So it finally happened, DC finally pulled the trigger on an extension of infallible/godlike comic series “Watchmen.” After years and years of speculation, comic fans get to feast their eyes on what seems to be a travesty of epic proportions.

“Watchmen” is considered by some to be the single greatest and most important comic book of all time. Written in the mid 1980’s by writer Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, the book tackled adult themes with a chilling manner that had never been done before. The original 12-issue series was seen as a one-and-done, with no room left to explore other aspects of the story.

It’s to this end that the controversy arises as most folks see this as simply another opportunity for a big, parent company such as DC Comics’ corporate masters Warner Brothers to milk as much cash as they can get.

So on one hand we have a situation where it appears that a beloved media property is going to be artistically compromised for straight cash money. After all, the project does not have the backing of original creator Alan Moore, whose constant clashes with editorial and legal at DC Comics have left Moore out of mainstream comics for nearly two decades. To say Moore is bitter over his personal dealing with DC Comics is understated, in a report in the New York Times on the topic of “Before Watchmen,” Moore was quoted as saying, “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago.”

But I see it through a different lens. The comic industry is still a somewhat maligned and niche operation. Mostly seen as either childish or dorky/nerdy, the fact is that every year new comic creators are coming out of the woodwork to deliver increasingly complex and mature material. “Watchmen” is one of the first, and probably the most respected, comic property recognized by pop culture over all.

Since people loved the movie — “Before Watchmen” is going drive lapsed comic readers into stores this summer just to see what the fuss is all about. Hopefully, they will stick around and explore what other story treasures the world of comic books has to offer. I’d love to believe that Alan Moore could at least agree with that point alone.