Before Watchmen – Rorschach #2 Review

Comic: Rorschach #2Written By: Brian AzzarelloPencils By: Lee BermejoPublisher: DC ComicsRelease Date: OUT NOW IN STORES & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (VIA COMIXOLOGY)Rating: Despite his brutal approach to scumbags, Rorschach got beaten up pretty badly last issue and he's still suffering from it this month. However Rorschach being Rorschach that's not enough to keep him down and in this issue he unleashes his own brand of ass kicking on Rawhead's boys and fans of the masked anti-hero should be very pleased with his methods. Rorschach's straight forward approach is for want of a better word, adorable. His brutality is almost too good in this issue. Taking down bad guys without them even knowing he's there with a truck and a little bottle of alcohol is the sort of thing it's great seeing Rorschach do but as his wounds overcome his ability to keep going and writing his journal and when Rawhead finds out he's still alive after their last run it, it''s dark times ahead for our lead character. This miniseries continues to look beautiful with Bermejo's artwork and the combination of 80s thriller villains and Rorschach journal entries ("I understand there are two kinds of people in this world. Victims... and me" - AMAZING!) this four issue miniseries celebrates all there is to love about Rorschach and still offers up a darker side to his approach to crime fighting. All of this gives Rorschach the feeling of a cult 80s thriller. Vietnam Vets, dodgy pimps and their girls and a central badass here to clean it all up and even better, his methods are harsher than those of his victims. Rorschach continues to shine as a character that's easy to love and while his miniseries feels like a glimpse at his day to day mission rather than anything that will have a larger impact in the Before Watchmen run, it's all you really need for the fan favourite especially when he puts a shard of glass in bad guys mouth and follows it up with something rather nasty. Who doesn't love this masked maniac? More of the same next month please!

Before Watchmen: Week 17 Overview:

"No real progression in the Before Watchmen line but even if that remains the case all the way to the end of the series, there's no denying how much fun some of these weeks are, especially when Rorschach is at his nastiest. Next week we're back to Dr. Manhattan and it'll be interesting to see where the rather large curveball at the end of issue #1 goes in his issue #2. Next week could be a game changer and Before Watchmen's could very well start coming together a little more. See you next week."