First, a very Happy Birthday to the incredible Tom King. Ever since Omega Men, I have picked up virtually every issue that he has written. I know that I’m not the only one. Tom is now set to bring another major character to life with another top notch creative team.
DC Comics has announced a Rorschach 12 issue maxi-series for DC Black Label. King will handle the write with art from Jorge Fornés, colors by Dave Stewart and letters by Clayton Cowles. Jae Lee will also be providing some variant covers. The story of one of the most interesting characters from Watchmen will be set 35 years after Dr. Manhattan turned him to dust.
As for the rest of the story, “It’s been 35 years since Ozymandias was exposed for dropping a giant telepathic squid on New York City, killing thousands and ending the public’s trust in heroes once and for all. The Minutemen are gone; only their memory lives on. Especially the infamy of Rorschach, who has become a cultural icon since Dr. Manhattan turned him to dust.
Rorschach may have spoken truth, but he wasn’t a hero.
So what does it mean when Rorschach reappears as part of a pair of assassins trying to kill the first candidate to oppose President Robert Redford in decades? Follow one determined detective as he walks backward in time, uncovering the identities and motives of the would-be killers, taking him deep into a dark conspiracy of alien invasions, disgraced do-gooders, mystical visions, and yes, comic books.”
That is way more information than we usually get in an initial synopsis. The best part is, we all know that is likely just a fraction of the story.
“Like the HBO Watchmen show and very much like the original ‘86 Watchmen, this is a very political work.” said King. “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.”
Rorschach #1 will be available on October 13, 2020 at your local comic book shops and digital retailers.
Photo Credit: DC Comics Rorschach character co-created by Dave Gibbons.