Food for Thought

[whiskerslily]

So, I've been lately thinking about our favorite boys in 1965-1974 (pre-Roche case)...  this was the nostalgic point in the graphic novel, when Dan was fit/handsome and Rorschach was sane/articulate. And a lot of interesting questions came to mind ...I'm curious as to what you guys think.

1. When Nite Owl and Rorschach team up-- why would they team

Comments

[schala_kid]

Interesting topic

[foxypope]

FUCK DAMN IT I WANT TO PLAY THAT GAME.

I've been hearing bad things about the gameplay (and watching a gameplay video I can see why) but all I want to watch are those god damn cut scenes!

I'll have to coerce my friend with a PS3 to download it... >:c

[schala_kid]

The gameplay is a bit meh (only good thing about it is JEH's and Patrick's voices) a friend of mine downloaded it and it's entertaining for awhile but it gets a little repetitive and frustrating at times

[foxypope]

I figured there wouldn't be anything slashy, but I still love Dan and Ror when they're just being partners/buddies together, too. Just anything with the two.

The opening scene (the most I've seen of it) pretty much had me giggling. I loved "Remind me again why I even bother trying to open your mind?" "You must be pathologically stubborn."

[sandoz_iscariot]

1. Probably Dan's idea (he was the one attached to the idea of a masked hero brotherhood, after all) after some "well fancy meeting you here we seem to work well together in kicking mobster ass shall we do this again sometime?" interaction.

2. Rorschach is contemptuous of intellectuals, liberals, and "soft" living, so I don't think he would have been envious of Dan's education or anything like that. Hell, he'd probably congratulate Dan for "overcoming" such a terrible background. ;)

3. Other than some vague comments that Dan would have to piece together (he might have mentioned the father he built up to sainthood in his mind) I don't think Rorschach discussed his past at all.

4. Dan, with all his gadgets and gear, might have been concerned that Rorschach was fighting crime every night without any tech to help or protect him. It probably took some coaxing for Rorschach to accept it.

[foxypope]

1. I think Rorschach would slowly ebb himself into being Dan's partner. They were pretty much working on the same case together, so they probably realized "Hey, you're a masked vigilante after the mob, I'm a masked vigilante after the mob--may as well, aye?"--but if Dan had Archie by then, then Ror probably would've wanted that advantage

[foxypope]

And just on the topic of the grappling gun: Why does everyone seem to think Rorschach would initially reject it? I'm just curious. I always see him stealing beans/sugar cubes/etc. from Dan's cupboard, and I was under the impression that as Walter he was pretty much a panhandler. So would it have to do with an ego thing ("Don't need a grappling hook! Can handle self fine.") or because he's embarrassed by Dan giving him something (as opposed to Rorschach just taking it)?

Because obviously in my perspective I see it as Rorschach looking it as a thing of convenience ("Hurm? Can use this."--a new tool for improvisation!). Of course, maybe he does see it as a token of friendship; I'd certainly like to think of it that way, but I'm thinking the canon would say otherwise if it were made it at all concrete.

[elendar]

I loved the thoughts from you in the above comment.

If there ever was a thought of sentimentality in Rorschach, it would probably be pushed away or is that too harsh? Still, the grappling gun might have been seen as a gesture of caring. At least, that he has the tools to do his job and perhaps being practical is as much a sign of caring for Ror.

[sandoz_iscariot]

Yeah, I think it's the difference between giving and taking. Rorschach obviously has no problem pilfering food and the like (and I wouldn't be surprised if he walked off with some things from Dan's workshop). But even if Dan gave the grappling gun as a purely professional gesture and not a friendly one, I think Rorschach's pride would act up ("Don't need help or charity," etc.) even as his practical side told him he needed it.

[mostepotente]

1) I always kind of saw their team up as a sort of accident. Like Nite Owl stumbles over Rorschach giving some criminal a beat down, misinterprets the scene and attacks Rorschach, they both spend a minute thinking the other is some new supervillan in town as the drug dealer slinks away, then realize their mistake and introduce themselves (Dan first, obviously

[foxypope]

Oh god your idea for number 1. Adorable.

I CALL DIBS ON WRITING IT.

[scarlet_carsons]

1. Remember school? Remember how sometimes the weird kid and the nerdy kid would band together for mutual safety? It just seems to happen, like an unspoken arrangement. Yeah. That's what Rorschach and Nite Owl make me think of. They might've walked the same patrol routes for a while, and somehow Rorschach ended up hanging out in Daniel's basement

[mostepotente]

The class question interests me too (Not British, just a rabid devourer of BBCAmerica), and it's probably how Rorschach justifies the pilfering. Daniel's got more than enough money to throw around, he can stand to lose a few sugar cubes... and pounds (another justification for sugar cube theft).

Now, I realize that in my marathon reading session I missed a lot of the political context in the book. I know Rorschach reads "The New Frontiersman" which publishes some anti-Semetic material, but just because you read a paper doesn't mean you agree with everything published. Were there any other incidences?

[foxypope]

Incidences of what, exactly?

Seeing as how he reveres the New Frontiersman rather than just simply **reading it**, I think it's safe to assume he agrees with every single thing that's said in that rag. He does, after all, trust his journal to the editors at the end of the book.

[mostepotente]

Mmm, alternately they're the only rag that we see that comes out in support of the masks, bonus for being aligned with Rorschach's political beliefs. In some ways it makes sense to give it to them.