So I thought I'd take some time to explore the rumors of an upcoming series of Watchmen prequels, evaluating some of the pros and the cons, as well as the possibilities that might arise from these titles. While many sites have had the opportunity to run rumors on the potential rebirth of Watchmen, there has been very little in the way of concrete evidence to suggest this is going to happen all that soon. With that in mind, take this all as a hypothetical, rather than a direct real world evaluation of the mini potentials.

The first reactions many fans seem to have to this concept is one of utter disdain. As with so many things in comic book fandom, the first voices are negative, and this time they bring with them the following complaints: Alan Moore isn't writing the comics. Alan Moore isn't approving the comics. It is perfect as it is, leave it untouched. Expanding the line will dilute the power of the work. Anything that will be made will be inferior to the original work.

To explore those bits for just a moment, I'd first like to address the issue of Alan Moore. While perhaps I misread the tone of those times I encounter his commentary on the modern comics community, Alan Moore is one of those creators that I find to have the most negative attitude on the whole business. While his rationale may be supported by personal opinion and even some passionate evidence, his attitudes mirror that of a basher and a troll. Certainly this allowable, however, my appreciation for Alan's past work does not make him immune to my standard reaction to such dismissive and rude behavior, which is typically to respectfully disagree and then distance myself from that commentator in search of people looking for a more creative approach. If Alan hates the community so much, he should use his apparently omnipotent powers as the God of all things to do something about it. If he finds the storytelling styles of this characters abominable, he should publish work within that sphere to provide further comparative examples. Unfortunately, Alan has given up, and has yielded his right of opinion to a road he believes was the higher path. Without intending disrespect, that move allows my evaluative processor to disregard Alan's commentary or opinion on the subject.

There are also plenty of other talented writers out there, and they can bring their own potential interpretation to these characters as has been done endlessly since the birth of comics, allowing new creators to redefine the characters and stick their name into the history of that franchise. Byrne and Claremont didn't create the X-Men, but their names are easily associated with that property. Miller didn't think up Daredevil or Batman, but his development of the work is highly regarded. Were there comics between the creation of those characters and these specific epic runs? Did their lackluster moments diminish the value of the original product or the subsequent average when factoring in the new critically acclaimed runs? Even if some of this product isn't quite as phenomenal as the original work, there is every chance that a new master of comics could tap into this world and raise elements of Watchmen to new levels.

For those who feel the classic stands as it is, then simply leave it as is yourself. Additional story should not dilute the overall power of the work. Did you love the original Star Wars film just the way it was? (First of all, you probably loved ESB more, because that seems to be a pretty common response, so how about that as a sequel that worked, eh?) Is your enjoyment truly diluted by a little time of Jar Jar Binks? If so, I'm sorry for you, and would suggest some time working on developing a mindset where you can segregate these elements of the work. Jar Jar Binks doesn't dilute the destruction of the Death Star, Han Solo's "I know" or Vader's ultimate triumph over the Emperor. If you return to a work like Kingdom Come, does the fact that there was a Kingdom mini or a continuation of the tale in Geoff Johns JSA factor into your re-reading of the text? I just don't see why it should. So, if Watchmen 2 happens, instead of complaining about the new work that you just paid money to buy... go back and read your old classic and feel content as that final page crosses over, leaving you the power to decide what happens next. That final page perfectly empowers you as a reader (hopefully we might look slightly more together in this new age) to reject or embrace an expansion of the tale. Do you publish Rorschach's journal and keep this saga going? Or do you accept the finality of the event as the definitive and exclusive version? Moore left one final open door in that final panel beyond the page.

Now the pros. Which I'll tell you for me are abundant. First, people would buy it. And those sales would be on top of the standard fare of DC's New 52. A number of well timed, well paced releases of these mini-series could do wonders financially. Storywise, there are a host of authors just chomping at the bit to get a chance to be associated with something so iconic. We've all had those moments where we wondered more about Watchmen, some have even written out their own fan fics and world expanders. Let the top of the line talent toss their hats in the ring and we'll let the big guys up top sort out the lames from the strengths. A new talent might even be able to make their first stamp on the industry with a brilliant take, while classic writers and artists could get to prove why they deserve to be in the same league as Moore. As a writing challenge, there is a lot of thrill in looking for those corners that have yet to be explored, and there could be some beautiful enlightenment into those little pieces that were dropped as mere crumbs as the story unfolded. Comics should always leave an impression that there is something more beyond the page, so now let us look to those pieces that are past the sum of the work.

