Multiversity Comics: DC Confirms Before Watchmen Event for Summer 2012

- Posted by Brian Salvatore on Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Art courtesy of the Source

After being a rumor for years, and especially fervent in the last 6 months or so, DC Comics has announced Before Watchmen, an event made up of seven miniseries that tell the tales of the characters from the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons series to be released this summer. The Source has confirmed some truly incredible artists and writers have been lined up to create these stories. They are:

Rorschach, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo
Minutemen, written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke
Comedian, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by J.G. Jones
Dr. Manhattan, written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Adam Hughes
Nite Owl, written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Andy and Joe Kubert
Ozymandias, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Jae Lee
Silk Spectre, written by Darwyn Cooke and illustrated by Amanda Conner

The Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre series are 4-issues each, with Minutemen, Comedian and Ozymandias each running for 6 issues.

In addition, each book will feature a 2 page back up called The Curse of the Crimson Corsair written by Len Wein and illustrated by John Higgins, the original series's editor and colorist, respectively. That story will culminate, along threads of the other stories, in a one shot called Before Watchmen: Epilogue.

Dave Gibbons is quoted by the Source saying, "“The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire.” While Gibbons was not exactly endorsing the project, Alan Moore had a stronger quote to the New York Times. “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago,” Moore said, along with calling the idea "completely shameless." He also feels that sequels de-legitimize comics as a genre, stating "As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to Moby-Dick.”

Stay tuned for more on this self-professed "highly anticipated and controversial" series, and check behind the cut for seven more covers.