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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
Geoff Johns made it clear that everything would change once we reached the seventh issue of DoomsdayClock, and he definitely followed through with that promise. This issue was a game changer in a plethora of ways - not the least of which was the fact that we were finally reintroduced to Doctor Manhattan, as he confronted the “New Watchmen.”
The first half of the Doomsday Clock series has, without a doubt, been slow moving. That’s not to say that it hasn’t been entertaining - because it most definitely has; its more to convey just how different this chapter felt in comparison to what we’ve seen before. This issue served as a pay off for the months of build up, as well as a way of upending everything we thought we knew about the story so far as Doctor Manhattan makes it clear that he has no intention of helping save his original Earth. In addition to that, he exposes Adrian as a liar as he forces him to tell Rorschach that he doesn’t, in fact, have a brain tumor - that it was all a calculated ruse concocted to ensure that they all aided him in his plan.
To focus on that aspect of the story for a second, I have to admit that I was legitimately shocked to find out that the tumor was just a farce. When Doctor Manhattan exposed the lie I felt like a fool for ever believing Veidt in the first place. Veidt, while “well meaning,” has always been a pathological liar. I will say that this particular instance threw me off more than other instances because it’s the first time we’ve seen him manipulate others in this particular manner. What I mean by that is that he’s never made himself appear weak to get what he’s wanted from someone. Every time he’s manipulated another person he’s always maintained the appearance of being in control of the situation - so to see him manipulate Rorschach by pretending to be weak and wounded was a genuine surprise because it’s not something you would expect from him. But, I suppose one could argue that it really made the performance all the more effective - not only in the case of Rorschach, but the readers as well. But damnit if I shouldn’t have seen through the whole, “I attacked people’s brains, and now my brain is under attack,” shtick. It was just a little too on the top. Like Laurie says, he’s such an “asshole.”
And his asshole-ishness is only amplified by the fact that, now that Jon has refused his offer, he now believes that he can save not only his own world, but Jon’s adopted world as well. They say what makes a great villain is their belief that they’re doing the right thing, but at this point, I do wonder if Veidt even believes that his own actions are justified. It seems to me that he’s snapped, and is on a path that can only end in the destruction of not only his world, but this world as well. However, I do look forward to seeing just what exactly his plan is in the coming issues.
Another interesting aspect of this issue was the (brief) interaction between Batman and Jon. It was interesting that Batman was able to recognize Jon, which was something that surprises me given I didn’t know Batman had actually seen Jon before - I was under the impression he had only ever seen his signature blue light when he used his powers. More so, while not acknowledging him, he did make a point to leave both Batman and The Joker behind when he teleported the other out of the building. While there are some obvious reasons as to why he might have done that - such as the matter not personally concerning them - I feel as though there may be more to it. Such as, maybe he doesn’t want those from his original universe intermingling with those from the new one he’s inhabiting. I say “inhabiting” instead of “created” because on the second page of this issue Jon says that he left his world for this one, which could imply that this Earth was already established before he arrived, which would be interesting, given all the theories surrounding the idea that he created the definitive DC universe. I do wonder.
Another aspect of Doctor Manhattan that seems strange was the scope of his power - as it appears as though it’s grown during his absence. During the events of “Watchmen”, his scope of time revolved solely around his own life and the events that directly effected him. He said it himself that he was not omniscient and that he could only see the future and past as it pertained to his own life and experiences. However, it now seems as though his scope has grown, as he knew that Adrian had spoken to Laurie about coming to get him and he knows that one of Marionette and Mime’s children will go on to accomplish great things. While the first could have been an educated guess, the latter implies having an obvious knowledge of the future of that child. Given the limitations of his power, how would he know what the child would accomplish in the future if he would have already had left that world by the time that child was an adult? It just doesn’t make sense, unless his powers have evolved somehow. I suppose only time will tell.
Speaking of time, we still have an entire month before the next issue comes out, and with that final page giving a glimpse of what is yet to come, I can’t wait to see how this is all going to turn out. How exactly will Doomsday Clock end? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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