DOOMSDAY CLOCK #5 by Geoff Johns - Book Review

From the publisher: The Comedian lives! The Mime and Marionette loose in Gotham City! Rorschach is locked in the bowels of Arkham Asylum! Secrets will be revealed as the Doomsday Clock ticks on...

Doomsday Clock #5 by Geoff Johns threw a lot at the reader. The point of view jumped around and a bit more was revealed.

First, I found myself noticing a lot of parallels to Watchmen as I read this issue. Johns is definitely drawing comparisons between the world of Watchmen from the original series and the current DC continuity. Tensions are escalating around the world, particularly due to the Theory of the Supermen (or something akin to that). Many nations are raising their own superteams in response to the US's many heroes. Additionally, the rumor going around the world is that metahumans have been and are being created by the Dept. of Metahuman Affairs. This adds to the tension worldwide.

In the midst of everything, Johns has multiple stories going on. In what seems to be the main storyline, Ozymandias and Batman meet, while Ozymandias continues his quest for Dr. Manhattan. In addition to this, there are a couple of other threads going on. Punch and Judy go in search of the Joker. Johnny Thunder continues to search for his Thunderbolt and the rest of the JSA (I'm really curious as to how this will all play out). Rorschach and Saturn Girl team up. Black Adam opens Khandaq as a refuge for metahumans. And Lex Luthor finds himself being grilled by Lois Lane.

Johns has an awful lot of pieces in play, and right now his juggling act is working. I'm frustrated in that I really want to read the whole story now and don't want to wait for a new issue each month. I'm fully hooked and committed to the tale Johns is telling and I'm anxiously awaiting each new morsel. I also like how well he is telling a new story while honoring Watchmen. He has even woven in a story within a story with the Nathaniel Dusk movies that Johnny Thunder watches (think the Black Frigate story from Watchmen). He is also supplementing each issue with "articles" detailing some of the politics discussed in the main storyline.

I really enjoy Doomsday Clock and highly recommend it. Geoff Johns has done another excellent job with issue #5. However, we are quickly approaching (maybe already passed) the point where new readers either need to pick up the previous issues or wait for the collected edition. Doomsday Clock is not a story that lends itself to jumping in in the middle.

I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.