Hurm

Shaunette's Journal, February 1st 2011

Woke to find a DC Comics announced prequel event to Watchmen. Consists of seven miniseries about different characters from the book. Fanboys are enraged. Must get my two cents out there. After all, my opinion does matter.

Yeah, so today DC unveiled "Before Watchmen", a prequel event consisting of seven miniseries expanding on the cast from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's original book. Watchmen holds a special place in the heart of many a fan as the book that proved not only that superheroes can be adult in story and subject matter, but that comics in general can be a viable medium for storytelling, even stories about guys in tights beating people up in the night. It's widely regarded as the greatest graphic novel ever written, so when it's announced that the people who own the rights to the book are going to give it spinoffs without the consent or involvement of the original creators, you better expect a lot of flack.

Personally, I feel a bit...'meh' on the whole thing. It looks decent and they'll probably tell some good stories, plus Darwyn Cooke doing artwork is never a bad thing. I probably won't buy it because of money reasons, but it doesn't look that bad. However, many a fanboy is enraged by this very notion, so I figured I might as well address a few complaints. I doubt it'll help, but it might inform you, dear reader, and at the end of the day, that's what this blog is for.

Gah! DC's going back to the well! There aren't any new ideas in comics!
If you truly believe there aren't any new ideas in this medium, do kindly punch yourself in the face. Hopefully this will knock the ignorance out so the knowledge can come in.

While its true the big two of comics (Marvel and DC) rely on their stable of characters to sell books, saying there are absolutely NO new ideas in comics is fundamentally wrong. Smaller companies like Vertigo, Top Cow, BOOM! Studios, Image Comics, Oni Press, and more are putting out new, different content every week. Webcomics are a vast source of new ideas and new stories. Hell, Bluewater Comics puts out some of the shittiest books on the market, but a lot of them are new and different. Broaden your horizons, read something that looks interesting and different, and don't say stupid things.

DC's only trying to make money! They don't care about Watchmen at all!
Well, at least the first part is true. DC is trying to make money. Then again, they're a business, it'd be weird if they weren't trying to make money.

However, the second part strikes me as odd. People who make comics are people who are fans of comics, and since Watchmen is so well known and well regarded, it's a safe bet that most of the people WORKING AT THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE BOOK know it and like it. Furthermore, if DC didn't care about Watchmen, then they wouldn't put top-tier creators like Brian Azzarello, J.G. Jones, Andy and Joe Kubert, Len Wein, and especially the magnificent Darwyn Cooke into this endeavor. Look at that Night Owl cover at the top of the page! It's Cooke-tastic!

Any continuation of the story will ruin the original!
Okay, this is something that always confuses me. If the original work is held in such high esteem, then why would a sequel/prequel/remake/adaptaion ruin it? Any art, regardless of its source material or influences, should be judged on its own merits, not in comparison to what came before it. This is a sin I'm sure we're all guilty of; I, for one, spent the better part of the film "The Last Airbender" comparing it to its far superior cartoon counterpart. Yet stepping back, I can say that on their own merits, the two are different pieces of work that succeed or fail without needing to be compared to one another.

If Watchmen is so important to you, then it won't lose any of that importance when these prequels come out. And if it does, well then maybe it wasn't as good as you thought it was.

DC's just trying to monetize Watchmen!
Yep. Get with the times, man. Once the movie came out three years ago, all bets were off. The floodgates opened to a wave of merchandising and tie-ins, and DC is looking to keep that wave rolling. Again, they're a business. This is what they do.

Look, this may sound cynical or even apathetic, but in my mind, Watchmen is fantastic book that has stood the test of time and remains to this day one of, if not the best graphic novels ever. A prequel won't bring it down, especially not when there's clearly talent and passion behind it. Will these books be as good as Moore and Gibbons's original masterpiece? I sincerely doubt it. Will they be entertaining stories about characters we're familiar with and like? Could be. Will they look good? Again, see above. Cooke-tastic.

And so, because I fancy myself an entertainer as well as teacher, I'll leave you with a joke: This cover to the Dr. Manhatten book that simply reads "Get a room".



See ya next time, and keep watching those watchmen.