It's been nearly 35 years since Dr. Manhattan atomized Rorschach in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal masterpiece Watchmen, so how is the ink-blotted, fedora-wearing antihero back? And why has he partnered with another costumed killer to assassinate the first politician to challenge President Robert Redford in decades? Those mysteries and more will be explored in Rorschach, a new DC Black Label series coming from writer Tom King and artist Jorge Fornés.
The story will follow a steadfast detective trying to get to the bottom of it all. However, to do so, he's going to have to explore the twisted past of the Watchmen universe that will take him "deep into a dark conspiracy of alien invasions, disgraced do-gooders, mystical visions, and yes, comic books," according to a press release from DC Comics announcing the series. And though Rorschach has become an iconic character - both in real life and in the series' universe - the announcement assures that he is no hero. And judging by the preview pages released, things once again will end badly for the vigilante.
King, who has been teasing fans for months with hints of a new Watchmen project, said that the 12-issue maxiseries will hold a mirror up to the political turmoil and tumult being seen in the real world today. "Like the HBO Watchmen show and very much like the original ‘86 Watchmen, this is a very political work,” King said. “It’s an angry work. We’re so angry all the time now. We have to do something with that anger. It’s called Rorschach not because of the character Rorschach, but because what you see in these characters tells you more about yourself than about them.” The first issue will be released October 13 and carry a $4.99 price tag. The card stock cover will feature art from Fornés, and a variant cover will also be available with art by Jae Lee. Since the story will release under the DC Black Label, it's intended for readers 17 and up.
Watchmen is the best-selling (and probably most acclaimed) graphic novel of all time and was long thought to be un-filmable and un-adaptable, but the past decade or so has seen a deluge of attempts. 2009 brought with it the release of Zack Snyder's film version, which was and to much acclaim, Damon Lindelof continued the book's world in a wholly original story line for the HBO limited series.
While the October 13 release date may be a complete coincidence, the very first words readers see in the original book is one of Rorschach's journal entries: "Rorschach's Journal. October 12, 1985..." It could be chalked up to happenstance that this series is premiering a day after that first 's 35 anniversary, but given how intricately woven and layered Watchmen stories generally are, it certainly raises an eyebrow. Even the most seemingly minuscule details in Watchmen would often later prove to be symbolic of - or foreshadowing - something bigger down the road, so the timing (no pun intended) is curious. Coincidence doesn't seem to reside within the Watchmen universe. Is this simply a case of synchronicity, or is it another layer of the mystery? Fans will have to wait until Rorschach drops to find out.
