From the class Integrative Seminar 2 · Learning Portfolio post, January 31, 2020
Before: This is a panel from the comic book Watchmen by Alan Moore in 1985. In this panel, Nite-Owl and The Comedian stand atop Archie, the ship, while the Keene Act is being passed by President Nixon. The pair stands above a wild group of protestors and angry citizens who support the Keene Act which will outlaw masked vigilantes. Beforehand this just seemed like another hurdle for the protagonists to overcome and now the government and people would be against them too. I mainly saw it from the protagonists’ perspective.
After: Reading Susan Sontag’s Regarding the Pain of Others I found that I focused more on the perspective of the people. The people are depicted physically and metaphorically lower than the “heroes” of the story. They are angry and upset that the vigilantes are imposing their personal views of justice onto the populous and enforcing them. The people get shot at attacked for showing retaliation and wanting to reclaim their justice system from people dressed in costumes.
Originally posted on my Parsons Learning Portfolio.