It’s no secret that we are big fans of Tom King’s work at Coffee & Heroes. Whether it was his Batman run, his defining Vision run at Marvel, his take on Mister Miracle or the ongoing Strange Adventures, there’s no denying that his work is among the most interesting and heavily discussed in Modern Comics. And not content with his achievements thus far, he is now taking on one of the Holy Grails of Comics – The Watchmen Universe.
Along with Artist Jorge Fornés, October will see the release of Rorschach #1 (available for Pre-order in the store).
King was asked how such an infamous character ‘who has only really existed in one time period’ (the 1980’s) has any sort of connection to 2020.
“Things are crazy right now,” the writer replied. “I mean, it’s insane; it’s driving people insane. And we have to talk about it; we have to try and make things that are as good as all that’s bad out there is bad, or else we’ll just surrender to it, and who wants to do that, who has the time to do that?
“The language of Rorschach is a language you can tell a story about a world like this in,” King continued. “It doesn’t work with Superman and Batman. Those are the wrong words. But Rorschach, he can talk to it, he can describe it, he can write it on a sign and march it down the street past all the heroes ignoring the truth that’s in front of them. The only way to write Rorschach is to be relevant.”
Anyone who caught the recent HBO Watchmen TV show will know that the Watchmen Universe can certainly be expanded upon, as long as it’s treated with care and respect. Where the Watchmen TV show soared, the 2012 Comic Event ‘Before Watchmen’ failed, with less than stellar sales and uneven critical reception across the titles (Though I would highly recommend both the Silk Spectre and Moloch titles as Stand-Outs).
Has the success of that HBO Watchmen Series inspired King? “Like the HBO Watchmen show and very much like the original ’86 Watchmen, this is a very political work. 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.”
Make sure to check out DC Connect #3 for the full interview with Tom King –
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/dc-connect-2020/dc-connect-3
As for the title itself? It already leads the way in pre-orders from the August PREVIEWS book in store, and is destined to be one of the biggest and most heavily discussed titles of the year. If it’s something that interests you, get in touch and we’ll get it added to your pull list. In the meantime? Here’s the Synopsis to get you thinking…
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.
Until next time…….
Alan