One of the most iconic comics of all time is Watchmen from creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. In 2009 director Zack Snyder brought the characters off the page and onto the big screen with the film of the same name. After its success it brought some focus back to the comics with a sequel story arc and a new TV series adaptation that once again brought the comic to life while also treading new ground in its storytelling. Now DC is bringing the story to their hit animated film collection with a two-part film kicking off with the aptly titled Watchmen: Chapter I from Batman: Death in the Family and Batman: Under the Red Hood director Brandon Vietti.

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Watchman Chapter I follows an alternate world history set in 1985 where the murder of a government sponsored superhero draws his outlawed colleagues out of retirement and into a mystery that threatens to upend their personal lives and the world itself.

 

The features includes a great voice cast including Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, Corey Burton, Michael Cerveris, Jeffrey Combs, Grey DeLisle, Kelly Hu,  John Marshall Jones, Max Koch, Phil LaMarr, Yuri Lowenthal, Geoff Pierson, Dwight Schultz, Jason Spisak, Kari Wahlgren, and Rick D. Wasserman.

 

I am not a massive fan of Watchman, but it is an amazing piece of work. I say this to separate my overall expectations of this version, not so much just in comparison of the book itself. Much like the live action version it stays true to the source material with some elements adjusted that only the hardcore fans will notice. I was initially put off a bit by the animation style that reminded me of Marvel’s What If? animated series on some level, but as it moved along, I was more pulled into it.