Readers of Doomsday Clock all SPOILERS thread

[MajorHoy]

I would be surprised if DC doesn't cash in on a 6 issue Doomsday Clock Vol. 1 trade paperback, but it's also possible that Johns is insisting upon the entire story being published before it is collected.

It might make more sense to collect all 12 (expensive as that may be). After all, to more casual readers that might buy tpb collections (versus people who, you know, actually follow comic books), how much story would readers feel they're actually getting with just issues #1-6? Wouldn't they be getting more of the questions / teases than any actual resolutions?
It's a 12-issue story, so probably best to collect it that way.

. . . I know Johns & Frank were very specific about every conceivable detail of this book. They rightfully know that their professional reputations are on the line here if this story is a repeat of the Before Watchmen fiasco, so I don't blame them for being picky about the details.

Aside from some fans complaining about it being dishonest, how much of a "fiasco" was Before Watchmen? Did it not sell well?
Were the complaints generally from people who felt DC was just sticking it to Moore again?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It might make more sense to collect all 12 (expensive as that may be). After all, to more casual readers that might buy tpb collections (versus people who, you know, actually follow comic books), how much story would readers feel they're actually getting with just issues #1-6? Wouldn't they be getting more of the questions / teases than any actual resolutions?
It's a 12-issue story, so probably best to collect it that way.

I agree, but that hasn't stopped DC from doing this kind of stuff before

My guess would be that Johns is insisting on waiting for the entire 12 issue story to be released and he's still got enough juice at DC to keep the penny-counters at bay.

Aside from some fans complaining about it being dishonest, how much of a "fiasco" was Before Watchmen? Did it not sell well?
Were the complaints generally from people who felt DC was just sticking it to Moore again?

While many people bought it, the tens of thousands of unsold copies of Before Watchmen issues sitting in back issue bins are a testament to how much less it sold than DC and retailers were hoping for. It didn't help that the critical reception was also quite poor, with only the late great Darwyn Cooke managing to escape unscathed. The trades continue to sell based upon the Watchmen brand alone, but this was definitely not the success DC wanted it to be.

So, yeah, given how poorly Before Watchmen turned out, I can see how Geoff Johns had some trepidation about deciding to make a sequel to Watchmen that featured them coming to the mainstream DCU. We can most easily see this uneasiness in the fact that Johns repeatedly stated that Doomsday Clock was not a sequel to Watchmen when, 6 issues in, it most definitely is.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Does issue #7 really come out today or is it being delayed a week to give Heroes in Crisis some breathing room?

Looking forward to some forward momentum after the slow burn of the previous six issues. I've been enjoying it, and I understand Johns needed to spend time setting up all his chess pieces before knocking them down, but my patience has its limits

[Jody Garland]

Issue #7 came out. I've read it already- it's good and answers a lot of questions. Things are heating up.The chess metaphor is more apt than you would expect, Bored.

[BatmanJones]

Wow! What an issue! So much information!

Three things off the top of my head. (There was so much and these three things aren't representative of the big things that advanced the plot):

1. Johns was not kidding around when he said this issue turns a corner. It turns a hell of a corner.
2. Frank is drawing the DCU more roughly than he typically does. His Superman and even more so his Batman feel almost Joe Kubert-esque and that sketchy quality (the usual Chris Reeve callback is not here) works wonderfully with the narrative.
3. This line shocked me in how on-the-nose it was. And what a stone cold dis it was. And from a guy that destroyed his own world and got found out for it? Adrian Veidt is not the world's most reliable narrator, still... To Batman after Batman admits to having been wrong about Rorschach: "You were wrong about a lot of things. Everything maybe. I suppose that comes with being a cornerstone of the ever growing problem your world is being swallowed up by."

I've certainly heard it theorized that this was where Johns was going in the story. I did not expect to see it so blatantly acknowledged even by, as I said, an "unreliable narrator."

Ozy seems to blame Batman for the darkness of the DCU. Does Doctor Manhattan share that feeling? Does Geoff Johns?

As with each issue, can't wait to be enlightened by @Rikdad's take.

[Armor of God]

Ah yes, blame Watchmen, blame Batman. Dont blame Tom King though. I'm starting to really sympathize with Moore now. They peddle cheap drama and then they blame the characters or the stories or the decade. Nobody forced Johns in to inserting dead momma BS in to Barry Allen's story.
If you're going to go meta then have the guts to be self critical.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Issue #7 came out. I've read it already- it's good and answers a lot of questions. Things are heating up.The chess metaphor is more apt than you would expect, Bored.

Holy $#!* did this issue deliver. Lot to unpack here. I might have to start my re-read of the issues so far a little earlier than I anticipated.

