Doomsday Clock No. 10: The world according to Dr. Manhattan

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Credit: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson (DC Comics); cover for

Doomsday Clock No. 10

A Stillanerd Review — In which Watchmen’s version of “the Superman” figures how the DC Multiverse actually works and decides to tweak it.

Doomsday Clock No. 10 – “Action”

Writer: Geoff Johns
Illustrator: Gary Frank
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Back-Matter Design: Amie Brockway-Metcalf
Covers: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson

Of all the characters in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen, Jon Osterman, a.k.a. Doctor Manhattan is perhaps the most fascinating. In a graphic novel that deconstructs superheroes, he’s the only one who has any real super powers.

Capable of perceiving time simultaneously, but only as it pertains to himself, he’s also the closest thing Watchman has to an omniscient narrator. Combined with ability to manipulate matter on the atomic level, characters often compare him to God–with one explicitly saying that he is–even though he insists that he isn’t.

He also serves as a cautionary tale about power itself. In most comics, when someone gains powers, they either use them altruism or self-interest, becoming heroes or villains in the process. Not so with Dr. Manhattan.

When he obtains powers, he becomes increasingly apathetic, Considering how he knows events will unfold no matter what he does, Manhattan acts as a dispassionate observer who is “neither condemning, or condoning” the actions of others. It’s also what makes rather frightening.

Credit: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson (DC Comics); from

Doomsday Clock No. 10

Doomsday Clock No. 10 not only tells us what’s really been going on, it provides in-story explanations for such comic book staples like continuity retcons, sliding timescales, and why everything literally revolves around Superman. To describe this comic as “metatextual” is definitely an understatement.

Makes complete sense then that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank made Dr. Manhattan the prime antagonist of Doomsday Clock and “DC Rebirth.” And because of Manhattan’s unique perspective, he can also see the DC Universe from a similar vantage point as the reader. It’s from this that Doomsday Clock No. 10 not only tells us what’s really been going on, it provides in-story explanations for such comic book staples like continuity retcons, sliding timescales, and why everything literally revolves around Superman. To describe this comic as “metatextual” is definitely an understatement.

Along with recreating Dr. Manhattan’s speech patterns and nonlinear point-of-view, Johns also brings into focus an aspect about the character we often overlook. In Watchman, before becoming Manhattan, Jon Osterman was a scientist, and scientists are trained to look and study the world with unbiased deductive reasoning. With his near omnipotent powers, Manhattan has become the ultimate scientist, and he sees the DCU as just something worthy of study and experiment, if only to understand how it works.

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What Manhattan discovers is that “Prime Earth,” or “Earth-0,” is a “metaverse,” one affecting the rest of the multiverse. Moreover, Superman acts as the catalyst. Every time there’s sweeping changes à la Crisis on Infinite Earths, the date of Superman’s arrival on Earth gets pushed forward and the multiverse adjusts accordingly. Hence why Superman’s first appearance first took place in 1939, but then later in 1956, then 1986, then 2004, and so on. And while certain aspects remain constant, like the formation of the Justice Society of America in 1940, other heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman would always emerge after Superman’s debut.

Credit: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson (DC Comics); from

Doomsday Clock No. 10

Considering Dr. Manhattan comes from a story which takes a cynical look at superheroes, him being the New 52’s “true author” is nothing short of brilliant…When Manhattan states he can “better relate” to the New 52 Superman because he’s “more distant from humanity,” you cannot read it any other way but as John’s own self-indictment.

Thus, as revealed in previous issues of Doomsday Clock, Manhattan tests his hypothesis by preventing Alan Scott from touching the Green Lantern power battery which would’ve saved his life. This creates a “for want of a nail” ripple effect which ultimately results in The New 52. It’s also when Dr. Manhattan learns that the DC multiverse doesn’t like being messed with. Just like how DC’s long time fans didn’t like it when DC rebooted everything with Flashpoint.

In hindsight, it’s obvious why the New 52 ultimately failed. In DC’s quest to make their comics more contemporary and relevant, they lost much of the sense of wonder and optimism which made their comics great. Considering Dr. Manhattan comes from a story which takes a cynical look at superheroes, him being the New 52’s “true author” is nothing short of brilliant. Moreover, he allows Johns to critique both DC’s misguided editorial practices, including his own creative decisions. When Manhattan states he can “better relate” to the New 52 Superman because he’s “more distant from humanity,” you cannot read it any other way but as John’s own self-indictment.

How Johns ties in The Adjournment, the pulp detective movie that’s acted as Doomsday Clock’s “Tales of the Black Freighter,” is a bit clunkier. Sure, the in-story explanation, that Manhattan needs a focal point amidst the DC multiverse’s constant space-time alterations, makes sense. It’s the story around it, in which Manhattan meets with film’s leading man over the next two decades, that seems thin. Nor does it help that this subplot takes up most of the panel time. But my, are they some gorgeous looking panels.

Credit: Gary Frank and Brad Anderson (DC Comics); from

Doomsday Clock No. 10

Once again, seeing Gary Frank’s illustrations at work is well worth the wait. It does all the things great comic art should do. It’s consistent, easy to follow, and keeps your attention, with characters having believable emotional responses and reactions. He also has the opportunity to give his own artistic flourish to Superman’s various origins, including another of his and Johns’ collaborations, Superman Secret Origins. These aren’t a copy-and-paste job either, but recreations shown from a different perspective or angle. That these panels have the look and feel of those early comics without Frank sacrificing his own style makes it that more impressive.

Under normal circumstances, a comic this exposition heavy would be seen as a negative. That it’s also more of an extended analogy for editorial mandates can even feel like navel gazing. But because of Dr. Manhattan’s narration, and because it offers new insight behind DC’s convoluted continuity without contradicting what came before, Doomsday Clock No. 10 is fascinating as it is engrossing. Then again, with a character that literally experiences time all at once, how could it not be?

Stillanerd’s Score: 4 out of 5

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