![]() ![]() There are some fans and comics professionals who side with Moore on the issue, and who have historically objected to DC's attempts to capitalize on Watchmen with things like video games, movies, toys, and the Before Watchmen prequels. That, of course, is an unavoidable part of the discussion of Doomsday Clock: Not only is it a sequel to arguably the greatest accomplishment in superhero fiction - and thus an unwelcome intruder in the canon of the genre to some people - but it is also a follow-up to a series with a longstanding ownership dispute, as Moore claims his deal with DC was designed to trick him into signing over the characters. Like Gibbons, Frank's faces are incredibly expressive, lending even minor and background characters a life and energy that is seldom seen in mainstream comics.Īs a study of Watchmen, Doomsday Clock excels - so much so that it will likely draw criticism for being too slavish in some respects - while there will doubtless be critics who are unhappy that it distinguishes itself from the original work, which it does almost immediately. One of Frank's few weaknesses as an artist is the relative stiffness of some of his characters, and that is something that is both minimized here (honestly, this feels like some of his best work) and, when present, feels right at home in a world designed by Gibbons, who had a similar visual quirk at that point in his career. Frank is as impressive a draftsman as exists in comics, and there have been any number of fans, dubious of a Watchmen sequel, who have expressed a willingness to sign on for anything Frank draws. Indeed, Frank threads the needle of having Gibbons's general vibe without actually aping him. None of these above observations should undersell the contribution of Gary Frank, whose art Johns has said the comic could not have gone forward without. It creates a fascinating character sketch and raises the question of how far Johns and company can take the exercise once these characters are a bit farther along in the story and their journey more fully realized. The central characters have a layered story, with the same theme playing subtly through each of the layers in slightly different ways. Like Moore's Watchmen, Johns is not particularly subtle about what themes he hopes to explore while he has said in interviews and during convention panels that the high concept is that of hope battling against cynicism, there are other, equally-urgent themes explored in the first issue, and one big one that is not explicitly tackled but is alluded to here - and in Watchmen itself. Color is also used to highlight certain themes and ideas, including an examination of the role of the mass media in society - something that could have been easily predicted given the decision to include a cameo by Howard Beale, the fictional newsman of Paddy Chayefsky's classic satire Network. ![]()
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