NB of the Week

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2 (of 4)
Written By - Brian Azzarello
Drawn By - Lee Bermejo
 Through it's up and it's downs, all the minis that are in the Before Watchmen line have been fun looks into the characters of the beloved original series. While some have had their slow starts and others have be grand beginnings, none stand out for me as much as Rorschach.
When it comes to a plot, Rorschach stands one of the most basic. Evil is afoot and it stands to the crazy one to stop the vile that is in the streets. Plot is nothing new here. However, the creators on this title are the winning point. Bermejo's art is dark and gritty and rough and it makes the hatred that Rorschach feels for humanity all that more grim. His crisp lines make you feel the jointed and almost simple vision that Rorschach himself sees everything in. It's very easy to tell who the scum are.
Added with it are the equally gritty and grim words by Brian Azzarello, who may be one of the most macabre writers in the genre. Every journal entry from Rorschach screams out in the black poetry that Moore practically created for comics those 25 years ago:
"Undeniable fact that everyone denies is that at its heart, the world is a cold place. It doesnt care whether you live or die, or how you live or how you die. To the world, you don't matter. You dont matter to the person sitting next to you. They wont give their life for you. They shouldn't. Accepting this truth was liberating. Gave me clarity. Gave me a mission. I understand there are two kinds of people in this world. Victims...
And me."
As great as I have found these minis so far, nobody has nailed it the way these two have on Rorschach. I can only hope that everything ends as well as I feel it has began.