Before Watchmen Series Coming from DC Comics Without Original Creators

Fans of Watchmen are praying to the comic book gods today that prequels can be better than The Phantom Menace.

DC Entertainment is expected to unveil a set of seven books leading up to the highly influential Watchmen series—one of the most revered comic book titles in a quarter century. With the incredibly inventive name Before Watchmen, the new set of stories will reportedly follow the same familiar characters of Rorschach and Nite Owl.

But don't expect Before Watchmen to shed light on the original series' famously cryptic ending; as the title suggests, the set will start this summer by filling in some of the back story for main characters. Will it live up to the original's genius of damaged vigilantes in a fraught world of impending nuclear doom?

Not according to original and since-estranged Watchmen author Alan Moore, who called the move "Completely shameless" in an interview with the New York Times.

At least maybe the pictures will be nice?

[TheRetroDirectory]

What a desperate move. This is what happens when writers need to compensate for their lack of talent. They take a great story, and recycle it. It doesn't help that less than a quarter of DC's "New 52" are worthy of not being torn to shreds.

[incufish]

The concept of further exploring the world Moore established is intriguing but it does not feel right at all. May take a read but definitely not buying

[PK-MegaLolCaT]

@Zombiepoo4000 well, you shouldn't. this is like if a museum painted lolcats all over the mona lisa because someone thought that leonardo da vinci's work was missing something (sorry for being rude)

[rdethesky]

@Hellriper12 To imply that this is going to somehow ruin the original Watchmen is absolutely ridiculous. Watchmen will always be amazing. How about going into it with an open mind? This series is incredibly ambitious (in its whole, it'll be about three times the size of Watchmen), and it has some of the most legendary comic creators ever.

Oh, as for desecrating Moore's sacred work, don't forget Moore wrote on Swamp Thing, a series, Len Wein (Before Watchmen: Ozymandias) originally created.