Doomsday Clock takes place after the events of the original comic, as Rorschach is dead, killed by Doctor Manhattan, and Adrian Veidt is now being accused of killing millions of people as he set off a nuclear bomb in New York to try and frame Doctor Manhattan.
The plot to Doomsday Clock (spoilers) is that the country is merely hours away from total destruction as the Russians are going to be launching a fleet of nuclear bombs toward America. The only man that can help, Doctor Manhattan, has not been seen since he went into hiding. Rorschach is sent on a mission to retrieve the Marionette, who will not go with him without her husband, the Mime. After both of them accept that they will go on a mission and then be rewarded for their efforts with the location of their son, it is revealed that Rorschach was working with none other than Ozymandias, Adrian Veidt. Adrian Veidt tells us that Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are retired and not dead. At the end of the comic, Superman is shown laying in bed and then is awakened by a nightmare of his parents deaths. Superman never has nightmares, which shows us that the situation that is about to unravel is something that will scare even the likes of our favorite Kryptonian.
The setting of Doomsday Clock has roots in modern day events from rising tensions and conflict between the United States and North Korea and a president that is very fond of golf. It takes place in 1992, but it was clear that they were playing off of people's fears of what may come. This, on top of the already raising tensions that follow the events of Watchmen make for a story that very much critiques the current state of politics. This is no easy task, combining the dark and gritty universe of Watchmen with one as cheerful and bright (mostly) as that of the Justice League is hard enough, and adding political undertones may seem like a lot to juggle but it's all handled well and the blend is nearly invisible.
This is all due to the great combination of art and writing that make for a truly film like experience. Thanks to the 2009 Watchmen film, we all know how perfect the original Watchmen comic was for the big screen and, right off the bat, Doomsday Clock feels the same. It may take a page or so to get into the flow of things, but once you do, the panels start to come to life. Reading the opening two pages alone, it's hard not to imagine the sound of static and the voice of sadness as TV networks around the world go offline.
This isn't to say that Doomsday Clock exceeds it's predecessor in one issue. That's impossible. However, the story that Geoff Johns has crafted is off to a great start and the series has hit the ground running. If the following issues follow suit there is potential to be a truly amazing run. And who knows, maybe it will be even better than the original in the end and we can see the Watchmen movie sequel we all deserve. With that said, if you weren't too hot on Watchmen originally then this won't change your mind much due to how faithfully Doomsday Clock carries the torch.
In the end, Doomsday Clock is a wonderful continuation to the Watchmen story and it's going to be a long wait for the second issue, which drops December 27, 2017. The writing is amazing, the art is equally great, the story arch is beginning strong and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. If you have not already done so, go pick this up now, before they're all gone. For more Doomsday Clock talk, be sure to check out the Script of Myth comic podcast where the whole gang gets together to talk about the future of Watchmen and Doomsday Clock.
The plot to Doomsday Clock (spoilers) is that the country is merely hours away from total destruction as the Russians are going to be launching a fleet of nuclear bombs toward America. The only man that can help, Doctor Manhattan, has not been seen since he went into hiding. Rorschach is sent on a mission to retrieve the Marionette, who will not go with him without her husband, the Mime. After both of them accept that they will go on a mission and then be rewarded for their efforts with the location of their son, it is revealed that Rorschach was working with none other than Ozymandias, Adrian Veidt. Adrian Veidt tells us that Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are retired and not dead. At the end of the comic, Superman is shown laying in bed and then is awakened by a nightmare of his parents deaths. Superman never has nightmares, which shows us that the situation that is about to unravel is something that will scare even the likes of our favorite Kryptonian.
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| Doomsday Clock teaser picture |
The setting of Doomsday Clock has roots in modern day events from rising tensions and conflict between the United States and North Korea and a president that is very fond of golf. It takes place in 1992, but it was clear that they were playing off of people's fears of what may come. This, on top of the already raising tensions that follow the events of Watchmen make for a story that very much critiques the current state of politics. This is no easy task, combining the dark and gritty universe of Watchmen with one as cheerful and bright (mostly) as that of the Justice League is hard enough, and adding political undertones may seem like a lot to juggle but it's all handled well and the blend is nearly invisible.
This is all due to the great combination of art and writing that make for a truly film like experience. Thanks to the 2009 Watchmen film, we all know how perfect the original Watchmen comic was for the big screen and, right off the bat, Doomsday Clock feels the same. It may take a page or so to get into the flow of things, but once you do, the panels start to come to life. Reading the opening two pages alone, it's hard not to imagine the sound of static and the voice of sadness as TV networks around the world go offline.
This isn't to say that Doomsday Clock exceeds it's predecessor in one issue. That's impossible. However, the story that Geoff Johns has crafted is off to a great start and the series has hit the ground running. If the following issues follow suit there is potential to be a truly amazing run. And who knows, maybe it will be even better than the original in the end and we can see the Watchmen movie sequel we all deserve. With that said, if you weren't too hot on Watchmen originally then this won't change your mind much due to how faithfully Doomsday Clock carries the torch.
In the end, Doomsday Clock is a wonderful continuation to the Watchmen story and it's going to be a long wait for the second issue, which drops December 27, 2017. The writing is amazing, the art is equally great, the story arch is beginning strong and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. If you have not already done so, go pick this up now, before they're all gone. For more Doomsday Clock talk, be sure to check out the Script of Myth comic podcast where the whole gang gets together to talk about the future of Watchmen and Doomsday Clock.
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