Friday, August 17, 2012

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1 (of 4)

I have no way of knowing for sure - it's just a hunch - but I suspect that, of all the Before Watchmen comics, the toughest one to write must be the one starring Rorschach.

That comes from the fact that (in my opinion), he's the most popular character to emerge from the original series - and the most unusual.

A "normal" man, Rorschach is also virtually unhinged, unswerving in his dedication to fighting evil in all forms, and single-minded and brutal in his methods. In many ways, he's barely a hero.

Taking a figure like that and ending up with a fascinating character is a tribute to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (with a special tip of the hat to Steve Ditko, whose characters The Question and Mr. A were an obvious inspiration).

DC has again, wisely, turned the creative reins over to two top creators - writer Brian Azzarello, who tackles the gritty world of Rorschach with gusto, and artist Lee Bermejo, who creates a hard-edged, brutal world for the character to inhabit.

It's rough stuff, and certainly not for kids - but it's a brutal story that finds Rorschach tracking down a run-of-the-mill criminal, and finding himself in a deadly trap.

This isn't a story for everyone - it's gruesome. But it's true to the character and his original appearance, so most fans will love it.

Grade: A-

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3 comments:

El Vox said...

Something tells me Frank Miller or Warren Ellis might write some good Rorschach stories.

Anonymous said...

I believe a younger Frank Miller might have written some good Rorscach stories. I don't see any reason why Chuck Dixon couldn't do it. Maybe Alan Grant.

Chuck said...

All great candidates! WHo knows, given the success of the "Before Watchmen" series, maybe we'll see other creators get a shot at these characters. I'd love to see Ditko tackle Rorschach...