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tranimation-art — RiG: 'Cause Here Comes Trouble

Published: 2009-08-07 03:27:17 +0000 UTC; Views: 8201; Favourites: 182; Downloads: 0
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Description A teaser from Rorschach in Gotham's "Thy Lips to Hers" fic:

Rorschach shifted uncomfortably against the soft pillows, as a fevered sweat poured down his skin, and he jerked his head back and forth in a delirium. He balled his fists tightly, forcing his fingernails to press crescents into his palms. Small shivers coursed through his body which changed into violent tremors, as he began to writhe and thrashed underneath the bedsheets. Tears ran unchecked from his eyes and a loud groan passed through a pair of clinched teeth as he spoke a name that haunted him all his life — "Mommy!" Suddenly, he felt a foreign hand flattened against his bare chest, its fingers stretched across his skin, his muscles tightened at the strange sensation, and he was startled out of his dream. Awareness returning to him, his eyes blinked opened to focus at the familiar figure in front of him.

"Hiya, handsome," hushed Catwoman, softly smiling over him. "I thought I almost lost you back there."

His breath caught in his throat, as he studied at her for a long moment. Her body was a map of finger-shaped bruises of varying shades of blue that deepen to purple. Her wrists were a raw and burned an angry shade of red. One eye was blackened and the skin on her cheek beneath had split open from the impact of the blow. She was still beautiful.

His hand reached out instinctively to touch the swollen cut upon her face and, although she didn’t pull away, he lowered his eyes, recoiled, and turned his head away from her, pulling the blanket closer as a kind of makeshift shield, before noticing that the damn woman had taken his clothes...

Her hand sprawled still against chest, so warm and so soft, arched and her fingertips caressed as delicate like feathers upon his skin, making his chest hairs stand on end. He twitched and stirred uneasily again and he propped himself on his elbows, despite his weakened state, and attempted to pull himself to a sitting position, burning out what little strength he could muster. He winced in pain, biting down on his split lip, which began to bleed, and grabbed the bandages over his fragile ribs with a loud yelp.

"Uh-huh, let that be a lesson to you," taunted she, as she stood and submerged a fresh cloth under the warm water of her bathroom sink.

He scowled at her with a pair of icy blue eyes. How dare she mock him!

Catwoman appeared to ignore this, as she often did, and returned to his bedside and tried to clean the droplet of blood that trickled down his chin and he pulled away. She grimaced in annoyance. She grabbed his chin to hold him in place and tried again, but he pulled away more violently, shoving her away, and grunted his insult under his breath:

"Whor—ugh!"

And she slapped him across the face before he could finish the word and launched off the bed, throwing the towel at him at his thick head in aggravation. That was the last straw!


------

Hey, guess what? I've been writing Rorschach in Gotham down? Aren't you proud? I want to thank everyone who voted Rorschach in Gotham on the poll — and I’m still in shock that over a hundred people have taken the time from their busy schedules to vote, wow! — and supported Rorschach in Gotham every time you faved and commented. I really do appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. It truly touches me that you have embraced this project so much, particularly since my drawing arm has been such an inconvenience to me recently, so I've been concentrating primarily on writing a Rorschach in Gotham fic due to this.

What can I say about this piece? Well, I said that if I ever got the stylisation down that I would clean it up and coloured it — two out of three ain't bad! I drew this back before I broke my arm and coloured it after I broke it. I found that it's extremely difficult to colour, particularly cel shade, in Photoshop with one working arm, but I think it turned out rather well after three weeks and a gimpy arm. Her costume is directly based on Bruce Timm 's original designs for Catwoman for the animated series before WB execs asked him to change it to fit the style of Michelle Pfeiffer's look, thus the grey costume. I personally love the "retro" look of that costume (and thought it looked closer to Batman Returns than the grey one) and I wanted to go for a style of Darwyn Cooke (original artist on the Catwoman reboot comics), Jim Lee (who does some of the most beautiful Catwoman art I've seen in Hush), Adam Hughes (whose Catwoman covers make me drool, also love that he makes Selina a composite of 70% Audrey Hepburn, 20% Elizabeth Taylor, and 10% Trinity from The Matrix), and my own (sadly) cartoony style, try as I might, cannot escape. I also added Michelle Pfeiffer's crazy eyeshadow from the film, which I felt really "sexified" her the eyes. I accidentally made Rorschach's coat too long, I didn't realise I was going to colour this far down, and I made Catwoman rather too tall; she's only a half-inch or inch taller (sans heels). I wanted a background and opted for an abstract silhouette of Batman, as Batman is the "holier-than-thou" antagonist in the series, always the party-pooper, and the blood is really the representation of the ominousness of the series. (I drew and coloured this while listening to Pink-inspired Catwoman music videos, "Trouble" and "U + Ur Hand" .)

