Comics NEWS! DC announces Watchmen sequel!! (sort of)

Here's something will definitively annoy old fans..but no doubt please the always demanding younger crowd.

They did it! DC Comics finally did it!!
They're gonna produce more WATCHMEN material!

That's right! Alan Moore timeless classic is finally getting a sequel...in the form of various prequels!!

DC Entertainment has announced that this summer they will publish all-new stories to expand on the acclaimed series. They understand that there will be some controversy with this decision but have decided to take the plunge. DC Comics will put out seven inter-connected prequel mini-series which will "build on the foundation of the original WATCHMEN." All titles will be under the BEFORE WATCHMEN banner.

Oh, my...

Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee said:

It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant. After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.

Getting a bit pro-active regarding this cult classic they own?

Wanting to cash-in on the success of an Alan Moore tale? Who do they think they are... Hollywood? XD

Why did all these sort of things keep happening under DiDio/Lee??

Anyways, they're not kidding around when they're talking about expanding this classic.
They have unied an all-star cast of creators to work with these characters.
And are planning quite a lot of upcoming titles, such as:

- RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
- MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
- COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
- DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
- NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
- OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
- SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

I see lots of personal favorites of mine amongst these names.
Though that doesn't make this whole idea any better honestly..

Each week, these issues will also feature a bonus back-up tale to follow.

Called "Curse of the Crimson Corsair", and written by original series editor Len Wein with art by the original series colorist John Higgins.

This seems to be the only part of this whole experience that I've been actually liking.

There will also be a single issue named BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, by various writers and artists as well as a another Crimson Corsair story by Wein and Higgins.

I suppose you won't heard any comment coming from Alan Moore regarding all this.
He likes to create stories and enjoy expanding them sometimes, as long as he's in complete control of all this.
(like with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Tom Strong)

Though Dave Gibbons, the original artist on WATCHMEN and its co-creator already said the following:

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.

My own opinion? Honestly I'm not liking this at the moment...
Why does everything need to get a sequel? Why all these remakes? Why all that?
Simply because some people nowadays wanna make some money out of something that isn't theirs, something with proven success, something they can "ride" alongside to see how much they'll make out of it.

Some of these comics might turn out fun. Even great perhaps. But it was greed that started it all.

Blah :/

Deleted Scenes - Wonder Woman redesign by AH!

You already heard me talk about Wonder Woman's new costume.
You probably saw my own take on it.

But did you know Jim Lee wasn't the only one who came with a brand new redesign for Diana?

Other artists submitted their own ideas to DC (which had all to take JMS' storyline in count).

Here's what the great Adam Hughes came out with:

And I gotta say.. It's a better modern take on the Amazon than what she ended up like.

CBR Ghost OMNIBUS: Vol. 1

Something new! Something different!

Like always, my goal with these Comic Reviews is to shine some light on some underrated books or show my opinion on the more mainstream titles.
This time, it's a little lesser-known book, called...

Comic title: Ghost OMNISBUS: Volume 1
Written by Eric Luke
Art by Adam Hughes, Terry Dodson, Scott Benefiel, Matt Haley and more!
Colors by Various...

Published by Dark Horse Comics
From 2008
Lineup Ghost
Format: Omnibus-Trade paperback containing Ghost Special #1, Ghost vol.1 #1-12, and "Sweet Things" from Decade of Dark Horse #2.

During the 90s, most comic books were all about super giant buff dudes with tons of pouches, guns and ammo everywhere or skinny underage girls doing karaté kicks with barely any clothes on (nor a proper body structure). You may know this era as the glorious Rob Liefeld years, the rise of Image comics. During that time ever at Marvel or DC, it was all about supra-muscular heroes with irrealistic guns, big angry dudes with 'tude. Marvel had the X-Force, Cable, etc.. DC had Superman using guns, Azrael, etc..

Few "original" new titles tried a different approach.

Ghost is a comic series about a dead woman that came back to life as a, well, a ghost and was trying to find how she died, why and who killed her.

A ghost using guns? Now that's something you don't see everyd..AGH!..

Well, to be honest, it's not too far from the 90s typical successful series. But it uses its own twists!
Eric Luke created is own twisted unique universe with Ghost.

Elisa Cameron died in unknown circonstances for some reason. But she can't remember anything from her past life, the details are blurry and she only grasps some little facts about her past life.

Now as a ghost, Elisa can pass through walls/kinda everything. Though she seems to be unable to pass through nor break jade...
She doesn't know why, she doesn't understand how things work now.
She can also turn invisible. To combat crime, she uses two little double .45 calibers (when the bullets leave the gun they became material while Elisa can still stay in her immaterial form).

Bit by bit, she remembers or find more about her past. And the story follows Elisa/Ghost as she wreak havoc through the city of Arcadia.

This first omnibus collects her very first and earliest adventures.

She even got quite a memorable rogue gallery during her early run~

This series never was a huge hit back in the day. I suspect a lack of interest from the 90s comic book readers for a book without huge muscular dudes, anorexic girls or gigantic guns. That would explain some later Dark Horse crossovers with Ghost and other more marketable characters...

But it woudn't be for a lack of quality, talent involved or originality!

This omnibus covers her first adventures.
Trying to understand her condition, meeting her first villains (Joe Yimbo , Dr. October, Cameron Nemo ..), finding her sister again...
I kinda prefer the issues featuring her own cast than the crossover ones trying to raise interest in the book.
X (appears in the very first issue and many others), Dark Horse answer to the extreeeeeeme~ attitude is kinda ok, in an "over the top" kind of way.
But I could do without Barb Wire, King Tiger and the Furies... 

Eric Luke is a pretty good writer, the whole story has a sort of mystery/noir/detective/crime/hardboiled feel to it. (apart from crossovers, which are you usual superhero stuff)
There's a lot of contribution from famous and cult artists, specially Adam Hughes, which I love the style, and Terry Dodson. I don't really find these page to have aged that much.

 
Overall, it's very immersive story.
It's very easy to lose yourself in the streets of Arcadia, with it's grim and art deco-ysh settings.

The story is pretty original and unique. You'll find yourself asking for answers, wanting to know more about the "hellish place" Elisa shortly goes in everytime she teleports across the city.
I personally really dig Nemo, the satan-like figure she created which becomes a regular foe for Ghost.

These omnibus Dark Horse's been releasing are a very fun way to discover comic runs from the past, from the early 80s to the 2000s. I'd say, if you're interested in this whole story and character, give it a try ;)

I give it:

  2 / 3 FlamingCarrots!