Rorschach #2 – Tom King, Writer; Jorge Fornes, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: For those looking for a deep dive into the mythology of the Watchmen world. Rorschach may not be for you. For those excited for a dense, character-driven thriller that uses its surroundings to build something fascinating, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Last issue revealed that Myerson, a reclusive comic book creator behind the famous pirate comics from the original series, was the man under the mask who tried to assassinate a Presidential candidate with his female accomplice. So now we seemingly know who was under the mask—the question is why? While some people compared the eccentric Myerson to the original Watchmen writer, it feels much clearer to me this issue that he’s supposed to resemble the enigmatic Steve Ditko—the creator of Rorschach’s inspiration The Question, who had a hand in the creation of some of comics’ biggest heroes and then retreated to his studio for decades working on deeply personal comics virtually no one ever got to read.
Our detective’s investigation has led him to the apartment building where Myerson spent most of his life, and this issue follows a similar pattern to the last—slowly unraveling the story through interviews with witnesses. By interviewing an old woman who briefly dated Myerson decades ago and an employee who assisted him when he was injured, the detective is able to piece together Myerson’s last days. It’s a story of resentment and obsession that explodes into a violent confrontation—one that is revisited when Rorshach and his accomplice entered the picture. Is everything as it seems? I’m still not sure, but I do know that if it is, King is being unambiguous that this Rorschach is not the hero of the story. He’s an obsessive, bitter man who seems to be the biggest villain of his own story. Two pages of his independent comic book, “The Citizen” are a fascinating look into the character’s complex psyche. This still feels more Brubaker-esque than King’s usual fare, but that’s a compliment. Another classic in the making.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
