Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1

Before Watchmen: Rorschach

by Brian Azzarello, Len Wein (Backup writer), Lee Bermejo (Illustrator)

“What made you this way?” And don’t miss the latest chapter of the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup epic from writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Superheroes

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2012

About the author

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).

In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.

As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.

information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...

Reviews

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rorschach issue one is beautifully drawn. The gritty realism that Lee Bermejo gives in his illustrations is something worth seeing. But behind the gloss and the blood of the painted city is hides some serious problems with the Rorschach's Before Watchmen series.

This is the work of award-winning writer Brian Azzarello. He also did that awful Comedian series. Though Azzarello builds up the overall tone of the story and its world, he seemed to have it all wrong in characterization of Rorschach (as what he have done with the Comedian). The first thing that Watchmen fans will be looking for must be faithfulness to the original material. Deviation and personal interpretation is welcomed, but the core must be there. Rorschach is way more than a detective vigilante as what he is portrayed here in the series. He is the readers' eyes to whatever is happening in this world, the true watchman. Our protagonist and the narrator.

So you do not separately introduce a main character without him, like The Bard who I suppose is the main antagonist in this 4-issue series. Rorschach can be beat up, but it is such an utter disgrace to see him beaten.

I'm sorry to tell that the script is lazy too. No this is not a rant because I have absolutely loved Azzarello's other works. Forgiven, that the journal entry narration is not at par with Alan Moore's, but for the love of Dr. Manhattan, I never expected that he will commit the "never leave a character to die without making sure about his death" cliche.


The "bad people leaving without seeing the protagonist really die" cliche

To be fair, Rorschach is accurately depicted as brutal and very capable of fighting mano-a-mano against many.

Going back with the art, Bermejo's illustrations alone make this issue worth seeing. Although at some panels, Rorschach's inkblots looked like they're just being glued into the fabric. Also, why doesn't Rorschach wear pinstripe pants?

It's too early to judge if this series will go bad. It has some serious flaws yes, but it deserves another chance.

[Murphy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only have the first issue. Unfortunately, without all the ads, this is about half of one issue of a comic. Maybe I'll read the tpb edition someday.

[A. Hadessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

soooo schade.... Ich hatte gehofft zwischen den Zeilen und der genialen Zeichnungen etwas neues oder Hintergründe zu finden.
Aber MAN KANN DOCH NOCHT GÄNGIGE STANDARDS VON AUSSENSEITERN bei Rorschach benutzen. wiesoooooo soll er ne Frau ausführen und es vergessen?! Macht keinen Sinn, dass er so schwach am Anfang ist und nichts ganz zuende denkt. Das macht mich wütend.
so schade ich hatte auf etwas intelligentes gehofft. vielleicht mache ich nur n Poster aus einem der hinteren Bilder... mannnn

[مصطفي سليمان · Rating 3 out of 5]

من أحب الشخصيات لقلبي ف كل السوبر هيرو
للانه مش سوبر هيرو
راجل عادي وعنده فلسفة غريبة
دي قصته ما قبل واتش مين
معتمده علي مذكراته
في قاتل متسلسل وهو بيحاول يوصله وبيتضرب علقة موت في الاول
لكن مشكلتهم انهم سابوه عايش
اتمني اني استمتع بالاجزاء اللي جايه

[Benji's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee Bermejo's artwork is spectacular as always, but writer Brian Azzarello plays it safe and doesn't take any risks, mainly because this is a prequel series and anyone who has read WATCHMEN, knows how everything turns out.

[Charisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty excited when I got this for Christmas. I know comics are supposed to be short, but c'mon! Anyways, my thoughts:

Pros:
Great artwork. Loved it. Rorschach is figure to fear and respect, and I think they kept his appearance true. The story is interesting and thought-provoking. I love the nerdy diner girl..possible love-interest hmmmyesss?

Cons:
I feel like Rorschach's character was altered a bit. Of course with different writers this is bound to happen, but I the one thing I didn't like that they changed about him was his language. In the original graphic novel, Rorschach never cusses. In this, he does, quite a few times. I know it may not seem like a big deal, but I feel like that was an important attribute that set him aside from the other characters.

