New Beginnings - Before Watchmen: Rorschach

This week we are once again dipping back into the world created by Alan Moore to view a well known character from the Watchmen. Many have seen Rorschach as the central point of the book and film due to his narrative throughout and also the added sidenotes. This is a theme that Brian Azzarello has continued to use throughout this new stand alone miniseries for Rorschach.

The story is a look at where Walter Kovacs has come from without revisiting his childhood too much, as it has already been covered in the original book. Instead this picks up more from when he was becoming the cutthroat detective that he is now known as. The peculiar twist to it is that this isn’t a shiny glorious story studded with moments of victory and triumph. Instead it’s more grimy and dirty - a tale that's been tainted by the surrounding city. Underlying it is also a secondary plotline that will no doubt develop, revolving around “The Bard” a serial killer who is carving quotes into his victims.

Rorschach is on the hunt to bust a drugs ring which has links to prostitution as well (an obvious motivator for him). By using his well known and direct approach for acquiring information he sees himself falling foul of an ambush. His resilience and drive keeps him alive and focused on his task at hand. Although he as to cover up the event to those who know him, he makes it very clear that his “muggers” didn’t make the mistake of attacking him, but instead the far more dangerous mistake of leaving him alive.

Another strange twist to this, and another mark of the time, is that we see Rorschach as Walter by choice. This is indicative of a time when his alternate persona hasn’t taken as much of a grasp on him and almost taken over using his paranoia and cynicism to fuel itself.

For the artwork throughout the issue Lee Bermejo has teamed up with Barbara Ciardo. Personally I have found this to be an equally crucial part of the issue with the actual writing; it has kept the feeling of the comic constant and enhanced it. When I first started reading it, I was reminded of the gritty style that first drew me into reading Detective Comics, but to its credit as well there is a feeling of age to the comic too. This is set in the Seventies and the comic feels like that further adding to the issue.

This is a cracking little comic delving into a much loved anti-hero. For fans I think this is an absolute must to read and you can see that it is going to grow rapidly into something even though it is a short four issues long. As a story, as an insight and as a collectors piece I would get on board while you can.

Matt Puddy is glad he missed sitting opposite "tubby Rorschach" at the cinema back in 2009.

New Beginnings - Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1

Between September 1986 and October 1987, Alan Moore created the award-winning Watchmen. It was always hinted and rumoured that he had wanted to create a prequel to it all where the Minutemen were looked at and where they evolved from. Sadly, the complete breakdown in the relationship between Moore and DC other the intervening decades has robbed us of whatever he had planned.

This week, DC have finally decided to stop even paying lip service to the big beardy one and have gone ahead and created their own prequels.

Before Watchmen: Minutemen is a new six part series penned by Darwyn Cooke - part of a larger publishing event that opens that world up from the comics and subsequent film.

Cooke has created numerous titles as well as also working as a storyboard artist on a number of different animated TV series. He's produced notable works on Batman and The Spirit as well as his own titles on IDW’s label. His career actually only started shortly before Watchmen was created and his good credentials could help him to settle the concerns of some fans and critics who have been wary of this event. These are certainly some big shoes to fill considering the accolades the original has received.

This first issue is designed to introduce all of the characters and their backgrounds as well. Using a vehicle that Moore created in the original, Cooke uses the creation of the book “Under the Hood” to review each of the respective heroes. It works in a good way in that instead of looking at a team dynamic (as this is even before that) it looks at the individual styles of them all. Using the original Minutemen picture, we get to see Hooded Justice, Silk Spectre, Nite Owl, (a very young) Comedian, Mothman, Captain Metropolis, Dollar Bill and The Silhouette.

All of these characters will seem familiar but - with the exception of the Comedian who is a much more deranged version - none of these are the people we know properly from Watchmen. These are their own moments of inception and first steps into the world of masked crime fighting. What is good is that they are all different from one another. For those who have read Watchmen they will know that the team worked well in its heyday but the diverse nature of each of the individual parts is fascinating. I loved that they had such differences in approach manner and mental state.

Whilst it is a new title, it has tried to stick to its roots as well. Both in the setting of the comic and the world around it, and its own production. The artwork is very similar in style to the original as well. There is a massive difference though. In the original work a three by three grid is used with repetitive motifs as well. This gave it form and format too. Cookes’ comic doesn’t follow this giving it an identity of its own. 

As a brand new comic trying to build foundations under a well established title you have to admit it is a very daunting task for any writer. In this instance I think that Cooke has done a good job by not only giving a new look on previously known characters, but by also not overstepping the mark. For fans of Watchmen I think that this is a must-have title and they should pick up a copy or pre-order the inevitable graphic novel. If you’ve not read the original, then I think that this is also something you can get into right now. This title is also a great precursor to what is still to come from Before Watchmen. Watch this space.

Matt Puddy is gearing up for two big new comics next week.