HUGO AWARD WINNER A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. In an alternate America, a murder mystery evolves into an ominous, planet-wide conspiracy in a world where superheroes shifted the course of history as we know it. The compact paperback edition of the groundbreaking masterpiece from comics legends Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons that took apart the infallible superhero archetype, forever changing graphic storytelling. It s the 1980s The United States has emerged victorious in the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon remains in office, and the Cold War rages on. Superheroes have been outlawed, with some going into retirement, some becoming government agents, and still others turning to vigilantism. And an unknown assassin is stalking a group of heroes who ve fallen from grace, plagued by all-too-human failings. After this scattered team Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan, and Ozymandias comes together to mourn a friend, they discover that the murder is part of a larger plot to upend the fragile geo-political balance and spread calamity across the world. Graphic novels to read anywhere: DC Compact Comics collect DC s bestselling, most iconic stories in a new size! This portable pocket edition is a great entry point for fans new to Watchmen! 'A landmark in the graphic novel medium.' Time Magazine. 'Watchmen is peerless.' Rolling Stone.