Over the years, there have been droves of Watchmen sequels, prequels, movies, shows, and video games, but surprisingly few faithful adaptations of the original 12-issue comic book series. Last year, Studio Mir (Dota: Dragon’s Blood) took on the challenge of animating two movies that would strictly follow the plot of the comics, and now they’re both streaming on Max.
Dubbed Watchmen Chapter I and Watchmen Chapter II, the two-part animated film was directed by Brandon Vietti (Batman: Under the Red Hood) and written by J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5). Unlike Zack Snyder’s live-action adaptation, these movies are ripped straight from the pages of the comics, using most of the same story beats and dialogue.
Watchmen Chapter I was released last August, ending with Rorschach being arrested. Chapter II then launched in November 2024 but finally made its way to Max on February 17, 2025. If you don’t want to commit to reading the comics, this might be the best alternative.
Of course, every adaptation of Watchmen has its flaws. It’s impossible to perfectly replicate the experience of turning the pages in this masterfully written and drawn graphic novel. The reviews were largely positive, but note some of those flaws.
“Watchmen Chapter 1 was clearly a labor love for its creators,” wrote Zaki Hasan for IGN. “But while the impressive animated film avoids some of the pitfalls of prior adaptations, it also ends up revealing a few of its own in the process.”
Hasan was more impressed after Chapter II, calling both movies a “richly rewarding excursion into one of the most important comic book stories ever told, and one of the most substantial entries in the entire voluminous catalog of DC animated features from Warner Bros.”
Regardless of whether or not this adaptation is your cup of tea, it’s a reminder of just how timeless the original text remains. To my mind, the only follow-up that has come close to capturing the feeling of the comic is Damon Lindelof’s 2019 Watchmen series for HBO. If you’re looking for more to watch on Max after the animated movies, I highly recommend it.
