Watchmen: Motion Comic DVD, Blu-ray packs extras

Warner Premiere plans Superman version for online distribution

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/13/2009

FEB. 13 | Warner Premiere hopes to expose its online Motion Comics to new fans, launching a beefed-up version of its debut Watchmen installment on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 3.

The Watchmen: Motion Comic discs contain all 12 episodes that originally rolled out on such Web services as iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Microsoft's Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Store.

The DVD and Blu-ray releases will include $7.50 movie cash good toward entrance for Warner’s theatrical Watchmen movie, which bows March 6.

Distributed by Warner Home Video, the Watchmen: Motion Comic is priced at $28.98 for DVD and $35.99 for Blu-ray.

In other enhancements, both the DVD and Blu-ray will include a sneak peak at the March 3 Warner DC Comics title Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess. The Blu-ray version also will contain an interview with Dave Gibbons, co-creator of the graphic novel on which the Watchmen studio projects are based. An exclusive Watchmen theatrical scene also will be in theBlu-ray release.

“Warner Premiere approaches each of our digital content initiatives with the goal of maximizing the business and creative opportunity across as many platforms as possible,” said Diane Nelson, Warner Premiere president. “While the Watchmen Motion Comic series was created specifically for an initial digital window, and has been received very positively by users on iTunes and other digital download services, we believed that there would be a strong market with Watchmen fans who want to own the complete collection on DVD.”

Warner is looking into pushing further Motion Comic brands onto home entertainment platforms. Following Watchmen, Warner unspooled the Motion Comics Batman: Black and White and Batman: Mad Love onto digital services. It will bow a Superman Red Sun Motion Comic at an undetermined date.

“Warner Premiere and Warner Home Video believe that there will be a fan base for the Motion Comic slate and will absolutely consider issuing collections of Motion Comics as we reach an appropriate amount of stories that warrant a DVD release,” said Nelson. “Again, Warner Premiere Motion Comics were designed specifically for the digital medium and our focus is on launching and building them there, but we think that fans may also enjoy owning the collections on DVD and Blu-ray.”