15 DC Comics Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die
3. Watchmen
The inclusion of Watchmen on this list is probably a 'no duh' entry for a lot of people but it still absolutely deserves a mention.
Watchmen, written by personification of grumpiness Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons, is a masterpiece and one of the most important comics ever written. It's a dark and cynical deconstruction of the superhero genre, featuring complicated heroes whose attempts to do good are hampered by their own deep personal failings, and contains levels of intricate detail and reference that make multiple readings essential, such as one issue's layout being completely symmetrical throughout and the in-universe comic "Tales of the Black Freighter" which subtly foreshadows the plot of the series.
Watchmen showed the world that comics could be more than just children's entertainment, even making it onto TIME's top 100 novels, and paved the way for them to tackle more adult themes (even if it was for better or worse in some cases).
By this point there are probably very few people who need to be told to go read Watchmen so here's a bonus bit of trivia instead. Watchmen is the only graphic novel on this list not to tie into the DC Universe, but it's characters are all based off of, and were even originally intended to be, characters the company bought from the defunct Charlton Comics. They include The Question (Rorschach), Captain Atom (Dr. Manhattan), Blue Beetle (Nite Owl), Peacemaker (The Comedian), Thunderbolt (Ozymandias) and Nightshade (SIlk Spectre).