The time has come for Doomsday Clock to reveal the identity of two of it’s most chilling and intense characters thus far. Learn all about Marionette and Mime in Doomsday Clock #6!
Doomsday Clock #6
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 and the characters from the 80’s phenomenon, “The Watchmen” have been thrown together in a remarkable twelve part sequel to “The Watchmen”. So far we have met a new Rorschach, the son of Dr. Malcolm Long the same man that ended up doing Walter Kovacs’ therapy when he was in prison. Reggie, or the new Rorschach, has teamed up with Adrian Veidt, A.K.A. Ozymandias to find Dr. Manhattan and save the world from itself once again after the last plan of Adrian’s was released to the public breaking apart the peace he had built. Together they also bring along two new characters, Marionette and Mime who are two metahuman-like characters with mysterious backgrounds. As wild cards, they join Reggie and Adrian in an inter-dimensional adventure to a new and foreign place… Gotham City.
When Adrian and Reggie arrive they immediately crash down. As they try to get their bearings they lock Marionette and Mime to the Owlship. The two go to research this strange world and the most intelligent individuals there while leaving their wild cards mistakenly alone. During their studies, they come across two familiar names to any DC reader, Bruce Wayne, and Lex Luthor. The two Watchmen characters split up to find these two individuals spiraling into their own individual chaotic adventures. Reggie gets trapped by Batman and ends up escaping Arkham Asylum with the help of an unknown angel-like woman who only longtime DC fans would recognize. On the other side of the city, Adrian finds Lex Luthor in his Gotham branch Lexcorp building where they have an intense confrontation. This confrontation gets interrupted by an old Watchmen character that surprised even me. The Comedian fires a round off at Adrian only for him to dodge the bullet as it hits Lex and causes a new fight against two that has been a long time coming.
After Adrian escapes and we find out that Dr. Manhattan is the cause of Comedians resurrection he starts looking for the two wild cards, marionette, and Mime. The two have traveled after easily breaking out of Rorschach’s handcuffs and ended up getting in a bar fight with some of the Joker’s gang. This, plus the growing paranoia around the world about the haunting Supermen Theory (a theory supporting that American superheroes are mostly government experiments made for the cause of national security) will make for a great back half of the series as we get to the midway point.
What You’ll Find Out:
Issue six is centered around marionette and Mime. The two have been found by the Joker and are being questioned about the gang they beat the pulp out of in the bar. The Joker has also been handed Batman on a silver platter and has big plans for the big bad bat.
During this, we get to see into the early life of Marionnette or Erika. Erika was the daughter of a doll-maker that was the middleman for dirty money. Dirty cops come weakly for money from him and one time he tried to end it, this didn’t end well when her father was beaten pretty badly in front of her. Erika had found some solace in a new boy from the shop that recently opened up in front of her fathers. This boy, Marcos, helped her through rough times as she was bullied and beaten because her dad was an immigrant.
Meanwhile, in Gotham marionette and Mime effortlessly take out the Jokers lackeys, but in the end, decide to follow Joker to see what happens with Batman. Joker shows up at a meeting of evildoers led by The Riddler. Riddler and probably fifty other villains were talking of asylum-seeking and possible spies for the Government through the supermen theory. Joker makes his entrance with Batman passed out in a wheelchair and the two new friends of his trailing close behind him.
While the Villains discuss what to do with the Batman, a new villain by the alias of Typhoon goes on a rampage just to be shot and killed by none other than the Comedian, hiding up high with a sniper rifle. Marionette recognizes the stench of his cigar and sniper rifle enough to know she needs to flee, but Mime tries drawing his fire. Erika freaks out and forces him to follow her, only to later admit that she couldn’t live without him. The whole substation gets blown to smithereens in the madness as Comedian walks out of the flames towards Marionette and Mime.
Another flashback shows the same night Erika’s dad gets beaten but from a different perspective. Erika comes home the next day to find her father has hung himself. In a spit of rage she slaughters the two dirty cops, and along with Marcos kills them both and escapes as they go on to grow into the two savages we have come to know in “Doomsday Clock”.
This memory and a warm moment between marionette and Mime are rudely interrupted once again by the Comedian. Before he can shoot either of them someone zaps him unconscious and as he falls The Joker is revealed as their savior as the issue closes out with Marionette and Mime talking to Joker about Dr. Manhattan.
What Just Happened?
Even with the long waits between issues every time its released Doomsday Clock puts me right back where I left off in a feeling of absolute awe. Every turn of the page reveals more of a completely new version of the DC Universe told by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. This issue focused much on the Villains of the story, mostly Marionnette, Mime, Joker, and Comedian. But the scene of the Villains gathered up to talk about asylum and what to do about growing concern with spies and Metahuman negligence is revolutionary. Mostly Batman rogues these villains seemed more human than any story they’ve been in prior. They are confused and scared for their safety. No one knows where to go or what to do with the fear of the wrong person catching word and causing mass genocide. Riots in the streets and global affairs have struck the DC Universe in a way never quite seen before as Geoff Johns takes recent actions in our real world and intertwines them into this story.
In my opinion, this is what Comic Books are for. This book is warning us about the political mess we have found ourselves in nationally and the treacherous outcome it could have if we don’t rise up and speak out against the villainy. Doomsday Clock has taken themes from the original Watchmen and real life to make a Comic that inspires me to want to do more good in the world. Each character is carefully touched on in backstory and in character building as we see in this issue and two issues prior with the Reggie centered issue. Much like what Watchmen did with its Dr. Manhattan issue.
Similarities:
I’ve enjoyed reading Watchmen side by side with Doomsday Clock as it has helped me catch subtle similarities between the two great series’. Most similarities are pretty natural and easily noticed including the end quotes at the end of each issue, the titles close to the beginning in bold, black lettering, and the reference pages at the end of each issue which fills us in with extra details of the world and its components.
In issue six I did notice a theme of deconstructing a certain character. In Watchmen we get a deconstruction of both Walter Kovacs, and his therapist Malcolm Long. We see what made Rorschach the man he was just like we see Malcolm go from the cheerful loving husband the doubtful man he becomes by the end of the issue. In Doomsday Clock, we see marionettes past and how she became marionette and met Mime. Both characters get proper backstories in this issue that made their time in the DC Universe even more enjoyable as they easily fall in love with the number of masked characters around this new found world of theirs. The only other small thing I noticed is that both issues have a risqué scene that I won’t spoil for anyone just due to censorship.
Rating: 9.5/10
Final Thoughts: Once Again Geoff Johns and Gary Frank continue to break new grounds with such amazing story work. Just like their work on “Batman: Earth One” you can tell every piece of this story is carefully placed so the reader has only just enough information. This is the works of an incredible story and an instant classic that will hopefully keep it up on the back half as we near the stories gigantic blue conflict.
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