The Watchmen. Easily one of the greatest graphic novels written. A story that shows us the human sides of masked heroes. Alan Moore’s epic is a controversial and revolutionary look at the superhero genre. One that turned a focus not only on the flaws of these vigilantes, but on our very own society. Zack Snyder’s film based on Moore’s comic is in my opinion the closest comic-to-screen adaptation ever made; I’ll debate that with anyone who dares to. Now, DC’s President and CCO Geoff Johns has started a new arch in the DC Universe. One that looks to blend the world of The Watchmen with the comic publisher’s pantheon of superheroes… and this first issue has set things up beautifully.
The year is 1992. Rorschach’s journal has been published. The great lie has been exposed. Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias, has been revealed as the man behind the attack on New York. His attempt to create peace built on a lie has failed and the city, nation and world has plunged further into chaos. Lines have been drawn in the sand between the US and other nations, while within the US, it’s people are at war with themselves. In the middle, someone posing as the deceased Rorschach has broken into a prison and freed The Marionette and The Mime. The purpose: to bring them to Veidt in order to assist him in finding Dr. Manhattan. The last few pages show us the potential connection between the search for Dr. Manhattan and a Kryptonian residing in Metropolis.
Within the first few pages, one can easily see the comparisons Johns is making between the chaos in his fictional world and the current events in our society today. It is a critique on the “fake news” world, pushing it further with such elements as a news organization focusing only on promoting the lies of the US president and Russia capitalizing on a fallen European Union. Johns paints the world one would expect after the final pages of Moore’s classic. The world torn apart after “the great lie” has been revealed. This setup also leaves us hanging with questions. Who is the new Rorschach? Where are Nite Owl, Silk Spectre II and Dr. Manhattan? And of course, how does this all connect to Kal-El and his nightmare? This is issue of course leaves you hanging, but in an extremely good way.
Doomsday Clock #1 is a great setup to what is bound to be one of DC’s most intriguing and ground-breaking stories to date. An event set to combine two of its great worlds. A tale that will make readers take a look in the mirror and realize what could be if the world continues on its current political path. Some of the greatest stories told mimic the reality of the era they were released in and Geoff Johns seems set to make this story arc one of them. I, for one, applaud this arc and am excited to continue on when issue 2 is released.
Score: 10/10
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