Rorschach Arkham Release
Self-taught, zero MFA, and the artist who put Rorschach's ink-stained rage on a page in Before Watchmen.
Bermejo walked into a WildStorm office as an intern in 1997 with almost no formal training to show for it — he's been self-taught the entire way through, and still is. His first credited art page landed in Gen13 #43 (Sept. 1999), and after that he kept filling interiors and covers across the industry as an American comic book writer and artist. The work people pin to him, though, is the Azzarello pairing: Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, the Joker graphic novel, and the one that pulled him straight into the Watchmen orbit — Before Watchmen: Rorschach.
Lore & Background
Lee Bermejo's work on Before Watchmen: Rorschach (2012–2013) was a collaboration with writer Brian Azzarello, continuing their partnership that began with Lex Luthor: Man of Steel (2005) and the Joker graphic novel (2008). In this limited series, Bermejo provided interior art and cover art, depicting Walter Kovacs in a story set before the events of the original Watchmen. The series explores Rorschach's uncompromising nature and his violent pursuit of justice. Bermejo's artistic style, honed through earlier projects like Batman: Noël (2011) which he both wrote and drew, brought a gritty, detailed visual approach to the character. Bermejo's career also includes drawing the Superman story in Wednesday Comics (2009) and launching Suiciders for Vertigo and We Are Robin for DC Comics in 2015.
Reader's Guide
For fans exploring Bermejo's Before Watchmen: Rorschach, the series is best understood as a prequel that expands on Rorschach's backstory without contradicting the original Watchmen timeline. Key issues include #1-4 of the limited series, published from 2012 to 2013. Bermejo's interior art is notable for its use of heavy shadows and detailed linework, which he developed through his self-taught approach. The collaboration with Azzarello mirrors their earlier work on Joker (2008), where they similarly explored a villain's perspective. Readers should note that Bermejo also drew variant covers for Action Comics #1000 (June 2018) and contributed to All-New X-Men #25 (2014) and Daredevil vol. 2 #100 (2007) for Marvel. His style is consistent across these projects, characterized by realistic proportions and atmospheric lighting.
Did You Know?
- Lee Bermejo's first credited comics work was in Gen13 #43, published in September 1999.
- He was nominated for a 2023 Eisner Award for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist for A Vicious Circle.
- Bermejo drew the 2000s variant cover for Action Comics #1000, released in June 2018.
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