WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Rorschach #1 by Tom King, Jorge Fornés, and Dave Stewart, on sale now.
The new Rorschach series is meant to be a sort of sequel to the original Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins. The series takes place 35 years after the events of its predecessor, placing the story firmly in 2020. But before Rorschach, there was also another unofficial sequel to Watchmen -- and no, not DC's crossover event series, Doomsday Clock. In this case, we are referring to HBO's multiple Emmy Award-winning television show, Watchmen.
The television series was set in 2019, or 34 years after the original Watchmen comic. It was so popular and well-received by fans that some even consider the series as official canon, and it looks like so does the new Rorschach series. Indeed, while the mention is discreet, Rorschac #1 makes a subtle reference to the TV show.
In September, Rorschach writer Tom King revealed that while he originally declined to pen a continuation of Watchmen, he changed his mind once he saw the HBO show. In fact, he revealed that the new comic is not be billed as a continuation of the television series, but readers could still treat it as such. "I don't reference it, or make it in the world, but I make it so nothing contradicts with the TV show," King said at the time. "So if you've seen the TV show, you can imagine that this is happening a little bit afterwards." Indeed, Rorschach takes place in 2020, a year after the events of HBO's Watchmen, which means both happen in close proximity to one another, and it appears that King did manage to sneak in a direct reference to the television show after all, in the first issue.
At the start of Rorschach #1, a man wearing a costume similar to that of the title character is gunned down at a political rally. The man and his costumed accomplice were attempting to kill presidential candidate Turley, but they were stopped just in time. Later, when the autopsy is performed, an investigator determines that this is not the real, blot-moving mask of Rorschach. Instead, it's a cheap knockoff, a Halloween costume that can be bought at any store. "It's a pretty popular costume," the investigator says. "Even after Oklahoma."
With this, the investigator appears to reference the events of HBO's Watchmen, which was primarily set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the start of the season, masked police officers began to track a dangerous group of racist men who wore Rorschach masks. They based their entire beliefs on Rorschach and created a twisted cult in his image, the Seventh Kavalry, that was lead by a powerful senator who planned on stealing Doctor Manhattan's abilities. In Rorschach #1, the investigator doesn't mention any specifics, but he doesn't really have to. Fans of the television series will understand the connection between Oklahoma and Watchmen. Of course, the investigator could always be referencing another event that took place in Oklahoma, but it seems all but clear he is talking about the incident with the Seventh Kavalry.
This is perhaps as concrete evidence as we'll get that Rorschach is an official continuation of HBO's Watchmen. Now don't expect Angela Abar to show up in the comic, but it's still a neat nod to the fan-favorite TV show.