In The News: Before Watchmen (Previews + Info)

I'm conflicted folks, torn even.

I thought I'd be back to writing here as with one of a many topics and comics and things I'd come across and thought of since I took some (much needed) time off from life in general. But then I came back and before I could even put in my first column, DC went and blew it all out of the water.

For those of you who have been hiding under the proverbial rock, DC Comics announced very recently that they are finally going ahead with one of the most long-waiting and controversial moves in comics – releasing more Watchmen series' and doing so without its creator, the legendary and oh-so-scary Alan Moore.

As it stands now, the new books will be several mini-series of prequels and will be tentatively entitled “Before Watchmen” and will (according to DC's updates) include the following titles and creative teams:

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

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The announcement has only just hit the inter-webs and already the lines are thrumming and buzzing with chatter. There are those that are over-joyed and those that are horrified and murderous and just about everything in between – but the main thing is that the bulk of comic readers will be sharply divided on this decision. And the thing that we all know as fans and long-time readers is that this is exactly what DC wants, to generate buzz and hype and controversy and garner more sales at a time when they are still falling behind their main competition, Marvel Comics, even despite the much hyped New-52 which has given us some great new books.

Happiness is a warm Rorschach... Good Grief!

I was initially (I admit it) among the horrified ones and thought this was the worst idea EVER to be followed through and if that was not bad enough, there were some recent comments by some of the creative minds behind the projects, mainly J. Michael Straczynski (a.k.a. JMS) and Darwyn Cooke, where they clearly showed (1) a lack of respect for the source material and criticised it and (2) that they wanted to change the tone and feel and more of the original as it was “too dark”.

I know it makes me sound like a fanboy but it needs to be said (and I'm sure it has many times already here on the net): It IS a dark story that parodies and takes a real and very serious view of a super-hero in the world, of archetypes, of morality and ethics and of so much – these are the very reasons why it is considered a seminal work and a literary masterpiece in its own right. Show a little more respect folks and really, what in the name of whoever-you-like would a more 'upbeat' or such version of Watchmen even been like? I mean really. 

Tell me you wouldn't want to watch this! Seriously! :)

But, that said, I have thought about it more since then and tried to be fair and honest about what these comics will be and what I think of the scenario as a whole.

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Now, I'm a big fan of Brian Azzarello, Len Wein and Adam Hughes so I would probably try out their stuff just because – but I used to say the same about JMS but for some time now he has been acting like a pompous, superior arse and his comments on things and his newer comics themselves not only show that but show him trying so damn hard to be smarter than everyone else, to sound so deep and philosophical that you want to drown him. Case in point: Superman's recent series “Grounded” which followed the infamous walk-across-America storyline that was not only ill-received from the first terrible issue, but a series (along with his equally hyped Wonder Woman story) that he walked out on only a couple of issues in, leaving the new writer to try and salvage something from his directionless, over-bearing and pretentious work.

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Whew... that felt good. Don't get me wrong, I give JMS a lot of credit and I have a lot of his work I really like including his work on Spiderman where he gave him organic web-shooters and stingers and introduced Morlun and Ezekiel and included story-lines like “The Other”. But more and more lately he is giving fans the impression of comics just being his place to cash in and safely hang out in between Hollywood gigs. Sorry, but as a comic fan and creator I find that offensive.

BUT! I do digress and now should return to the main point: Is this new series a good idea?

This right here is the source of my conflict.

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Bottom line though, it's not a bad idea and I think a prequel makes infinitely more sense than a sequel because the original had a great starting point, a flow and a near perfect end to it. To try and screw with what comes after would utterly and totally ruin it because most people would then take that as what comes next instead of the slightly unclear yet obvious and open-ended finale it has now.

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Prequels make sense also because (and I relate as a writer) its not unlike Frank Miller writing Batman: Year One long after Batman's been around and through so much more. These are hero characters and they had a life and history and were heroes and had ups and downs and mundane and extreme for a long while and many years prior to the events of Watchmen, most of which is just alluded to but rarely shown.

So if there can be a good creative team behind it to do the characters justice then I don't see what's wrong with it.

The really sad part about this was pointed out by someone else though and I get it – this is symptomatic of a problem DC has had for some time now in a way, flogging old horses. They cannot seem to get out of catering to the whims and fancies of new readers, to let the details hang and just keep moving forward.

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Even their mega new reboot here with the New-52 is falling short. It has a couple of fantastic new series and some surprise stunners as you would know, but many of the main titles are still selling to the sexy-heroine and extra-violence loving older readers who have grown up reading these characters and titles and in the process the younger reader that could be caught and brought on and would not care or likely even know that Superman died once or what the Crisis on Infinite Earth's was, well that new reader who is your business' future is being ignored. These new readers will and are moving away to other publishers and companies instead of DC because they make themselves so back-story and continuity laden and bound that they can't seem to just go with it and have fun, and when they do try they either completely go over board or just outright fail at the attempt.

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Don't get me wrong, they've done great stuff recently and I'm in love with Action Comics, All-Star Western, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Demon Knights and a few other titles, but note that except for Action Comics, they are all lower order and relatively fringe characters I list here and are part of this successful line-up – Action Comics being the exception but then it was written by Grant Morrisson who has been lobbying to write the character for years and been refused and even fans have been crying to have him take it on.

In the end, this could give DC something new and fresh to play around with. I hope they don't let JMS and Cooke have too much leeway to play god but use their talents to develop the characters and nurture the potential these iconic names have. I hope that DC does not take this as just a cash-cow (which it WILL be) and tries to really do some good with these series' and I hope they start being a lot more flexible and allow their talents and books to grow and evolve more. 

Personally I'm just really looking forward to the Rorschach and Comedian series penned by the inimitable Azzarello and Jones' and Bernejo's art!

Ok, so I'm done blathering on, what about you? Are you looking forward to these books or would you rather see them purged from the time-line?

Till next time wayfarers.

Cheers.