I read this comic book the day after seeing the movie. Some comparisons are inevitable. I hope you’ll bear with me.

This is an alternate history, with the main bulk of the story set in 1985. It’s centered on two groups of super heroes; the first generation are mostly old or dead while the second generation have largely been forced into retirement. Aside from a few notable exceptions, these super heroes are simply regular people in costume. The story begins with the murder of one of the heroes. This brings a few of the other second generation heroes out of retirement to investigate.

In the tradition of Alan Moore, the comic has a gritty feel to it. Society is corrupt and the future is looking bleak. Even our “heroes” are tarnished, with each one having a clear and unique flaw. It’s a story that examines ethics and asks big questions that will leave you thinking long after you’ve finished reading it. I enjoyed the complexity and the philosophy.

What I felt was lacking a bit was emotion. Perhaps this was my lack of literacy in the genre or simply because I’d seen the movie so recently. There are obviously going to be differences in form and the movie was better able to draw out that emotion and linger on it.

On the other hand, the comic had the edge on delivering the story and was full of rich detail that the movie cut back on a bit, no doubt due to time constraints. The comic book provided this detail by featuring a section at the end of each chapter that was not actually in comic book form. Instead these sections were presented as extracts from biographies, text books, letters, newspapers and advertising.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking read and gripping enough for me to read the whole lot in a single day, despite already knowing the ending. Well worth the time.

Really glad I read this before the movie – although I’m hugely looking forward to seeing everything brought even more to life.

The story is great: in an alternate 1985, super heroes are ‘real’ – in that costumed vigilanties really do roam the streets. Thing is, only one of ‘em really does have superpowers…

Meanwhile, Nixon is still in office, Russia is about to invade Afghanistan, and the whole world is on the brink of nuclear distruction. Can ordinary people in tights really help?

Starting with one of our ‘heroes’ being thrown to his death from a tall building, the story is built up in layers and flashbacks, all very cleverly done to grip the interest. How the original ‘Minutemen’ started up after the second world war, the not-so-slow decline of civilisation, the new generation of costumed heroes struggling with their lives. The chapters of comic panels are separated with faux newspaper articles, extracts from books, advertisements, all of which add depth to the story. Indeed, the action itself is interspersed with a comic-within-a-comic: the horrific tale of the Black Freighter, which has some interesting parallels.

Overall, this is a great story, with a bit of everything depending on how you want to view it: action, mystery, radioactive accidents… and psychology on both individual and global levels, as the hysteria leading up to a possible world war three permeates the whole book.

The only thing that didn’t really grip me was the artwork, which just felt a bit dated and un-zingy to me, although it does capture the bleakness.

This is a perfect example of Cold War hysteria. The format is fantastic, the artwork is amazing and the story is riveting.

I know this sounds like a generic review, but anyone with any appreciation for social awareness should read this novel. I’m surprise it’s not being consumed by more people here!