For Once I Won't Be Three Weeks Late To The Discussion

In the wake of the announcement about Before Watchmen, here's a question for you:

Let's say DC didn't screw Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. They let Watchmen go out of print as had sort of been agreed upon, and the rights to the book revert back to writer and artist*.

What do you think Moore and Gibbons would have done with the property in that event? Would they have worked out a new agreement with DC to allow new print runs every so often, or found a different publisher for that? Would Moore have wanted it to go out of print and stay out? Would they have returned to it somewhere down the line? Maybe in the mid-90s they would write a story showing how things have progressed in the years since Ozymandius' plan**.

It doesn't matter as this point, since DC shows no sign of ever letting the rights revert back to the creators, and frankly, I'm not sure Moore would even accept the rights now if they did. I suppose Gibbons would. He seems more amicable about the situation, or perhaps just more of a realist.

As to the actual spin-offs, I'm not particularly interested in any of the projects. There are creators involved I like (Amanda Conner, Joe Kubert), but I suppose I really ought to read the real thing first. Actually, I think DC ought to dump JMS and Andy Kubert of the Nite-Owl book. Just let the Elder Kubert handle it. At least that way they know it won't be abandoned halfway through by its writer, or get interminably delayed by a slow artist. I don't begrudge anyone working on these projects. They gotta eat, too, but I'll wait for something they're involved in I like the sound of to start tossing money their way.

* I have this picture in my head of Moore and Gibbons having a meeting with DC execs over how this'll work. The contracts signed, everyone goes to shake hands. But as Moore reaches out for one executive's hand, the exec abruptly pulls it back and uses it to slick back his hair instead. I'm seeing the exec as some biker rebel type from a James Dean movie, or maybe Travolta in Welcome Back, Kotter.

** I haven't read Watchmen, but based on what I know from reading about it, I'm not sure his plan was a lasting solution. And there can always be effects he couldn't anticipate. Though I suppose Dr. Manhattan would have seen them coming.