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'Doomsday Clock': DC's Geoff Johns on the Origin of the Watchmen/Superman Comic Book

L

LordOfLore

Banned
Link.

Video.

This November, DC's superhero universe of Superman, Lex Luthor and the Justice League will come face-to-face with the characters from the classic comic book series Watchmen in the upcoming mini-series Doomsday Clock — and series writer (and president of DC Films) Geoff Johns stars in a new video explaining how the story came to be.

"It's unlike any story I've ever written, and any story [artist Gary Frank has] ever drawn," Johns says of the 12-issue project in the video, before going on to remind the audience that his last comic book project — last year's DC Universe: Rebirth special issue — set the scene for the first crossover between the DC Universe and the Watchmen universe.

"Both of us were, rightly so, nervous about it," Johns admits of introducing the two fictional worlds. "We want to do our own thing, but play into some of the structural tenets that [Watchmen] created, some of the dynamics and some of the tones it created." Watch the teaser video below for more of Johns' insights into the origin of the series.

Doomsday Clock No. 1 will be released digitally and in comic book stores Nov. 22. Johns will be talking about it in more depth at the upcoming New York Comic Con, which runs Oct. 5 through Oct. 9 at the Javits Center in New York City.
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There's actually a 3 minutes to midnight launch of the book.

Covers that have been released thus far:
DHxAKTWVYAED7Cu

DHxALs3UIAAuCii

DKBXMriVwAALUQF

DKBXMriVAAAfOZx
Click to expand...
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
Looks like Ozymandias is with Luthor, but who wears the costume that's on the third cover? The Z makes me think of Zatanna but I don't remember her dressing like that.
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
I am torn between being a true fanboy who loves fan-service crossovers (like JLA/Avengers, for instance), and revulsion for the spirit this is done in and the history behind how DC screwed Moore in the 80s over Watchmen.

But most of all, the worlds aren't compatible. Watchmen is set in a world with a completely different tone and attempted grounding not so far from the real world, and the DCU is the opposite of that.

I'll be passing.
 
M

Manu

Member
Ignatz Mouse said:
But most of all, the worlds aren't compatible. Watchmen is set in a world with a completely different tone and attempted grounding not so far from the real world, and the DCU is the opposite of that.
Click to expand...

I think that's kind of the point of the crossover and why it's interesting.

It could still very well suck, but we'll see.

EDIT: Beaten
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
Having grown up with Captain "Shazam" Marvel and the regular DCU interacting (and even the Zoo Crew et al) I can see how the contrasting tones could work. I didn't realize that that was the point, I figured they were just steamrolling over it.

So now it's a maybe.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
I get the feeling the people that hate the idea don't really care about comics anyway. I love Watchman and Alan Moore's stuff. I also love comics in general. DC isn't doing this on purpose to make him mad. They own the characters, so they're using them. Makes sense.

It's such a fucking old conversation.
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman

Banned
Crow Pudding said:
Can not even wait to alan moore to be dead?

It's awesome how can DC is trying to shit him so hard.
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Are we still doing this? Alan Moore is a genius. He's also a bitter old fuck who hates most people in the comic book industry, including the ones trying to do right by him. He also prays to a snake god. Not that DC is the good guy corporation or anything but who cares, honestly? Rebirth and its handling of the Watchmen mystery has been fun so far. And even if this story doesn't turn out well in the end, Watchmen is still gonna be Watchmen. This is harmless.

Aizo said:
I get the feeling the people that hate the idea don't really care about comics anyway. I love Watchman and Alan Moore's stuff. I also love comics in general. DC isn't doing this on purpose to make him mad. They own the characters, so they're using them. Makes sense.

It's such a fucking old conversation.
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Yep.
Don't read it if you're not interested. The DC events are relatively self-contained these days. It's not like this is going to occupy every one of their titles for six months.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
It's not like they're retroactively saying Doctor Manhattan has always been a Nazi or something. It doesn't damage the material that's already completed.
 
P

Pizza

Member
Tbh, if these books have a lasting impact on the DCU and the tone shifts to be a blend of good D.C. and Watchmen I think it'll be a really really good time.

I'm excited for this, honestly!
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman

Banned
Mr. Poolman said:
Who will join the Justice League first?

Dr Manhattan? Rorschach? The Comedian?

This idea sucks
Click to expand...

That weird tiger thing will become Damian's new pet.
Rorschach will join the Suicide Squad.
And The Comedian will travel to the future, join the Legion and co-star in a bunch of team-ups with Bouncing Boy.
 