So now that I've clearly shown my cards as a fan of the idea, what would I like to see in a Watchmen prequel-line, as the before element is certainly the part most suggested at this point.

The Minutemen: First, as Maria Von Trapp said, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. Their own story is so tied to the emotional core of Watchmen... sometimes I wish we had just a little more time with each of these characters. Sillhouette was one of my favorite unexplored pieces of the puzzle, strongly heightened by the expansion allowed for in her movie cameo. I'd love to see more of Mothman and Dollar Bill as well, perhaps allowing a modern author to explore the early superhero line without injecting the baggage of modernizing them as has been done to the likes of Superman, the All-Star Squadron or the early Lee/Kirby work. The Crimebusters would be an easy follow-up to this.

Nite Owl/Nite Owl: I want to see that team-up of the old days when the old man passed on to the young stallion. There was such chemistry with this pair, they could stand to have an adventure or two together. It doesn't have to be epic in scale, in fact it probably shouldn't tie to Watchmen hardly at all. Just two men, doing their superhero thing, as quasi-father and son.

Silk Spectre: Both of them could probably do well with their own series. Maybe a Sally Jupiter mini first, followed by Laurie as "Volume 2" would be some fun. Conceptually these two are the most ripe elements to me in this universe, as they stand as the (faux)-empowered women of a clearly male dominated world. The contradiction of their clear sex-appeal empowerment against the line of their own exploitation is one of the most complex unspoken tensions in the entire title.

Dr. Manhattan: Could be explored in his standard time-disjointed pattern, perhaps paving the way for an 'after' story.

Comedian: Because how could you leave him out of all this? I'd like to see the first days, the Comedian's story before the war and before the life of heroism. Who was this guy before he was a superhero, before he was even an adult? This is the one I'm least sure of in the whole mix of what to do with him, but I think it would need to be done.

Rorschach: If there was one I'd leave out, it'd be him, just because Watchmen is so much his story. Where these others are the expansion of the universe, Watchmen IS Rorschach's expanded universe for me. Nevertheless, you couldn't leave him out of the mix as the others got their day back in the sun, so perhaps a single case exploration would be manageable for him. It could also be explored with him not being the narrator, instead providing another character (perhaps a street level new creation) evaluating their thoughts on Rorschach, a meta-textual response to the publication of Watchmen in the first place.

Ozymandias: I'd like to see a tale of the 24 hours after the story's conclusion, featuring what Veidt does next, leaving a cliffhanger to that story in the same vein of the original conclusion. I don't know exactly how I'd do it, but I'd love to see the world's smartest man reflect on the apparent success and sacrifice of the story.

Watchmen 2: At the conclusion of all the prequels, I'd be game for a fully developed 12 issue mini-series detailing an entirely new saga featuring all the characters brought together once more for a new challenge. Perhaps throw in some of those new developments of the modern era in a "where are they now" form story... I'd even be game for some new creations in the sequel-verse.

So that is my rundown on the situation for now. What would you like to see? Would you watch the Watchmen once more? Or are you in the camp of Moore's singular vision? Any thoughts would be wonderful.

Very immaculate article and a perfect example of the exact structure one should have. On an odd note The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning came on the playlist directly before my eye's saw the title of this article and is currently going. Agreed on Alan at least more or less. He has his hang-ups, but he gets the check so I have a hard time taking his strong opinion's with any compassion on my end. Further the legacy of a work of fiction is owned by the hearts and imaginations of those it captivates in the end of things. Ironic that Alan's own position on the Watchmen actually goes directly against the final message he set at the end of the graphic novel itself. I have little to say in a wished future for the line, just that it be well and the further it is from my expectations and ability to predict it than the closer to recapturing the effect of the original it will have. Personally I think your idea is great and would read that without hesitation. I've also heard the suggestion for a Doctor Manhattan spin-off exploring his travels thereafter in the Universe, and not only think it would work well, but have a better chance at appealing to the dissonant readers clinging to the first work as that story would end up being removed from the original therefore not tainting it as some speculate a new work would while having an anchor to it at the same time. As well I've thought that an alternate reality venture would work well for the same reason of being aside the classics story rather than within it.