The unspeakable has happened, a series of prequel for Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ epic masterpiece the Watchmen have been announced. This can either be astoundingly amazing or the worst decision since someone first spoke the name Jar Jar Binks.
CBR.com has unleashed a barrage of information, interviews and more on the upcoming ‘Before Watchmen’ mini-series. I strongly recommend visiting their site to read exclusive interviews and editorials on this major event.
Official Press Release
DC ENTERTAINMENT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES “BEFORE WATCHMEN”
This summer, DC Entertainment will publish all-new stories expanding on the acclaimed WATCHMEN universe. As highly anticipated as they are controversial, the seven inter-connected prequel mini-series will build on the foundation of the original WATCHMEN, the bestselling graphic novel of all time. BEFORE WATCHMEN will be the collective banner for all seven titles, from DC Comics.
“It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”
Stepping up to the challenge is a group of the comic book industry’s most iconoclastic writers and artists – including Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS), Lee Bermejo (JOKER), Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL), Darwyn Cooke (JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER), John Higgins (WATCHMEN), Adam Hughes (CATWOMAN), J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS), Andy Kubert (FLASHPOINT), Joe Kubert (SGT. ROCK), Jae Lee (BATMAN: JEKYLL AND HYDE), J. Michael Straczynski (SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE) and Len Wein (SWAMP THING).
BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:
– RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
– MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
– COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
– DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
– NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
– OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
– SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner
Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.
“The original series of WATCHMEN is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” said Dave Gibbons, WATCHMEN co-creator and original series artist.
“Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction,” said DiDio and Lee. “Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”
The Daily P.O.P. 
There’s a vulgar Olde English expression that comes to mind when reading Didio’s press release – Bollocks. Ahem.
While some have cried “hypocrite!” at some of Alan Moore’s statements regarding Watchmen, etc and they aren’t *entirely* unjustified in doing so I find it very hard not to share his contempt at this move. That DC have had to resort to pointlessly prequelizing a much-lauded standalone work creatded by two Englishmen twenty-five years ago is pathetic. Regardless of the quality of these upcoming works, isn’t it an admission of creative bankruptcy that, rather than trying to get talents from this group of mostly americans to create works that could be New “Watchmen” for the 21st Century, they have resorted to parasitically feeding off an acknowledged classic? The answer I fear, is Yes.
Sure, DC ARE legally within their rights to do this but that isn’t the point. The point is that this is product and nothing more, which is fine if you want to reduce everything to the level of Chuck E Cheese but not if you care about art.
As for JMS, I wonder how he’d feel if someone else started making Babylon 5 “prequels”? Would the Bearded One be pleased? I don’t think so!
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Yeah, I’m not a fan of DiDio’s at all. The comics may be decent or even spectacular, but there’s a definite air of flogging a long dead horse for a few dollars more…. if you’ll pardon the grisly imagery.
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Hey, I’ve no problem with grisly imagery – I’ve seen Didio’s face! Ho. Ho. Cheap joke.
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