Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Doomsday Clock | Tagged: Alan Moore, rorschach, Tom King, Watchmen

Is Tom King Making The New Rorschach Alan Moore? (Spoilers)

This is the solicitation for issue #2 of Rorschach, the unauthorised sequel to Watchmen by Tom King and Jorge Fornes, published by DC Comics. Followed by a little speculation on our part.

RORSCHACH #2
What's the connection between an aging comic book artist and Rorschach? That's the question the detective investigating the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate must answer. Wil Myerson, a reclusive artist known for his pirate comics, went from drawing the adventures of Pontius Pirate and the Citizen to working with a mysterious young woman hellbent on making sense of a post-Watchmen world. Somewhere in the life of Wil Myerson lies the key to learning more about Rorschach.

We have seen promotional artwork, with an older man and a younger man together. This might suggest that this Wil Myerson is Rorschach. Which means a comic book creator from yesteryear is the new Rorschach.

As for Pontius Pirate, his comic book creation, in other promotional artwork, we have seen that is being made into a movie.

DC Comics and Alan Moore fell out pretty spectacularly over DC's decision to not hand back ownership of Watchmen as originally intended, but to use the new developing graphic novel market as a way to keep Watchmen in print, under their ownership, and eventually turn into movies, TV shows, merchandise and comic book prequels and sequels.

Tom King has also talked about how Alan Moore basically turned Steve Ditko into Rorschach, echoing the objectivist views of his favoured philosopher Ayn Rand, and characters, The Question and Mr A.

Could Tom King have done the same to Alan Moore? Having this character reflect the views of a person who feels he has been ripped off by a major multi-media conglomerate over decades, and taking revenge? While in the very same comic book that is doing just the thing Alan Moore, and Dave Gibbons despaired at?

That is meta as all hell. Even for Tom King. Could it actually criticise the very corporate act of seizing of intellectual property that it is a part of, in the actual comic book itself?

It was a mad theory. But I asked around. And one person told me that a) they didn't think so bit b) would check and on returning c) told me "ohhhhhhh maybe." I am told the line "he's a crazy shut-in type, but there's people worship who him" might apply. And there are also appearances of real-life comic book creators with no analogues necessary.

For the rest, we'll have to wait and judge for ourselves. Rorschach #1 is published on October 13th.

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