Before Watchmen is a series ofcomic books published byDC Comics in 2012. Acting as aprequel to the 1986 12-issueWatchmenlimited series by writerAlan Moore and artistDave Gibbons, the project consists of eight limited series and oneone-shot (though two were planned) for a total of 37 issues.
Moore stated in 1985 that if theWatchmen limited series was well-received, he and Gibbons would possibly create a 12-issue prequel series calledMinutemen featuring the 1940s superhero group from the story.[1] DC offered Moore and Gibbons chances to publish prequels to the series, such asRorschach's Journal orThe Comedian's Vietnam War Diary, as well as hinting at the possibility of other authors using the same universe. Tales of the Comedian's Vietnam War experiences were floated becauseThe 'Nam was popular at the time, while another suggestion was, according to Gibbons, for a "Nite Owl/Rorschach team" (in the manner ofRandall and Hopkirk (Deceased), and also in the sense that the originalCharlton charactersBlue Beetle andThe Question had worked together as a team from time-to-time). Neither man felt the stories would have gone anywhere, with Moore particularly adamant that DC not go forward with stories by other individuals.[2] Gibbons was more attracted to the idea of aMinutemen series, because it would have "[paid] homage to the simplicity and unsophisticated nature of Golden Age comic books—with the added dramatic interest that it would be a story whose conclusion is already known. It would be, perhaps, interesting to see how we got to the conclusion."[3]
In 2010, Moore toldWired that DC offered him the rights toWatchmen back earlier that week, if he would agree to prequel and sequel projects. Moore said that "if they said that 10 years ago, when I asked them for that, then yeah it might have worked ... But these days I don't wantWatchmen back. Certainly, I don't want it back under those kinds of terms." DC Comics co-publishersDan DiDio andJim Lee responded, "DC Comics would only revisit these iconic characters if the creative vision of any proposed new stories matched the quality set by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons nearly 25 years ago, and our first discussion on any of this would naturally be with the creators themselves."[4]
Following months of rumors about a potentialWatchmen follow-up project, in February 2012, DC announced seven prequel limited series under the "Before Watchmen" banner:Rorschach,Minutemen,Dr. Manhattan,Comedian,Silk Spectre,Nite Owl, andOzymandias. The books were written byJ. Michael Straczynski,Brian Azzarello,Darwyn Cooke, andLen Wein, and drawn byLee Bermejo,J. G. Jones,Adam Hughes,Andy Kubert,Joe Kubert, andAmanda Conner. Every issue featured a two-page installment of the backup series "Curse of the Crimson Corsair" written by Len Wein and drawn by originalWatchmen coloristJohn Higgins. The backup was inspired by theTales of the Black Freighterstory within a story from the originalWatchmen. ABefore Watchmen: Epilogue one-shot was announced but never published.
Gibbons stated,
The original series ofWatchmen 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.[5]
Moore criticized the project, calling it "completely shameless", and stated he was not interested in monetary compensation, but rather “What I want is for this not to happen.”[6] Moore elaborated,
What the comics industry has effectively said is, 'Yes, this was the only book that made us briefly special and that was because it wasn't like all the other books.'Watchmen was something that stood on its own and it had the integrity of a literary work. What they've decided now is, 'So, let's change it to a regular comic that can run indefinitely and have spin-offs.' and 'Let's make it as unexceptional as possible.' Like I say, they're doing this because they haven't got any other choices left, evidently.[7]
Writer/Artist:Darwyn Cooke[8]
Hollis Mason, the originalNite Owl, recounts his exploits withThe Minutemen during the 1940s, while in the midst of his retirement, he faces opposition to the publication of his tell-all autobiography,Under the Hood in the early 1960s. Although it heavilyretconned certain characters' backstories by suggesting that a large part ofUnder the Hood was dirty lies and cover ups, it debuted to positive reviews.[9][10][11]
Writers: Darwyn Cooke andAmanda Conner. Artist: Amanda Conner[8]
The story follows Laurie Jupiter as she rebels against her mother Sally's efforts for Laurie to replace her as theSilk Spectre. Laurie runs away with her boyfriend to discover herself in theSan Franciscocounterculture of the 1960s. The story debuted to mixed reviews.[12][13][14]
Writer:Brian Azzarello. Artist:J. G. Jones[8]
The story reveals theComedian's history with theKennedy family during his exploits in the violentVietnam Era. It debuted to mostly negative reviews.[15][16][17][18]
Writer:J. Michael Straczynski. Artists:Andy andJoe Kubert[8]
