Watchmen prequel

[Tawky Tawny]

I just saw in the Times that Brian Azzarello is writing a miniseries focusing on the previous careers of characters from Watchmen. Is anyone looking forward to this?

[Scott Harris]

Brian Cronin has a thing about it here:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources...hmen-prequels/

It's not just Azzarello; there are a bunch of creators who will be doing prequel mini-series focusing on each of the main characters from Watchmen. As you might expect, Alan Moore has already blasted this and frankly I don't blame him one bit this time. I think I will give these a big skip. Watchmen said everything that needed to be said.

[Roquefort Raider]

No interest in this. And it's not because I hold Watchmen as some kind of sacred tome that should never be adapted, recolored or repackaged; nor is it because I think DC has treated Alan Moore shabbily or shouldn't exploit its stable of characters.

It's just that Watchmen was a complete story, with all the necessary background information built in the tale, and a proper ending. It's done, and my interest in exploring the Watchmen universe prior to that tale are about on the level of my interest for Prospero: digging in on the island, Young Moby Dick: fleeing the orca pod or The adventures of Jack Clayton, lord Greystoke, before he went to Africa.

Considering the people who will work on the several Watchmen prequels, I'm sure they'll look good, will have some cool dialogue and will probably have some interesting plotting. Hey, they're handled by pros. But they'll still be more of the same stuff we've already seen, and in this case I can't even be moved by some decades-long habit (as could be the case if I was a Spider-man or X-Men reader and was addicted to their endlessly repeated shenanigans).

I have no real attachment to the Watchmen characters, and no interest in what they do apart from what was deemed important enough to make it into the original work. Therefore, I feel no compulsion to read their new "old" adventures, and would rather have the fine creators involved do something original.

[shaxper]

I would so read Prospero: Digging on the Island, incidentally. At least The Tempest eluded to enigmatic past events that only went half-explained (Ariel in the tree, Caliban's mother and his subsequent enslavement, his relationship with Miranda, etc), wheres I agree with you that Watchmen is an entirely self-contained and complete story. Nothing that seemed worth knowing went unexplained.

[dan bailey]

I'm sure I'll buy the Amanda Conner- & Darywn Cooke-drawn books at some point down the road, purely for the art.

DC, of course, won't get a penny of my money. (The same, naturally, goes for Marvel.)

[Slam_Bradley]

I'm sure I'll buy the Amanda Conner- & Darywn Cooke-drawn books at some point down the road, purely for the art.

DC, of course, won't get a penny of my money. (The same, naturally, goes for Marvel.)

Pretty much this. Well at least as to Cooke. But if I pick any of them up it will be second hand and only if they're reviewed as good stories. I don't follow characters. So unless the story and/or art are good I'm not interested. And I won't give money to DC for screwing Alan Moore out of characters that should have been his long ago.

[MrV]

I'm sure I'll buy the Amanda Conner- & Darywn Cooke-drawn books at some point down the road, purely for the art.

DC, of course, won't get a penny of my money. (The same, naturally, goes for Marvel.)

What companies do you buy from? I am looking into the lesser ones below the Big Two. My interest in the aforementioned is thinning and would like to hear recommendations for clever sci-fi titles that are character-driven.

[mrc1214]

The creative teams are very good. I wont buy these when they first come out though maybe later on.

[The Confessor]

I am sort of intrigued, but like others have said, these books seem unnecessary. Watchmen already told us everything that we need to know about those characters.

It's unlikely I'll buy these...either new or used.

[tolworthy]

Already been done.

[dan bailey]

What companies do you buy from? I am looking into the lesser ones below the Big Two. My interest in the aforementioned is thinning and would like to hear recommendations for clever sci-fi titles that are character-driven.

I don't. Prices are just too high, so instead I wait till discounted back issues show up. As for titles from the non-Big Two companies, I'm more interested in horror than sf, I fear.

[dan bailey]

And I won't give money to DC for screwing Alan Moore out of characters that should have been his long ago.

Actually, as far as news this week is concerned, I think I'm more peeved at them (I'm a pretty shallow person, obviously) for their announcement that Captain Marvel will henceforth be known as Shazam. No, not just as a book title, but the character. I suppose Mary Shazam & Shazam Jr. are in the pipeline as well.

*sigh*

[tolworthy]

And some more.




There are even action figures

Another one (can't get it to link)

[Gumdrop Man]

I'm no fan of modern comics (since the new 52 doo-doo) but I'm getting these. I've always been a huge Rorshach fan and have waited patiently for him to have his own series and with Azzarello writing it I just can't pass it up.
I thought that would be it but I've found myself interested in the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandius ones as well. Being the completist that I am I'll probably end up getting them all.

[MDG]

I think Roquefort Raider summed up my feelings as well. I don't think Watchmen has aged well, but it is a very well done, self-contained story. It's a mistake to try to "add" to it.

But let's face it: these books will sell a lot better than trying to launch new characters, and the water in the DC universe well is probably pretty low by now.