Brandon Vietti

Brandon Vietti’s basically a force of nature in animation, man. The guy’s got his fingerprints all over some of the wildest, most ambitious superhero stuff out there. You see his name, you know things are about to get real—none of that watered-down, everything-works-out fluff. Vietti’s the dude who’ll take a story about capes and tights and drag it through the mud, in the best way, until it feels like something that could actually happen down the street, if your neighbors were, you know, emotionally damaged vigilantes. He doesn’t just stick to one crowd either. Whether it’s Saturday morning cartoons or late-night, R-rated territory, he’s got a knack for making things hit differently. Batman: Under the Red Hood? That movie doesn’t pull its punches—deals with loss, revenge, all that gritty stuff. And don’t even get started on Young Justice. That show took what people thought superhero cartoons could be and just laughed in its face. Characters grow up, screw up, and sometimes don’t get to fix things. Real life, but with more explosions and aliens. Most recently, he’s been at the helm for Watchmen: Chapters I & II, which is wild because it’s one of those “untouchable” stories. But Vietti’s not scared to mess with sacred cows, and somehow, he actually gets the emotional weight and the messy politics of it all. Bottom line? If you want superhero stories that actually make you feel something (other than just “cool costume!”), this guy’s work is where you go.