Warner Bros. has finally dropped the trailer for its upcoming animated adaptation of Watchmen, and fans already know what series creator Alan Moore will say about it.
Atrailerfor Watchmen Chapters 1 & 2 finally materialized on June 13, and fans already know the drill. While many seem to like the trailer for what it is, they all have the same thought: you just know Alan Moore is going to hate this.
“I love Zack Snyder’s film,” one fansaid. “I’m sure this animated feature will be more faithful to the source material, but still hated by the Alan Moore.”
“Doesn’t Alan Moore hate all of the adaptations of his comics? Why they keep trying to do this?” another fanasked.
Other fans raised their own valid concerns, too, with many pointing to Watchmen’s historic inability to be adapted properly and how multiple adaptations of the original comic book are already available.
As one on YouTube bestsaid, “At this point we need to stop worrying about Alan Moore’s feelings on the matter and start worrying about the people working on this sort of lifeless IP-protecting sludge.”
They’re referring to a long-held grudge Alan Moore has had with DC. Moore signed contracts for both Watchmen and V for Vendetta under the belief the rights for both projects would revert to him after they left publication.
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However, neither Watchmen nor V for Vendetta have ever left print, and new adaptations are regularly produced, keeping the rights from ever reverting to Moore. This was the impetus for Moore’s separation from DC, who he vowed never to work for again.
Watchmen: Chapters 1 & 2 are notable as they’re brand new adaptions of the iconic Watchmen story. However, they’re far from the first attempts at adapting Moore & Dave Gibbons’ hefty superhero epic.
Watchmen wouldn’t be touched again until Zack Snyder used the momentum from 300’s success to make his movie. While the 2009 Zack Snyder film is perhaps the best-known and best-received, Watchmen was also adapted for a 2008 motion comic, which uses light animation to give movement to existing panels.
Christopher Baggett was a TV & Movies Writer on Dexerto’s US team and a comics expert, across DC Comics and Marvel. He also has bylines at ComicsBeat, Comic Book Resources, and The HomeWorld.
