Doomsday Clock #7 (Review): Enter Dr. Manhattan

DOOMSDAY CLOCK #7

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Publisher: DC Comics

10/10

SPOILERS AHEAD

So we're 7 issues in and this is the first issue that I've reviewed so far. When this book was first announced I had very high expectations for it. Geoff Johns has always been in my top 3 favorite writers and Gary Frank is one of the BEST artists in the industry. With that being said, while I have had issues with parts of the series so far, this issue has cemented this book as one of my favorite DC books of all time. This is the issue where so much is finally revealed after almost a year since the first issue launched. While I do feel that the bimonthly shipping schedule has hurt it a little bit, you can see the care and quality put into each issue. Geoff and Gary introduced Mime and Marionette, who have become some of my favorite characters of the series. Here's

hoping we see more of them after this event is over.

After months of waiting we finally get to see Dr. Manhattan and learn just what his reasons for coming to the DCU were. So no only did he drastically alter events, but he singlehandedly destroyed one of the oldest characters in the DCU, Alan Scott aka the first Green Lantern. With a simple action, he killed one of the greatest heroes. So where at first it seemed like he just stole 10 years from the DCU, we see that his machinations run deeper than that and stretch all the way back through history. I'm hoping there's a plan to restore the JSA because they are such a staple to DC and I can't imagine them not being apart of DC's future.

We also get to see the unlikely team up of Rorschach, Saturn Girl and Johnny Thunder as they are reunited with Ozymandias to locate Dr. Manhattan. I wonder if them being together is more than just a coincidence and has a deeper meaning. They are lead to Comedian being tortured by Joker, Mime, and Marionette, it is here that they finally find Dr. Manhattan. Batman, who has come to stop Joker sees Manhattan and says that he knows who he is. What??? How could he know him? I can't wait to find out.

Dr. Manhattan takes all of the Watchmen characters out of there leaving Batman and Joker behind. He proceeds to tell us why he has come to the DCU. As he explains himself we see the world overcome with war over the Superman Theory. Not only that but we learn that Ozymandias tricked Rorschach into coming with him, he never had cancer. Why was it so important then to bring him, Rorschach, to the DCU. The reason for Manhattan changing things is do to a vision he has involving Superman. He can't see past a certain point in time which harkens back to "Watchmen". He think that either the whole world ends or that Superman "ends" him.

This has to be the best issue so far. We finally get into the who and why of the story. Johns and Frank have

delivered an amazing issue and in my opinion should shut any naysayers up. The writing has been amazing Geoff has crafted a complex story worthy of these characters and honoring the original "Watchmen". The art has to be Frank's best work, the detail he puts into every page pulls you in with every image, not to mention that this has to be the best depiction of Dr. Manhattan I've ever seen. You can tell that these two are bringing their absolute best with every issue that comes out. I can only imagine what they have in store for us.