Damn, the man wrote such a popular book that it just won't go out of print!  I feel horrible for him.

Like I stated before, if his most vocal supporters were really on his side they would boycott any and all purchases of the trade and encourage fellow readers to do likewise.  If they buy the book then they are a part of the problem they claim to be fighting.  I'm just saying...

Allow me to apologize in advance if I repeat anything that has already been stated. Now on to my (rant) opinion on this topic.

First off I'm curious about the take the artist and writers will give with these prequels. But I don't agree that they should be done. Watchmen was so ground breaking for its time as well it had much of the prequel information laced through out the story.

Alan Moore has had issues with the comic industry for about the last 20 years or so... So for him to be opposed to this is understandable. Truth be told I don't want Watchmen touched either. My reasons may be like many others. I just feel Watchmen is/was such a unique expereince in comics. By todays standards it may not seem as graphic, or it may not be as cutting edge, but was when it came out. It did what so many other mediums and story tellers have failed to do. It brought a real world perspective to comics and it worked on a grand scale. I remember making my way to the comic score weekly to get my fix in 86' and each month waiting on the next issue of Watchmen. It was a unique expereince, because it brought the world of comics into the world I lived in. Many of you can't relate to that, but its ok... because I think you understand.

This particular endeavor by DC seems a little bit hackney if you will. I could deal with this more so if they try to sell this as an alternate Watchmen universe more than them truly saying these are Prequels.

On to my final statement on the topic. I feel that coporate america sucks. Why does the guy who creates the good shit always get left with toilet paper. Its wrong and it really needs to cease... Just my opinion

Sinister...my apology...after doing some reading you are right at least according to what moore says.  rights were to go to he and gibbons a year after DC no longer used the characters.  But what that constitutes, legally i have no idea.  Does using mean staying in print?  who knows.  Moore is just a bit of a weird guy I guess.

Watrchmen was good, but waaaaaayyyy overrated.

That point aside, I don't understand the backlash.  It is not like expanding on a great story to give you even more of the characters you love is anyting new.  To me, this is kind of like saying the first issue of Batman was so good, that we never should have had any more Batman stories after Detective #27.

These first few issues of Before Watchmen may be crap.  But the following stories that might yet come may enrich that universe even more.  I say let them create more stories, and see where they can go.

@OmegaDean - well said ,sir! I couldnt agree with you more!!!!!