I’m Steve Gustafson and thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to check out 411mania’s Comic Book Review Roundtable, every Thursday! Read up on the best reviews and let us know what you’re reading as well. Click to read the latest Comic Book Review Roundtable! Thanos #2, Ultimates 2 #2, and more!

Now, on with the show!

Last week we discussed, “What’s in Store for All-Star Batman?” Here’s what you all had to say:

Topper Bottoms: “Shit. I might have to buy a comic book. Romita on Batman looks good.”

Al Lobama: “I’m currently at that crossroads with ASB. I don’t know if I should keep buying it because JRJR’s art is some of his best work in years, or if I should stop buying it because Snyder’s writing has been disappointing.”

Benjamin J: “Snyder plays the long game with his writing. Not quite as long as, say, Grant Morrison, but he structures smaller arcs within longer ones, so things tend to come together over time. Sometimes that works well (Endgame, Zero Year, Superheavy), sometimes not (Death of the Family and the last few issues of Court of Owls).

I wish the guy wasn’t so hit and miss, cause when he’s really on, he’s outstanding, and even his weaker Batman arcs were saved by Capullo’s art and could similarly be saved by JR Jr, but it is what it is. Gotta decide if you’re willing to stick it out and see if it’s worth it.”

James M. Fabiano: “Not a continuation of Frank Miller’s All-Star Batman? NO BUYS.”

To read ALL the comments, CLICK HERE! As always, thanks for the input!

This week we discuss…

Do We Want More Watchmen Comics?

DC President/Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has created quite a stir with a series of tweets in the early hours of 2017. One especially caught the eyes (and ire) of fans, when he inferred that he would be writing more comic books in 2017; specifically one that would involve Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan.

Johns’ DC Universe: Rebirth #1 included Dr. Manhattan and several other elements from Watchmen into mainstream DCU continuity, when it was hinted that Dr. Manhattan was behind the New 52.

Alan Moore’s Watchmen shook the comic book industry when it was first published in 1986 and 1987. Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons originally wanted to do the story with characters from the recently acquired Charleston Comics but Managing Editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters and the rest is history.

Both a commercial and critical success, Watchmen is considered the standard all classics are compared to and many consider it to be one of the most significant works of 20th-century literature. It’s no surprise that Watchmenis recognized on numerous “Best Of” lists and the BBC described it as “The moment comic books grew up.”

What made it stand out was Moore’s complex storytelling, remarkable character development, and his deconstructing of the superhero concept. It’s something that many have attempted to duplicate but very, very few have found the same success and impact.

In 2012, DC Comics released Before Watchmen, a series that acted as a prequel to the original Watchmen series, without Moore and Gibbons’ involvement.Gibbons released a statement saying:

“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.”

Moore was a little more direct and criticized the project, calling it “completely shameless”, and stated he was not interested in monetary compensation, but rather “What I want is for this not to happen.” Moore went onto elaborate:

“What the comics industry has effectively said is, ‘Yes, this was the only book that made us briefly special and that was because it wasn’t like all the other books.’ Watchmen was something that stood on its own and it had the integrity of a literary work. What they’ve decided now is, ‘So, let’s change it to a regular comic that can run indefinitely and have spin-offs.’ and ‘Let’s make it as unexceptional as possible.’ Like I say, they’re doing this because they haven’t got any other choices left, evidently.”

Which brings us back to Johns’ tweet. Does this make Watchmen less special? It’s obvious they are going to incorporate Watchmen in the mainstream DC Universe but do we really need to see that? Yes, it’s a cool idea when you first hear about it but the more you think about it, the Moore you see Moore’s point.

What do you think about more Watchmen in the DC universe?

That’s all the time I have. Check out our Comic Book Reviews tomorrow and see you next week!