Legendary Pictures has spent the last decade taking over the Hollywood scene, co-financing films as varied as The Dark Knight and The Hangover while quickly establishing itself as one of the premiere locations for elevated genre content.  Not satisfied to simply make comic books into movies, the studio has branched out into making comic books. But like, as comic books.

On Friday afternoon at Comic-Con 2012, the newly minted Legendary Comics – which previously released Frank Miller’s controversial Holy Terror! – took to the stage in Ballroom 6A to discuss their new line of graphic novels including The Tower Chronicles from Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley with cover art by Jim Lee and Alex Ross, Shadow Walk from Max Brooks, Mark Waid and Shane Davis, and The Majestic Files by J. Michael Straczynski.  Hit the jump for the details.

There’s an undeniable irony to Watchmen – Alan Moore’s great critique of the comic superhero, which began as an appropriation of The Mighty Crusaders – now finding itself appropriated by a series of new artists (much to Moore’s chagrin) in the upcoming prequel Before Watchmen.  The seven part series focuses on the principle characters of the comic – Rorschach, the Comedian, Night Owl, Ozymandias, Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre – before the events of Moore/Gibbons’ magnum opus.

At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher’s Dan DiDio and Jim Lee were on hand to discuss the highly anticipated but divisive prequel at a panel called DC Entertainment Presents: Watchmen – It’s Not the End, It’s the Beginning.  The panel and proceeding round table covered a gauntlet of topics ranging from DC’s relationship with creative artists to the financial realities of the comic industry (i.e. why a Watchmen prequel is a good thing) to just why the hell anyone would ever make a prequel to arguably the most beloved comic of all time.  Alan Moore’s specter loomed large over the proceedings – with a series of very pointed questions over Moore’s falling out with DC and his lack of involvement (let’s be honest – outright disdain) with the resulting Watchmen film and now comic spin-offs.  For the sometimes-heated conversation with DiDio and Lee, hit the jump.

DC Entertainment is following in Marvel’s footsteps by taking one of their most successful franchises on a foray into live action. A joint project of Warner Bros., DC and Nick Grace of Water Lane Productions, Ltd., BATMAN LIVE promises to be a “unique, action-packed live show,” complete with “impressive stunts, pyrotechnics, illusions and video screen sequences.”

The tour will open in the UK in July 2011, sweep across Europe and land on North American shores in the summer of 2012 (just in time for the debut of The Dark Knight Rises)  For those of you who are worried that BATMAN LIVE will turn into another Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, rest assured. In the words of the executive producer Nick Grace (Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Arena Show):

“BATMAN LIVE will be a totally unique experience.  This is not a musical but a high quality live show with a thrilling Batman story, filled with action that will appeal to adults, teenagers and families”

Hit the jump for information on how you can purchase tickets.