Rorschach #12 – Tom King, Writer; Jorge Fornes, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: And after all this, we’re here. The detective, the unnamed man whose destiny was intertwined with the Rorschach mask, has slowly pieced together a mystery involving a past Rorschach, a mad cult survivor, and two Presidential candidates. He uncovered a murderous conspiracy that implicated one candidate—and then revealed the other as the true mastermind of their own assassination plot. And now, with all the evidence in hand, he’s set to confront the villain with all their evidence of their culpability. But how do you take on the most powerful man in the world when he’s shown no problem killing anyone who crosses them? How do you get into his inner sanctum when he’s surrounded by people who will kill for him? Every panel of this final issue is packed with tension, even segments as simple as a man dressing to get ready for the most important meeting of his life.
This final issue asks an uncomfortable question—is there such a thing as accountability for the incredibly powerful? As the detective enters the inner sanctum of one of the most dangerous men in the world, you get the feeling that even the slightest wrong move could result in his death. When the explosion we’ve been waiting for comes, when Rorschach finally emerges, it almost feels like an anticlimax. It slips out when we’re not looking, exactly as the creative team intended. And just like that, a pandora’s box has been opened that will spill out into the Watchmen universe in ways we can’t predict. But that’s ultimately not the story we’re here to see. This story is rather limited in scope, the story of one simple man’s journey into a world that isn’t his own, and how it may unleash something terrible. I can’t wait to see how this story plays out when read as a whole now that this modern classic is complete.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
