He is also an emotionally honest writer. The actions have consequences, that the dark in the human soul is real, are the two guiding principles of his art. (Hence his anti-utopianism)

An extremely talented, emotionally honest, actions-have-consequences, people-have-a-dark-side, anti-utopian liberal clearly steeped in Western culture is going to produce stuff that seems a bit, well, conservative and/or libertarian.

Mr. Willingham: You, sir, are a breath of fresh air. FABLES is the most innovative thing I have read in forever. My wife bought me the entire set of graphic novels for Christmas, and I am loving them.

In the massive conservative wreckage of the last eight years, this self-validation through the negative example of decades-old supposed stupid liberal art at least a security blanket the right can cling to, ratty and sad though it may be. But notice that when Jonah or Bill Willingham decry some aspect of liberalism as “nonsense” it’s invariably a phantom they’ve conjured in order to dispel–from Goldberg’s mischaracterization of 80s anti-Reaganism to Willingham’s confusion between Moore’s construction of the Ozymandias character and Moore’s actual politics. The size of the nuts it takes for conservatives to sneer “nonsense” at liberalism right now–you guys must have to walk around with a wheelbarrow in front of you.

And finally, I could read Scott Lobdell criticize Alan Moore *all day*. It’s like Mel Sharples complaining about Julia Child. Whereas Jonah criticizing Alan Moore is like one of the Mole Man’s subterranean Moloids badmouthing Reed Richards.

A common burglar may have shot Spiderman’s Uncle Ben but he was quickly facing The Vulture and the Green Goblin. I don’t think people would still be reading comics if it was Batman vs. Tony Soprano. Super Heroes need Super Villains and the in the world of the Watchman there weren’t any.

The nemesis’s were closer to what could be found in the Pulp Magazines of the 30’s and 40’s. Rorschach was based on The Question but he was also very much like Popular Publications The Spider. Except for the fact that they dressed in costumes all of the heros were more like pulp heros then comic heroes. The only person in he entire comic who had super powers was Dr. Manhattan. Without super villains the heroes wind up working for the government or retiring. The Owl may have been like Batman but he was also a bit like Doc Savage or Richard Benson.

It seemed to me that ultimately Ozymandias was Lex Luthor (or Dr. Doom if you prefer). He gave Oz a better or more realistic reasoning then LL but the ego and logic underpinning were the same.

As for comics now killing off Bruce Wayne and Steve Rogers. I’m sure they’ll be back if for no other reason then copyrights. DC brought back all of the other earths so I suspect they’ll be back too. Marvel brought back Bucky and DC Jason Todd. DC even brought back Thomas Wayne and made him a villain so I doubt that Bruce and Steve are gone forever.

Not that I’m a cynic or anything.