Take a photo of a barcode or cover
wombat929 's review for:
Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach
by Brian Azzarello
There are two schools of thought about creating something like Before Watchmen. One group is appalled that a classic like Watchmen would be tampered with at all. It is a glistening jewel of perfection, an icon of graphic narrative that ought to be left alone. Anything less is artistic sacrilege. The other group argues that comics have always been a medium of revivification, of amplification and remix, and this is particularly true of remix as well. The people in the first group are angry that Before Watchmen was produced at all. The second are interested to see what these talented artists and writers would do with this venerable property. Then there is a third group, of which I am a member, who agrees with both groups. So I read Comedian/Rorschach with some trepidation, but also eagerly.
The Comedian's story reveals his shift from badass patriot to cynical badass patriot, from jokester to cynical jokester. Rorschach's story was much more firmly established by Moore and Gibbons in the comic, so the tale just follows a bit more from his early career as a vigilante. Both are fine tales comics as written, but neither feels like it alters or builds what's in the original comic. I think after I read all three collections I'll re-read Watchmen to see what additional insight I have, if any, on the characters and the story.
The Comedian's story reveals his shift from badass patriot to cynical badass patriot, from jokester to cynical jokester. Rorschach's story was much more firmly established by Moore and Gibbons in the comic, so the tale just follows a bit more from his early career as a vigilante. Both are fine tales comics as written, but neither feels like it alters or builds what's in the original comic. I think after I read all three collections I'll re-read Watchmen to see what additional insight I have, if any, on the characters and the story.