About a month ago, we asked the question, Is It Time For More Watchmen? According to DC Comics , it seems the answer is a resounding "yes."

The longtime rumors of a Watchmen 2 project were confirmed by DC simultaneously via their blog The Source and USA Today . The project, as expected, has zero involvement from original Watchmen creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons , but does feature a multitude of the industry's best creative talent. The title of the project is officially " Before Watchmen " and will consist of 7 mini-series of various lengths, all inter-connected and set in the time before the original story.

Before Watchmen: Should It Exist?

The announced books are: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 HughesNITE 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 "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."There will be one new issue a week, each featuring a two-page back-up called The Curse of the Crimson Corsair, written by Len Wein with art by John Higgins. There will also be a Before Watchmen: Epilogue one-shot. No official launch date was given other than "this summer."Gibbons told The Source, "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.""Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction," added DiDio and Lee. "Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant."For his part, Azzarello spoke to USA Today about Rorschach , saying, "He's the face. The guy who covers his face is the face of the franchise. You're going to get the Rorschach that you know and want. It's a very visceral story we're going to be telling."The announcement is going to be quite controversial amongst comics fans, with Watchmen being almost universally hailed as not only one of the greatest superhero comics of all time, but an untouchable piece of literature. While the characters are indeed owned by DC Comics and not Moore and Gibbons, the debate over the integrity of revisiting these characters without Moore's involvement will likely rage eternally.Whatever your thoughts, Watchmen 2 is a go. Just as DC Comics did when they announced their relaunch last summer, they have proven they are willing to do whatever it takes to go the distance.So have at it, dear readers. Watchmen 2: yay or nay? Be gentle.



Watchmen 2: Good Idea?

The New York Times got a comment from Alan Moore, who was, to say the least, less than pleased with the news. "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."He continued, "I don't want money. What I want is for this not to happen. As far as I know, there weren't that many prequels or sequels to Moby Dick."DC revealed some covers to the various series through outlets across the web in addition to the ones listed above, including Wired CBR and the AP