Author Message

Matthew McCallum

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 03 July 2004

Location: United States

Posts: 2710 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 6:31am | IP Logged | 1 Here's a link to the latest article on the continuing saga we call Alan Moore:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/alan-moore-watchmen?u tm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Fe ed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29% 29

At first, my reaction was typical Alan Moore being Alan Moore and I clicked on to my next bit of news. But then it struck me: Watchmen prequels and sequels. 25 years ago, I think that prospect would have filled me with excitement. Now, merely dread.

And with that thought, the following paragraph truly registered:

"However, DC Comics co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee said, 'Watchmen is the most celebrated graphic novel of all time. Rest assured, DC Comics would only revisit these iconic characters if the creative vision of any proposed new stories matched the quality set by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons nearly 25 years ago, and our first discussion on any of this would naturally be with the creators themselves.'"

First discussion. Which, I take to mean, there will be second and third discussions with other parties and DC is expressing a keen interest in exploiting these characters further.

And so, I solicit the group since we're the likely target demographic: Does the prospect of more Watchmen hold any interest?

John Byrne



Imaginary X-Man



Joined: 11 May 2005

Posts: 121744 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 6:33am | IP Logged | 2 Not even a little bit. Amusing as always to read Moore getting proprietorial about WATCHMEN. He doesn't want them "back" he says. I wonder by what means he was able to determine that the creators of all those characters he used in THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN wanted them "back".

James Revilla

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 03 May 2004

Location: United States

Posts: 2266 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 6:38am | IP Logged | 3 I was at Wondercon in 87 I believe and I

asked at the time was there any plans for a

sequel to Dark Knight or Watchmen? And I'm

not sure who was on the DC panel but they

literally laughed at me and said why would

we ever consider doing something like that? And here we are.

Eric White

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 17 October 2006

Location: United States

Posts: 915 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 6:43am | IP Logged | 4 I want to see JB do a sequel to Watchmen........ or Alan Davis. Or if DC wants to really piss Moore off, they could ask Stephen Bissette to do it!

Luke Styer

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 20 April 2004

Location: United States

Posts: 1515 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 6:49am | IP Logged | 5 I can't really think of what sort of sequel to Watchmen would work. I think there's plenty of room for prequels, but they'd almost inevitably do a disservice to Watchmen .



Watchmen largely depends on the fact that its characters are analogs, so that the reader brings his existing memories of an emotional investment in the original characters specifically and other superheroes generally to the "new" characters. The more we actually see the new characters in action prior to the "main event," the harder it would be to connect them to other superheroes. So unless the prequels could somehow match the emotional resonance of years of reading superhero comics, the effect of Watchmen is going to be diminished.

Joe Zhang

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 16 April 2004

Location: United States

Posts: 12396 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:23am | IP Logged | 6 To me, almost everything DC puts out is a nod to the Watchmen. So they might as well get it over with and put out more Watchmen comics.

Petter Myhr Ness

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 02 July 2009

Location: Norway

Posts: 3187 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:27am | IP Logged | 7 The most interesting quote of the interview, in my opinion:



“The comics world has lots of unpleasant connections, when I think back over it, many of them to do with Watchmen .”

I quite agree.





Petter Myhr Ness

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 02 July 2009

Location: Norway

Posts: 3187 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:28am | IP Logged | 8 James, they actually DID a sequel to DARK KNIGHT RETURNS already. I haven't read it, though.

Tony Midyett

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 25 January 2010

Location: United States

Posts: 2834 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:42am | IP Logged | 9 I read the Dark Knight sequel about a year ago, and I have virtually no memory of it. <shrug>

As for a Watchmen sequel...I seem to recall an interview years ago in which Moore said he might one day do a _prequel_, starring the Minutemen, and probably set in the '50's. And it's inevitable that someone will get around to doing a sequel and/or prequel, but I can't imagine why Moore would care anymore. Hasn't he left comics behind him? <shrug>

What I'd like to see is someone like JB or Perez or Alan Davis do a Charlton character revival---the characters should have their own Earth, and the stories could be done Old School (TM), as a relief to Grim 'n Gritty (TM). Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, The Question, , etc.-----I'd definitely buy those comics, if done right. But Watchmen versions of the Charlton guys? Nah, we already have Watchmen versions of all the DC and Marvel characters---don't need more.

Greg Woronchak

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 04 September 2007

Location: Canada

Posts: 1631 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:52am | IP Logged | 10 I wouldn't find a Watchmen prequel appealling, and I doubt a sequel can work, considering the closure achieved at the end of the limited series. I'm guessing DC may be considering having the Watchmen characters as one of their 52 Earths, so that a cross-over would be possible (imagine JLA discovering these dark analogues of themselves, for example).



Edited by Greg Woronchak on 22 July 2010 at 7:53am

James Revilla

Byrne Robotics Member





Joined: 03 May 2004

Location: United States

Posts: 2266 Posted: 22 July 2010 at 7:55am | IP Logged | 11 Yes that was part of my point Petter. They already went down that rabbit hole once...