The frustration is obvious and understandable. Because of the importance of the story to so many other facets of the DC universe, our speculation also goes into high gear. "Does Geoff Johns have the clout anymore?" "Is Dclock important anymore?"
The book's been late, consistently late. To be historically accurate, Watchmen's last few issues were far worse in thisa regard. There are quite a few reasons for the lateness, not all of which are mutually exclusive. Even within the hierarchy of DC Comics, the true reasons and distribution of responsibility are probably not known. We're pissed, but we'll live.
I have a serious question.
Is this story supposed to have everything to do with the DCU? Because as far as I can tell, it's taking place in it's own bubble. The Superman Theory as far as I can tell hasn't been mentioned outside of this series, Batman is wearing the wrong costume, Mr. Oz hasn't been mentioned, etc.
And none of the current series seem to be building to whatever is happening in DC. For instance, there's no sense that the general public is starting to distrust Batman in King's run, and I don't think Flashpoint Batman is going to tie into DC at all.
Also, was it actually stated to be a story that will decide the fate of the DCU? It may have been, but I don't recall that.
The last issue placed Superman's confrontation in Russia in June 2019 per the back matter newspaper articles. With the books on their bi-monthly schedule, the last issue would have shipped at the end of July 2019 so Manhattan's confrontation with Superman being a month out from that event made sense since it appeared the events of 8 happened shortly after Manhattan revealed himself in 7. The last issue would have caught up to the present of the book.
Personally, I think some titles like Bendis' Superman and Action Comics runs and the whole Wonder Comics line are already operating in post-Doomsday Clock DCU.
Last edited by Yoda; 01-22-2019 at 12:41 PM.
Well, Wally is dead and maybe something happens and he needs to be alive?
Have you been reading Batman ? Dudes acting like a lunatic, savagly beating Freeze, attacking a Bane that (to everyone but the readers knowledge) is catatonic and amnesiac, beating several Arkham villains for information (that they dont know) and finally attacking Gordon.
Manhatten is also tied to Flashpoint via The Button.
Unfortunately, if the rmours about Didio vs Johns are true, I dare say that this is exactly what happened. It looks for all the world like Doomsday Clock has become a little side project for Johns, while Didio is now once again dictating the overall direction of the DCU. There are some fine DCU comics being published right now but there's definitely the sense that the story beats and themes brought up in Rebirth are being increasingly ignored.
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It seems unlikely to me that DClock would be sidelined as it has been when it's the payoff series for the entire "Rebirth" story. I can certainly look at points and state that "This just ain't right." Wally's return was a huge part of Rebirth. Yet, he dies in H1C? I am pretty damn sure there's more going on than is on the printed page, but those details are open to speculation.
Wonder Comics possibly, but I think Bendis himself has stated that his Superman stuff currently takes place before Doomsday Clock, and that he will be addressing whatever is happening in that story sometime in the future. So who knows about all that.
I've actually wondered if all the delays to the story were so that all the other comics are able to catch up to it in terms of continuity. Whether that still is a plan given alot of creative changes to the books remains to be seen.
Bendis has said that once the big reveal of Doomsday Clock happens certain things in his book would click for readers. He has also said he’s been extremely careful not to spoil anything Johns is working toward because of the massive undertaking it has been for Johns. All that implies to me at least that events in Bendis’s books are somehow dependent on the outcome of Doomsday Clock. Crazy Grandpa Jor El wandering the universe in his own starship instead of being imprisoned by Manhattan as he was at the end of Oz Effect seems to be the biggest issue. And Bendis just confirmed that he’d be addressing Manhattan’s involvement with Jor El at some point.
With the way that books going odds are good that Wally is alive but the killer. That said ya it makes no sense that Wally return was the catalyst for the whole thing, other than the Manhattan tease Wally coming back was the thing everyone was hyped over and then nothing. So to end it on a dud of a story like Heroes it does't really gel.
I guess, though he will have to be careful about doing that, most comics that try to bridge two different storylines fairly late into a run almost always turn out a little off. I guess that could explain why Clark & Lois appear to be much closer in Heroes In Crisis and Doomsday Clock then they are currently in Bendis' books, though I was initially imagining those 2 just took place after the current stories after they had got everything more patched up.
Also, here's my crazy prediction I just kind of convinced myself right now to try and explain Doomsday Clock's delays. The book went monthly for 3 months until January and then issue 4 came out in March starting the bimonthly pattern. Now what happened in November at the same time the first issue was released? Bendis signed over to DC, and while we didn't know exactly what he would be doing yet, they knew he would be taking over Superman. We also know Doomsday Clock is ultimately supposed to built to a Superman/Manhattan confrontation and almost certainly effect Superman's story going forward. But because Bendis wanted at least some time to write whatever he wanted to write before having to be effected by DClock's events, they pushed it back to (as of now) July 2019, giving him about a year and a half to himself. And is it a huge coincidence that around the same time DClock was originally supposed to conclude, almost all of their books were taken over by new writers, and then Heroes In Crisis suddenly shows up.