Why doesn't some like Doomsday Clock?

[John Venus]

About the only worthwhile idea from Doomsday Clock was the Pre Crisis DC, Post Crisis DC, NU52 DC and Rebirth DC existing in different continuities which imo, was the best solution to DC's messed up continuity.

But instead we have this bizarre 'everybody remembers their history but also remembers the history of their alternate universe counterparts and everything sort of happened' continuity which makes even less sense.

[joebleau]

it's a good Elseworlds serie. We cant wrap it in the new continuity anymore. Too bad the Supermen theory was nice and all the new international teams could have been fun to see.

For me the delays was created when they had to rewrite part of the story when Bendis came with his LSH.
They had to scrap the return of the LSH we like and want

[SJNeal]

For me the delays was created when they had to rewrite part of the story when Bendis came with his LSH.
They had to scrap the return of the LSH we like and want

Pretty sure it happened the other way around, though.

If I'm not mistaken (my personal timeline/continuity can be pretty wonky ), Doomsday Clock was already in the works before Bendis came to DC. Geoff Johns had already been holding the LoSH hostage for years at that point; couple that with the delays and what Bendis wanted to do with Superboy et al., and we end up with the dissatisfying mess we got. If Johns had been on his game, we'd have already had a Legion book on the stands (or at least in the works).

That vacuum allowed Bendis to jump in and say "Hey Dan! I have an idea that absolutely no one asked for!"

[MajorHoy]

Pretty sure it happened the other way around, though.

If I'm not mistaken (my personal timeline/continuity can be pretty wonky ), Doomsday Clock was already in the works before Bendis came to DC. Geoff Johns had already been holding the LoSH hostage for years at that point; couple that with the delays and what Bendis wanted to do with Superboy et al., and we end up with the dissatisfying mess we got. If Johns had been on his game, we'd have already had a Legion book on the stands (or at least in the works).

That vacuum allowed Bendis to jump in and say "Hey Dan! I have an idea that absolutely no one asked for!"

I seem to remember at one point it was said that if Johns/Doomsday Clock hadn't addressed issues with characters by a set date (can't remember what the date was) then other writers were free to use those characters again without waiting for their stories to be handled in Doomsday Clock.

Needless to say, Johns didn't meet that deadline . . . how unusual for him.

[joebleau]

between
* Doomsday Clock #1 = Nov 22 2017
* Doomsday Clock #12 = Dec 18 2019

we hear that Bendis was coming to DC ( Nov 2017)
and they announced he will be working on the LSH around June 2019

[SJNeal]

I seem to remember at one point it was said that if Johns/Doomsday Clock hadn't addressed issues with characters by a set date (can't remember what the date was) then other writers were free to use those characters again without waiting for their stories to be handled in Doomsday Clock.

Needless to say, Johns didn't meet that deadline . . . how unusual for him.

I recall hearing this as well... although I thought that that premise and date was set by fans and quickly spread online as gospel.

[Badou]

I understand why some would enjoy it, but to me it felt like Johns jerking himself off as he wanted to be the one to write what is basically a sequel Watchmen. It felt very self-indulgent.

[Mr_E_88]

Basically everything lemonpeace said.

I'll add that I don't think Geoff Johns is a very good writer anymore and this highlighted everything I dislike about his work in the six issues I read before dropping it and skimming the rest in my LCS.

Long drawn out nothing scenes with implied meaning but no actual depth. Unpleasant status quo/character changes with no rhyme or reason (remember when DC promised the books would catch up to Doomsday Clock? Lol!). Characters acting the way the story needs rather than in line with their established character. Characters knowing things the story needs them to know without explanation. Heroes losing/being ineffectual. Heroes being thin-skinned and ready to spat with each other. The public turning on heroes out of nowhere. Writing that is both spiteful to the characters and, frankly, those who follow them. Any scene with Batman.

It's Geoff Johns, so obviously there's pet characters that take up waaaay too much page space while adding very little. Also, the pure amount of time spent without mainline DC characters instead following the original characters he's interested in while allegedly writing a mainline DC universe book.