If they are planning to package the series into two volumed of TPB, I think this issue would be the one you'd want to end with. My guess is that they'll collect the first 7 issues, then the final 5 with plenty of suplementary material and interviews.

As for the issue itself, geez. Where to start. We certainly know exactly what happened to the JSA now in pretty precise detail for Alan Scott at least. The why is still the big question mark, though, isn't it? Dr. Manhattan arrived in the DCU in 1985 with the idea that he could somehow be a part of this world. That puts him in the DCU right when the original Crisis on Infinite Earths began and the darkening of the DCU began in earnest, particularly with Superman, who saw his elder self and youth exiled to limbo. Since we now know that Manhattan was indeed manipulating history with some purpose and Superman was in some way the reason for all of it, perhaps Jon thought he was improving Superman. Perhaps he was tinkering with this figure of hope, only to end up breaking him in the process, causing him to once again withdraw from his humanity.

There's still a lot we don't know here, but it's clear to me that Firestorm is absolutely key to it all. Along with Batman, he's the only JLAer to appear so prominently.

And that cliffhanger. Geez...two more months....&*% you Johns & Frank!

Welp, suffice it to say, my concerns about the slow pace have been addressed completely. It will be very interesting to see how all the various balls Johns is juggling end up playing into the endgame.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Ah yes, blame Watchmen, blame Batman. Dont blame Tom King though. I'm starting to really sympathize with Moore now. They peddle cheap drama and then they blame the characters or the stories or the decade. Nobody forced Johns in to inserting dead momma BS in to Barry Allen's story.
If you're going to go meta then have the guts to be self critical.

I don't think Johns is going to let himself off the hook when all is said and done. Yes, Moore and Miller got the ball rolling, but it was the creators that followed their example that really created this mess.

[Johnrevenge]

It's been a great issue. I didn't expect the twists at all. Shame we'll have to wait two months for the next issue.

[Jody Garland]

It just occurred to me the reason we're seeing Pohzar in such a prominent position is because he's the perfect metaphor for the Atomic Bomb. Created by America and then recreated by the Russians, leading to destabilization. It's a more artsy fartsy version of the Firestorm Protocols from the New 52 book.

[Miles To Go]

A pretty solid issue...we're getting more insight into the nature of the conflict between Manhattan and Clark. Geoff said the two's big battle would not be physical one, so I'm presuming that it's Jon, not Clark, that offers to just talk things over with Clark rather than fight since he can see there is futility to it. He'll be more curious as to what brings about an end to things and why he can't see beyond this battle.

I like the "For want of a nail" ripple effect when revealing what became of the Justice Society. Sometimes all it takes is moving one piece out of place and everything becomes a puzzling jigsaw.

[failo.legendkiller]

Wow, I'm shaken and need to read it again to understand everything.
At the end i was like "stop here, please, too many things to digest".
It's in moments like this that i wish my english could be better!

As with each issue, can't wait to be enlightened by @Rikdad's take.

Oh yes, pleas Rikdad do it quickly!

[Rakzo]

Every week that sees the release of this book is a great week in my book. Johns is acknowledging everything that happened in the original Watchmen series and uses it in its favor to create logical plot and character developments that are particularly obvious in the case of Ozymandias and the new Rorschach. Hell, Johns even makes a good use of such an overused character like the Joker here by making his reaction legitimately engaging. I'm surprised that it took so long for Superman to appear here considering that this was initially sold as a Superman story but at the same time this allowed for more exploration of the Watchmen universe and I'm pretty cool with how everything has gone so far.

Frank remains as one of the most important parts of the book thanks to his ability to follow the script perfectly and elevates to another level thanks to the expressions of his characters. Best read of the week once again.

[lemonpeace]

Holy hell, this issue! My only reservation is Rorschach, was he really only brought in to be a henchman? I'd been hoping there was more to him than that. Hopefully that's not as deep as that goes. Everything else was amazing. I still need to process. I'll say this tho, the Joker was a lot of fun to watch. Reminded me of the animated series iteration.

[TheMaker1610]

Holy ! What an issue !
There is a LOT to digest here, but the Plot really advanced forward with this issue, and somewhat answered some questions [Spoilers](like there whereabouts of the JSA, if it is the same as Alan Scott's)

Also.. damn, Veidt is still the manipulative d-
Poor "Rorscharch"
Marionette being pregnant again was something I didnt expect at all (and I laughed a bit when Manhattan revealed that)
But I get the feeling this wont end well for the pair

I am excited for the next issue !
I wanna see the reason Jon had to do what he did to Scott (and possibly all the JSA), and how his story is destined to "end".. [/Spoilers]