Crisis on Two Earths.
Doomsday Clock #1 established that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are capable of the daunting task that is crafting a sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary Watchmen saga. That issue didn't, however, offer much indication as to how the DC Universe and its heroes would factor into this story. As Johns himself warned back at NYCC, Doomsday Clock is much more a direct continuation of Watchmen than readers might have been expecting going in. But even though issue #2 maintains the methodical pacing of the first, it also goes a long way to uniting these two diametrically opposed superhero universes and making the scope of the conflict more clear.
Perhaps even more than the first, this issue really highlights the notion that Johns and Frank have nailed down the specific visual language of Watchmen. The creators employ the iconic nine-panel grid to maximum effect throughout the story. That structure ensures that the pacing remains careful and coordinated, while still leaving room for Frank to go big during those pivotal moments and capture the full scope of a scene. Both creators devote careful attention to the interplay between words and images in much the same way Moore and Gibbons did in the original story. There's often an ironic juxtaposition between what's printed in a narrative caption and what Frank renders in a given panel. Watchmen stands the test of time in part because it's a story that makes full use of the medium and doesn't really translate elsewhere without losing something in translation. Doomsday Clock is a story that recognizes and celebrates that fact.
Apart from Gibbons himself, it's difficult to imagine anyone other than Frank drawing this story. His storytelling sensibilities just align so nicely. Frank is among the most precise, detailed draftsman working in the industry, and that shows on every clean, orderly, cinematic page. His facial work and emotional range also impress, particularly in any scene involving the psychopathic lovers known as Marionette and the Mime.
Characterization and dialogue remain Johns' primary focus here. He paints a convincing portrait of Ozymandias as a desperate, well-meaning, fallen hero trying to snatch some sort of victory from the jaws of nuclear armageddon. Marionette and her boyfriend provide some welcome comic relief amid all the apocalyptic doom, yet they too bring a depth and pathos to the conflict. And it goes without saying that Johns handles the DCU characters well as they finally begin to enter the picture. The decision to set this tale one year ahead of the current Rebirth timeline begins to make sense here. Johns' vision of a One Year Later 2.0 DC is dark and unsettled. It's a world beginning to echo the destructive, cynical nature of the Watchmen universe. As much as the entire Rebirth saga is about restoring hope and wonder to the DCU, Doomsday Clock is also weaving a story where the fate of two diametrically opposed worlds hangs in the balance.
It should also be pointed out how well Johns and Frank are making use of the obligatory, Watchmen-style back-matter. Characters in this issue allude to various political developments and plot points, and rather than slow down the main story to fill in background details, the creators save that information for the end of the book. It's one of those cases where readers can choose to ignore the supplemental content if they choose, but that content fleshes out and enhances the main story nicely.
The Verdict
Doomsday Clock is a very slow, methodical comic, but no less engaging because of that. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are clearly determined to give this story the room it needs to breathe and do justice to the rarefied opportunity to have the DC and Watchmen universes cross paths. So far, Johns and Frank have established themselves as worthy successors to the original Watchmen team. Doomsday Clock honors a true classic while also showing a willingness to chart its own course forward.
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