Doomsday Clock is a 2017 superhero comic book limited series published by DC Comics, being written by chief executive officer Geoff Johns, with art from penciller Gary Frank and colorist Brad Anderson. It is the direct sequel to the graphic novel Watchmen, created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and also concludes the DC Rebirth storyline.
Video Doomsday Clock (comics)
Background
Doomsday Clock is part of the DC Rebirth campaign and continues the narrative that was established with 2016's one-shot issue DC Universe: Rebirth Special #1 and 2017's crossover events "Superman Reborn" and "The Button". It is also the direct sequel of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's seminal work Watchmen (1986-1987), and introduces its characters into the DC Universe, alongside a few original characters designed for the book.
Doomsday Clock was revealed on May 14, 2017, with a teaser image displaying the Superman logo in the 12 o'clock slot of the clock depicted in Watchmen, and the series title in the bold typeface used for Watchmen.
The story in the book will include many characters but has a particular focus on Superman and Doctor Manhattan. Geoff Johns felt like there was an interesting story to be told in DC Rebirth with Doctor Manhattan; he thought there was an interesting dichotomy between Superman--an alien who embodies and is compassionate for humanity--and Doctor Manhattan--a human who has detached himself from humanity. This idea led to over six months of debates amongst the creative team about whether or not to intersect the Watchmen universe with the DC Universe. He explained that Doomsday Clock was the "most personal and most epic, utterly mind-bending project" that he had worked on in his career.
Johns also explained that Doomsday Clock is a stand-alone story with no tie-in material. However, it "will have an impact on the entire DC Universe. It will affect everything moving forward and everything that has come before. It will touch the thematic and literal essence of DC." So by the time the final issue releases, "the rest of the universe will have caught up to it -- and the repercussions of the event will become known."
Release
The first issue of Doomsday Clock was released on November 22, 2017, and is planned to last 12 issues. The series was originally scheduled to release monthly and end in December 2018, with planned breaks in March and August 2018. However, in January 2018, it was announced that the series would take a break in March and April 2018, before releasing again in May 2018 and switching to a bi-monthly schedule, with the series now ending in July 2019.
Maps Doomsday Clock (comics)
Plot
Issue 1
On November 22, 1992, seven years after the events of Watchmen, Ozymandias's plan for peace has failed after the details of Rorschach's journal are publicized. Consequently, Ozymandias becomes a fugitive as the U.S. stands on the brink of war with Russia. As preparations for nuclear war begin, a new Rorschach breaks into prison to retrieve Erika Manson, a.k.a. the Marionette, and Marcos Maez, a.k.a. the Mime. Rorschach II takes them to the lair of Nite Owl and introduces them to his partner Ozymandias who is dying of brain cancer. He offers the couple the location of their son and $2,000,000 if they help him locate Doctor Manhattan. Meanwhile on another universe, Clark Kent has a dream about the night his parents died in a car crash. Clark's wife Lois wakes him, concerned, as she cannot remember the last time Clark had a nightmare. Clark states he does not think he has ever had one.
Issue 2
Marionette joins Mime, Ozymandias, and Rorschach II aboard the Owlship. As the war commences, Ozymandias activates a machine that transports the Owlship to the most recent location of Manhattan's electron particles. After crashing into an abandoned fairground and cuffing Marionette and Mime, Ozymandias and Rorschach II explore Gotham City, noting the parallels between both universes. After conducting research at a local library, Ozymandias discovers that this Earth is going through its own political crisis due to a conspiracy theory accusing the U.S. government of creating metahumans, which has put them at odds with Russia and Markovia. Additionally, public opinion has turned against Batman while Wayne Enterprises is under threat of a takeover from LexCorp. Looking for allies in their search for Manhattan, Rorschach II confronts Batman in the Batcave while Ozymandias confronts Lex Luthor. Ozymandias and Luthor are then attacked by a seemingly-resurrected Comedian, Batman encounters Rorschach II eating his breakfast that Alfred Pennyworth made him, and Mime and Marionette walk free on Gotham City's streets.
Issue 3
In a flashback, it is revealed that Doctor Manhattan intervened in Ozymandias's murder of the Comedian and transported the latter to Metropolis. In the present, Ozymandias escapes after a brief fight with the Comedian. Meanwhile, Rorschach II tries to convince Batman to help locate Manhattan by presenting him with Kovacs's journal. Batman tells Rorschach II to make himself at home while he reads. In a retirement home, the elderly Johnny Thunder stares out the window during a thunderstorm while waiting for his family to take him out to dinner while his fellow residents argue over what to watch on TV. Johnny Thunder's family doesn't show up. The news talks about "The Superman Theory" which is described as the U.S. Government experimenting on humans through a "Department of Metahuman Affairs" like Metamorpho, Man-Bat, and Lady Clayface. Back in Metropolis, Lex Luthor is undergoing surgery at Metropolis General Hospital while "his attacker remains in serious but stable conditions". Elsewhere, Marionette and Mime stumble into a bar in Joker's territory and end up killing several of Joker's men. After drinking a toast to finding their son, they decide to go in search of the Joker. While Rorschach II sleeps, he has a nightmare of Veidt's genetic-engineered monster attacking New York. When he awakens, Batman tells him that he has tracked a temporal anomaly to Arkham Asylum. However, Rorschach II discovers that Batman has tricked him when he is locked up in Arkham, being told by Batman that he belongs there. Batman then leaves as Rorschach shouts at him.
Issue 4
While incarcerated at Arkham Asylum, Rorschach II remembers his past as Reggie Long, the son of Malcolm Long who evaluated the original Rorschach. When his parents were killed by the monster that Ozymandias unleashed, Reggie was not in range of the psychic trauma it unleashed. Back in the present, Rorschach II is beaten up by the guards. He is then greeted by a therapist named Dr. Mason Matthews who evaluates him on his history and why Batman placed him here. Rorschach II recaps the day when the alien monster's attack killed everyone and that firefighters rescued him from his car where he was then taken to a mental hospital. While there, he encountered an elderly man on the roof who stated that he saw what he had to see and flew off, with Reggie being grabbed by the guards and taken back to his cell. While taking a Rorschach test, Reggie met the old man who was recaptured and introduces himself as Mothman (a former Minutemen member) as they started to listen to Veidt's plans to help the people of New York get through the tragedy. Back in the present, Rorschach II is taken back to his cell as he wonders who and where Doctor Manhattan is. A "Jane Doe" sees him from her cell door and takes interest in him. Back in the past, Reggie and Mothman grow closer as Mothman plans to train Reggie to defend himself against the guard Jason. Reggie later saw the news that Veidt had been accused of engineering the massacre where Reggie and other survivors are going to be transferred to another facility. Reggie then sets fire to the mental hospital. Mothman sees the fire and states that it is calling to him and walks towards the fire. After finding the original Rorschach's stuff, he tracks down Veidt's hideout and confronts Veidt who wants to be put out of his misery due to his brain cancer and being filled with remorse. Reggie decides to spare Veidt. Back in the present, Rorschach II is freed by "Jane Doe", who is revealed to be the Pre-Zero Hour version of Saturn Girl, the cause of the voices in Rorschach II's head. At the Batcave, Batman tells Alfred Pennyworth that he now understands Rorschach II as it is implied that Bruce Wayne posed as Dr. Matthews all along.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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