Crisis
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 MAY 2019 BY GEOFF JOHNS, GARY FRANK AND BRAD ANDERSON
SYNOPSIS
Still on Mars, Doctor Manhattan can see past, present and future. But once he sees the moment he prevented the creation of Green Lantern (Alan Scott), he also sees Ferro Ladâs Legion ring disappear. Then he sees nothing else. Something very similar to the climatic event of Watchmen is about to happen. A tachyon fog is obscuring the immediate past and future.
After the Firestorm incident in Moscow, the Justice League (more like a good representation of the DCU), travels to Mars, where they already figured out, the person responsible for the explosion is living.
Superman remains in a coma, guarded by his wife, while Ronnie Raymond has been taken to Mars by the League.
The president of the United States (I am pretty sure itâs Trump by the way he talks), decides to twit against Superman (claiming that he has done more for the world than Superman). Metahumans around the globe are seeking refuge in Kandaq, the only nation accepting them. Wonder Woman is set to return to the Manâs world to speak in front of the United Nations (a message of peace and reconstruction).
Bruce Wayne wakes up, recovering after the Moscow incident, Alfred helps him update on the latest news. Bruce realizes that he should have listened to Rorschach and now it is too late. He must communicate to the league (he says that the Doctor Manhattan may not be responsible either).
Lois is surprised by Lex Luthor, who reveals to her, he was the one that sent her the footage of âheroes that never wereâ. Proof that there is a force out there undermining, not only Superman, but ALL of creation. Lex says that the evidence points to one of his victims: Wally West.
The lanterns seal Mars and Firestorm generates breatheable air. They meet Doctor Manhattan and try to explain to him that they are basically badasses. It is then that Martian Manhunter sends all the heroes the last vision of Superman that Doctor Manhattan has. Supergirl reacts, âYou think heâs going to destroy you so youâre out to detroy him first?â. Guy Gardner does the unthinkable, he one-punchs Doctor Manhattan.
Doctor Manhattan feels curiosity by these heroes (like he hasnât really paid attention to any of it before), he dissolves Guyâs ring, then analyzes magic.
When Firestorm tries to put an end to him, he sends him back in time, to the moment of the creation of Firestorm, and he hears Martin Stein talking on the phone about fusing with Ronnie Raymond as part of his ongoing government project to make and study meta-humans.
When Doctor Manhattan brings Ronnieâs conscience back to the present, he tells him that he did that to prove him that even hope decays.
There is a moment when the Charlton heroes attack him (Question, Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Peacemaker and Nightshade) these characters are of course, the original protagonists of Watchmen. Doctor Manhattan seems to realize this when he is attacked by Captain Atom.
But everythingâs in vain, Doctor Manhattan seems to die, then reforms and puts everybody out.
Wonder Woman is giving her speech about peace in the UN, but the building is attacked by Black Adam, Giganta and Creeper.
REVIEW
Too many things to think about. It is implied by Batman that Doctor Manhattan may not be responsible for all that is happening, and considering he has the Rorschach journal, I would trust his reasonable doubt. During the issue, Manhattan seems to be surprised by what he sees, like all he did was prevent the golden age and the Legion of Super-Heroes, seeing a Green Lantern ring for the first time. Maybe he did all of this for curiosity (even proving there is no hope, something people think a lot about the New 52), and he might put everything back to how it was in the end.
But who is the villain then? Who benefits with this meta-human conspiracy?
Well, for starters, it feels like something that came out of the world of Watchmen, so I think Adrian is still a good suspect. How he managed to create all this mess, I am not sure.
And whatâs the deal with Wally West? Lois knows him, as she had to report what happened in the sanctuary (but my guess is that this is a continuity error, and Doomsday Clock was written before Heroes in Crisis).
And how did Luthor get evidence anyway?
The one thing in this issue that may cause riots in the streets is the fact that Martin Stein used Ronnie to become a metahuman. I am not sure we can trust this vision, or the metahuman conspiracy. Something is off in this story and I would wait and see how Ronnieâs story ends. I wouldnât be surprised if this becomes canon, after all Geoff Johns has ruined characters in the past. (Apart from several dead titans, I think he was heavily involved in the death of Ted Kord and bastardizing the JLI).
I just wish that this title came out more often. We are three issues away and it seems to be pointing at a big revelation. I know even Hope decays, but at this point, this title is our last hope for a coherent DCU.
I give this issue a score of 8
