Doomsday Clock Thread (SPOILERS!!)

[Ωmega Man]

So far issues #1-3 have me hooked. These delays are killing me and I'm wondering if it's because the story is somehow being changed by Editorial. It says 'spoilers' in the thread title, so read on if you dare cause I'm gonna jump right into the meat of the series.

1.) The idea that Doc Manhattan left the Watchmen Universe after the original series IS an interesting take, as well as him hiding out in the DCU. The theory that claims he's been a DC character for some time is also interesting, however I don't want that character to be Captain Atom. The character DM was based on, Capt. Atom, is basically the answer to Superman in the Charlton Comics stable of characters. And IDK about the rest of you, but the Fall and Rise of Capt. Atom series got me hoping to see more of the newest incarnation of Cap somewhere in this post-Rebirth Universe.

2.) Mime and Marionette are the best. And also based on Charlton characters like the rest of the Watchmen. Anybody remember a pair of losers who Tom King made badasses in recent issues of Batman... Punch and Jewelee? 'I Am Suicide' is one of my favorite recent Batman stories, mostly because of those two. However in Doomsday Clock Mime and Marionette are INSANE. I've been waiting for a character based on a mime to have invisible constructs to a degree.... and it FINALLY happened. LOL I can't wait for their eventual meeting with the Joker.

3.) The Supermen Theory is an interesting one... however I'm not so sure I like that DC is making the origins of Metamorpho AND Man-Bat [two of my favorite C-listers] tied to the goverment creating metahumans angle. There's tons of other characters DC could have put up for this like Lady Clayface, but they chose two who are prominent figures in both the Terrifics and the new JL Dark title.

4.) They brought the Comedian back. Now bring back the real Rorschach. If DC is never gonna give us another Question series and a few Watchmen universe characters are gonna stay in the DCU [like M&M... I'd love for those two to hang around longer] then giving us Rorschach in the DCU would be a treat. The new guy might work, but we know next to nothing about him aside from the fact he had Kovac's journal.

_______________________________________

So who else is reading this? And why does Batman have the yellow circle as part of his symbol again but not on the Rebirth accurate suit cover?

[Tazer]

Yo.

ok, so Im apparently *really* out of touch with all things DC, so plz tell me: WTF is "Doomsday Clock" about??




Tazer

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Tazer

Yo.

ok, so Im apparently *really* out of touch with all things DC, so plz tell me: WTF is "Doomsday Clock" about??




Tazer

Watchmen characters crossover into the DCU. Hijinks ensues.

[Ωmega Man]

It's pretty much the only thing Geoff Johns is writing these days, with art by Gary Frank. So far it's mostly been about the Watchmen characters with only brief appearances by Superman and Batman.

[Ωmega Man]

ISSUE #4 IS OUT!!! NOW THE SERIES IS BI-MONTHLY?!?

We finally get the origin of Rorschach 2.0 and it is INCREDIBLE. It also ties into Mothman who had the best moments of the issue. He's the Hollis Mason of this Watchmen series. The letters to his sister at the end were pretty saddening and reminded me of the Hollis Mason bio bit in the original Watchmen series. At first I wasn't going to bother reading it but it really capped the story and really fleshed out the character of Mothman more. As a fan of a lot of Geoff's work [Hawkman, JSA, Flash, GL, Aquaman, JL, and Teen Titans] this is probably his best work to date.

[Ωmega Man]

Issue #5 is out! Anybody reading?

I thought the scene with Johnny Thunder and ALAN SCOTT'S FUCKING ORIGINAL LANTERN was gonna end like the Hollice Mason / trophy scene in Watchmen.

If you're a fan of the Legion of Superheroes or JSA you NEED to be reading this. Hate on Geoff if you want, Gary Frank's art is incredible. The Supermen Theory is an incredible plotline, as well as the building mystery of 'Who is Doc Manhattan?'

Everybody EXPECTS it to be Capt. Atom. Me? I think Geoff is a little more clever than that, and my money is on Prof. Martin Stein <----- highlight.

[Space Cop]

^There's a lantern in it? Uh, now I might have to pick it up just because I think I have every post-Flashpoint GL appearance.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I read an article with spoilers on #5, only because of the JSA connection. I refuse to buy any Watchmen related spinoffs, but at some point I'm going to have to be there for the JSA actually returning and getting their own title again.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

And if they pull a Hollis Mason on Johnny, I will lose my sh*t.

[Ωmega Man]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Skywalker

And if they pull a Hollis Mason on Johnny, I will lose my sh*t.

Well if you're not gonna read it anyway here are some spoilers in black. Just give them a highlight...

