Review: Doomsday Clock #4 (of 12)
Already behind the original schedule, the event that DC has been building towards since Rebirth, takes a bit of a side ways turn as we get an origin issue featuring the new Rorschach along with the building upon one of the elder statesman of the Watchmen universe.
The story follows the new character, through a lonely childhood in a world that always seemed on the brink of destruction, with nuclear bombs, Doctor Manhattan and of course the Veidt monster all being life events that shaped a young man’s destiny. Throw in his father’s work with the original Rorschach and you kind of get an understanding as to what drove this desperate man to do desperate things.
With this the fourth issue, it feels that writer Geoff Johns has completed the first act of the bigger picture, setting out his tall with a number of surprises. Now he has gone for a period of explanation. Sure there are questions still left unanswered, which is just as well considering we still have three-quarters of the story to go. In many way then, the format of this issue most resembles the original series, with its “story within a story” style as Johns uses Reggie’s Arkham stay as a means to mirror the characters earlier troubles. Johns is a great character writer and this book is no exception, with Reggie’s history unfurling like a damaged flag until in one of his life’s innocuous moments, he is torn asunder from his metaphorical flagpole. Still as door closes, other opportunities present themselves. In this instance it is the friendship between the old guard in Mothman and the person who will be the new guard in Reggie.  Johns’ dialogue has the same sort of rhythm of the original series, with every conversation seemingly an important event in its own way.
Gary Frank continues to deliver a high calibre of art that we have now come to expect from this book. At times Frank emulates the famous nine panel style of the original, although there are opportunities to mix it up at times, which does help some of the pacing. As it is, the format does tend to generate a level of pace that under other artists, might be considered pedestrian. Here, in conjunction with Johns, there is always something happening to drive the plot forward. There is a realism on show that despite the obvious differences between Frank and the series original artist, Dave Gibbons, mirrors the intent, despite artistic changes over the last (prepare to feel old), thirty-one years! One element I do find a tad scandalous is the lack of credit given to colorist Brad Anderson and the lettering of Rob Leigh. One of the major impacts on comic books over the last couple of decades is the colouring process. Here Anderson’s darker than night approach fits the series fantastically. You know this is a Watchman book thanks to, in one part the panel structure and with how the fonts are used to mimic Rorschach’s diary. With both colors and the letters having almost as much impact on the aesthetic of the book, you would think there would e enough credit to spread around.
Recently, it was announced that this book had shifted to a bi-monthly schedule meaning that what was going to be a 12 month story will likely take a whopping 21 months in total to tell. Keeping the readership entertained for that length of time will be the real trick for Johns and Frank, especially as at times this book currently feels as welcome addition to the Watchmen mythos as Superman Returns is to the Superman movies. Homage is great; but eventually, this story will need to produce something to rival the original series, or else what was the point?
Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Geoff Johns
Art by; Gary Frank
Colors by; Brad Anderson
Letters by; Rob Leigh
Published by; DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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