Quote Originally Posted by Rynjin View Post
Most people don't "identify" with Rorschach (though there are definitely some crazies out there) but it's hard not to sympathize with the guy who comes closest to making a difference and has principles he stands behind.

A man's convictions and efforts can be laudable without condoning all of his actions and beliefs. Refusing to bow to tyranny, even in the face of death, may not be SMART, but it is courageous.

Rorschach is given the option to either lend his tacit approval to an act of terror and the creation of a new shadow regime, or die. Niteowl chooses to either truly bend the knee and give up, or perhaps play the long game, it's left somewhat ambiguous. Both options are understandable. Neither are perfect.

Off topic: Love your new profile pic.
While I get what you mean, the old adage of "close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades" comes to mind... and while it has admittedly been a while since I've read Watchmen, I feel like a lot of the stuff Rorschach stands so firmly for is also pretty ****ty. Like he'd for sure find me to be an inherently evil person simply by my personal existence.

All that which is to say; dogmatically standing for your ideals no matter what can seem laudable, but it matters what those ideals are using as a foundation. A modern day Rorschach would probably believe certain modern day bugaboos that would make him feel a LOT less easy to sympathize with, and it's really only in contrast TO Veidt's evil that the man comes off as even remotely good (and even then, barely).

I think Niteowl was thinking of working from within the system to try and undermine Veidt, when the moment is right. There's a lot to say about how this sort of strategy doesn't... work, basically ever, but fundamentally speaking "avoiding dying so you can fight in the future" is more productive long term, imo. Ultimately the ending is simply where Watchmen kinda falls apart; Rorschach looks too heroic in contrast to Veidt's banal "for the greater good" villainy, Niteowl and Spectre are too ineffective and perhaps too reflective of a world where the Veidt's of the world are winning, and Veidt's plan is doomed from the start; not because of the journal, or because of the errors in his coverup, or because Manhatten may return one day, but simply because "there is no world where this actually unifies all nations under a single banner". Even if only for a moment, it just isn't reasonable to assume that'd work. Used to be, and in a sense (bitter though it may be) that might actually paint Watchmen as a surprisingly optimistic story.

Thanks! I could have sworn I've been using this one for the better part of a year now but I guess not. This is the full version.