We are so close to the conclusion of Rorschach. I can’t wait to see how this year-long adventure will play out, and this issue had a quick panel that shows our still-unnamed detective isn’t revealing all the information to his employers. This issue is probably the tamest in the series — I researched the new names mentioned in this issue, and I can’t see any connections from the real world or comics that could connect any threads. Despite that, I had a good time with the issue as it caused me to go back and analyze the art for more hints.
Starting with the cover by Jorge Fornes, I thought it was our detective in the middle of Laura “the kid” Cummings and Wil “Rorschach” Myerson, but then I saw the blood. That gut wound reminded me of the body discovered in the last issue; we also get to find out more about this new character, Jonathan Oates. My initial thought about the cover was the two “voices” of Wil and Laura were getting into the headspace of our detective. These covers have been a great bonus in this series because of how open they are to interpretation — fittingly, they can act as a Rorschach test themselves.
I like the framing device Tom King uses for this story. It’s a conversation between our detective and Alan, Turley’s campaign manager — their discussion is about the late Jonathan Oates and how he came to find himself wrapped up in this mystery. We learn about Jonathan and his backstory of work in the military and securities, which would help him get involved with Laura and Wil. Plus, we get to see a change in history as in this world as Jonathan was a Seal who was part of a group who captured Osama bin Laden before September 11th could happen. It is revealed to us that President Robert Redford gave Jonathan a Medal of Honor with that action.
I enjoy how that link leads to a chain of events wherein we are potentially shown how Jonathan helped Wil and Laura get into the rally. As the detective explains his findings, make sure you read what is said and compare it to the art for what is happening. Our detective holds back a clue, and you’ll find out at the end if you didn’t catch it earlier. With that bit of analysis at the end, I wonder why our detective would want to investigate Alan. This issue might be a good drive to go back and reread the previous issues before our big finale.
Jorge Fornes does an excellent job with taking Tom King’s dialogue and making it an issue to keep the story moving forward. I’m sure there are ideas planted here that will pay off, and I also feel that this issue would help us keep an eye on Alan and what has happened with him in previous issues as we have newer information. Page 16 has some exciting art and words — why would Jonathan say, “this is the story he always wanted to read” while smiling? The back cover presses some substantial questions, such as “is this kind of thing even possible?” and “is this real?” — those are some loaded questions to ask. Are we reading a comic about the spirit of Rorschach possessing people…or maybe this is a story of setup?
While this is a slower, tamer issue, Rorschach #10 is nonetheless a good addition to the series with new developments that tease the reader and makes that monthly wait even harder. Knowing what you know now, it might be a good time to go back and check facts.
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