S

Sephzilla

Member
I honestly think the idea of Dr Manhattan meeting or being fascinated by Superman has a lot of potential. Like Manhattan is interested in how Superman, a being with near godlike power, is still able to stay so closely linked to his humanity
 
T

timberger

Member
This sounds like the worst thing ever, and if it's written by Geoff Johns, then chances are it very well could be just that.
 
M

Mr Swine

Banned
Sephzilla said:
I honestly think the idea of Dr Manhattan meeting or being fascinated by Superman has a lot of potential. Like Manhattan is interested in how Superman, a being with near godlike power, is still able to stay so closely linked to his humanity
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I do hope Supes tries to fight Dr Manhattan only to be vaporized and then reanimated by Dr Manhattan
 
MisterHero

MisterHero

Super Member
Sephzilla said:
I honestly think the idea of Dr Manhattan meeting or being fascinated by Superman has a lot of potential. Like Manhattan is interested in how Superman, a being with near godlike power, is still able to stay so closely linked to his humanity
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They didn't show Superman's response to humanity after blowing up New Krypton. He walked across America and denounced his US citizenship, but New 52 killed what could've been a great long character arc. Regardless, he can waver and being stubbornly optimistic limits him narratively.
 
V

VeeP

Member
DeathoftheEndless said:
The stories can still be good, but the writers are showing how little they understood about Watchmen.
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The execution seems pretty solid so far. I really love the idea of Rebirth, Dr Manhattans interest in the DC Super Heroes, and all the other things going on.

I see a lot of people saying it's a stupid idea/gross/whatever, but Geoff Johns so far has delivered. I'm curious to see where this all goes. If you've read the events so far and generally don't like it, that's fine. But I feel like some people just hear Watchmen/DC and just shit on the idea without really giving it a chance.
 
M

Memento Mori

Member
zeemumu said:
I thought Rorschach and The Comedian were dead and Dr. Manhattan was the reason for the New 52, retconned from being Flash's fault
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Even leaving aside the end of Flashpoint, Manhattan is probably the big blue hand Krona saw at the moment of creation. They never revealed who New 52 Question was so it could be Rorschach.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
What they should really do is something along the lines of Stan Lee and Kirby being the ultimate Gods in the Marvelverse. Make Alan Moore the ultimate god of the DC universe but a hateful curmudgeon of a god who hates the universe around him and constantly does his best to destroy it and fuck things all up but even then, its never enough. In the last issue you can have Dr. Manhattan and Superman visit him where he rants and raves for half the comic and really makes Superman reconsider his line of work.
 
E

ElBoxyBrown

Banned
Ignatz Mouse said:
I am torn between being a true fanboy who loves fan-service crossovers (like JLA/Avengers, for instance), and revulsion for the spirit this is done in and the history behind how DC screwed Moore in the 80s over Watchmen.

But most of all, the worlds aren't compatible. Watchmen is set in a world with a completely different tone and attempted grounding not so far from the real world, and the DCU is the opposite of that.

I'll be passing.
Click to expand...
Watchmen has a naked blue guy that can bend time and reality. lol
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
HStallion said:
What they should really do is something along the lines of Stan Lee and Kirby being the ultimate Gods in the Marvelverse. Make Alan Moore the ultimate god of the DC universe but a hateful curmudgeon of a god who hates the universe around him and constantly does his best to destroy it and fuck things all up but even then, its never enough. In the last issue you can have Dr. Manhattan and Superman visit him where he rants and raves for half the comic and really makes Superman reconsider his line of work.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much the end of Grant Morrison's Animal Man.
 
G

Galactic Specter

Member
HStallion said:
What they should really do is something along the lines of Stan Lee and Kirby being the ultimate Gods in the Marvelverse. Make Alan Moore the ultimate god of the DC universe but a hateful curmudgeon of a god who hates the universe around him and constantly does his best to destroy it and fuck things all up but even then, its never enough. In the last issue you can have Dr. Manhattan and Superman visit him where he rants and raves for half the comic and really makes Superman reconsider his line of work.
Click to expand...
Alan Moore isn't the bitter old man people keep saying he is.
 
J

jph139

Member
I'm honestly okay with the pitch, but Geoff Johns has never written a comic book I've enjoyed, so, my expectations are low.

I'll still end up spending $60 buying the issues monthly because I'm a sap.
 
K

Keym

Member
Calling it now, Nite Owl will become the new Owlman and try to destroy the DC universe and bring back the Watchmen universe because he couldn't save it the first time or something.
 
G

George Oscar Bluth II

Banned
Dalek said:
Rebirth has been incredible so far-and Gary Frank is one of the best living comic artists alive. I'm so hyped for this.
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Which books are the best? I'm so out of the loop with DC (like, I'm not even that familiar with the New 52 beyond Batman and some Wondie) though I have enjoyed the first few issues of Superman Rebirth.
 
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