To Fear or Embrace: Before Watchmen

A classic if there ever was one.

Today marks the day that comic book fans (graphic novel enthusiasts, for the douchey) have held in fear & loathing since grumbles of rumors have been swirling the past few months.

Alternatively, today marks the day that comic book fans (graphic novel enthusiasts, for the douchey) have been waiting for with baited breath since they read the last panel of the book all those days/weeks/months/years/decades ago.

Long story short: "Watchmen" lives.

Witty comment!

"Before Watchmen" is the all-encompassing title for the prequels to the seminal graphic novel that deconstructed the superhero, and reconstructed a medium that was falling into disrepair. As the whole of comic fanboy/girl-dom is one of the more outspoken groups, I'd be remiss to not say that, after the announcement was official, there was a giant (and I say this to tone down the obscenity-laced verbal diarrhea) "Are you serious, bro?!?" Yet, there is a want for these stories. "Watchmen" was a 12-issue miniseries, that has been self-contained (save for minor, possibly non-canon cameos) for the quarter century since it's been published.

Well, that isn't NOT creepy.

But, and I'm just playing devil's advocate here, when you finish a great piece of writing, be it comic book/graphic novel or prose, don't you want more? In fact, it doesn't have to be writing. A great dinner. A great movie. Even with closure, anything great leaves you wanting more. And now, after 25 years, DC is giving the world more "Watchmen."

I get it...he's kind of like Batman.

The talent pool they're drawing upon for these prequels is tremendous: Brian Azzarello & Lee Bermejo will be collaborating on the Rorschach mini, while Azzarello will be teaming with JG Jones for Comedian. Darwyn Cooke (a personal favorite) will be pulling double duty on Minutemen. Cooke will also be writing Silk Spectre, with art by Amanda Conner. Sci-Fi mainstay & comic writer extraordinaire J. Michael Straczynski is penning both the Dr. Manhattan & Nite Owl (II, for those of you who are wondering) books, with Adam Hughes and Andy & Joe Kubert doing the art, respectively. Finally, DC has Len Wein, the original "Watchmen" editor, writing the Ozymandias mini, with Jae Lee providing the visuals. Almost more interesting, though, is the Curse of the Crimson Corsair, a two page backup story that will appear at the end of each issue of the minis. It will play, more or less, the same role as Tales of the Black Freighter did in the original. It will also be penned by Wein, while the art is being produced by the original series's colorist, John Higgins.

I have nothing to say about this, other than this is the one I want to read the most.

For those who say that there shouldn't be anymore "Watchmen" unless it's done by series creators Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons, and that is a huge percentage, methinks, I have a question for you: should they have stopped making Superman once Siegel & Shuster left the book? Should Batman (nee Bat-Man) have been put to rest once Bob Kane (and the truly shafted Bill Finger) stopped working on it? Why is it that "Watchmen" is held to a different standard than any other book?

Clever use of Silk Spectre as a [male anatomy] shield.

It isn't like (the extremely talented & innovative) Alan Moore hasn't taken other creators characters and continued their stories. Besides "Watchmen" & "V for Vendetta," what is Moore known best for? Swamp Thing (created by...Len Wein, of all people!). "The Killing Joke," a Batman story. One of the best known Superman tales, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" And, it'd be shameful if I didn't bring up Moore's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," in which he he puts together a team of adventures using some of literature's best known heroes, anti-heroes, and sometimes downright villains: Allan Quartermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Prof. Moriarty, Fu Manchu, John Carter, & Babar the Elephant King, just to name a few. How is that any different?

This looks like the video for 311's "Down."

In fact,  I feel as though it should be pointed out that "Watchmen" wasn't originally planned on featuring original characters. In the original plans, "Watchmen" was to feature a rebranding of many Charleston Comics. DC eventually changed their minds, not wanting to relegate their acquisitions to a single, dystopian tale, and, thusly, the heroes became thinly-veiled stand-ins for the Charleston characters. The Comedian was originally supposed to be Peacemaker. Dr. Manhattan is an expanded-on version of Charleston/DC's Captain Marvel. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) was the inspiration for what became Nite Owl II. Ozymandias's inspiration was from Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt. The hardline detective/vigilante Rorschach is an amalgamation of two Steve Ditko-created characters, (the somewhat obscure) Mr. A & the Question (Charleston/DC-owned). And, finally, while Silk Spectre II has more in common with DC's Black Canary and Phantom Lady, her relationship with Dr. Manhattan resembles that of Charleston's Nightshade & Captain Atom. That being said, is it truly fair to say that the characters of "Watchmen" are solely of Moore & Gibbons's creation? I don't know. I'm no judge.

Kind of hoping Tarantino gets credit for his "Gimp" character.

The whole concept of "Before Watchmen" will be hotly debated until it comes to press, and, most likely, for a good while after. You can never please everybody every time, that's a fact. So here's a few pieces of advice I have for those decrying the prequels: a) not every prequel is crap like Star Wars & 2) if you don't like the concept, don't buy it. It's that simple. But at the same time, if you don't read the new books, you can't say anything of their substance. Only time will tell if these hold up to the original.

Johnny Depp's got nothing.

And as for Alan Moore? I appreciate his body of work. There is nothing he does that is garbage, in my mind, at least. But has there ever been somebody that seems to feast on big bowls of lemons & sour grapes more? DC even offered him the rights to "Watchmen" back if he would pen a few prequels or spinoffs, but he turned them down. Now, I get it: he's [angry] at DC & Warner Bros. for what he feels is a bastardization of his work & ideas. And sure, he has a point there. Compared to the novels, "From Hell," "V for Vendetta," & "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" all fall short when transferred to the screen. Especially "LXG," which turned a great story into mindless (though mostly entertaining) action-y drivel. Personally, I thought "Watchmen" was a solid translation, so besides the fact that he's just sick of the property, I don't know what Moore's big problem was with that. But I hope that someday, DC & Moore can put aside their animosity. Not that I see that happening, and I'm sure "Before Watchmen" won't help.

But as a comic fan, and a huge "Watchman" fan, I'm not asking for these prequels to surpass the original, I am just hoping that they'll do the source material justice, along with being entertaining reads. And, if nothing else, at least Dave Gibbons gave a nod of approval. So that's something.