The Abyss Gazes Also (1987)

The Abyss Gazes Also Review

The Abyss Gazes Also is the sixth issue in the twelve-issue series Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons.

This issue is another character study in the vein of ‘Watchmaker’. That issue was about Dr. Manhattan while this one finally gives us a glimpse into Rorschach’s past. He got a terrific backstory, though it has its familiar elements, but it was so well told and so emotionally engaging that it worked nonetheless.

The psychiatric hospital elements were also quite interesting here and so was the emphasis on his troubled family life as well as how he was bullied by the other kids. The literary supplement section was also very intriguing as it offered us a glimpse inside the character’s own writings as a kid, which are both silly and touching at the same time.

This issue is once again beautifully drawn by Dave Gibbons with particularly memorable close-ups on the face of the protagonist. There is also some great writing to be had here with his line that they are locked in with him being instantly iconic. It’s a terrific issue that still begs the question of why those issues that progress the plot are never as riveting as these character studies are.