Posted in: Comics | Tagged: dc comics, dc rebirth, doctor manhattan, doomsday, Doomsday Clock, dr manhattan, gary frank, geoff johns, patrick gleason, peter tomasi, rebirth, superman, superman rebirth, Watchmen

Could Our New, Hopeful Superman Be Sacrificed To Watchmen And The Doomsday Clock?

Published Mon, 15 May 2017 09:00:41 -0500

by Jeremy Konrad

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Here's the DC Press Release;

In the most anticipated story of the year, New York Times bestselling writer Geoff Johns confirms Watchmen will make an epic return to the DC Universe this November. As "The Button" crossover comes to a close in FLASH #22 this Wednesday, the four page epilogue affirms the mystery will continue with DOOMSDAY CLOCK from Johns and legendary artists Gary Frank and Brad Anderson.

"It's time. Last year, the DC Universe confronted the legacy of Watchmen in Rebirth the way Watchmen confronted the legacy of superhero comics three decades ago," explains writer Geoff Johns. "Thematically, and metaphorically, there was no better choice than to use Dr. Manhattan. If you're going to have a conflict between optimism and pessimism, a battle between the very forces of hope and despair, you need to have someone who personifies the cynicism that has leaked into our hearts and also has the ability to affect the entire DCU. It's all paying off this November with DOOMSDAY CLOCK."

"DOOMSDAY CLOCK is a story for fans who love the DC Universe and Watchmen and want to see what a master of this genre creates when he puts them together," says Frank. "As for my artistic approach to the series, each panel is extremely detailed and I am constantly thinking through the position of every single element."

Well, how is that for an announcement to break late on a Sunday night? Doomsday Clock is coming, and according to Geoff Johns, it will mainly focus on two people: Superman and Doctor Manhattan. Since Rebirth launched, Superman has been the standout character. He has been reinserted as the focal point of the DC Universe, and it has been amazing. As a long-time fan, a hopeful and good Superman is all we have wanted for years now. The return of hope and light to the DC Universe has been welcomed with open arms by this Superman fan, specifically his self-titled series by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.

I could not be happier that Superman is going to be the focal point of such a significant series, because he should be. What causes me to have some trepidation is this quote, from the Blastr piece the news broke from where they ask if this event will bring the "grime of Watchmen" to the now-hopeful DCU:

"That's exactly the point of the story. Will it? Can it?

I believe in the power of these icons. I believe in the power of hope, and optimism. I don't think it's fake. People tend to say if it's grim, and gritty, it's real, and grounded. I refuse that … And I don't care if it stirs up drama. But I want it to be drama in the right way. I think Gary and I have earned the right to do a story we believe in. With Rebirth, I think we proved we care, and take this seriously. We love Watchmen. We love the DC Universe."

It kind of feels like he avoided the question there. And while that may be because the story is still a ways off, it makes me pretty nervous for Supes. Rebirth is only a year old at this point, and while I am not saying that heroes shouldn't face peril and obstacles that are "grim or gritty", Superman since Rebirth has been the opposite of that. He has a family, and his core character values are more at the forefront. The lighter tone and feel could be lost during and after something like this. The creative team inspires confidence, as Johns and Gary Frank have told great Superman stories in the past, but we need them to keep the tone and theme they have spent a year cultivating. If they torpedo what they have done to Superman with this story, it will make fans pretty upset. Watchmen is a big deal, and deserves the biggest superhero there is. I just hope we don't have to sacrifice him to it.

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