Are You A 'Watchmen' Purist?

Or do you have room for these 'Before Watchmen' comics. I remember reading Watchmen for the first time when I was a firewatcher in a high forest tower during a summer between teaching jobs in the 90s. I totally loved it. Me, my stuff, and no one really to bother me for 7 days. I looked, I recorded, I read, I called in, I listened to music and I read a shitload of the great graphic novels like Maus and the Forth World Omnibus by Jack Kirby and especially Grendel - War Child.

Watchmen is one of those comics that changes your life and your literature tastes or it doesn't. Someone like Alan Moore (or Neil Gaimen) remind you that fantasy doesn't have to be the enemy of good storytelling - that archtypes exist for a reason and can often be the most powerful ways to make really important points about human nature.

I have always thought that not enough was told about the early days of the 'masks' in the Watchmen universe. I am interested in seeing the early beginnings of the story now that I know the ending so well. If done right we can expect some interesting stuff that will only enhance the whole Watchmen 'experience'.

These issues team up some very interesting artists and writers. Personally I am most looking forward to the Darwyn Cooke books. And nobody does street level grim and gritty like Brian Azzarello.