Is It Time for More Watchmen?

For those of you that may not have heard, rumors are swirling once again that DC is working on reviving the Watchmen comic book franchise. It's said that there are four mini-series being developed as prequels to the original 12-issue series. The project is thought to be under the supervision of a single editor, suggesting that the stories will be coordinated in some way.

Now, it's pretty obvious that nothing is written in stone here. In fact, the recent cancellation of Marvel's Victor Von Doom mini-series just weeks before its first issue was to hit stands should serve as sufficient reminder that there's at least an ocean or two between a publisher kicking around ideas and holding a finished comic book in your hands. However, we should note that as recently as last weekend, rumor website Bleeding Cool posted some images from parties alleged to be involved in the Watchmen prequels, only to be served with a cease and desist order from DC Comics almost immediately, resulting in the images being removed. In addition, names tossed out as being involved in these projects include Darwyn Cooke, John Higgins, J. Michael Straczynski, J.G. Jones, Andy Kubert, and original Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons. Of course, original Watchmen writer Alan Moore has spoken at length of how he disavows any continuation of the property.

That being said, though, it can be fun to wonder about what shape a quartet of Watchmen prequels might take. The rumor that two of the four series will focus on the characters The Comedian and Nite Owl is enough to afflict fans of the 26-year-old franchise with alternating waves of cold sweats and giddy anticipation. With that in mind, let's take a look at some possible ideas for how the rumored prequels might actually succeed – or fail miserably.



With a franchise as deep and beloved as Watchmen, creating a prequel means picking your way through a minefield of disasters. The easiest trap into which such a project might fall is to allow the four mini-series to become unglued from one another. The burden is squarely on the shoulders of the editor coordinating any new material to maintain tight control on the project. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons are two incredibly detail-oriented individuals who also happen to be very good at making comic books and telling stories, and the success of Watchmen is a direct result of their ability to control every aspect of its storytelling. By splitting the creative responsibilities between four times as many creators (or more), it would be extremely easy for the whole project to lose focus or consistency.

Another potential pitfall is to reproduce something that's already been done. Moore and Gibbons covered a lot of ground and worked a lot of complexity into both their story and their characters. If all we get with a prequel is a retelling of events detailed in Watchmen (Comedian's assault of Sally Jupiter, for example), fans will likely react negatively – perhaps even with accusations that DC's intention was to use the legendary franchise for a money grab. Also, try to imagine a 6-issue series narrated entirely in Dr. Manhattan's internal monologue or Rorshach's journal notes. Been there, done that. Similarly, 6 issues of The Comedian acting like an amoral jerk during the Vietnam War doesn't offer much opportunity for new thematic insights or novel character development.


Many efforts to expand a property make the mistake of trying to reclaim or explain missteps in the property's history. It's very difficult to pull off such a feat elegantly, so creators hoping to build on the work of Moore and Gibbons would best be served ignoring the video game Watchmen: The End Is Nigh completely. The possibility that memories of poor mechanics and monotony might color readers' impressions of the prequels is not worth the integration with established material.

The Doomsday scenario (heh) would be crossing characters from the rest of the DCU into the world of Watchmen. Rorshach will occasionally pop up in the backgrounds of other comics' backgrounds in a tongue-in-cheek tribute, but involving Superman, Batman, or anyone else from the post-Flashpoint DCU in new Watchmen stories would be a nightmare for reasons that should be self-explanatory.


So what would make for a Watchmen prequel that I would want to read? Well, aside from the converse of each of the scenarios I just listed, I'd love to see some well-thought-out plots that also serve as exciting drama and insightful social commentary. Develop some of the lesser known characters without leaving the main characters from Watchmen entirely out of the picture. Use the fact that the project is separated into four titles to hide clues to the greater project's main plot by dropping hints asynchronously in stories taking place at different times. There are likely to be differences between the books in presentation style (some of which may be dramatic), but as long as the four mini-series are integrated well with one another and with the original series, I'll be a happy camper.

Abstract recommendations are only so useful, though, so bear with me while I try to give you a more concrete (if imperfect) example of what might work in a Watchmen prequel.


Start by building the backbone to the four mini-series project around Moloch the Mystic, enemy to both the original adventurers and second generation of heroes in Watchmen. Apart from the logistical benefits of being a character that interacted with most of Moore's heroes (thus tying the four prequels to one another and the original series) and only having received light development in the original series, Moloch's name gives the right sense of unavoidable deterioration and impending doom ("Moloch" has been used to represent, among other foreboding things, the negative aspects of America and capitalism).

So what could work for the proposed group of mini-series? Head to Page 2 to find out!