Wow, those WATCHMEN 2 leaks are getting better and better. On Christmas Day, Bleeding Cool posted some WATCHMEN 2 artwork — a Nite Owl pin-up by Joe and Andy Kubert and a Comedian pin-up by JG Jones.
UPDATE: Aw, crap we got busted by DC Legal too.
At this point, to be honest, we’re much more interested in who at DC hates this project so much that they have been leaking all this information to Bleeding Cool, completely taking the air out of the eventual announcement. Or else, who was so stupid as to put this concept art in front of a firewall where Rich Johnston could find it with his URL guesses — the same way fans found a bunch of New 52 covers well efforts well before their official release. Word on the street is that someone got fired over that faux pas. God only knows what will happen to whoever was responsible for this.
Other rumored creators on what’s said to be a four-issue prequel include Darwyn Cooke, J. Michael Straczynski, and original WATCHMEN creators Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. Cooke has been delivering convincing denials of the project in person for months now — however, the existence of actual art would kinda indicate that something is going on.
Other than that..nice art. In the morning light we see DC is sending out legal notices to remove this art. As soon as we get ours, we’ll take it down. Pretty strong confirmation that it’s all true.
ALSO, it’s been suggested to us that this art originated from DC’s ftp server, where all the art for various links of the production chain are stored. That would explain how the code name “Panic Room” was learned. While we’d still balk at being “proud” to publish leaked artwork — of course we’d be pleased to have such a traffic generator — putting secret stuff up on a server that hundreds of people have access to doesn’t seem particularly secret, either.
If you wanted to make sure that a comic never made it to the shelves, J. M. Straczynski is a good writer to hire.
I’m so curious as to what prompted this decision by DC. I mean, it can only worsen their relationship with Alan Moore…but then again, co-creator Dave Gibbons seems to be involved, which at least implies the perhaps Moore doesn’t care.
There’s no question that this will sell. I’m a bit appalled that it’s coming out, especially after the DK2 fiasco, and I’ll still check it out.
And if you tell me that JMS and Darwyn Cooke are attached to something, you’ve all but guaranteed my participation. That shot of The Comedian is AMAZING.
Did anyone happen to find a file on the server “Who_the_frack_wants_to_read_WATCHMEN_not_written_by_Alan_Moore.html”?
I suspect DC’s new management doesn’t care about Moore’s feelings anymore. He’s not going to work for them or participate in anything that provides them with more money. DC is just going to milk what they can out of his existing works with the co-creators involvement in order to protect them from any backlash.
>>>I’m so curious as to what prompted this decision by DC. I mean, it can only worsen their relationship with Alan Moore
Uh, I don’t think that’s possible.
Hey! Now look what you’ve done! The DC FTP site is off-line. They’re probably installing locks as we speak….
Let’s see, Christopher Nolan leaks all kinds of information about the next Batman movie. Result: Everyone excited and talking about it. Trailer downloads at iTunes sets record.
D.C. let’s slip a few pieces of concept art, then sics packs of lawyers after anyone with the temerity to post it. Result: Bad feelings and the conclusion that D.C. is run by idiots with the intelligence of broccoli.
I like to think that Mr Moore has been editing and rewriting an official response to this. One that makes it perfectly clear that DC are the bad guys while repairing his grumpy old man image.
I want to see the perfect one sentence response that makes everyone (who didn’t already) love Alan Moore and makes all of the editors at DC ashamed to look at their children the next day.
I’d feel better about this project if it weren’t a blatant cash-grab with little other reason to exist. I understand comics are a business and this will make money, but the whole idea makes my stomach churn.
All DC is these days is a blatant cash-grab.
What was that image with swamp thing and the Teen titans on the front page here at the beat?
Can’t wait for Moore’s righteous indignation at the misuse of all those characters that he only made up because he wasn’t allowed to use someone else’s.