The plot takes place in the early 1960s, where 17-year-old Daniel Dreiberg is trained by Hollis Mason, theNite Owl who led the vigilante teamThe Minutemen, as he narrates his first adventures as the second Nite Owl. Dreiberg and Rorschach did not get along, but they started an early partnership when they begin looking at a series ofprostitute murders. Each recalled the abuse their mother suffered when they were children. Nite Owl inadvertently allows seduction into his world ofvigilantism, courtesy of thedominatrix madam The Twilight Lady, while Rorschach turns toward religion, bringing the duo back together to solve the case. The story debuted to mostly positive reviews.[19][20][21]
Writer:Len Wein. Artist:Jae Lee[8]
As he awaits the final moment for his master plan to come together,Ozymandias reflects on what brought him there and makes an autobiographical recording of his life that spans 1939-1985 (when the story ofWatchmen takes place). We see his early studies and adventures, the beginnings of his financial empire and his crime-fighting career, and his first unnerving encounters with The Comedian and Doctor Manhattan—the latter of which prompted him to build hisAntarctic fortress of Karnak, aid in resolving theCuban Missile Crisis, and retire from crime-fighting to concentrate on saving the world at any cost. The story debuted to mostly positive reviews.[22][23][24]
Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist:Lee Bermejo[8]
The story followsRorschach in New York City, 1977, where his crime-fighting activities cause him to be targeted by a crime lord running drugs and prostitution in the sordidTimes Square. While focused on the gang, Rorschach makes the mistake of allowing another predator to operate unchallenged. The story debuted to mixed reviews.[25][26][27]
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist:Adam Hughes[8]
The story explores thedifferent universes thatDoctor Manhattan alias Jon Osterman simultaneously perceives. It also adds a notable new element to Osterman's backstory by revealing him to be a half-Jewish German immigrant who escaped with his father from theThird Reich to America; in the originalWatchmen series, he was not implied to be anything other than American. It debuted to positive reviews.[28][29][30]
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist:Eduardo Risso[31]
Moloch, alias Edgar William Jacobi, was an ex-nemesis of the Minutemen. This story reveals information about Moloch's childhood, his turn to villainy, and new details surrounding his death. According toreview aggregation website Comic Book Roundup, the series received an average score of 5.8/10 based on 12 critic reviews.[32]
Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Steve Rude
The story explores Bill Brady, the corporate-sponsored superhero and Minutemen team member known as Dollar Bill.[33]
Writers: Len Wein. Artists: John Higgins.
A series focused onCrimson Corsair was planned but Wein left to work onBefore Watchmen: Epilogue. Higgins had also written and drawn theCrimson Corsair back-up features that appear in many of theBefore Watchmen publications.[34]
Writers: Various. Artists: Various
The plannedEpilogue one-shot was cancelled.[35] It would have featured aCrimson Corsair story written by Len Wein and drawn by John Higgins.[36]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Watchmen: Minutemen/Silk Spectre | Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1-6 andBefore Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1-4 | July 2013 | 978-1401238926 |
| Before Watchmen: Comedian/Rorschach | Before Watchmen: Comedian #1-6 andBefore Watchmen: Rorschach #1-4 | July 2013 | 978-1401245139 |
| Before Watchmen: Nite Owl/Dr. Manhattan | Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1-4,Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1-4 andBefore Watchmen: Moloch #1-2 | July 2013 | 978-1401238940 |
| Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Corsair | Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1-6,Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill #1 andBefore Watchmen: Crimson Corsair #1 | July 2013 | 978-1401238957 |
| Before Watchmen Omnibus | Before Watchmen: Comedian #1-6,Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1-4,Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1-6,Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1-4,Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1-4,Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1-4,Before Watchmen: Moloch #1-2,Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1-6,Before Watchmen: Crimson Corsair #1 andBefore Watchmen: Dollar Bill #1 | December 2018 | 978-1401285517 |
The television seriesWatchmen is set 34 years after the original comic, and includes several events fromBefore Watchmen adapted in-universe as a television series titledAmerican Hero Story: Minutemen.[37]
Created byAlan Moore andDave Gibbons | |||||||
| Comics | |||||||
| Characters | |||||||
| Adaptations |
| ||||||
| Parodies | |||||||
| See also | |||||||
