Is any good story safe?!

[superduperman]

With Rebirth incorporating Watchmen characters into the mainstream DC universe, one has to wonder: Is any good story safe from being butchered? None of Dark Knight Return's sequels have been anywhere near as good as the original and, one could argue, have lessened the quality of the original. Marvel burned the Ultimates universe to the ground despite it being the basis for their entire cinematic universe. The Star Wars prequels ruined the original trilogy (but not before the "special editions" did it first). Convergence changed the ending of COIE but not before Infinite Crisis ruined it ten years earlier. Now, there are plenty of good stories that haven't been touched or at least haven't been ruined by "follow ups": Kingdom Come, All Star Superman, Batman: Year One, Old Man Logan, Civil War (though it is getting a sequel), New Frontiers, etc. But even that can change at any time. DC could decide to do a sequel to Kingdom Come anytime they want and make Superman a killer or something. Ditto a New Frontiers sequel that gets into the Nixon years.

Now, Kingdom Come Superman was incorporated into the mainstream DCU back in 2008 in the pages of the JSA with no real harm to either one. And Old Man Logan is currently being incorporated into the mainstream Marvel universe and it remains to be seen what effect that will have on either one. Though he seems fairly isolated at the moment (as are all the X-Men characters due to movie reasons). What story is next? No story is safe! Some of these ideas work in the mainstream universes. The Miles Morales Spider-Man, for instance. He works regardless of what universe he's in. But that is an out-lire. Other ideas only work in the context of their universes (May Day Parker). To incorporate them would raise a number of questions about the future of the mainstream universe.

This isn't about Rebirth and the changes associated with it, per say. It is about taking classic stories and trying to "improve" them by either going back to them or incorporating them into the mainstream universe. When DKR first came out, it was seen as a potential future for the mainstream DCU. Ditto Kingdom Come. No longer. Every "What If" story now gets it's own universe. And as a result, it gets a "sequel" even if it doesn't need one. Other stories like Year One work well on their own whether they are part of continuity or not. Frank Miller considers it the origin for Batman in his universe and it was used as the origin for the mainstream universe after Crisis. Before Watchmen isn't considered canon to Alan Moore or hardcore fans of the original series but DC does. But was it necessary? Does it add or take anything away from the original story? What little of it I've read, it doesn't contribute anything to the original one way or another.

What is your opinion of every classic story getting a sequel or prequel or being incorporated into the mainstream universe? Does it take something away from them? Does having Dr. Manhattan being the "god" of the DCU make it harder to like Watchmen now?

[colonyofcells]

I am ok with dc using its multiverse, hypertime and elseworlds.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20111229224400

[Lee Stone]

I think people put too much negative thought into it.

Honestly, if they came with the idea and wrote it themselves, they would think it's a great idea.
But because someone else did it, it's just wrong.

And just like a Butterfly Effect, the end of Watchmen can be treated as a nexus, with the story going into several different directions.
Watchmen can be read independently from Rebirth. And enjoyed on its own merits.
And it could be assumed that in one alternate timeline branching from the end of Watchmen, Dr. Manhattan began experimenting on the DCU.
That's only one possible future, but it's the one that's important to the main DCU.

The past of the Watchmen we've seen is the past of the Watchmen involved in the DCU, but the present of the Watchmen being involved in the DCU is just one future of the Watchmen comics.
Until they do a George Lucas and reprint Watchmen with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman cut and pasted into the panels with Rorschach and the rest, no harm has been done.
At least that's the way I see it.

[Trey Strain]

Anything that's original and successful will probably get remade, continued or copied, and people will probably buy it or watch it. Just ask George Romero about that.

[charliehustle415]

Anything that's original and successful will probably get remade, continued or copied, and people will probably buy it or watch it. Just ask George Romero about that.

Exactly, however, you can pick and choose your own continuity. I always skip ridiculous stuff and just ignore it.

[GreenLanternRanger]

I would say good stories are safe as Rebirth is a good story and takes nothing away from Watchmen also being a good story.

[mike627]

I am ok with dc using its multiverse, hypertime and elseworlds.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20111229224400

I've never had a problem with either company using various stories.I would love to see Hyper Crisis happen,Colony of Cells.

[BohemiaDrinker]

No story is safe, no.

How bad a thing this is is up to you.

[SmokeMonster]

I think people put too much negative thought into it.

The comics community in a nutshell.

[RobinFan4880]

Marvel burned the Ultimates universe to the ground despite it being the basis for their entire cinematic universe.

The Ultimate Universe stole the looks of some characters and the more modern feel from the Ultimate Universe.

Thor is not a hippie.

Mjolnir is not a battle axe-hammer.

Banner never worked for SHIELD, nor was the reason the Ultimates/Avengers were formed.

Pym did not spray his wife with bug spray.

Captain America and Wasp are not a thing.

Quicksilver is dead.

Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are not incestuous lovers.

Pym is not Ant-Man.

Captain America isn't a Bush-loving Neo-Con.

The list goes on and on.

Seriously, everything that was harvest-able from the Ultimate line was eventually copied or pulled over to the 616 continuity. That continuity - that was infleunced by the Ultimate line - was what formed the foundation of the MCU.

[PlumeNoir]

Like others have said, or alluded to, it's all about how much you put into it.
Watchmen on its own still stands fine. You don't need to have read the prequels or Rebirth to enjoy it. Even if you have, the story remains the same (unless, like Lee Stone said, they reprint it and put DC characters into it, or even reedit it in some way to include those). The same with Kingdom Come, TDKR, etc.

The works themselves haven't changed, you have; the knowledge that you have has changed your perception of the works. It's up to you to reconcile or ignore that knowledge. In other words, welcome to sequential storytelling.

I can help but wonder: did people lose their minds this much when things like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies was created?

[Fairyprincess]

Rebirth only really used the smallest hints of watchmen. No harm done.

Anyway.I'd argue that Dr. Manhattan is one of the few characters that could flit between earths and it not be a problem. And he's 'morally ambiguous' so he could easliy do either good or bad.

Nothings been trashed so far.....

[Carabas]

I'm not sure on what planet Old Man Logan was a good story.

And Batman Year One originally was just Batman #404-407, the character's official new post-Crisis origin, and was always supposed to have a lot of follow-up stories.

Anyway, that's the thing about corporately owned superhero stories. Their creators have no control whatsoever over what happens to the characters and stories. It's pretty much what Marvel and DC are all about, and complaining about it seems weird.

[Buried Alien]

I never thought that WATCHMEN's quality or appeal depended on it being hermetically sealed and frozen in amber for all time.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Carabas]

The Ultimate Universe stole the looks of some characters and the more modern feel from the Ultimate Universe.

Thor is not a hippie.

They weren't going for hippie. They were going for modern-age Jesus reborn, and hit the mark pretty well.

Well, until Loeb changed everything about the UU anyway...