The fact that the whole thing is aping the work and style of a much, MUCH better writer and comic without even the basic understanding of why Watchmen is considered the classic it is. He copied the format and lifted the characters but didn't get anything else. There was no attempt made to combine the two comic book styles (Watchmen and a standard DC comic), he just shoved a handful of DC characters into his Watchmen fanfic.

Also, I understand that Gary Frank is a technically fantastic artist but I find his work is lifeless and dull. I'm glad he toned down drawing Superman as Christopher Reeve, which I found creepy.

If you liked it, that's cool. This was never going to be everybody's cup of tea.

I consider Doomsday Clock to be a bad comic by a weak writer and it ultimately being meaningless (cut from continuity) would be a good thing if I cared about continuity. Which I don't.

The only thing I agree with you is how he said that "It's not everyone's cup of tea". I think this pretty much summarizes the opinions about it

[MajorHoy]

Maybe we need a poll asking something like "Was Doomsday Clock worth it or not?"

[etrumble]

Maybe we need a poll asking something like "Was Doomsday Clock worth it or not?"

I think that would be an almost universal "no", since it had very little current relevance to DC.

Perhaps a more interesting question would be, "Did you enjoy reading Doomsday Clock"

[MajorHoy]

Maybe we need a poll asking something like "Was Doomsday Clock worth it or not?"

I think that would be an almost universal "no", since it had very little current relevance to DC.

Perhaps a more interesting question would be, "Did you enjoy reading Doomsday Clock"

But it all depends on how people define "worth it".

If people enjoyed reading it, then they may think it was "worth it".
Whether or not it had any lasting impact on DC comics in general may not be as important to some people.

[Menacer]

While I still frequent these forums I often find myself and the general public reception is very opposite to this forums sentiments.

For what its worth goodreads reviews it highly with over 1500 reviews and it was critically well received

Doomsday Clock received acclaim from critics. On the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, it holds an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 from professional critics, based on 438 reviews.

The top selling comic from Marvel Comics was X-Men (2019) #3 in slot 2 with an estimated 105,708 units and for DC Comics was Doomsday Clock (2017) #12 in rank 1 with an estimated 117,926 units.

[wonder39]

Literally the only thing good about it was the end, and that it restored and explained the original Multiverse, and how it continued to exist post Crisis.

That being said, DC decided that was too easy and needed endless Death Metal nonsense that (1) effed all of that up and (2) coukd have been an Elseworlds tale....

I think maybe that's DC's real issue. Instead of placing out there, reality shifting events, and off continuity stories in an Elseworlds imprint, it all gets forced into main continuity.....

[Mr_E_88]

While I still frequent these forums I often find myself and the general public reception is very opposite to this forums sentiments.

For what its worth goodreads reviews it highly with over 1500 reviews and it was critically well received

Doomsday Clock received acclaim from critics. On the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, it holds an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 from professional critics, based on 438 reviews.

The top selling comic from Marvel Comics was X-Men (2019) #3 in slot 2 with an estimated 105,708 units and for DC Comics was Doomsday Clock (2017) #12 in rank 1 with an estimated 117,926 units.

That's what made me post the questions here.

But your right, despite it being critically acclaimed and reviving good reviews some people here don't like it for one reason or another.

[Ramsay Snow]

Doomsday Clock was typical of Johns, in general. Most of his storylines start off strong, with what seems like potential, but then weaken out toward the end....While reading the entire series, I felt like a wee lad being given a wondrous looking balloon during a festival, then, when it's handed to me, the knot unties and the balloon starts floundering around in the air with a crescendo of sonic flatulence as I look on in dismay.

Gary Frank's art kind of makes up for it, but not enough for me to truly like the series. It just started feeling disjointed the more I went on, as if it wasn't going anywhere. I wouldn't say it was horrible, but I also wouldn't say it was good. It was an average series meant to be great.