‘Watchmen’ prequels stir a big debate

Miniseries expand story, but the creator’s not happy

The seminal comic-book series Watchmen famously deconstructed superhero tales in the 1980s. But for some fans, the new Before Watchmen prequels threaten to deconstruct its legacy.

Amid heated Internet debates, Before Watchmen launches Wednesday from DC Comics with the first issue of Minutemen, one of seven miniseries that expand upon the landmark work by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.

“The strength of comics is building on other people’s legacies and making them even stronger properties,” says Dan DiDio, DC co-publisher.

DiDio assembled a high-profile list of creators such as cartoonist Darwyn Cooke and original Watchmen editor Len Wein to tackle the untold adventures of the masked vigilante Rorschach, nihilistic antihero The Comedian, comely Silk Spectre and the blue superhuman Dr. Manhattan.

The prequels will explore the characters and events from the original Watchmen, which ran 12 issues between 1986 and 1987. Imagining an America in a world that was changed by the existence of superheroes, the dark, complex tale tapped into Cold War-era angst.

A 2009 movie adaptation didn’t burn up the box office, but it did lead to a resurgence in the collected Watchmen graphic novel, which has sold a still-record 2 million copies.

Moore denounced the movie and has called Before Watchmen “completely shameless.” That disapproval has also sparked a new debate about creator rights in comics.

Moore and Gibbons had signed a contract with DC in the 1980s where the rights to Watchmen would revert to their ownership after the original book went out of print. But it’s still in print and continues to generate revenue for DC.

DiDio emphasizes that all of the creators are treating the original Watchmen with the respect it deserves while also telling stories that stand out on their own away from Moore and Gibbons’ shadow. “It’s a very long shadow indeed.” For an interactive look at the Before Watchmen prequels and an exclusive Minutemen preview, visit comics.usatoday.com.