Every few years or so, the internet hears whispers of DC Comics’ plans to exhume Watchmen so that everyone can sleep on futons made of woven sapphire and topaz.
https://gizmodo.com/dc-says-no-to-watchmen-2-but-leaves-door-open-for-sup-5475616
https://gizmodo.com/alan-moore-dc-offered-me-the-rights-to-watchmen-back-5593620
The latest rumor comes to us from Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool, who reports that the success of DC’s New 52 initiative has reopened talks of a Watchmen series of prequels:
https://gizmodo.com/dc-relaunch-snap-judgments-week-4-alien-burlesque-and-5844876
[It] had the code name “Panic Room”. That names mentioned included Dave Gibbons, John Higgins, Darwyn Cooke, JMS, JG Jones, Andy Kubert and more.
Indeed I am now told that there will be four Watchmen miniseries, all prequels. Working off an over-arching uber-plot by Darwyn, who will be writing and drawing on a book or two.
It’s unclear whether this is the actual creative team or more of a wish list, but that’s some serious creative muscle being thrown behind this project. A Watchmen prequel would certainly be profitable — and perhaps even readable — but is it necessary? Grant Morrison’s had a parallel universe Watchmen tale in the works for a while now, but that project’s not going anywhere fast.
https://gizmodo.com/grant-morrison-talks-pax-americana-his-updated-watch-5641665
What say you, readers? Like two blue-balled Dr. Manhattans, are two Watchmen too much? The graphic novel is about as open-and-shut as one could wish for. At least nobody’s bandying around The Further Adventures Of That Clumsy Guy From The New Frontiersman.
UPDATE: Johnson further notes that this initiative is not without its critics within the publisher: “a decent sized chunk of DC is not on board for this. That they love Watchmen as it is, and see these prequel mini-series as diluting that.”
