The Super Network

Last week we were all surprised and/or shocked by the news that DC would be producing a series of Watchmen prequel comics. Each issue would focus on something different, with a talented array of writers and artists.

My first reaction was that I literally wanted to vomit; I could not believe what I was reading. It all really set in when I saw that covers had already been made, and were on display.

Watchmen for me is one of the best things I have ever read, I look at it now as a graphic novel (even though it was a series of comics when it first came out). It is a fully fleshed out story, it has a beginning, a middle and an end. For me, this didn’t need any sort of follow-up, the story was wrapped up perfectly, and I didn’t need anything more. The main characters were fully developed and realised, I didn’t need to know more, because I could work with what I was given, and if a character didn’t have as much development it was because they didn’t need it. We got all the information that we needed, there was no need for anything else. Watchmen is a well-rounded piece, it was an intense ride and reading it over again I always find things I may have missed before.

The story and its characters were fleshed out; I never wanted or needed anything else. This is a stand-alone piece of work, if there was meant to be more there would have been. So why after so long has someone decided that there needs to be? Is there really a great want for more? I certainly don’t want more, or need more. If there are any blanks in Watchmen, there are hints within the context and I can use my imagination to fill it in. I don’t understand why this isn’t enough for some people, how difficult is it to use that brain and just think for yourself? Having prequels is going to add nothing to Watchmen, and if anything if the writers don’t pay close attention they will screw with the continuity of it all. Don’t think its possible, just ask George Lucas for one, who apparently didn’t bother to watch or read the scripts to Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back or Return Of The Jedi before he went and wrote prequels to them.

Why do I need to any more history to these characters? What is adding to it, with the potential to make a mess of those characters going to accomplish? I certainly don’t want it and I certainly don’t need it. This feels very much like a cash grab attempt, I can’t really support that, and I really don’t feel any passion towards it. Will it get more people to read comics, yes maybe it will but that isn’t the right way to go about it. I see this as a very bad idea, and it has the potential to ruin one of the greatest graphic novels of all time.

If these actually turn out to be good, and contribute to Watchmen in a way I can’t foresee than I will take back my rant, but I really don’t see this happening.