Subject: (urth) Re: Watchmen [Digest urth.v028.n034]

From: John Bishop <jbishop at blkbrd.zko.dec.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 17:58:10 +0000

I had a different impression than Alex; Veidt saw a war coming
(and we readers are made to see the same, so he is correct),
and used a drastic but relatively cheap method to stop it.

I liked the character: so many superheros are just beefcake,
and this guy was not only strong but smart, and had thought
long and hard about this issue; the part I liked least was 
the killing of the servants and the destruction of his
"Fortress of Solitude"-analog.  But it was necessary.

Does that make him evil?  I don't know; my emotional reaction
is yes, he shouldn't kill others to save many more (_fiat_
_justica,_ruat_coeleum_, "do justice even if the heavens fall"
if I have the Latin right), but perhaps megadeath has a quality
all its own.

Does it make a difference that Veidt knew what was going to happen,
but Severian can't really picture it?

Plus I loved the tweaks to the conventions of comics: he tells
the nominal heros his plan, but they can't do anything, 'cause
its too late.

	-John Bishop

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