Even if your description of the situation is accurate (which I disagree with in some minor respects, but don't care to get into a detailed argument over), your insults are still unwarranted.

Gibbons was paid to honor a very simple agreement. He chose not to honor it. I realize there's currently a very limited market for his boring-ass artwork, but that's no excuse for double-crossing his former collaborator.

Dave Gibbons wanted to stay in DC's good graces, so he agreed (if reluctantly) to corporate plans for WATCHMEN sequels and asked Alan Moore about it repeatedly -- to the point of nagging. I fully understand Gibbons' reasons, having my own bills to pay. I also understand how that alienated Moore.

I think Gibbons is a talented artist. I'd like to think that DC would have continued giving him assignments even if he said, "No, I'm sorry, but Alan and I don't want more WATCHMEN projects out there, please stop asking." In reality, one corporate boss or another probably would have cut him loose then.

Flipped through this at the comic shop.

The cover is glossy like the All-Star line up. Amanda Conner's art is nice but it looked different than her previous work in PowerGirl and Terra, which was not too long ago. Then I noticed that every single panel has a detailed background.

So I'm assuming that the artists are getting a bonus or more $$ for this project and maybe even getting more time/less side assignments in order to make this thing look good.

Unfortunately, despite the extra effort, I don't see this comic book providing any real competition with other forms of entertainment or even other comic books. Even looking past the script and dialogue, it still looks like an average DC comic.

Even Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb's HUSH looked better than this, not because I prefer Jim Lee's pencils to Amanda Connor's but they atleast used two different mediums in each issue. Traditional inked pages for the present, and water color painted panels to denote Bruce's memories. It was pretty cool to see that in Batman #6whatever.

There might be some surprises ahead because we still have yet to read Rorshach, Dr Manhattan, etc.