by Chris and Kim Learned Kane, Reporters

What is best about San Diego Comic-Con?  Is it the cramped excitement of the immense sales floor?  Is it the delight made of equal parts relief and incredulity born of making a panel against the odds of the monstrous Hall H line?  Is it to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women?  All of the aforementioned are fine, but for us, the greatest joy of SDCC has been the opportunity to meet the artists, writers, directors and actors that compel us to brave Comic-Con’s hallowed halls in the first place.  In 2012 we had the honor and pleasure of speaking with the legendary creator of Wolverine, Inkpot recipient, Will Eisner Hall of Famer, Len Wein on his current venture and what we can expect in the future from the Watchmen’s past.

CO: Mr. Wein, it’s an honor to meet you.  Thank you for taking time with ComicsOnline today.  What led you to explore the back story of the Watchmen in general and Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias in particular?

Len Wein: I was asked, simple as that.  DC decided it was time to do this despite whatever protest any people might have had.  I’m one of two people involved in the original project who are working on new stories.  They (DC) asked me and I say said you bet. I love those characters, especially Ozymandias who is one of my favorites because he is the most elusive character.  You never know if what he is saying to you is true.  One of the things I love about the way I’m telling the story is that I’m telling his life story literally from birth to the moment we first see him in the Watchmen . . . and he’s lying half the time.  If you look at the pictures and you look at the copy, you realize half the time that’s not what’s happening, they don’t agree.  So you have an interesting story going because it’s going on two levels:  there’s the story he wants you to believe, there’s the story that’s actually happening, and then of course there’s the story we already know.

CO: With the success of comic book heroes in film, is there the possibility of seeing these stories on the screen big or small?

LW: That isn’t for me to say.  I don’t think so.  Had the movie done better, of course we would, because that’s Hollywood.  You’re going to get these stories in comic book form, which in many ways they deserve to be told.

CO: Will we see an issue or issues in which the Watchmen as we know them assemble?

LW: No.

CO: The second Nite Owl and Rorschach were partners in the original book.  

 LW: Yes.

CO: Will we see a crossover at any point?

LW: Yes, I believe so. Those are the two that have not come out yet, so you’ll have to wait to see for sure!

CO: Thank you for your time, Mr. Wein.

LW:  My pleasure, you’re very welcome.

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Stay tuned to ComicsOnline.com for more SDCC 2012 coverage, and for everything geek pop culture!