COMICS: Geoff Johns Reveals Details On WATCHMEN/DC Universe Epic Finale Titled DOOMSDAY CLOCK
The DC Universe: Rebirth one-shot introduced a storyline for DC Comics that fans never saw coming. Now, everything will finally come to a head, as writer Geoff Johns reveals Doomsday Clock!
Ever since it was revealed that the Watchmen Universe and the DC Universe were set to collide, thanks to the meddling of Dr. Manhattan, fans have been eager to find out when exactly they will get to see the long-awaited culmination and conclusion of this epic storyline. Well, according to Geoff Johns, DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer, and the mind behind DC Rebirth, Dr. Manhattan will be making his way over to the DC Universe with the help of artist Gary Frank this November in a standalone mini-series titled Doomsday Clock.
During a recent interview with SyFy Wire, Johns went into great detail on the origins behind Doomsday Clock, and what fans can expect from the mini-series. "It is something else. It is Watchmen colliding with the DC Universe. It is the most personal and most epic, utterly mind-bending project I have ever worked on in my career. With Rebirth, I opened the door to Manhattan. Part of that was I loved the real-world influence Watchmen has. I put Manhattan out there, and always thought there was a Manhattan/Superman story to be told, but then ... it grew. And grew. It took my heart and soul over. Still, at the core of it, there’s a being who has lost his humanity, and distanced himself from it, and an alien who embodies humanity more than most humans. I love the idea that Watchmen influenced DC, but what would that look like in reverse? And it goes well beyond that."
Johns then went on to reiterate what exactly Doomsday Clock will be and how it will change the DC Universe for years to come. "We’re not going to do a story like this unless we one-thousand percent believe in it," said Johns. "It is all about the story; it is only about the story. There are no crossovers. No watered down one-shots or mini-series on top of this one. This is a standalone story. There is only Doomsday Clock. We had no interest in doing a crossover with this. We didn’t want to see Doctor Manhattan facing off against Superman in Action Comics, with all due respect. That is not what this is about. It is about something different … It will have an impact on the entire DC Universe. It will affect everything moving forward and everything that has come before. It will touch the thematic and literal essence of DC."
One of the things that stand out most from the Doomsday Clock logo is the easily recognizable Superman shield. Fans that have been keeping up with the recent Rebirth storylines have probably guessed that Superman will play a big role when Dr. Manhattan arrives, and they were right. "There will be DC characters throughout this, but this focuses in on only a handful. There is a lot of focus on Superman, and Doctor Manhattan. Doctor Manhattan is a huge focus, and his reasons for being here, and doing what he does, ultimately have to do with Superman. And there are many, many more characters to be involved, but it is a bit early to discuss."
When asked about the origins behind the title and the logo, Johns revealed that it was a way of paying homage to both universes, saying, "It takes the iconic elements of both Superman and Watchmen, and the DC Universe. It felt like the perfect title. I like the “DC.” It used to be called “The Doomsday Clock,” but I took “The” off. Obviously people know who Doomsday is, but he’s not a part of the story, but I like the implications of it. People will think the last time they heard Doomsday and Superman, he died, so what is this going to be? What is he going to go through this time? And how will it affect them going forward?"
Are you ready to see the Watchmen clash with DC Comics' greatest heroes in Doomsday Clock? Let us know what you think in the usual place below!