[عصام · Rating 4 out of 5]

الحقيقة أن رسومات
Lee Bermejo
كانت تحفة فعلا ومبهرة..
وبعض الكادرات كانت سنيمائية شديدة الحركة والحيوية، بدمج كادرين مثلا ومتابعة ما يحدث من حركة بينهما، رغم أن الكادرين على بعض كادر واحد كمكان.. وراعى إن الملابس والإعلانات وحتى أخبار الصحف، تكون معبرة عن فترة كتابة الأحداث 1977.. فاستحق كل نجوم تقييمي على الإبهار البصري فقط ورسم الشخصية..
لكن الغريب فعلا كان السيناريو !
فمع كل احترامي لعشاق الكاتب
Brian Azzarello
إلا أن الأحداث كانت متواضعة جدًا، والحبكة منعدمة، وعشرات الكادرات كانت حشو زائد رغم جمالها بصريًا، والتلاتين صفحة كوميكس تقدر تلخصهم في أقل من سطرين: "رورشاس" يبحث عن القاتل، وفي المجاري يعتدي عليه المجرمون بالضرب المبرح، ولكنه ينجو ويقول في آخر كادر: أنا لم أمت بعد !
صدق أو لا تصدق فهذا لم يصبني بخيبة الأمل أو الضيق، بل الحماس والثقة الكبرى بكتابنا المصريين الشباب، على قدرتهم كتابة ما هو أفضل بمراحل.. فقط بعد أن يجدوا يد المساعدة المناسبة والموثوق بها لنشر فن الكوميكس في مصر..

[Ben White · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art is good. The cover is really nice. Infinitely regressive Rorschach? Classy. In fact gluing the comic shut, framing it, and putting it on a wall would probably be the best use for it.

[Psykogwak · Rating 1 out of 5]

0*

[Guilherme Passos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Olha, começa bem, isso eu devo admitir. Começa de forma bem fiel ao Rorschach de Alan Moore, aquela coisa meio noir, com monólogos e uma panca de detetive, mas essa essência não é o suficiente, espera-se mais de um dos personagens mais icônicos das histórias de HQ.

Essa é uma história de origem e como toda boa história desse ramo, espera-se um conflito que faz com que o herói (nesse caso, o anti-herói) resolva punir o crime com as próprias mãos e por mais que os motivos de Rorschach sejam convincentes, a forma como o enredo se desenrola é bem fraquinha. Parece que tudo é automático demais.

A arte é muito boa, principalmente nas cores que dão um tom de animação às páginas.

Gosto muito de Brian Azzarello, mas essa obra deixou a desejar.

[Prof. Cue · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5/5 stars.

I absolutely cannot stand how they characterized Rorschach in this comic. Like, honestly. I felt they made him weak, the waitress love interest was highly unnecessary as was the serial killer, (You could have told the story without them both), and I didn't like how they made the big bad this powerful person able to take down Rorschach, but then weak enough that he could be taken down by common street thugs.

The art style felt 'extra' as it were, and really didn't feel like it was doing Dave Gibbon's original art justice, and the paneling also didn't feel right.

There are problems with this comic all around, and I can't consider this story part of Watchmen canon.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always thought of Rorschach as an intriguing character. I also really love the detailed art style. This comic solidifies my intrigue and leaves me wanting more - how will Rorschach deal with Rawhead? What consequences will come from Rorschach's unhealthy coping mechanisms through his mental issues and physical wounds acquired while trying to obtain justice? I will definitely continue this series to the end.

[Illumi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just read Rorschach and it shows that Alan is not involved in it. At all.

To DC, This isn't Rorschach. Get the right writer. Idiots.

To everyone else, Just the usual crap. Skip it and read Watchmen again.

[Абрахам Хосебр · Rating 5 out of 5]

Серед знавців комікс-художників Бермехо відомий своїм особливим стилем. Жорстка фактура облич , міміки , специфічні тіні і ефектні бойові сцени.
Він творець графічних романів ”Бетмен.Ноель” , ”Джокер” , ”Лекс Лютер” і свого авторського проекту ”Suiciders ”.

Перше , що кидається в очі че реалізм і жорстокість світу, котрий показує Азарелло своїм наративом, а Бермехо артом.


” Це місто боїться мене , боїться самого себе. В глибині серця кожен ховає істину – люди чужі одне-одному . Ми дикі звірі в бетонних клітках. ”
Цей комікс в чотири випуски розкриває подію з життя Волтера Ковача , він же Роршах , під час якої він побачив істинне обличчя міста.

Щоденник Роршаха
1 Липня , 1997 року.
” Я ненавиджу це місто . Ненавиджу ще з дитячих років. ”


Волтер згадує, як мати залишала його в новорічну ніч на верхівці будинку . Він стояв, тримаючись за поручні і дивився на небо , раз-у-раз там вибухали бліді ��скри феєрверків. Він був одягнутий тільки в піжаму , і пальці спочатку почервоніли , потім посиніли і вже під ранок, коли зійшло сонце , вони стали чорними від холоду. Він стояв і замерзав на даху будинку, поки його мати приймала п’яних клієнтів , одного за одним.

В дійсності Азарелло проникнувся історією персонажа і поглибив її.
Роршах бореться відразу проти двох загроз, котрі нависли над містом – банди колишніх ветеранів В’єтнаму на чолі з потворним обпеченим босом і проти маньяка на ім’я Бард.


