2019's Watchmen Miniseries: a Bold Comic-Book Sequel

Superhero fatigue was already a growing concern in 2019, and while Avengers: Endgame drew most eyes, HBO quietly greenlit a nine-episode Watchmen miniseries that surprised many. Sharing a name with the 1980s comic and Zack Snyder’s 2009 film, the show aired between October and December of that year.

Rather than serving as a sequel to Snyder’s movie, the HBO series returned to Alan Moore’s original timeline and picks up events over three decades later. That unconventional choice made the project risky: it still holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes but quickly slipped into obscurity after its finale.

The show largely functions as its own work while extending ideas from the comics and introducing many new characters. Some viewers expecting a Snyder continuation were confused—particularly by the comic’s squid-based climax, which Snyder had altered—but the series rewards those familiar with Moore’s run; Moore has disowned adaptations of his comic.

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