Attention all Watchmen fans livid that the movie adaptation is sans squid and Black Freighter pirate subplot. Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic brings you the entire story in animated form, based on David Gibbons artwork.

(2008; Cert. 15)
Released: 9th March
RRP: £12.99 (DVD)

Gibbons oversaw the transfer of the comic from page to screen, and the digital brush-up allows his iconic panels of comic book art to shine like they arguably never have before.

Audiences expecting an animated Watchmen adaptation should be forewarned that this is not a cartoon version of Alan Moore’s celebrated graphic novel.

Essentially this is the comic photographed page by page, with limited animation of characters and objects, and speech balloons fading in and out.

Nor is it as "Complete" as the title would suggest.  The "Under the Hood" chapters and Rorschach's psych evaluation are absent, but the Black Freighter is present and correct.

Thomas Stechschulte voices all characters, including women, which also gives the "moving comic" a radio play vibe. Stechschulte does an admirable job voicing dozens of characters, but you can’t help but think DC should have splashed out a little more cash and also hired a female voice artist.

Originally split into twelve episodes (matching the graphic novel’s twelve chapters) as an iTunes download, this 325 minute reproduction of the comic is for die-hard Watchmen watchers who want to own the classic comic in all forms.

Most fans may prefer to read Alan Moore’s comic rather than watch it on a TV screen, but it’s an interesting curio. 

Moore himself is unsurprisingly absent from all credits.

Extras are limited to a preview of DC's new Wonder Woman comic.

FILM: *** / EXTRAS: *

Rob Daniel