In the graphic novel, society wonders who watches the Watchmen.
We know who won’t be watching their adventures in Before Watchmen — Pádraig Ó Méalóid, eminent scholar of the works of Alan Moore.
James Bacon captured Ó Méalóid’s heated opinions in an interview posted at Comic Buzz:
Pádraig Ó Méalóid: I think all the writers and artists on these new stories – and particularly the writers, for some reason – should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Alan Moore is regularly cited as the best comics writer of our time, and possibly ever, and certainly those writers and artists – in this instance I find it hard to refer to them as ‘creators’ – all get a much better deal because of how hard he fought for creator’s rights, and probably all call him an inspiration, but they know he’s against this, and they still go ahead anyway. In other words, they’re quite happy to piss all over him and his principles for money. Will I mention again how this is an excellent analogy for what’s wrong with the world?
Actually, it’s entirely possible I’m more angry about this than Alan himself is.
And when slagged in a comment about the interview, Ó Méalóid jumped in to deliver this roundhouse punch:
I’m still standing by my assertion that Watchmen is the most important work to come out of the comics field. I mean, you can disagree with me, but it’s just *rude* to suggest that I’m delusional, and certainly does *you* no honour.
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I had always thought that the only appropriate reaction of the comics industry to the Watchmen (and the Dark Knight) was to close shop… the genre had spoken it’s last words and had nothing left to say. But the world we live in is the one O’mealoid wonders about, so nothing of the kind happened. Money is money and comics just went on as before.
Me and James are currently working on a Before Watchmen issue of The Drink Tank. In the pro/con section, I think I’ll be the only one saying “Pro”
CHris
While I have yet to decide whether this is a good thing, another pro Before Watchman commentary can be found at:
http://www.comics101.com/?page=C101
1) This is the first I’d heard of “Before Watchmen”
2) “Watchmen” contains its own prequel, in the form of copious backstory. To add more of it, and against Moore’s preference, feels like pure fan service. It also gives a fair warning of “This is gonna suck,” though that doesn’t always actually happen.
3) Gotta love those heated opinions of Pádraig Ó Méalóid, though. Burn!
There’s all kinds of room for backstories in the Watchmen universe — it will acquire a DC Earth number, and while there (mostly) won’t be crossovers, we’ll see lots of stories: how Nite Owl I came to save that world’s Thomas and Martha Wayne, as pictured in the opening titles of the movie, who hired the Comedian to shoot John F. Kennedy, why Mothman went mad, how did Moloch rise and fall in the New York criminal world, etc. It will be another universe with specials, annuals, and spinoffs. We’ll be sold the Ozymandias figurines, and Nite Owl II and Rorschach will accidentally see (or be seen by) The Batman and The Question for a moment in some kind of extra-dimensional funhouse mirror created by Lex Luthor or the Toyman or the Joker. (They shake heads, say “Naaah,” and their story continues from there.)
It’ll be just like anything else done by “The New DC!” before very long.
And Ambush Bug gives Rorschach nightmares.