Readers of Doomsday Clock all SPOILERS thread

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I know this may be an impossible request, but I'd like a thread just for the people who are actually reading Doomsday clock, rather than the people who hate the idea of it, but will read summaries of it so they can post about how awful it is.

This does not mean we can't critique or have issues with the story as it goes forwards, but I would like this particular debate of Doomsday Clock's merits be among people who are actually paying money for and have read each issue before going online to have a reasonable discussion about it.

This isn't really a big problem yet, but I strongly suspect it will become one more and more of an issue as new issues come out and the discussion will inevitably start to get bogged down by angry fans who read about what happened in Doomsday Clock, rather than the actual comic.

So, some basic ground rules.

You don't need to use spoiler tags here as long as that issue is available either online or in stores. Anything revealed by previews or rumor sites should absolutely still use spoiler tags though.

Sound good?

OK, I thought it was a nice tease to the main event. Johns & Frank are clearly taking this as seriously as they can, knowing full-well that they are really taking a giant risk with this. It's not like Before Watchmen, sales aside, is particularly well regarded by anyone, despite the talent behind it.

Mime & Marionette are nice additions to the Charlton-esque world of Watchmen. I'm glad Johns is not shying away from adding to the world, rather than just rehashing Moore's work. This very much feels like it's about today's world in the same way that Moore & Gibbon's story was about the mid-1980s. Nice to see Johns is not trying to soft-peddle the politics at all, with some decent swipes at both sides of the political spectrum.

Glad to see that Nite-Owl & Silk Spectre likely won't be playing any significant role here. I'd rather the focus be largely on the respective trinities of the DCU and Watchmen. Bringing back Roashach as a new person is a clever way of keeping the voice of that character around in a new way while also not negating the significance of his death.

It will be really interesting to see where they go from here. Very few comics feel this dangerous and risky. Johns is quite plainly putting his reputation on the line here. He's walking a tightrope here. If he %&*#s this up, he'll rightfully be a laughing stock to much of the industry. Maybe it's ego, but I am glad there's still creators working in corporate mainstream comics that are still willing to swing for the fences like this.

Let's hope it pays off.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Glad to see that Nite-Owl & Silk Spectre likely won't be playing any significant role here. I'd rather the focus be largely on the respective trinities of the DCU and Watchmen. Bringing back Roashach as a new person is a clever way of keeping the voice of that character around in a new way while also not negating the significance of his death.

Watchmen Earth stole legacy from DC Earth, lol.

Am I the only one thinking the New Rorschach is Dr. Malcom Long, or has this already been stated?

[Frontier]

Watchmen Earth stole legacy from DC Earth, lol.

Am I the only one thinking the New Rorschach is Dr. Malcom Long, or has this already been stated?

That's one of the leading theories for who the new Rorschach is.

[Denirac]

That's one of the leading theories for who the new Rorschach is.

Well... I had the theory we'll never find out who he is because the REAL Rorschach will show up and drop him down an elevator shaft for stealing his identity... and face.... But yeah... That theory would also work as would all the others

[sustainentropy]

Watchmen Earth stole legacy from DC Earth, lol.

Am I the only one thinking the New Rorschach is Dr. Malcom Long, or has this already been stated?

My theory is that it's the kid who hangs out beside the news stand. He's always crouched down, almost exactly the way the New Rorschach is introduced on panel.

[BatmanJones]

I won't say I don't feel dirty for buying and reading this. I agree with what Rich Johnston wrote on Bleeding Cool. I believe in creators' rights and feel Moore was done dirty and as Johnston said, I feel like a hypocrite. But since it's happening I'm reading and I must say I enjoyed the Watchmen sequel aspect much more than I thought I would. I don't think the ashcan pages did the series any favors. It would have been better to reveal in those pages that we have a new Rorschach rather than allowing us to believe he'd brought the character back. I felt so much more comfortable reading the DC bits at the end though and I see a lot of promise here. I'm all in. Even if I do feel I have to wash my hands after reading each issue.

I hadn't put together the "father/son" theme that was already running through Rebirth but if this is a story of fathers and sons and hope vs. cynicism, well, this cynic is in for ride. I've loved what DC has done with Superman's father and Batman's. What I hadn't put together was that they had both tried to stop their sons from continuing in their crimefighting careers, but duh. Of course that was very obvious. And that part of DC Rebirth I have been enjoying immensely.

I'm still feeling sketchy about the Watchmen characters being present and looking forward to the moment the world of Watchmen meets up with the DCU. I think I'll feel much more comfortable when that happens.

But I have to admit that when I finished #1 and closed it and put it down I did take a moment and a breath as I said to myself, "Well, that was a damn good comic."

Then I read Action and felt the exact same way. Then Detective, ditto. What a great week for DC comic books. With D. Clock clearly leading the way.

[Nite-Wing]

This is pretty much an in continuity before watchmen now
Johns is ruining Moore's work solidly here by trying his hardest to imitate Moore's style
It would have probably been better to just have someone like azzarello write this story

[kingaliencracker]

With the hint that Doctor Manhattan may be posing as a DC superhero or villain, I'm wondering if he isn't posing as Superman. While that would necessitate some creative writing on the part of Johns to try and explain, it makes sense given that Superman is the first DC hero and his existence spawned all DC heroes that followed. There were some pretty strong Superman-centered themes throughout Doomsday Clock #2, and Superman's/Clark's first nightmare coincided with the eminent destruction of the Watchmen universe.

While I am probably way off base, and I would have decidedly mixed feelings if a revelation like that were to occur, there are definite clues leading us in that direction.

[Hulkout42]

Well we got Manhattan and he and Superman will clash probably due to Veidt.

[Cmbmool]

Remember when it was said that Doomsday Clock was a year ahead ? Well you might want to read this to be sure... https://www.newsarama.com/44131-is-t...beginning.html

[blunt_eastwood]

Remember when it was said that Doomsday Clock was a year ahead ? Well you might want to read this to be sure... https://www.newsarama.com/44131-is-t...beginning.html

Doesn't that prove that it is?

[Inversed]

Remember when it was said that Doomsday Clock was a year ahead ? Well you might want to read this to be sure... https://www.newsarama.com/44131-is-t...beginning.html

So I wonder, everything does appear to be slowly lining up, but I wonder what will be the in-between point between pre-DClock and post-DClock stories. Wonder if they'll end up pushing #12 back further so its not in the middle of Superman's Leviathan, Batman's City Of Bane, DCeased, etc.

[Hulkout42]

Well now how is the Trinity going to deal with this situation? And mentioning Wally mean that there was more to his exile in the speedforce than we thought? I mean i know that in TItans they say it wasn't but now?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Well, that was remarkable.

I'm still a little stunned by how good that was.

I take back everything I said about this story not being about Superman enough. Johns really wasn't lying when he said Superman was the story. Superman is the story of the DCU, from beginning to end.

Frankly, there's so much to digest in this issue, it's going to take a while to organize my thoughts on this. The endgame is much clearer now, and the path to Dr. Manhattan's heel turn has become clear. His own inaction in the face of evil has made him understand that he is the villain of the story, pitting him against the ultimate man of action, and it certainly looks like he has no intention of losing.

What did you guys think?

[Korath]

Meh.
I still don't see the point of the whole story.

For me, Superman isn't the center of the DCU. He was, but not anymore, not since a long time, so the whole thing read as out of touch and presumptuous.

I'm not hyped by the next issue, I can't find anything interesting here for those of us who aren't screaming for more nostalgia fest.