Review: Before Watchmen- Comedian/Rorschach
Quick Summary
Pros: Both the Comedian and Rorschach’s stories feature plenty of great moments for their respective characters. The volume’s artwork is consistently positive.
Cons: Both stories have problems that prevent them from being as good as they could have been.
Overall: This is a collection with some specific but powerful appeal. The volume is a great showcase for both the Comedian and Rorschach, delivering stories that emphasize what makes these characters interesting to read. However, the stories themselves have some structural problems that prevent them from reaching their full potential. In the end, this is a book for fans of these characters who simply want to see more of them.
Story
Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach, by Brian Azzarello, is a compelling read, albeit with a few problems. Both of this volume’s stories offer plenty when it comes to writing great adventures for their main characters. The Comedian’s twisted view of morality and Rorschach’s unrelenting dedication to wiping out crime are on display in a way that is entertaining to see. However, the Comedian story starts out a bit slow and Rorschach story has a lackluster conclusion. This creates a volume that works as a wonderful character showcase but doesn’t work quite as well as a standalone comic.
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Comedian/Rorschach opens with an overview of the Comedian’s time working for the government. It is a dark story that matches the Comedian’s sociopathy tendencies. Here, he sacrifices the people around him and the few remaining pieces of his own humanity in order to push forward in America’s most morally ambiguous war. It serves as a testament to how dark this character is and how his brand of extremism can lead to equally bad decisions being made in the real world.
The biggest problem with this story is that it takes a bit before it gets truly interesting. The first and most of the second chapter are focused on explaining the Comedian’s ties to the Kennedys and setting up his move to Vietnam rather than doing something significantly interesting on their own.
The second half of Comedian/Rorschach details a few days in the life of Rorschach. Rorschach’s simplistic worldview and overwhelming determination made him one of the standout characters in Watchmen and seeing him again here is nearly as entertaining. Watching him struggle no matter the odds and no matter the situation is a testament to willpower, even if this willpower is energizing some seriously questionable motives.
The downside to this story is that it ends too quickly. The main narrative has Rorschach get lucky in escaping imprisonment by his enemies and has the main villain fall victim to random violence. Meanwhile, the side-story ends with a serial killer being caught before the weight of his presence really gets a chance to fully impact the narrative. I would have really liked to see one or two more chapters to Rorschach’s story, as it feels like a slightly longer story could have made this truly noteworthy.
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Art
Though the stories in Comedian/Rorschach have their ups and downs, the artwork is consistently positive. J.G. Jones approaches the Comedian chapters with a realism that suits the serious nature of this particular story. Together with Alex Sinclair’s colors, these visuals are able to excellently respond to the shifting moods found within the Comedian’s wild journey, allowing them to jump from nostalgic to crazed at the drop of a hat. Then, in the Rorschach chapters, things get even darker. Lee Bermejo’s gritty and realistic visuals perfectly capture the Rorschach’s city street-level approach to crimefighting. It emphasizes the dirt and grime covering the city while constantly contrasting it against light from buildings and the glow of neon. Altogether, the artwork in this volume is high quality and is simply great to see.
Continuity
Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach is one of several prequels to the Watchmen series. Though technically set before Watchmen, it is best to read this book after reading Watchmen.