How DC Could Capitalize Off Watchmen AND Be Smart About It

Watchmen's only increasingly rabid following means big cash for DC. They already have a new hardcover coming out, in addition to a rerelease of the Absolute edition and reprints of the individual issues.

The bottom line is that DC is using ever possible avenue they can to make more money off the only comic book included in Time Magazine's 100 greatest novels list. If they want to push profits further, the only thing they can do is release some kind of original work having to do with the Watchmen properties. Hell, they strongarmed Frank Miller into doing a Dark Knight sequel, which might have occurred even if Miller hadn't been inclined to do it.

It doesn't take Alan Moore to say that Watchmen really doesn't need a sequel. Sure, a sequel would sell, but I suspect it would to do the franchise what the new Star Wars trilogy did for Star Wars, namely that there would be high initial sales but an overall decrease in interest in the property.

But could DC potentially do something cool and original with Watchmen?

I personally think they could. Imagine this.

A total remake of Watchmen in the style of film remakes - the original scripts, completely unchanged or unedited, are given to 12 esteemed artists in the field. Artists like Frank Quitely, Bryan Hitch, Gary Frank, and Alex Ross - really awesome artists. They're all told to draw an entire issue of the book and instructed specifically not to reference Dave Gibbons execution.

I personally think that could be really cool to read. No substitute for the original work, but would be an interesting read nonetheless.