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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
It's been two long months since our last venture into the world - or worlds - of DC's latest event series, "Doomsday Clock." Having shifted to a bi-monthly schedule, the interim between issues has become practically unbearable; in fact, just the thought of waiting another sixty days for half as many pages of content has me terribly frustrated, especially when things are getting so good.
Spoilers follow.
Picking up almost immediately where the previous chapter left off, we see how Reggie is adapting to his new life within the ever over-populated halls of Arkham Asylum after the Batman led him their under the guise of locating Doctor Manhattan. Needless to say, the newest Rorschach isn't pleased with his forced incarceration. There are the obvious reasons, such as being lied to by the Dark Knight, being unable to search for Dr. Manhattan, and of course the lack of syrup drizzled flapjacks; but we soon discover yet another reason he feels so exasperated.. this isn't his first stint in a madhouse.
This issue flips back and forth between the past and present as we see Reggie's full story unfold before us. We see his story from the age of five, as he watched his frightened mother cling to his father as they watched mushroom clouds bloom on their television; as he, years later, sat in his college dorm, watching his father, Malcolm Long, being interviewed about the progress he's made with the vigilante known as Rorschach; as he, not soon after, is bombarded with a psychic wave so powerful his ear drums burst and his mind comes to pieces; as he's checked-in to an asylum, where he befriends a former insect-oriented vigilante and learns more about his father's work with Walter Kovacs; and, as he eventually finds a way out of the asylum and to the man who ruined his life, Adrian Veidt.
While I always felt the newest Rorschach was trying to imitate/emulate Rorschach, I never understood what his reasoning might be. I had always assumed he might have been someone who read Kovac's journals after they were published - a crazed fanatic who worshiped the fallen vigilante. But, it turns out that wasn't the case - at least not completely; while crazed, Reggie isn't so much fascinated by Rorschach as he is with his own father.
It really does make some sense, especially given the relationship he had with his father (and couple that with his mental health as a result of Adrian's attack), that he might choose to honor his father by taking on the identity of the person he was most interested in just before his death. Not only that, but, from his understanding, his father was "friends" with Walter - the two were both "good men" who had connected with one another, and what better way to honor them both than to don the mask and inherit the mantle of Rorschach.
The (re)introduction of the Minutemen's Moth-Man was another added treat from this months issue. Having recently read the Before Watchmen: Minutemen series, I couldn't help but feel a special attachment to the character. I imagine there were many casual readers who weren't familiar with him at first glance; especially given the fact that Watchmen didn't focus on him too much other than a throwaway line from Rorschach's Journal and through a brief flashback via Silk Spectre. BW: Minutemen dives deeply into his character, as well as his motivations for why he became a part of the crime fighting group. For those of you who haven't read it, I would definitely recommend it if you'd like to get some deeper insight on Byron Lewis and the rest of the Minutemen.
I'm not sure about everyone else, but I never completely understood the "psychic attack" that Adrian enacted in the original "Watchmen" story. I understood that it caused the death of millions of people in a manner that - quite literally - blew their minds, but I didn't fully understand the purpose of having that added effect when the creature would detonate upon being transported, either way. Up until this point, Doomsday Clock had only given us snippets of the fallout for those that survived; this issue takes it to the next level as we get a very graphic understanding of what exactly Veidt's creature did to those in the surrounding area. I'd like to believe that he didn't fully understand the ramifications his creatures might have on those that weren't killed by the blast - that he didn't know exactly what it was going to do to their psyche; but this is Veidt we're taking about - the "smartest man in the world" - and I imagine he knew. He said it best when he said, "I am the monster." You're damn right you are.
While I expected this issue to focus heavily on Ozymandias and The Comedian, I can't say that I was at all disappointed with the route they decided to take it. This issue answered a number of questions, not only about Reggie, but also about what happened immediately following the events of Adrian's attack. In addition to that, we also got a number of awesome cameos and subtle hints at what's to come in the future. May can't come soon enough.
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