Arguably the most critically acclaimed graphic novel of the century, “Watchmen” is finally hitting the big screen, much to some people’s chagrin, including the creator’s.

Come March 2009, we’ll all be watching the Watchmen. Zack Snyder (“300”) is the director adapting the popular and prestigious comic book, which won a Hugo Award (the only comic book ever to have the honor) and has been featured on The New York Times list of the 100 Best English-Language Novels.

The graphic novel was written by Alan Moore, also known for his comic, “V for Vendetta,” and was illustrated by Dave Gibbons. “Watchmen” was first published in 1986 as a 12-issue limited series. The two creators came up with “Watchmen” when they decided to work together on a new story that transcended the juvenile idea of the typical superhero comic book.

Moore has said in an interview with the magazine “Strange Things Are Happening” that his goal with “Watchmen” was to create “a superhero Moby Dick; something that had that sort of weight, that sort of density.”

The graphic novel takes place in a parallel universe to our own in the year 1985, where superheroes and masked vigilantes fighting for truth and justice are a reality, and nuclear tension between the United States and the Soviet Union is very real. The story focuses on a group of washed-up former superheroes, their lives and interactions with each other and the discovery that someone might be trying to eliminate them. Relationships, politics and the apocalypse are some of the few running themes “Watchmen” weaves into the plot.

So, what is it exactly about the graphic novel that has made it so attractive to so many readers? One of the most unusual facts about the graphic novel is that none of the superheroes actually have superpowers, except one.

“It was so easy to have an effect,” Moore told the “Comics Britannia” mini TV-series, “because the majority of the writers and artists who had come before us had never thought of challenging any of the assumptions regarding the superhero genre.”

The humanity of the characters allows them to expose their flaws and mortality, making the plot of “Watchmen” that much more interesting to follow.

The graphic novel speaks for itself. The story, interwoven with the illustrations, makes a truly unique creation. Many fans and critics wonder if the film can live up to the huge hype surrounding it, especially since Moore is famously against film adaptations of his works, claiming he makes them in a way that can’t be reproduced on film. In a recent interview with Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times, Moore revealed (not for the first time) his thoughts on the upcoming movie.

”The ‘Watchmen’ film sounds like … regurgitated worms. I, for one, am sick of worms. Can’t we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change.”