Review: Doomsday Clock #3

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is interesting and will leave readers dying to see more. The Marionette and the Mime both become even better characters. The artwork looks fantastic and pairs perfectly with what is going on in the rest of the issue.

Cons: This issue sees the series dip into the Watchmen nostalgia more than ever before.

Overall: This is a great comic book that works well as its own entity and as a piece in a much larger puzzle. On its own, this is a book with tons of action and some amazingly well choreographed fight sequences. As part of the greater storyline, this is a book that gives hints about the past while constantly teasing readers with the future. Though some might have some concerns about this issue’s reliance on Watchmen, it is still too early to make that call. Overall, this is an issue no reader can afford to miss.

Story

In Doomsday Clock #3, writer Geoff Johns assures fans that this is the comic they should be reading. This is an issue filled with the action, where charged moments between characters lead to intense confrontations and energetic fights. The focus is not just on the here and now, it also answers a question or two about the series’ increasingly enegmatic narrative. These answers come at a price though, as every answered question leads to two more being asked. The end result is a comic that will provide readers with some enjoyment right now, while also getting them more excited than ever for the next issue.

(spoilers start here)

The main plotline, in this issue, details the fallout from the two meetings teased at the end of Doomsday Clock #2 (Review). First off, Veidt encounter with the Comedian is completely unexpected. This is indeed the real Comedian, rescued by Manhattan only moments before he would have died. It makes the encounter a bit more dramatic and catches the “world’s smartest man” off guard. Though this entire sequence is relatively short, it introduces a unique aspect to the story that I am interested in seeing play out in the future.

The second storyline sees Batman meet the new Rorschach. Here readers get a better glimpse into the mind of this man, as they see how haunted he is by Veidt’s attack on NYC. He also takes off his mask at one point, though this action reveals little as to who he is or what his motives are. The best part about all of this is that his character is written very well and gives the book an odd touch of humor that I thoroughly enjoyed. Rorschach’s story ends with him being placed in Arkham by Batman, a move that makes sense and could also be interesting to see play out in the future.

The real highlight of the book was, once again, the Marionette and the Mime. We’ve discussed in previous reviews how both of these characters bring a tremendous level of charm to every scene they inhabit, but this volume adds an additional twist. Up until now, readers were lead to believe that the Mime’s “tools” were imaginary. So when the Mime waves his “gun” at one of Joker’s thugs, readers think little of it. That is, until the Mime shoots the man in the head.

It is a shocking moment and one that furthers my interest in both of these characters. How the Mime came about invisible weapons and what role they will play in the future are both questions every reader will leave this volume thinking about. It is also nice to see that, based on current evidence, Johns didn’t go so far as to give the Mime powers, but instead gave him atypical weaponry. I’m more interested in these characters than ever before, and I already liked them a lot.

Alongside all of this, Johns evokes the source material by presenting a separate plotline that seems completely unrelated to the main event. Here we see Johnny Thunder, a JSA member, stuck in a nursing home while an old movie plays in the background. This portion of the book is so dense with narration and detail that it must mean more than it seems to. However, just like in Watchmen, the true purpose of all of this has yet to be discovered, though it does make me more interested in learning more about it.

The only problem I had with this issue is the way it makes me fearful for the future of the series. Early on, I was afraid that this series would devolve into a generic “DC Comics meets Watchmen” story and thus bring down the legacy of both universes. The first few issues seemed to be actively avoiding this and only had one character from Watchmen, the others characters were either new or replacements for old ones. However, this issue sees the return of Watchmen alumni while new Watchmen characters decide to seek out their “counterpart” in the DC Universe. These things are not necessarily flaws on their own but they do make me nervous for the direction the series is heading.

(spoilers end here)

Art

We’ve already discussed how fantastic Gary Frank’s artwork is throughout this series, and this issue is no different. However, this issue might present some of the most beautiful and well choreographed scenes that we have seen thus far. Every character moves and travels in a way that feels dynamic and real, as if you are seeing it play out live right in front of you.

Specifically, I absolutely loved the scene where the Mime and the Marionette are involved in a fight. Everyone’s actions feel charged with energy as the fight seems to jump right off the page. In addition, beautiful transitions and first person point of views make this a unique and memorable moment that I guarantee I will return to in the future. It is more than obvious that the visual quality of this series is in good hands with Gary Frank at the helm.

Continuity

Doomsday Clock #3 is the continuation of a brand new deluxe series from DC Comics. The series directly continues the story of Watchmen and started with Doomsday Clock #1 (Review). It also continues stories started in DC Universe: Rebirth (Review), The Button, and Superman: The Oz Effect.

The series will continue in Doomsday Clock #4.

This issue also references stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:

• Items and posters seen immediately after the Marionette’s first appearance can also be found in Batman: The Killing Joke.
• Johnny Thunder’s appearance in this book marks his third comic appearance since Flashpoint (Review) and seems to continue the story that those appearances started. His previous two appearances were in DC Universe: Rebirth (Review) and The Button.
• Metamorpho is said to be a former ally of Batman. The two had worked together on the Outsiders before Flashpoint (Review) but haven’t been seen working together since then. However, Dark Days: The Forge (Review) confirms that the two did serve on the Outsiders at some point in this timeline too.

 

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