Between the years of 1977 (after the passing of the Keene Act) and 1985 (the main events of the story), we have no information about what Rorschach did, except that he was still in costume, still fighting crime. All the events in Watchmen, such as the destruction of New York, will happen. It doesn't go against anything that happens in the book/film, it just "fills in the blanks." Gotham City, 1977, directly after the Keene Act, is the worst place to be in! It's in chaos! It's a war zone! If the Keene riots happened in the other DC universes, Gotham be hit the worst of all. It is Hell on Earth! Even with the passing of the bill, anti-vigilante riots are still going on strong in Gotham because Batman refuses to hang up the cape and cowl — the people are against him, the council is against him, the mayor, the news, the police, and just everyone else hate him! And this situation is not helped when Rorschach appears — and begins fraternising with Catwoman.

The story? I’m currently writing the Poison Ivy story because this is one what the majority of the fans have asked me, prodded me, poked me, begged me, and even threatened me (with love) to write about. I have written first part of the beginning and most of the ending, all I need is to fill up the the middle. However, this is technically "Episode 3" of the series and because I’m writing it out of order, I feel it necessary to write an "introduction" to the series in general, so everyone knows what the hell is going on, which will be posted when I get nearer to finishing Part One. This story is a turning point in the Rorschach-Catwoman relationship.

Please tell me what your think by commenting. Tell me if you hate this or love this. Any opinions are welcomed! Don't make me beg!

Medium - Photoshop, HB mechanical pencil.

Rorschach in Gotham © Diane N. Tran.
Rorschach, Catwoman © DC Comics.
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Comments: 437

tranimation-art In reply to ??? [2014-02-14 15:32:11 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!  I hope you like the rest of the series here: tranimation-art.deviantart.com…

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

darkknightawareness In reply to tranimation-art [2014-02-16 22:36:32 +0000 UTC]

Does rorschach and batman really have the exact same personality?

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tranimation-art In reply to darkknightawareness [2014-02-17 00:57:58 +0000 UTC]

No, I never said they have the EXACT personality.  I said that they were "more alike than they would care to admit." Both were traumatized by their childhood, motivations are revenge-fueled vigilantism, both anti-heroes, both have single-minded crusader complex, both have highly pessimistic views on humanity as a whole (both disillusioned with the underlying apathy inherit in the world, for example), both are right-wing fanatics, both supremely arrogant, both highly intelligent, both doing it not because they want to but because they are compelled to, both seek punish evil at all cost, both harbour suicidal tendencies, both use pro-violent "fear tactics" (they are not pacifists), both extremely protective of their identities (it took YEARS for Justice League to learn Batman's true identity, not even Nite Owl knew Rorschach's identity until his arrest), etc.


Alan Moore created Rorschach to be a Batman-esque character if he existed in the real world. He is Batman without ONE rule: He kills.  Originally, Rorschach didn't kill at all...until Blair Roche incident.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

darkknightawareness In reply to tranimation-art [2014-02-17 01:24:26 +0000 UTC]

Wow! out of all the years of being a fan of batman i've never knew what his true views were. I guess it's because of the different stories changing his characteristics( like a batpimp which I don't know how batman would want a woman into his life)

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to darkknightawareness [2014-02-20 17:41:21 +0000 UTC]

Both Batman and Rorschach would be considered insane as well.


For the most part, Bruce seems to avoid women.  When he does bring them into his life, they die suddenly.  Dick Grayson doesn't have the best record with women either.  This is why I love Tim Drake.  To this day, he's still a virgin.  He has observed Bruce and Dick's many relationships and seen them fail and he never wanted to mirror that -- and still hasn't.

