CBR: DC Comics To Publish "Before Watchmen" Prequels

[Shrunkhead]

Wow, this is really awesome! I mean the original is far beyond everything and we were in a german comicforum about to start with a rereading of Watchman just today...so what a coincidence. First i really didn't know what to think exactly but when i scanned the creative teams i thought "woh, this could be really big".
I don't have the feeling that DC is doing this just for the money. With all the artists and authors and the style, it seems that they are really trying to be gentle with it and respect the original.
Anyway, know i'm pretty much hyped by the awesome covers and stuff. Looking forward to Summer. First Night Of The Owls and then Watchmen. Gonna be expensiv, but so what. 2012 could be a really awesome year in comic book buissness!

[domenox]

You know what, some of this can be Very, Very good. DC and the writers knows that it has to come out with quality because of what Watchmen is. These could be this year's best miniseries. Who knows, they could even, potentially rival the original in quality. (Well, no.)

But that's not what's important here. The art could be excellent, the writing could be top-notch, but no matter how good you can make these comics, it's just one of those things you shouldn't do. Zdarsky said it best in his satirical piece about pitching a Watchmen sequel (prequel, in this case). Alan Moore has been hurt too many times by DC comics in the past for any comic fan, any comic writer much less ones who profess an admiration for Alan Moore's substantial contributions to the medium to involve themselves with.

And yes, you could say that that's not how the comic book industry works. That Alan Moore's just a grumpy old man with an eccentric habit of getting annoyed by every little thing that DC or Warner Bros. does with relation to his work. But the fact is, he doesn't want these sequels to happen, these would in all likelihood just be another thing to hurt old man Alan.

And yes, these Watchmen characters were based on other works, the Charlton characters for example, BUT, 99 times out 100, when you think about Watchmen or its characters, their history, their attitudes and philosophy, that's a detail that came primarily from Mr. Moore.

Look, he's probably a grumpy old man and some of the fault for the rift with DC and mainstream comics in general may very well be his own fault, and he takes these slights too seriously sometimes. BUT they do seem to take a lot of emotional toll on him.

If you've ever appreciated this creator's work with Watchmen, From Hell, Promethea, Marvel Man, Swamp Thing, basically the best comics that have ever been created (IMHO), as a mere show of respect, there's really no reason to support this latest move by DC, until he and DC at least have made up, or at least while the old man's still alive.

[The Adventurer]

Alan Moore is rolling over in his grave.

[AJM]

SO EXCITED we're going to get more BORING PIRATE META-NARRATIVE

Yeah, i could do without the pirate stuff, i was never keen on that in the original.

[shingi70]

I'm going to pick all these up aren't i.

Aldo calling watchmen sequel mini and ongoing next year.

[ussescort]

I am going to take the road that says, while I know DCStorm is just doing this for the money, I am hoping that the creators involved will be doing this in homage to the original work, and that I can willingly accept. Alan Moore is a great creator, and a self-important ass that acts like he has seller's remorse every time he does work-for-hire. I am wondering one thing though, I have yet to see or hear a bitchfest about Liefeld publishing the final Supreme script after all these years from him.

[Rakzo]

Alan Moore is rolling over in his grave.

He will my friend, he will.

[Dr. Hurt]

SO EXCITED we're going to get more BORING PIRATE META-NARRATIVE

Ok the pirate story is gimmicky as hell. In WM it had a metatextual purpose. Unless these new books have a central theme which the pirate story can be meta about, then it's just irrelevant.

Those covers look phenomenal. Ozymandias especially.

That and Conner's!

He will my friend, he will.

Implying that Moore can die...

[Batman and Charles]

Also, it's ridiculous that Alan Moore bemoans the existence of these new books while he continues to do exactly the same in his own stories, such as League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lost Girls. I'm certain J M Barrie would have been outraged at Moore's use of Wendy, for instance, the only difference being that he's no longer alive to voice his disgust. Moore is a 100% hypocrite, and these new Watchmen books could well be karmic payback.

I totally agree with this. It's not like he even completely created the Watchmen characters, they're just Charlton character expies (well that's simplifying it a bit, but still sort of true). Moore is an amazing writer, but most of his comics are either continuations or pastiches, so he doesn't have a right get up in arms when other people continue the stuff he did.

I'm not interested in these books, though. As far as I'm concerned the story has been told and I'm happy with it as it is. I don't believe that just because you can continue something, that you should. I'm much much more interested in Morrison's Multiversity Watchmen thing.

[AJM]

YBut the fact is, he doesn't want these sequels to happen, these would in all likelihood just be another thing to hurt old man Alan.

And yes, these Watchmen characters were based on other works, the Charlton characters for example, BUT, 99 times out 100, when you think about Watchmen or its characters, their history, their attitudes and philosophy, that's a detail that came primarily from Mr. Moore.

Look, he's probably a grumpy old man and some of the fault for the rift with DC and mainstream comics in general may very well be his own fault, and he takes these slights too seriously sometimes. BUT they do seem to take a lot of emotional toll on him.

If you've ever appreciated this creator's work with Watchmen, From Hell, Promethea, Marvel Man, Swamp Thing, basically the best comics that have ever been created (IMHO), as a mere show of respect, there's really no reason to support this latest move by DC, until he and DC at least have made up, or at least while the old man's still alive.

Alternatively, if you've ever appreciated the work of J M Barrie, L Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson et al, you should boycott League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lost Girls. Just because they're dead means their work shouldn't be respected?

[Arvandor]

Star Wars.

That's how I feel. I worry these prequels will damage the original series, the way the Star Wars prequels did the original.

And don't say they didn't, because they did.

[Dr. Hurt]

What a dull collection of writers. Not for me.

Ok, JMS can vary from great to bad, but Azzarello (100 bullets, Joker, Thomasbats, WW, etc), the guy that conceived Swamp Thing, and all those amazing artists? Come on now. This is A class talent.

[henrymalredo]

DC is going in the right direction with prequels instead of sequels, and they've put in quality creative teams. Yeah, at heart, this is to make money, but they could've given this project to anybody, but chose to give it to some well-respected creators. And honestly, Alan Moore is probably secretly loving this, because it gives him the opportunity to do what he loves most: complain. about the comics industry and run down his peers

[TTROY]

Alternatively, if you've ever appreciated the work of J M Barrie, L Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson et al, you should boycott League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lost Girls. Just because they're dead means their work shouldn't be respected?

Alan doesn't mind using other people work as a template .... almost EVERY single one of his "creations" is some sort of pastiche on someone else's creation........ so please he has no room to whine bitch and moan.

[Shrunkhead]

Star Wars.

That's how I feel. I worry these prequels will damage the original series, the way the Star Wars prequels did the original.

And don't say they didn't, because they did.

When you didn't saw the prequels, how should they really damage the originals for you? I mean, if you are scared, you just should not buy these issues and ignore them. Watchmen will be the very same as back in the 80s