A review by jsjammersmith
Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach by Brian Azzarello, J.G. Jones, Lee Bermejo

5.0

Arguably the only really worthwhile of the Before Watchmen series. The Comedian and Rorschach are already dark characters and so assigning Brian Azzarello to dig into these characters world was a brilliant choice. This volume isn't without problems because, much like the previous book, these stories do not have the same level of depth as the source material they were inspired by. But this volume, at least in my opinion, solves that problem by telling stories that aren't meant to be works all on their own. These stories are supplements designed to provide some extra background to the near infinite detail that is the Watchmen graphic novel.

Comedian/Rorschach is a book which can leave the reader disgusted and repulsed by the sheer amount of violence and darkness. And while at times these can come across as a bit gratuitous, they still feel like honest representations of the characters rather than just cheap pulp designed to cash in on nostalgia. Rorschach's story especially felt like an addition to his character rather than just an empty shadow of it.

As for the Comedian, there was far more attention paid to showing him as the negative Forrest Gump who goes to Vietnam rather than the bizarre political operative he was.

But as I said, Brian Azzarello makes this volume what it is, and out of the Before Watchmen universe, this one remains my favorite.