Fan-favorite comics artist Steve Rude, co-creator of Nexus, who not long ago shared an anecdote about being rebuffed by DC Comics when looking for work, recently completed his first work for publisher in a few years in the form of Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill with writer Len Wein, editor of the original Watchmen.

What did he have to say about the experience? Well, he just sent out an e-mail detailing a bit of it...

Being the enlightened being that I am, instead of being bothered by the people at DC Comics never getting back to me, I all but needed to recall a basic and steadfast truth of humanity-which is--

When they want you-they'll call you.

And call they did.

What did DC call me about you ask? No, it wasn't a chance to do some Kirby character like I'd originally requested, like Barda and her Female Furies, OMAC, or even something unexpected like beautiful, blonde Supergirl. No. What DC called to offer me was a "one-shot" that revolved around a "Watchmen" character named Dollar Bill.

Dollar Who? Who's that?

When DC art director and editor Mark Chiarello called with the offer, I wasn't sure how to react. I certainly hadn't heard of this " Dollar Bill", nor had I exactly been keeping up with any of the news regarding DC's re-launch of the Watchmen group. Hey, when's the last time the old-fashioned Dude read a new-fashioned comic book?

DC had called me to do an alternative cover for one of Darwyn Cooke's Minutemen books--#4 to be exact--so I at least had the advantage of having drawn the characters that would eventually appear in and around this Dollar Bill book they were now offering me. Maybe it was an omen--or an amen-but before I could shave, bathe, and stop our new puppy from chewing up my old art books, DC once again called--to offer me the D. B. one-shot.

Why am I bringing this up now? Simply to to let y'all know that the DC Dollar Bill one-shot by writer Len Wein and artist Steve Rude is on stands now.

And what should you expect of this book, dear fans of classic comic art? A weak, uninspired, and "so-what" script from the creator of Swamp Thing and Wolverine? And the art, inking and lettering from a multiple Eisner-winning artist that is a pale, uninspired, and dashed-off shadow of its former self? Anyone expecting that from two young-at-heart, classically inspired true-believers like Len and the Dude might as well glove-up for the boxing ring!

For starters, how 'bout that the story is actually--steady now-easily followed, with likewise comprehendible drawings to match the words! Since Len and I are both from the "classic period" of comic book storytelling, we'll be telling you the compelling and eventually tragic life story of one Bill Brady, one of those naturally gifted athletes who had it easy at an early age-the kind of guy whom all of us normal types use to envy from afar. That lucky guy who had all the girls and buddies he could ever want in high school who now finds himself a bit lost in life after the easy scores following college (didn't we all know at least one person like that back then?).

What's a trophy winning, super-jock like that to do now that he's on his own? Take his once unbound, perfect-teeth smile and go out and conquer the world anew? Get in with the wrong crowd and use his homerun-hitting bat to help out the local mafia? Give up and couch-it with endless M.A.S.H. reruns and grow a beer gut?