Doomsday Clock (Comics) | Review

Attempting a sequel to Watchmen feels like trying to improve the Mona Lisa with a fresh coat of paint. Acclaimed comic-book writer Alan Moore (Batman: The Killing Joke, V for Vendetta) didn't create his 1986 masterpiece for continuation, and the very idea of expanding that universe challenges everything the original stood for.

Yet here comes writer Geoff Johns (Avengers: Red Zone, Avengers: Standoff) with artist Gary Frank (Superman: Brainiac, Superman: Secret Origin), attempting to bridge two incompatible worlds in ways that seemed impossible just a few years ago.

What makes Doomsday Clock fascinating isn't whether it succeeds or fails– it's how it grapples with the fundamental question of whether some classic stories should remain untouched. This ambitious twelve-issue series represents DC's boldest creative gamble, asking readers to accept that even perfect endings can have new chapters.

The story picks up seven years after Watchmen's conclusion, with Adrian Veidt's manufactured peace crumbling as disturbing truth about the alien invasion surfaces. Nuclear war looms again, but this time Ozymandias has a new plan– travel to another universe.

Here's where things get genuinely complex and quite interesting. Johns very cleverly uses the Watchmen characters as curious explorers discovering the sprawling DC Universe for the first time, allowing both longtime readers and newcomers to see familiar heroes through completely different and refreshingly fresh eyes.

The culture shock works both ways in this complex narrative– DC heroes encounter morally ambiguous characters who operate without the clear moral certainties and black-and-white thinking that typically define traditional superhero fiction and its established conventions.

The central conflict emerges when Doctor Manhattan's experiments with the DC timeline come to light. His careful manipulation of history connects directly to the missing decade from DC Rebirth, revealing that Manhattan's attempts to understand hope and human nature have shaped everything we've been reading for years.

The philosophical weight of this revelation drives the entire series forward. What truly sets this ambitious crossover apart from typical crossover events is how it treats both properties as equally valid mythologies rather than having one absorb the other completely.

The Watchmen characters don't suddenly adopt DC's moral framework, and DC heroes don't become cynical deconstructions of heroism. Instead, both worldviews exist in tension, creating dramatic conflict that feels genuine rather than manufactured.

The series builds toward an epic confrontation between Superman and Doctor Manhattan that represents much more than just a physical battle. It's a profound clash between optimism and nihilism, between hope and despair, between the belief that people can truly change and the conviction that human nature is fundamentally fixed.

Johns skillfully uses this fundamental ideological conflict to carefully examine what makes Superman truly special as a character without diminishing or undermining what made the original Watchmen so powerful and enduring in comic-book history.

Each issue methodically explores different aspects of how these universes might interact. We see Lex Luthor trying to understand Ozymandias, Batman investigating the new Rorschach, and DC heroes grappling with conspiracy theories that mirror politics. The scope feels appropriately epic without losing focus on character development.

The ambitious series also functions as sophisticated meta-commentary on the modern comics industry itself. Complex questions about legacy, corporate ownership, and creative integrity run through the entire narrative in ways that feel genuinely intentional rather than accidental.

Johns seems aware that he's walking on sacred ground and uses that awareness to fuel the story's dramatic tension. Perhaps most importantly, Doomsday Clock attempts to provide closure for both mythologies while opening new possibilities.

The ending doesn't negate either universe but suggests ways they might coexist without compromising their essential natures. Whether readers accept this synthesis depends largely on their attachment to the original Watchmen's finality.

The connection to future DC storylines feels genuinely organic rather than forced. Seeds planted here grow into later events without making the series feel like setup for other stories. Johns creates a genuine ending that also serves as a beginning, which represents the kind of narrative balance that makes crossovers worthwhile.

Gary Frank delivers some of the finest artwork of his career, channeling Dave Gibbons' grid-based layouts while maintaining his own artistic identity. His character designs for the Watchmen cast feel like natural extensions of the originals rather than pale imitations.

Frank's Superman represents the perfect counterpoint to the classic Watchmen aesthetic. Where Gibbons deliberately emphasized mundane reality beneath superhero concepts, Frank expertly highlights the mythic qualities that make these characters inspiring. His Superman feels genuinely godlike without losing human accessibility.

The intricate panel layouts deserve special recognition here. Frank cleverly uses Watchmen's distinctive nine-panel grid structure throughout much of the series, creating strong visual continuity between universes while effectively highlighting their fundamental differences.

Johns' writing walks an impossible tightrope between respecting Moore's original vision and creating something new. His dialogue captures the distinct voices of Watchmen characters without falling into pure imitation. The new Rorschach feels like a genuine evolution of the concept rather than a simple rehash of Walter Kovacs.

Doomsday Clock succeeds at something that seemed impossible– creating a respectful sequel to Watchmen that enhances the original. This isn't fan service or corporate mandate comics. It's a genuine attempt to explore what happens when hope meets despair on equal terms.

The series concludes the complex tangential story established in DC Rebirth while providing Doctor Manhattan's powerful redemptive arc as he learns to embrace the inspiring light that Superman represents. The philosophical depth matches the original Watchmen while offering something genuinely new to both mythologies.

Whether you accept this as legitimate continuation of Moore's original work depends on your personal tolerance for the very concept of sequels to perfect stories. What's undeniable is the exceptional craft and care that went into every aspect of this ambitious series.

This ambitious work represents comics storytelling at its most daring and ambitious level– willing to risk absolutely everything for the precious chance to say something truly meaningful about hope, despair, and the powerful stories we tell ourselves about heroes.

Doomsday Clock is collected in hardcover, trade paperback, and an Absolute Edition, bringing together all 12 issues of the landmark DC limited series. It's also available digitally through ComiXology, Kindle and DC Universe Infinite platforms.