COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Doomsday Clock #5 (Is There a God, Or Just Supermen?)

Now that we know the identity of the new Rorschach everything starts to set in motion as Doomsday Clock #5 is another dark look into the meeting of the DCU and the Watchmen Universe.

Doomsday Clock #5
Author: Geoff Johns
Artists: Gary Frank
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics

!!!Spoiler Warning!!!

What You Need to Know:
The DC Universe is expanding with the introduction to Alan Moore’s Watchmen characters. Following the events of the original “Watchmen,” Adrian Veidt went into hiding. Everyone has learned about his plan to destroy most of Manhattan and bring about world peace. This has caused even more rioting and destruction as the doomsday clock gets closer to midnight. With the help of a newly found Rorschach and two very intense individuals named Marionette and Mime, Ozymandias has designed a way for the old Owlship to track Dr. Manhattan’s nuclear fingerprint and follow him to wherever he has gone into hiding.

After just beating the bombs dropping in their Universe the “Watchmen” characters crash land into a somewhat familiar place. Although they don’t know where they are, Ozymandias can tell it’s a world similar to theirs, “Ahead of our time in some ways, behind our time in others” Adrian explains. Adrian thinks he will find Dr. Manhattan here so he can convince him to save their world, so the first thing Adrian does is go online and learn all about the world he is in. After a while he finds the two smartest men he can come across; Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne being the names he spots, Adrian and Rorschach head through Gotham to find these two geniuses.

Meanwhile, in the DC Universe, Gotham has been rioting for the true identity of the Batman to be revealed, and on top of that, the US Government is being investigated for creating a mass amount of Metahumans just to fight for the USA. The DC Universe seems to be in the same type of peril the “Watchmen” Universe was in, with a doomsday clock also counting down to world destruction. Batman, who is out and about fighting criminals, hears an alert from his Batcave. He goes to investigate when one of the wildest meetings of comic history finally presents itself to us. Rorschach and Batman stand face to face in the Batcave as Batman tells the new Rorschach that he ate his breakfast. Rorschach tries to explain himself to Bruce but fails, for the most part, so he hands him Walter Kovacs’ journal so he can help decipher where Dr. Manhattan may be hiding. After a shower and some hard thinking, “Reggie” or the new Rorschach hopes for any chance to save his world and live peacefully, but this is quickly left in the dust when Batman warns him that he may know the location of one Dr. Osterman. After the two break into Arkham Asylum Batman leads the way. Batman stops and tells Rorschach to check the cell for Dr. Manhattan. As Rorschach gullibly walks into the Asylum cell Batman quickly slams the door behind him and tells Rorschach he belongs in here as he walks away.

Concurrently as all this is going on, Ozymandias has easily located Lex Luthor, who is perched up on the top floor of LexCorp where he is plotting to dissolve Wayne Enterprises and steal most of Bruce’s tech. Adrian walks in and starts to explain what had happened with his previous plan to end the cold war. Lex appropriately calls Adrian stupid and asks why he thought it would ever work. But before the two can really get into the heat of all this conversation Lex Luthor is shot, with Adrian not far from. Adrian turns swiftly and sees the impossible, a young Comedian alive and well sporting his Minutemen costume. We find out that When Adrian tossed Comedian out the window it was the doc who saved him and changed his age, even transporting him to an entirely different universe. Eddie Blake and Adrian Veidt fight it out in the dark with an awesome fight ending as Adrian hardly escapes with his life after Eddie ironically throws him through a window.

Of course not to forget about Marionette and Mime who have been locked up on the Owlship since the start of the mission. Marionette ran into Dr. Manhattan once when she was pregnant. She intervened when Manhattan was getting ready to kill Mime, the heartbeat inside her shocked Manhattan and caused him to leave. This is why Ozy wants her around and knew she wouldn’t go anywhere without her hubby. Too bad these aren’t your normal characters. Mime picks the handcuffs open with an invisible lockpick. The two head to a bar where wearing clown makeup isn’t so welcome. Members of the Joker gang worn them to leave and not to be in Jokers territory wearing clown paint. Before any of these goons can think Mime starts blowing holes through peoples heads with his invisible gun. Marionette makes a guy lose a couple fingers with her razor wire that can cut through a revolver like its butter. After taking down a whole bar full of Joker’s goons, they decide to have a drink and then go searching for the clown prince of crime himself.

What You’ll Find Out:
With a Rorschach-centric fourth issue, we find ourselves coming back to the main narrative in issue #5. Doctors have observed Adrian after his 20 story fall following a confrontation with Lex Luthor and The Comedian. The Doctors complete their observation with a “he is fine” showing the reader how incompetent the Metropolis doctors and police are, as it takes Adrian almost no time at all to escape the hospital.

