Alan Moore is a legend. The comics that he has created have become some of the most significant in DC Studios, having been behind iconic works like Batman: The Killing Joke, Night Olympics, and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow. He has a reputation for creating works that are the perfect blend of literary genius and mainstream comics.
Despite all of the iconic works he created, the writer famously hated his works being adapted onto the screen. It did not matter if it was live-action, animation, or retellings; if they were using his comics as source material, he wanted nothing to do with it.
However, he did make one exception for an episode in the DCAU series, Justice League Unlimited.
Alan Moore Liked Only One Adaptation Of His Work
In 2004, the second episode of Justice League Unlimited, For The Man Who Has Everything, was released, detailing a story adapted from an Alan Moore comic book story of the same name. The writer was famous for not taking any credit or money for the projects that were adapting his works, not wanting his name to be associated in any way whatsoever.
It would seem that very few managed to impress him enough for him to allow his name to be put in the credits.
Interestingly enough, this episode from the iconic animated series was one of them. It would seem that he was so impressed with this episode that he allowed himself to be credited for the story. This is not surprising, considering Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie were the minds behind it, well-known for their talent in animation and storytelling.
What makes the entire situation all the more interesting is the fact that quite a lot of changes were made to the original story when it was animated.
For The Man Who Has Everything Was Changed A Lot
For The Man Who Has Everything is a story about Superman getting attacked on his birthday. The Kryptonian is infected by an alien plant called Black Mercy, which puts him in a dream-like state, making him witness his ideal life. For Kal-El, this means that Krypton was not destroyed, he and Lois Lane got married, and they had a child together.
When Alan Moore’s story was being adapted into animation, more than a few changes were made to make it fit what they were trying to do with Justice League Unlimited. For example, they removed Jason Todd from the story, who originally pulled Superman out of his trance. In the comic version, Kal-El also had a daughter in his fantasy. Kara Jor-El was also a part of the comic.
Despite these changes and more, Alan Moore let the series credit him, something that has rarely ever been done. The episode has an 8.6 rating on IMDb.
Justice League Unlimited is available for streaming on Netflix.