Реалізм це друге ім’я цього творіння. Ковач аж ніяк не всевладний і непереможний . Він майже вмирає від тяжкої внутрішньої кровотечі , страждає від голоду, від самотності.
Він не вміє комунікувати з людьми, показувати їм свою приязнь . Він просто служить місту, котре боїться його.

Окремо варто похвалити атмосферні обкладинки Бермехо і інших художників , вони виконані віртуозно і кожна має певний контекст.

Загалом я абсолютно рекомендую цю річ до прочитання всім фанатам , Вартових , а також тим, хто не боїться жорстокої правди дикого міста.

[Wisdom Wasp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rorsach is one of the greatest comic book characters ever, and the standout from the Watchmen series, without question. The art here from Lee Bermejo is excellent, amazing really. The story begins to set up some good plot lines to follow, however the mischaracterisation of Rorsach as pointed out in some previous reviews can't be ignored.

[Dkolacinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of back stories is brilliant in both style and content, reflecting back on the golden age of super heroes but with a critical eye.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing artwork~

[Bobow Kiatwongwanich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art was so beautiful but that's about it. Story is decent but not really memorable. Nothing much. Ok to read, if you like Rorschach.

[Gustavo Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

é uma historia meio genérica, mas a arte é boa e tem frases legais

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooooh! A procedural!! A RORSCHACH PROCEDURAL!

HRRRM!

[Kasiopeia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assez bon comics, pas trop enfantin, assez sombre et avec une bonne histoire. Personnage très intéressant.

[Tom Lyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, oh dear. Of all the Watchmen prequels I have read (I'm still yet to read Comedian), this is the worst. The other Before Watchmen books, while still a bit unnecessary as any Watchmen spin-off could be since the original is fine on its own, are created by writers and artists who really understood and loved the original Watchmen graphic novel and knew what it was trying to say, and wanted to pay loving tribute to it. The miniseries Rorschach, however, has nothing of any interest in it. Its story is bland, the characters are boring, its pacing is abhorrent and there is virtually nothing of any value in it. It in no way feels like a Watchmen comic. There is no reference to anything else of the Watchmen universe beyond Rorschach himself. You could replace Rorschach with any gritty vigilante antihero and it would be no different. None of the creative genius of Watchmen can be found within this rubbish. The art is okay I'll freely admit, if a little too grimy and dark, but the book is nothing but an excuse to depict violence with no real meaning behind it. This is the quality of story you'd get from some Watchmen internet fan-fiction story. This lazy, mean-spirited, dull and pointless comic is an insult to people who love Watchmen and superhero fiction in general.

[claundici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watchmen is a 25-years-old opera, complete in its own, majestic and epic. This series of prequels, however, is wonderful news, no matter how grumpy original author Alan Moore is getting about them. It's like a fanfiction — or better yet, a doujinshi — getting blessed and christened and that I can buy and put on my bookshelf. And the artwork by Lee Bermejo is stunning (except maybe for a couple of 'lazy' cityscapes in the backgrounds but man, that stuff's hard and tiring).

Four stars because it's really good stuff. Here's hoping I'll get my hands on the other issues in the near future.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhhh... so-so story, nice art. Rorschach is a decent character: cool mask, tough, determined, lone wolf, vulnerable - I find him too vulnerable though. He's kind of just an angry ginger with some fighting and stealth abilities who gets lucky. The story here is wandering and hard to grab on to, the villains superfluous and their actions and motivations bizarre. I guess it's Rorschach's crazy world, where the city is dirty and full of random scum. Rorschach: the working-man's Batman. If only he was fleshed out more and his side stories were better written. Perhaps the series gets better, but I probably won't find out.

[Erikka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't do this! Don't ruin such an amazing character! Rorschach doesn't swear and he certainly doesn't choke down drugs. I realize this is a prequel, so maybe they're saying he did before he donned the mask, but that doesn't seem likely at all. This sucked! And the art style is weirdly dark and 3-dimensional. Do not want!

[Bruce Portman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had expected more, but it get of good to GOOD, so Rorschach still being my favorite watchmen of all, for all the times, not even Dr Manhattan can destroy that. Good gaphic novel with a pretty astonishing history.

[Sil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se nota que Alan Moore no está detrás de la pluma!
La historia fue bastante "naive". Aunque podría encajar con los comienzos de Walter como Rorschach, donde todavía no había asumido su papel plenamente.
Eso sí, la gráfica es excelente!
Veremos qué tal los otros "Before Watchmen"

[Susan Bin · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh so this was like reading joker again except i knew i didn't like it. i don't know what i expected

[s e n t i m e n t a l i t i e s olittlebear · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt rather disjointed but the last two pages were very good, and i'm not talking about the pirate stuff.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to the Before Watchmen: Rorschach series. Easily my favorite of the new series, right behind Night Owl's volume.