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MissyHipster [2013-07-15 07:18:25 +0000 UTC]

Where can I read more of this?! This is amazing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to MissyHipster [2013-07-18 04:45:52 +0000 UTC]

Unfortunately, I'm still writing this story.  I hope to show more previews soon.  I'm hoping to show the introduction to Riddler episode one day.  I just need to draw the Riddler.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

MissyHipster In reply to tranimation-art [2013-07-18 08:40:34 +0000 UTC]

When you do, I'll be all over you! I love the Riddler! He's amazing~

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to MissyHipster [2013-07-22 11:23:26 +0000 UTC]

I'm a HUGE Riddler fan!  There needs to be more Riddler love out there!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

MissyHipster In reply to tranimation-art [2013-07-29 03:20:48 +0000 UTC]

Yay! My buddy draws it too! You should seriously check him out! His style is amazing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

TheXfileswarriors [2012-01-09 05:43:23 +0000 UTC]

This looks nice!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to TheXfileswarriors [2012-01-09 06:00:30 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I hope you like the pastiche teaser in the artist's description.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

23hra [2012-01-07 20:07:19 +0000 UTC]

I love the colors you chose for this drawing! Excellent teaser to the fan fict as well!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to 23hra [2012-01-09 16:06:19 +0000 UTC]

The colouring for this took hours, probably days, if I remember correctly. I suck at backgrounds, but I wanted it abstract, nonetheless. As the for the teaser, well, it's part of the Poison Ivy episode. It should be interesting to see how it finishes.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

23hra In reply to tranimation-art [2012-01-09 22:30:29 +0000 UTC]

I think you did awesomely on the background Abstract is good! I am sure it will turn out beautifully you are an awesome writer already based on what I have read so far!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to 23hra [2012-01-11 01:16:44 +0000 UTC]

Awwwwwwwwwww, thank you! That really means a lot. People know me more as a visual artist than a writer. Writing takes far more effort for me, so it's makes me want to dance when people actually read it and like it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

23hra In reply to tranimation-art [2012-01-11 04:04:57 +0000 UTC]

you're welcome you really write well! Keep up the wonderful writing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to 23hra [2012-01-11 19:43:19 +0000 UTC]

I'll try.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

23hra In reply to tranimation-art [2012-01-11 21:19:13 +0000 UTC]

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missjackpumpkin [2012-01-01 05:33:49 +0000 UTC]

I ever love catwoman

she's so sexy and smart...

I love her pose... and the body...

(Also, the lines that you wrote... pretty interesting, I like it

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to missjackpumpkin [2012-01-02 20:11:51 +0000 UTC]

Thanks and thanks! I really appreciate that! I do my best to keep them as in-character and in-canon as possible, through that...there's a magic that I can't really explain. It's two giant personalities clashing and you get to see these really magical results.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

missjackpumpkin In reply to tranimation-art [2012-01-02 21:13:27 +0000 UTC]

Yeah...

I can see it...

And is really awesome juts how you can take all that and show it in a image... not all the artists can jus make you feel the life or the energy in a draw

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to missjackpumpkin [2012-01-03 03:27:49 +0000 UTC]

I try my best. Thanks!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

JoyceArmijos [2011-11-08 04:00:44 +0000 UTC]

dudette, you must work for DC comics!!!
I beg of you! they do it all the time!! Mulitverse worlds like DC and Marvel!
You could work with them!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to JoyceArmijos [2011-11-08 05:10:08 +0000 UTC]

Hey, long time, no see! I wish I worked at DC and would give them a piece of my mind. Unfortunately, DC has done a reboot before...and, sadly, has again.

But....I've read every #1 and choose my favourites of the bunch.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JoyceArmijos In reply to tranimation-art [2011-11-08 13:18:03 +0000 UTC]

Love ya!
Reboot is sometimes good because you want to add or remove somethings but sometimes it is really bad. I agree with you with some things.

DC comics needs to start coming up with some new villains and heroes!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to JoyceArmijos [2011-11-16 21:46:42 +0000 UTC]

Some of the reboots I like, but it doesn't mean I like all of them or not confused as hell by them.

