because they spring Rorschach out of prison. Can we just go back to Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan running the show?

[tlacoyo bandicoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

esto se pone cada vez más interesante
desde el riot hasta la humanidad en sí que nos demuestra su verdadera cara en la sociedad. las personas están pensando más las cosas y el orgullo les consume. alguien quiere hacer más que vigilar a los vigilantes

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on The Watchmen #1-12.

The story continues... This book didn't stand out wildly to me like some of the other comics in this collection.

[Atikaa Rhmwt · Rating 4 out of 5]

:(((((:

[Joseph Knecht · Rating 3 out of 5]

The masked heroes are returning,

The old ghosts try to save the new ones,

What happens next, only God knows.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is the pirate comics really necessary?

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always chaos creates opportunity.

[Sanil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting incidents to keep the reader going..

[Shaneka Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

From v for vendetta to umbrella academy

[dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

you gotta love Rorschach though. He literally goes to take a piss during his breakout.

[Shibin k · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Hallowe'en the old ghosts come about us, and they speak to some; to others they are dumb.
The plot turns all serious and readers heart beat rises in this pivotal issue.