A New York Times Best Seller!

The controversial, long-awaited prequels to the best-selling graphic novel of all-time are finally here: BEFORE WATCHMEN! For over twenty years, the back stories of the now iconic characters from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's landmark graphic novel have remained a mystery, until now. DC Comics has assembled the greatest creators in the industry to further paint the world of WATCHMEN, with this second volume starring two of the most polarizing anti-heroes ever, COMEDIAN and RORSCHACH.

Eisner Award-winning writer and creator of 100 Bullets Brian Azzarello brings his gritty, nuanced storytelling to these two recognizable characters. In RORSCHACH, Azzarello again teams with superstar artist Lee Bermejo (JOKER, LUTHOR, BATMAN/DEATHBLOW) to illustrate how one of most dangerous vigilantes the comic world has ever seen became even darker. COMEDIAN, featuring art by J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS, Wanted), plants the famed war hero within the context of American history, as we find out how the Vietnam War and the Kennedy assassination revolve around him.

Collects BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN 1-6 and BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH 1-4.

Brian Azzarello is the writer and co-creator of the award-winning Vertigo series 100 BULLETS. Azzarello's other writing credits for DC Comics include the graphic novel JOKER, as well as BATMAN: BROKEN CITY, LUTHOR, WONDER WOMAN and HELLBLAZER. Brian has been featured in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE and other publications.

Lee Bermejo began drawing comics in 1997 for WildStorm Studios in San Diego at age 19. He collaborated with acclaimed writer Brian Azzarello on the graphic novels JOKER and LUTHOR, and worked with writer John Arcudi on the Superman feature in WEDNESDAY COMICS. He has also worked on HELLBLAZER with writer Mike Carey and GLOBAL FREQUENCY with writer Warren Ellis. Bermejo has illustrated the covers to the line of Vertigo Crime graphic novels, beginning with FILTHY RICH, written by Brian Azzarello, and DARK ENTRIES, written by Ian Rankin. Bermejo has lived in Italy since 2003.