Len Wein, The Outer Limits And Rewriting Watchmen

[Rich Johnston]

Tomorrow, DC Comics publish Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #5 by Len Wein and Jae Lee. Wein was one of the three editors of the original Watchmen, with Dick Giordano and Barbara Kesel also editing the book for periods of time. Because Wein resigned over the ending.

Len Wein has spoken out about his unhappiness over it in the past, where Ozymandias creates a mullti-dimensional being, drops it on New York killing millions and scaring the planet into peace. Specifically its similarity to an episode of The Outer Limits, The Architects Of Fear, in which scientists create an alien creature to scare the world into peace. It doesn't work. In Watchmen... it might. Depending on what happens with Rorschach's journal.

Spoilers, I should have said.

Around issue 10, I came across a guide to cult television. There was an Outer Limits episode called ''The Architects of Fear.'' I thought: ''Wow. That's a bit close to our story.'' In the last issue, we have a TV promoting that Outer Limits episode ? a belated nod. - Alan Moore

"I kept telling him, 'Be more original, Alan, you've got the capability, do something different, not something that's already been done!' And he didn't seem to care enough to do that." - Len Wein

Reportedly, Len Wein quit the book over this. Of course, he is now writing Before Watchman: Ozymandias. So he has a chance to "put right what once went wrong". He isn't changing the ending. But he is changing a certain bit of narrative. Or motivation. Of inspiration.

Basically, he is having Ozymandias steal the ending of Watchmen from The Outer Limits. Literally. Look at this four page preview from Paste Magazine.



Of course, he doesn't address the similarity of the ending of Watchmen with Rorschach's book on the desk, and the ending of Kind Hearts And Coronets with the book of confessions being picked up by the prison guard, but maybe that will come in another prequel. The Further Adventures Of Seymour!

[ericpalicki]

...or the bit with the hacksaw in the burning building being swiped from Road Warrior (or was it Mad Max?)

[Lemurion]

Wow, just can't wait for the explosions to come in this thread.

[DarthEwok]

"do something different, not something that's already been done"

That's ironic indeed - coming from someone who is working on a Before Watchmen book

[isit]

Jae Lee is drawing this for free right? That is some of the laziest artwork I've seen from a competent artist perhaps ever.
If I tried to get a gig on pages like this they'd tell me to bugger straight off.

[xdemon]

I ask this seriously:

Have have the sales on the various Before Watchmen miniseries been? I remember there being some relatively high sales in the beginning but have they maintained that momentum? Or have they crashed and burned?

[Desaad]

That has a weird bit of resonance with Moore's "Marvel Man", in which he makes the real world rip off of Captain Marvel the in story origin for Marvel Man, Gargunza inspired by a Captain Marvel Family comic book in an old diner.

I'm fine with it.

And I don't know what the above poster is talking about - Jae Lee's work is gorgeous.

[ballistikk]

I thought Moore stealing that episode's ending was common knowledge. It's not the first time he's done it and won't be the last (Superfolks, anyone?).

[DarthEwok]

That has a weird bit of resonance with Moore's "Marvel Man", in which he makes the real world rip off of Captain Marvel the in story origin for Marvel Man, Gargunza inspired by a Captain Marvel Family comic book in an old diner.

I'm fine with it.

And I don't know what the above poster is talking about - Jae Lee's work is gorgeous.

Probably referring to the nonexistent backgrounds. Where most panels look like the character is in some fog-filled place/room

[DarthEwok]

I ask this seriously:

Have have the sales on the various Before Watchmen miniseries been? I remember there being some relatively high sales in the beginning but have they maintained that momentum? Or have they crashed and burned?

I think any level-headed analysis would have to classify them as a sales disappointment. While they're still in the top 30 or so - selling around 45,000-50,000 copies - when you consider the talent that they put on these books, and the built-in draw of the Watchmen name, those numbers can't be what DC was hoping for

As an aside, what I found the funniest was when the #1 issues came out, and almost nobody was discussing them on message boards. They were selling in the top 10, and people in Before Watchmen threads would quickly talk about creator's rights issues - but no one was buzzing about what was actually in the books