(P/B) BEFORE WATCHMEN
COMEDIAN / ROSSCHACH - BRIAN AZZARELLO

The prequels to the best-selling graphic novel of all time are finally here: BEFORE WATCHMEN! For over twenty years, the backstories of the now-iconic characters from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' landmark graphic novel have been the subject of much debate and theorizing. Now, DC Comics has assembled the greatest creators in the industry to further paint the world of WATCHMEN. This volume features THE COMEDIAN, with art by J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS) and RORSCHACH, illustrated by Lee Bermejo (JOKER), both written by Eisner Award-winner Brian Azzarello (TOO BULLETS). Edward Blake's moral code, much like his sense of humor, is darkly ambiguous. Though he's a man of dubious principles and ambition, there's no doubt he's the man for the job if it's a dirty one. Dispatched by the shadow workers of the government in a time of international crisis, the COMEDIAN enters the theater of war to have the last laugh. It was clear to Walter Kovacs from a young age that he had an innate sense of right and wrong, even if no one else did. Frustrated by the surrounding sin of the world and motivated by his unshakable morality, he became the vigilante known as RORSCHACH. As a masked hero, Walter is able to see the stark contrasts of good and evil in black and white and uphold justice as he sees fit. (From the publisher) Praise for BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN "Comedian is a surprising approach for one of the most maligned characters in the history of comics that lets the reader be interested in Eddie, rather than disgusted by him" (IGN) "J.G. Jones has been gone from the DC fold for too long and it's a travesty. The way he brings history alive in this book from the real-life visages of the famous to the backgrounds to the cars - everything is simply 100% authentic" (Ain't It Cool News) "Jones inhabits the universe while not being completely beholden to it, slickly telling his story and playing around with panel conventions on the page in a very modern way" (Comic Book Resources) Praise for BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH "Putting vigilantism under a microscope, Before Watchmen: Rorschach, DC Comics' new prequel to Alan Moore's classic saga, is a darkly gritty and terrifically edgy read" (Fangoria) "Bermejo expertly captures the grit and general sense of hopelessness in this world. The book is almost pretty in its ugliness... If any Before Watchmen book could be read and enjoyed with no knowledge of the original Watchmen, it's probably this one" (IGN) "The collaboration between Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo is perfectly suited to this story" (Comic Book Resources) Discover what happened before WATCHMEN as Eisner Award-winning writer and creator Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS) brings his gritty, nuanced storytelling to these two recognizable characters with celebrated artists Lee Bermejo (JOKER, LUTHOR, BATMAN: NOEL) and J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS, Wanted), as they reveal the never-before-seen histories of the world BEFORE WATCHMEN!