WATCHMEN Comic Prequels?

[IrishJedi]

I do have to say that I don't agree with the notion that remakes, prequels, sequels, etc. somehow diminish and/or tarnish the original works. They can and should stand alone, unaffected.

Certainly, it's a bad idea for DC to officially do a WATCHMEN prequel/sequel comic. Even if Len Wein writes it (cause there is no way in hell Moore would) and Dave Gibbons illustrates it, I wouldn't want it to happen.

That said, if it does come to pass and ends up being a pile of junk it still would not change how I feel about WATCHMEN one iota or change the fact that the original is a seminal work and flat-out masterpiece. And I'm not one who throws that term ("masterpiece") around as much as many do these days.

Same with SW. The crappy EU stuff, the annoying SE changes, the prequels, the horrid Clone Wars movie... none of that changes the fact that the OT is legendary.

 

[karamazov80]

I think it is more in the eye of the beholder. George has prequels, sequels, extended universes etc. introducing new stories, characters going their own direction affecting the major story line.

I enjoyed aspects of each and I been disappointed with aspects of each but none affected my love for the original piece. I read / watch hoping each new adventure adds something to the story if not, it is hardly the end of the world.

I'm of the same mind. I think a sequel or prequel to Watchmen is a really stupid idea, but no matter what, it isn't going to affect me feelings toward the originals. The Star Wars analogy works for me. The original films are still near and dear to me, and I just don't imagine that the crappy prequels or cartoon are in any way related to it. It's just glorified "fan fiction" in my mind, even if Lucas wants to tell you that it isn't.

I think you have to examine a product on its own merits, really. I can say that the Nolan Batman films are brilliant, and the Schumacher ones are crap, but the Nolan films don't make me like the Schumacher ones more, and the Schumacher ones don't make me like the Nolan ones less for having been about the same character. Similarly, I think T3 and T: Salvation are poo, but still love the first film. Cameron's Aliens is a drastically different type of movie from Alien (though both are great), but I don't think Scott's film is any less impressive despite being followed up by an action movie with lots of humor and far less dread. Those films really exist in different "universes" for me, despite being about some of the same characters, and I can appreciate them on that level.

Obviously, each person can decide the degree to which sequels involving completely different creative teams should be related to original productions, but if you are going to view any lesser works using previously beloved characters as tarnishing the original works that you enjoyed so much, then you would have very few works to enjoy at all in the modern world. Everything that is popular gets a sequel of some kind nowadays.

 

[FDBMath]

I think the key here is to not read what you aren't interested in and it won't screw up the original for you. Take Kingdom Come for instance. I loved that story. I didn't read any of the other crap that was put out a few years after the original. Why? Because Alex Ross, the key plot contributor from what I understand, wasn't involved in the creation of the other stories.

So, for Watchmen, I won't pick up the prequels/sequels/whatever. I like the original and I think it is truly a self-contained story. Would I love to see stories about the riots, or the Comedian and Doc Manhattan in Viet Nam? Of course, but I much prefer being able to imagine what was going on in those stories instead of having them spoon-fed to me.

Now, the other part of this, for me, was already mentioned before. Why so unoriginal DC? Put out the current or modern equivalent to Watchmen instead of trying to recapture the impact of the original. All you will do is bore and insult your fanbase.

 

[Rorywan]

The Mike

...ok, i get where you are coming from. The reality of his prequels didn't live up to the concept or imagining of the history behind "A New Hope". Can't really argue with that. In fact i completely agree. Still love the originals though, despite the prequels.

 

[Vincent Shaw]

just dont buy this ____

 

[HottoyzJoker]

i wont buy any of that crap...

 

[The Mike]

This is my thing, we remember the original SW prequels because they were presented to us in a certain way. When the changes came we had a point of reference to go back to. Especially with Lucas as the changes go forward and they are considered canon, later and later generations accept them as is because that's the only way they know them. I would much rather DC leave Watchmen alone and not ____ it in any fashion so we don't have to hear see the changes become accepted and understood by future disposable income consumers who start complaining about incorporating the changes into the standard original. This is why we have Jango's face under Boba's helmet and I get to sound like the 90 year old guy with his pants under his armpit going "in my day, we never saw Boba's face, there was nothing talking about how he was a clone..." or "We used just hear of Luke and Leia's mother's death not that she stop having the will to live because she lost her love."

Although I'm sure some will love it for a time it'll be in our faces from Comic Shops to possible Video Games to Alan Moore's guaranteed rants on the web. I'm just glad the thing tanked at the Box Office in many people's eyes because it saves the certainty of the prequels and sequels being thrown on screen.

 

[IrishJedi]

Although I'm sure some will love it for a time it'll be in our faces from Comic Shops to possible Video Games to Alan Moore's guaranteed rants on the web. I'm just glad the thing tanked at the Box Office in many people's eyes because it saves the certainty of the prequels and sequels being thrown on screen.

That should concern you, though, because after overall worldwide box office, DVD/Blu-ray sales, and other tie-ins the movie was highly profitable to WB, Paramount, DC, and Legendary (even after the attempted coup by Fox).

And there already is a prequel video game ("The End Is Nigh"), which was rather blah (way too repetitive and dated in design), despite having been written by Len Wein, with featured new cut-scene art from Dave Gibbons and voice work from Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson.

 

[tomandshell]

I'm not interested in prequels. There were enough flashbacks in the original to cover all the bases for me--adding to it will just be the midichlorians all over again.