If RISE OF ARSENAL, which is considered one of the worst stories in DC history for the past ten years, is now deleted from continuity, why is Roy Harper STILL Arsenal? Why is he still a villain when all the motivations that made him one are gone?

If Batman has only been Batman for five years and he has five Robins, is that a year for each Robin?

If the entire Green Lantern arc is still in canon, how are all the Crises not?

Grrrrr...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Simple-shadow [2011-09-20 21:56:01 +0000 UTC]

This teaser did it's job. I am in love with this dynamic. Catwoman is a strong, sexual individual, almost the polar opposite of Rorschach's view of a model female, but fluid enough to endure his sometimes aggressive jabs. I foresee her never giving him a moments rest; or at the very least always making him feel awkward and on edge.


Well written, interesting and has me waiting for you to put out more. I am definitely going to stick with you on this.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to Simple-shadow [2011-09-21 09:10:15 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad you like this. It really means a lot because I worked really hard to make sure this keeps in-character as well as in canon to DC (as canon as pre-Flashpoint/New 52, which has messed up the entire current timeline, can get). As you can see, I'm a huge canonist.

Yes, Selina does love teasing Walter. Maybe wouldn't do it so much, if Walter didn't react so well to them. Then again it's what he gets for camping out on her living room sofa. But there are times where they really do get along, flirt, bicker, and genuinely enjoy each other's company, although Walter would NEVER EVER EVER admit it, but we love him because he can't.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Simple-shadow In reply to tranimation-art [2011-09-21 09:14:34 +0000 UTC]

It is his reluctant affection that is so appealing! And Selina does love herself a challenge. I would say I agree with you about the New 52. Though I admit to owning Citizen Cold because I am a big Central/Keystone Rogue fan. Not so odd that a few of them have a soft spot for Selina. Barry Allen just had to go and start making new worlds right after we just got done smashing them all together.


I do really look forward to more of this. I also feel almost violently compelled to draw some Rory/Selina interaction just because it is such an awesome concept. Like I said. You really struck gold with this one.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to Simple-shadow [2011-09-21 09:26:39 +0000 UTC]

Hurrah! I'm a huge fan of the Flash Rogues as well! My favourites are Trickster and Captain Cold; they amuse me.

Selina does love herself a challenge, yes. I've had some say it's like talking to a brick wall with Rorschach, but I don't think they understand that he's human. For a man who despises and is repulsed by sex, he sure does talk about it A LOT. It fills his journal on it. He can certainly write his frustrations with Catwoman for pages and pages. He does call her a "whore" at first and, eventually, when they compliment each other better as time goes on, they start calling each other by first names. Strangely, Nite Owl didn't have this privilege.

In an interview with Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley, they discussed the characters of Nite Owl II and Rorschach at length. Wilson said that if you asked Rorschach who is his best friend, he would reply Daniel would be. But if you asked him if Rorschach was his friend, he would simply reply "I just work with him." Daniel doesn't know Rorschach's real name, or what he does for a living, or where he lives, or really anything about his personal life. Yet Rorschach knows pretty much knows everything of his. It's interesting to see that Rorschach acquire a closer relationship that bordered on "intimate". While nothing sexual ever happens between Walter and Selina, it's really interesting to see how they work and argue together.

If you draw anything RiG, I'd love to see it! It tickles me pink and add it to my collection.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Simple-shadow In reply to tranimation-art [2011-09-21 09:37:34 +0000 UTC]

Then I will muster my forces and conjure up some RiG for you!! Rorschach is always such a fascinating character, rich in his simplicity though undeniably complex. No compromise is such a difficult feat, and to see what it can do to someone like Walter, well it's just interesting. I do like to think he fixates on sex because he is fascinated by it yet so repulsed that he can't help but look at it under a microscope. Ironic that in his quest to avoid sex he can be considered consumed by thoughts of it.