Throughout the issue, we hear more unfold about “The Supermen Theory” with TV broadcasts talking about foreign affairs including Metahumans including Hawk and Dove, Metamorpho, and Firestorm. The Metahuman Pozhar calls out some of the American Metahumans and closes his country’s borders to all outside Metahumans. While some Metahumans deny any involvement in American experimentation, others admit to it and even call out other Metahumans that have been a part of the Theory. Even Black Adam has become a wild card as he is supposed to be restraining his powers to the limits of Kahndaq, but goes outside of the borders to confront and slaughter King Kobra whilst in Syria. This causes even more issues with affairs across the world as countries start racing to create Metahuman armies just like the Cold War saw Countries bombard nuclear weapons.

While all this goes on, our heroes and such in Gotham find each other as Adrian visits the Owlship to find Batman waiting for him. The two confront each other over the conditions of their own World. Batman interrogates Veidt for killing millions and causing mass hysteria. Batman assumes Adrian’s actions have caused the rioting in his own world. Adrian reminds Bruce that the protesting is all due to Batman and the Heroes of this world playing Hero and keeping their villains in rotating doors to keep themselves entertained. The two create some very critical dialogue that makes this meeting the highlight of the issue in my opinion.

Lois Lane sets out to find out more about “The Supermen Theory” as she pays a visit to Lex while he is still in the Hospital. She believes he must have something to do with these assumptions and that he may be spreading the rumor to get people to confront Superman himself. Lex begs to differ, as he neglects any responsibility in the whole event, but says he may have information on who is behind hit. As we see Superman listening outside the Hospital window we find out it may be a member of the Justice League itself.

Johnny Thunder has decided to take a trip away from his abusive retirement home as he goes searching for “his friend Alan’s magic lamp.” He ends up in a rough part of Gotham as a bunch of homeless bums come to mug the old defenseless man… At the same time, Rorschach and Saturn Girl continue their escape from Arkham. The three cross paths when Thunder finally finds what looks to be Alan Scott’s original Green Lantern. Rorschach beats the homeless muggers until they decide to flee. After, he confronts Thunder on what exactly the Lantern is.

The Comedian also makes a small appearance as he seems to be investigating Marionnette and Mimes appearance at the Jokerz bar. I assume the couple has some history with the resurrected Watchmen Alumni but all that will surely reveal itself sometime within the next seven issues. Marionette and Mime, however, have found themselves caught between the crossfire of Comedian and the Joker as Joker finally confronts the Bonnie and Clyde-like couple. Before he can get to them though, a goon reveals he has found a knocked out Batman, demolished by the raging crowd after the Owlship crashed to the ground.

What Just Happened?
With all that goes on you would think this was a review of two separate issues. That is not the case, however, as this dense issue finally reveals the next part of our story after an Origin story from issue four. A lot goes on in this issue and I just kinda wanted to gloss over most of it and I still feel Like this took forever to recap. Luckily the read was fun and entertaining as every other issue even with the slow-burn arcs that the story keeps coming back to. John’s sets up exactly how the DC Characters themselves relate the Watchmen characters that have taken over their own world. Instead of trying to deconstruct the status of a Superhero it pushes the normal Superhero agenda right in the Heroes face and asks it to explain itself. Adrian and Batman’s conversations iterate this in full when Batman really doesn’t have a say while Adrian confronts him and the heroes of this world.

Gary Frank’s art is excellent as always in this issue. The bleak state of both worlds makes this a story that needs a raw, gruesomely talented artist that can pay attention to detail. The art always looks reminiscent enough to the original work by Dave Gibbons, but contemporary enough be in its own category.

The last few pages take from a fictional magazine within the DC Universe. Inside are pages explaining the relationship of some of the foreign Metahumans and their respective countries. There is a story about Black Adams relationship with Kahndaq. It also shows many lesser-known Metahumans that wouldn’t be known without these informational pieces.

Rating: 9/10
Final Thoughts: I try to keep my mind busy while waiting for this story. I don’t let the release schedule sway my opinion on the issues. I just wait for the issue, read it, read the same issue of Watchmen and make my opinion from there. While there may have been a lot going on in this issue it felt like everyone got their shine at least once. Everyone got a highlight and that made for a dense issue definitely worth a second or third read. Geoff Johns continues to blend the DC Universe with the Watchmen Universe into one with an issue that sets up for the climax in Doomsday Clock #5. I recommend this issue to anyone trying to get this story as it comes out, and to any fan of “Batman Earth One” as the same creative team is just nailing this series with every issue. For those who can’t deal with the messy release schedule though, this may be a title worth waiting until it gets put into trade-paperback.