DC Comics unveils Watchmen prequels

The news is being met with very mixed reviews, but it appears that DC Comics has officially decided to move forward with their idea to build on the Watchmen franchise. What do they have in store for Watchmen fans? A prequel series titled "Before Watchmen". The series will focus on the main characters of Alan Moore's 1986 creation Watchmen as well as the Minute Men from the series. In reaction to this news, Moore has made his position on the project quite clear. In the NY Times Moore referred to the project as:

""completely shameless.” He told the paper, "I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago" and added that the series is a reminder of "draconian contracts" he signed in the 1980s with the publisher. Moore will not take any action as a result of "Before Watchmen." "I don’t want money. What I want is for this not to happen,” he said. "As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to ‘Moby-Dick.’ ”

To read the full details from the press release concerning Before Watchmen open the full post under the cut. Below you can see some of the covers of the upcoming Before Watchmen.

 

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.”

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.”

Source: ComicBookResources