Overview
In 1985, 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 first part of a new animated adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic graphic novel volume, this adaptation aims to stay true to the source material, and simply present the tale as is in the comic book only in animated format. With a screenplay by J Michael Straczynski, and directed by Brandon Vietti, who cut his teeth working on various DC animated shows such as The Batman, and Under The Red Hood, this was certainly in capable hands. Split into two parts (the second due to land sometime next year) this first part covers the first 6 issues of the original comic book run, bringing us into this world of a twisted reality where costumed vigilantes were once revered, but soon fell from grace. When one of the early heroes is killed in suspicious circumstances, the vigilante named Rorschach pieces together the trail of clues that lead to a conspiracy and corruption that draw other past heroes, including the almost deity-like Dr Manhattan, into the mix.
If you’ve read the comic, or seen the Zack Snyder film, there’s nothing new story wise here that you won’t already know – Snyder’s changes only really impact the latter parts of the tale, which this first chapter doesn’t delve into. Much like DC adaptation of other beloved comic stories (such as the various Batman animated movies of recent history), this is a pure adaptation, which retains the look of the source material, albeit with a slick animated style and subtle detail that serve well to enhance the tale visually. The voice cast all lend their parts well, with names such as Katie Sackhoff, Matthew Rhys, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, and Rick D Wasserman giving depth of character to their representations of the core heroes.
What this adaptation does do really well, however, is the inclusion of the comic book within the comic book Tales of the Black Freighter. Those who have read the source material will know how that sub-story breaks up the main story, but also lends parallels to the events going on that are significant. When Snyder’s extended cut of his film re-inserted those chapters, it broke the film somewhat as it jarred against the flow. Comics and film are two very separate mediums, and I did worry about how they would include those cutaways without damaging the structure. Rest assured, the manner in which those elements are inserted not only works, but serves to strengthen their purpose to the overall story – instead of simply breaking away from the core narrative, panels and dialogue from Black Freighter are intercut with events transpiring in the main world, highlighting the parallels being drawn by Moore when he crafted his original story. It is a smart way to include the sub-tale without it interrupting the main narrative.
Watchmen Chapter One is a faithful adaptation of the comic, retaining the essence of both Alan Moore’s sharp writing, and Dave Gibbons’ iconic visual style, that does the job it intends to do perfectly. Roll on Chapter Two.