Doomsday Clock: The Adjournment

[Bored at 3:00AM]

If Johns is intentionally getting that metatextual, then Morrison must be bending his ear/slipping him some of his stash behind the scenes. 'Cause I'm not entirely sure he has those arrows in his quiver.

Going meta isn't new for Johns. His work with Superboy-Prime was all one giant metatextual middle finger to the worst elements of superhero fandom. However, I think his writing on Doomsday Clock has shown that he's really trying to push himself as a writer in ways we've never seen before. Trying to write a sequel to one of the greatest graphic novels of all time would do that to a guy

[ducklord]

Going meta isn't new for Johns. His work with Superboy-Prime was all one giant metatextual middle finger to the worst elements of superhero fandom. However, I think his writing on Doomsday Clock has shown that he's really trying to push himself as a writer in ways we've never seen before. Trying to write a sequel to one of the greatest graphic novels of all time would do that to a guy

I was thinking about Superboy-Prime a bit when I wrote my initial comment, and I actually think his heavyhandedness kinda sorta reinforces my point. It's not that Johns has never gone meta before, it's just that his work in that area has never been particularly subtle.

Superboy-Prime as an avatar for whiny, entitled fanboys (myself included) is a funny character, but he's so on-the-nose that he might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says "whiny entitled fanboy."

I'm just saying that if John's is intentionally going down this path in Doomsday Clock, he's seriously upped the deftness of his metaphor/symbolism game.

[Buried Alien]

I was thinking about Superboy-Prime a bit when I wrote my initial comment, and I actually think his heavyhandedness kinda sorta reinforces my point. It's not that Johns has never gone meta before, it's just that his work in that area has never been particularly subtle.

Superboy-Prime as an avatar for whiny, entitled fanboys (myself included) is a funny character, but he's so on-the-nose that he might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says "whiny entitled fanboy."

I'm just saying that if John's is intentionally going down this path in Doomsday Clock, he's seriously upped the deftness of his metaphor/symbolism game.

Lennon/McCartney went from "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" to "A Day in the Life" and "I Am the Walrus" in about five years.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[ducklord]

Lennon/McCartney went from "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" to "A Day in the Life" and "I Am the Walrus" in about five years.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I will accept the proposition of Grant Morrison being the Lennon to Geoff Johns's McCartney.

[BatmanJones]

Lennon/McCartney went from "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" to "A Day in the Life" and "I Am the Walrus" in about five years.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

They did, largely as a result of the influence of Dylan's music and him introducing them to marijuana which led to acid. I wonder what the Johns avatar to that might be.

Flash Fact: Lennon's "Norwegian Wood" was a sort of ode to Dylan's style. Dylan responded by satirizing it with "Fourth Time Around."

[BatmanJones]

More importantly, mad props to @rikdad as usual. Literally every time he makes a post to his blog he helps me see everything in a new light.

If Superman and Batman are the white and black kings, I wonder if that plays into their fathers being back for the first time ever.

I'm going to keep hammering away at the significance of Jor-El and Thomas Wayne to D-Clock and Rebirth until it finally pays off in the comics themselves.

It can't be a coincidence. Dr. Manhattan's got to be behind these 'resurrections' somehow. We just don't know why yet.

[Rikdad]

BatmanJones, thanks.

It is definitely not a coincidence. Interestingly, it's the flip side to the Kents being killed, presumably, by his actions.

However, so much of the story has been told in Bendis' work that I don't expect it to get a lot of focus in Doomsday Clock, but maybe. I find it curious that the Jor-El plot has begun in one work then been taken over in the other.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

BatmanJones, thanks.

It is definitely not a coincidence. Interestingly, it's the flip side to the Kents being killed, presumably, by his actions.

However, so much of the story has been told in Bendis' work that I don't expect it to get a lot of focus in Doomsday Clock, but maybe. I find it curious that the Jor-El plot has begun in one work then been taken over in the other.

According to Bendis and King, their handling of Supes & Bats's newly alive and darkened daddies each fits in with what Johns has planned for them in Doomsday Clock.

[theoneandonly]

so the Daddy duo are definitely going to appear in Doomsday clock?

[dornwolf]

so the Daddy duo are definitely going to appear in Doomsday clock?

Doesn't it feel a little late to be adding the Dark Dads to the story?

[theoneandonly]

Doesn't it feel a little late to be adding the Dark Dads to the story?

that's what I think but bored seems to have info. that says different.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

that's what I think but bored seems to have info. that says different.

I don't think they will be key to the whole story, but their presence in the DCU will definitely be getting mentioned as part of whatever Manhattan and Viedt are cooking up, most likely in next week's issue.

[BatmanJones]

Doesn't it feel a little late to be adding the Dark Dads to the story?

We still don't know why they were brought back, presumably by Dr. Manhattan. It does feel a little late to me but #10 is meant to explain what Dr. Manhattan did to the DCU so maybe it will happen as soon as then. Both 'resurrections' have been part of the D-Clock/Rebirth story with Thomas Wayne as part of The Button and Jor-El as Mr. Oz. May not be part of the Doomsday Clock book but it has to have something to do with Dr. Manhattan and I don't think they'd set it up without providing in-story explanation.

[mr_crisp]

The character names could be references to characters in the series. Dusk is that time before night and could be a reference to Batman. Tempus might be a shortened form of temporal which is time. Dr. Manhattan can see all time. Farmer is obviously Superman who was raised a farmer.

[Rikdad]

Dr. Manhattan's purpose in bringing Flashpoint Thomas Wayne back was revealed explicitly by Johns in an interview over two years ago:
"That’s exactly what Manhattan wanted. What he wanted was to get Bruce out of the way."

https://screenrant.com/batman-quits-comic-watchmen/

That's an unusually blunt spoiler before a series begins, but there it is. Interesting, because given only what we've seen, I don't think we have any indication that Dr. Manhattan sees anyone as an adversary, per se. Whether it's Bruce Wayne or Alan Scott, Dr. Manhattan seems more like a scientist playing with "termites" (to use Moore's choice of words) rather than an equal player with anyone in the DCU.

I suspect that Superman will change that equation.