Written By: Geoff Johns
Artist: Gary Frank
Colorist Brad Anderson
Lettering By: Rob Leigh
Cover by: Gary Frank
Published By: DC Comics
Spoilers
Watchmen, as a landmark in the world of adult comics, is hard to beat, hard to mimic, something that will never be replaced because of how unique the story and world building were. The story worked because the heroes in Watchmen were the rule to the exception in a world that was heavily impacted by their existence, so trying to integrate them into DC’s main canon, where heroes are as common as grass, it’s looking so far as nothing but a mistake.
I’m still not sure about Doomsday Clock. While the writing is respectful to the source material and the art and colors do their best to carry on with the same vibe as the 80’s classic, the story feels, at each page, unnecessary.
The first four issues focused on establishing the world post Ozymandias’s betrayal. People died or went insane after the attack, the world has no more heroes, the few who have survived are either too dangerous to be let out in society or just plain jokes. And then we are reintroduced to Ozymandias himself and a new incarnation of Rorschach, who have enrolled the help of two supervillains to aid in their mission: find Dr. Manhattan, who’s now hiding in a world very familiar to us: the DC Universe, which is in the middle of a witch hunt against its own masked avengers..
Issue #5 brings us to the beginning of the middle point of the story. We now follow four different points of view: Ozymandias, in a bitter partnership with Batman in order to proceed his search for Dr. Manhattan; the new Rorschach partnering up with Saturn Girl to escape Arkham Asylum; Marionette and Mime who, brought from the Watchmen Universe, now wreak havoc in this new world while trying to get the attention of the Joker; and of Mr. Thunder, an elderly man that leaves his nursing home in search for “the genie’s lamp,” which is revealed right at the end as a Green Lantern’s lantern.
The story hits a bit of a stale point with so many characters to follow. There’s little time for plot when we have so little time to spend with each character. Still, despite the explanations that are arriving at a slow pace, the writing is still good and the fanservice alone makes a DC fangirl squeal with joy once again.
Sincerely divided about this. Doomsday Clock is good, but still has to prove the need of its existence to me.
Overall: 7/10
Patricia Loupee is a collector of skills: wannabe tattoo artist, seamstress, sculptress, cartoon artist, and most importantly comic book colorist, inker and writer. Her work in the world of comics can be seen at indie titles by Red King Press, Correct Handed Productions, Phoenix Dreams Publishing and the Boston Comics Roundtable anthology Being True.
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