Big Captain Cold fan myself. But I got a soft spot for Weather Wizard. He's ridiculously silly, and yet one of the scariest bastards on that team. Exploding peoples bellies? Oh Mark you so crazy~

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to Simple-shadow [2011-09-21 09:58:53 +0000 UTC]

It is ironic that he avoids sex yet is constantly consumed by thoughts of it. Maybe Selina isn't helping that. But there's an interesting storyline where I'll be taking the relationship with the help of the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter is a character with a perverse sexuality -- he's a pedophile, after all -- but he's also the master of dreams. In the story, he does recreate a mind control device that creates a person's personal "Wonderland" -- their perfect world. Well, Rorschach's perfect would be...about as fucked up as he is himself. It's very sterile, bland, bleached out -- a right-wing conservative, white supremacy, anti-liberal world of no crime (and, thus, no need for superheroes), no emotions, and, of course, no sex... Then you add Selina to this so-called "Wonderland" and yet it's not her, but his own personal idealization of her and then ask...how long does it take for him to crack and this perfect world starts to crumble around him.

Weather Wizard is great, although I find Mirror Master just as silly and just as scary. Also, I always had a thing for the original Captain Boomerang, back when he had, you know, HAIR!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Simple-shadow In reply to tranimation-art [2011-09-21 10:08:08 +0000 UTC]

George was fantastic. I loved him in Suicide Squade. Even if everyone in that group hated his Aussie guts. Him and his clever ploy to pick up college girls. Such a glorious scoundrel.



Also. You stop it! You have me all excited I won't even know what to do with myself!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to Simple-shadow [2011-09-21 10:12:38 +0000 UTC]

I loved him in Suicide Squad, too. That's how I fell for the guy. Yeah, no one liked him but me, apparently, yet I adored his wit. Wait...when he did he pick up college chicks?

Sorry, no spoilers.

By the way, thanks for talking to me so late at night. I'm having horrible insomnia, so I appreciate someone is awake. If you ever want to talk to me in real time, I'm on AOL IM as "brettish140". AIM names are free and if you don't want to download the program, use Meebo.com: [link]

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Simple-shadow In reply to tranimation-art [2011-09-21 10:31:09 +0000 UTC]

George is fantastic. I believe he was trying to convince college girls to pose topless for his 'pictorial'. Very class Digger moment. It happened in the Suicide Squad Annual #1.


Glad I could help you out. Insomnia is never fun. I'll look you up on AIM since I use it exclusively for RT chats.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to Simple-shadow [2011-09-21 10:40:29 +0000 UTC]

Great, I have to find this comic now, wheeeeeeee!

No problem. I'm going to TRYYYYY to sleep now. I doubt I will, but I'll try.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Simple-shadow In reply to tranimation-art [2011-09-21 10:48:13 +0000 UTC]

Same here.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

MonkeysUndles [2011-07-05 16:18:59 +0000 UTC]

Oh please please please please keep writing this.
Please?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to MonkeysUndles [2011-07-05 21:40:45 +0000 UTC]

I'm still working on it. I'm 1/3 of the way through, but my writer's block is getting in my way, unfortunately.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

MonkeysUndles In reply to tranimation-art [2011-07-06 14:59:16 +0000 UTC]

NO! NOT THE ART BLOCK!

We must prepare a frontal assult! How many men are in your platoon?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to MonkeysUndles [2011-07-13 06:48:42 +0000 UTC]

Uhhhh...I have Rorschach and the rest of Gotham behind me. Does that help?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

MonkeysUndles In reply to tranimation-art [2011-07-13 12:26:57 +0000 UTC]

Frick yes!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to MonkeysUndles [2011-07-13 22:31:43 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

DreamweaverMichi [2011-03-08 23:41:35 +0000 UTC]

This is awesome. Keep up the good work

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to DreamweaverMichi [2011-03-08 23:43:16 +0000 UTC]

Hope you enjoyed the pastiche "sneak peak" in the artist description.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

stardragon91 [2010-11-28 00:40:21 +0000 UTC]

Well, my interest is piqued.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to stardragon91 [2010-11-28 00:52:33 +0000 UTC]

Oooo, good. You can see the rest of the series here. I'm working on another piece at the moment: [link]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

RenValentine [2010-10-17 05:45:03 +0000 UTC]

Whoa, this is such a surprising pair I just can't help but love it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

tranimation-art In reply to RenValentine [2010-10-18 07:28:46 +0000 UTC]

They're not TECHNICALLY a pairing. They're more partners-in-crime...er, justice.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1


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