Johnny Thunder takes the bus to Gotham I think after escaping the nursing home he's in to find 'his friend's lantern' after reports of green fire in the Gotham subways erupts. He's basically saying Alan needs the Lantern to tame the power within him, at least that's how I read it. While looking around what I think is an old JSA Brownstone that's run down, some gang of street criminals/crazies approach the brownstone as well looking to find some stuff to sell for cash. When they see Johnny they demand his wallet, and he runs telling them he doesn't have anything. When he finds Alan's lantern a thug grabs it and begins to beat him with it until....

BIG

SPOILERS

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

Saturn Girl shows up with Rorschach 2.0 to save Johnny. The modern era has forgot the JSA, and the LoSH is apparently going to help the modern day heroes right the universe. It's funny cause Rorschach 2.0 asks Saturn Girl "Do you know Sally Jupiter?"

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Skywalker

. . . I refuse to buy any Watchmen related spinoffs . . .

Ditto. I strongly feel that the Watchmen property should be left alone. The mystery of what happened after Antarctica should be preserved and we don't need to know any more about those characters' pasts than we have in the original series. It's the same way I feel about the original Star Wars trilogy; it's a closed story.

BUT i have been keeping up with every lantern appearance in the New 52 (unless this new all-ages Jessica has hit print). So, now I have to decide which "rule" I want to break---the GL collecting or the Watchmen ban.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Those 12 issues of Watchmen are pretty much comic gospel to me. I never wanted to see that work cashed in on. And for the longest time that was the case, until Paul Levitz stepped down. Sadly, I think it was overturned the day he wasn't around to enforce that old decree. I just won't support any of it.

[Ωmega Man]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Ditto. I strongly feel that the Watchmen property should be left alone. The mystery of what happened after Antarctica should be preserved and we don't need to know any more about those characters' pasts than we have in the original series. It's the same way I feel about the original Star Wars trilogy; it's a closed story.

BUT i have been keeping up with every lantern appearance in the New 52 (unless this new all-ages Jessica has hit print). So, now I have to decide which "rule" I want to break---the GL collecting or the Watchmen ban.

The JSA's return as well as the Legion of Superheroes' will be integral to this story. Apparently mister 103 year old Johnny Thunder thinks if he can find his Thunderbolt pen and get Alan his battery the two of them would have enough power to 'fix things'.

I don't think this series is as much an insult as DC doing the Before Watchmen stuff. This to me is simply Geoff trying to incorporate more real world plotlines into the modern DCU in the same way Moore did in the 80's. Not exactly making it darker, just more grounded. Rather than the threat of the Cold War there's the Supermen Theory and the political superhuman arms race. Instead of the mystery of "who's killing heroes and pulling strings?" the mystery is "who is Doc Manhattan in the current DCU, and what made him do this?"

People can find reasons to hate on Geoff and the DCU, they're out there. However nobody can deny that Geoff has reinvigorated lacking franchises like the Flash during the Wally era, GL comics as a franchise, the JSA, he brought back Hawkman in grande fashion, and then made the JL and Aquaman top 25 comics again.

As good as a lot of that work was... THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST HE'S EVER BEEN. This isn't some hack like Bendis putting his hand prints all over something else and changing shit just for the sake of changing it. This series is set one year in the DCU future... and it seems to be tying in to EVERYTHING in such a way it really is mind blowing. There are bits that're going to connect to the New Age of Heroes line. I know I'm probably the only one who cares, but it's right there between the lines! Gotham City is turning on Batman because they think he's a metahuman created by the government. Why did it take somebody this long to assume Batman was a metahuman?!? Why is Perry White looking to sell more papers and 'God help him... get more clicks.' by claiming Ozymandias is a metahuman?!

[buffalorock]

I've been enjoying this series quite a bit. The delays definitely suck but each issue has been worth it, especially this last issue (#5).

I also agree this series is in a different league than the Before Watchmen stuff. That had cash grab all over it with no ramifications (even if some of it was worth reading) whereas Doomsday Clock has a much better mission statement to me.

The story has really started to pick up, its unfortunate the ending is a year away.

[Ωmega Man]

Issue #6 is out, who's reading? A bit of a recap....

* The origin of Marionette and the Mime!

* Joker has Batman, or does he?

* Riddler tries to make a new League of Villainy (and fails LOL)

* The Comedian vs the supervillains of the DCU!

* The last few pages! The Supermen Theory is REAL (but anybody reading DAMAGE (and you should be) knows the government's been creating metas)!!!

[Booster Beetle]

All the delays have killed my excitement for this book

[Ωmega Man]

It started coming out every two months after like... issue 2 or 3? Shouldn't let that stop you from reading what I believe is one of GJ's best works if not THE best work he's done since his first run on the JSA.

If you were like me, I couldn't wait for the Joker to finally meet Mime and Marionette... and the series is only gonna get better now that they've met. Also, the two people who are outted as government metahumans was a bit of a surprise. And... could this series possibly lead into the Three Jokers series?! I think it might...