DC has released a television spot for its upcoming prequel comics line, Before Watchmen.
Promotions to date have really only been aimed at existing fans of the Watchmen book, primarily via comics conventions, posters, and press releases. This ad – aimed at a wider, potenial audience – began appearing on primetime television on Wednesday, soon after the first issue went live.
There’s been quite a bit of controversy about the creation of the prequel, with the original writer and artist split on whether it should move forward.
While artist Dave Gibbons supports the project, writer Alan Moore has become more belligerent about his hate for DC and the way they treat what he perceives as his intellectual property.
The series will comprise 35 issues – nearly three times as many issues as the original novel – across 7 books. 6 of the books will follow individual heroes from the character driven story-world, while one is slated to cover the team as a whole. The line is expected to end with a single final issue which terminates all seven books in single-issue denouement.
There will be one issue released each week, with two-pages of a back-up dubbed Curse of the Crimson Corsair, paralleling the pirate story which backed-up the original Watchmen book.
The teams working on these books are a veritable who’s who of the comic book world, including John Higgins, from the art crew of the original book, who will be producing the art for the final book, Before Watchmen: Epilogue.
The first issue of the line, Minutemen #1, hits shelves June 6th, 2012. Expect a TG Daily review soon after.
