Watchmen's Exquisite Corpse: Doomsday Clock

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Over 30 years after its publication, Watchmen is still regarded as one of the all-time greatest comic book stories. Recently, DC finished publishing a sequel story, Doomsday Clock. This episode compares and contrasts the two stories by very different writers, Alan Moore and Geoff Johns respectively, and looks at their different goals. The original Watchmen told a complete story but now characters like Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach exist side-by-side with Batman and Superman.
Harry Partridge's Watchmen cartoon: • Saturday Morning Watchmen

[@artstar9195]

When Alan Moore submitted Watchman to DC he told them "What ever you add to this will dilute it". No one listened.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Alan Moore a legend in his own lifetime:P

[@ryanmoore6259]

by his own admission he was willing to write sequels once upon a time.

[@LordJagd]

Oh really? That’s crazy. Any info on what those sequels would’ve been?

[@maxamillion5175]

Jagd Töpfer a minuteman prequel. 12 issues

[@ItsButterBean1020]

To be fair Alan Moore has done the same regularly

[@raym1477]

*Adrian Veidt comes in like Tuxedo Mask* : "My job here is done!" *Everyone else as Sailor Moon* : "But you didn't do anything"

[@ryanmoore6259]

He kinda did. He brought things to the brink of war JUST to engineer Superman and Manhattan's meeting.

[@SnowLeopard784]

*Golf clap.*

[@AshleenWoods]

Bwha ha ha! That is a perfect analogy XD

[@darrenhood4033]

Heh heh heh Didnt I?

[@zainmudassir2964]

At least Tuxedo Mask throws roses. It inspires the Sailor Senshi to keep fighting or something

[@noonecomics]

if alan moore watches youtube, he´ll probably enjoy that intro.

[@TommyNorth]

noonecomics Well, he has apparently seen the cartoon intro this intro references so I guess he does watch youtube

[@darthsalad6211]

@@TommyNorth I believe he's said that he doesn't use the internet, so someone probably showed him the video at some point.

[@kevinrhea7332]

He’s a wizard, he watches the internet on a crystal ball in his astral home

[@Clay3613]

@@darthsalad6211 Alan Moore says a lot of things. He definitely uses the internet in some capacity.

[@darthsalad6211]

@@Clay3613 You're right, maybe it was that he didn't have a computer or something like that. I forget his exact wording.

[@samuraispartan7000]

I think Kingdom Come is one the few post-Watchmen era series from DC that actually worked. It addressed serious topics while staying true to the characters. In other words, it was dramatic without being needlessly dark.

[@callianr6980]

Eh, it's great, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't say it's 100% true to the characters. Especially Wonder Woman.

[@thecollector4332]

@@callianr6980 Superman is absolutely on point tho.

[@josephikrakowski1137]

@@callianr6980 I think it’s kinda meant to be that way cause the new heroes are more violent as they say

[@camerongodsey9847]

The whole point of it was a good add on to Watchmen. Basically the idea that darkness and edginess was not the future of comics. Unfortunately everyone wanted to emulate it as opposed to avoid it

[@brendanwhelton]

Thanks Chris! My favorite Simpson's line ever: Bart Simpson is at a comic con and approaches Alan Moore's table: "Hey will you sign my copy of "Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation" ? LOL

[@SonofTheMorningStar666]

Hilarious!

[@liquidalumina7141]

It was Milhouse and I think it was at the comic book store

[@v-trigger6137]

"I don't read the words, I just like it when he punches people"

[@tonyhunt7967]

I know you've been having a rough go of it Chris, just wanted to say, before watching the video, that your channel brings a good many people a ton of joy and a ton of knowledge. It's a privilege watching these, and I hope things improve for you. We're all pulling for you.

[@residentgrigo4701]

What happened to him or in his life?

[@tonyhunt7967]

@@residentgrigo4701 I don't want to speak on his behalf but he had posted some updates previously about some personal matters, including the death of a family pet among others; it's been difficult to him to cope which is why there have been more infrequent updates. He's apologized repeatedly about the delays, and I think it's important to reiterate to him that he's appreciated.

[@IsrafelAcerezor]

You couldn't be more right, Tony. For those that haven't read Chris's recent Community post, he mentioned that one issue is that "the channel dropped to about a third in terms of revenue." I admit that I've been freeloading far too long so I've finally decided to become a patron of comic tropes. I encourage others to support Chris through Patreon or one-time donation. When I signed up, there were 208 Patrons, which seems criminally low for the quality of work we are getting. These videos get tens of thousands of views, so even if a fraction of those viewers can turn into $1 supporters, Chris will have far less to worry about.

[@incognitomothman3731]

I agree with this completely. Well said.

[@jerkfudgewater147]

I LOVE THESE VIDEOS, I LOVE THE CRITICAL THINKING FROM A FAN THAT ISN’T A BROWN-NOSER TO THE CREATORS AND ISN’T AN ANGSTY PISSY TEEN EITHER

[@twig8523]

One issue I have with the setting of Doomsday clock, is that the world believed Rorschach's journal. Do we remember how he wrote? "Meeting with dry bird left bad taste in mouth" but even if that tabloid rag understood & published it all ... It'd still be ignored like so many conspiracy theories are in real world. Could you imagine Alex Jones convincing the world of any of his illuminati theories? It'd be like that. Still. A fun comic book series.

[@thomasdemarteau6367]

Yeah like in the watchmen series the journal was released but no one cared

[@xxxvvvxxx4736]

Doomsday clock sucks

[@akiraeatsguitarpicks491]

Lets not forget the fact that he was a convicted criminal. It’ll be like the oj glove issue all over again

[@lewisaino]

Yeah, if it were some other Hero it would make sense.

[@funnyfunnyvalentine7991]

To be fair Alex is right about a lot of stuff

[@tobigrantlbart]

Sad that Alan Moore's and DC's relationship ended in the 80's he made so many good things under DC

[@prajwaljayaraj5887]

DC comics was being a bitch to him, they exploited his work and took away most of his creative rights over a property HE created. They didn't deserve his work. Leaving was the right thing to do.

[@tobigrantlbart]

@@prajwaljayaraj5887 Yeah that's right they were a bitch to him. I would say that I think it's more sad how ownership under DC in the 80's worked than that Alan Moore left

[@johntaylor8463]

All his great work has been since he left them.

[@VideoHostSite]

​@@prajwaljayaraj5887 Oh, please. Read the actual history of how it was made, since Google is a thing. All Moore did was re-name a bunch of old Charlton Comics characters that DC had just acquired. He didn't even want to rename them, but DC forced him to, as they didn't want their IPs portrayed as lunatics. Also, since when does ANY writer working for hire for a publisher get to own the characters they write? That would come as a huge damn surprise to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and basically every other person who's ever created a comic book character for any major publisher. Oh, and tell me- how well did Moore do, professionally and financially, after he stopped letting "DC exploit him"? Oh, right. Now he's basically homeless.

[@prajwaljayaraj5887]

@@VideoHostSite Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were promised full ownership rights to Watchmen and ignoring Alan's pleas , Watchmen was intensely commercialized and watered down (board games, action figures, unauthorised movie deals) DC, violated their agreement. There's more but I don't think you're worth my words any longer. Unlike you, I don't have any affinity for bullshit. If you want to know the full extent of how badly DC screwed Alan Moore over, google it, as you said, Google is a thing.Sure , the character templates were the same , but the characterization is all Moore's achievement. Watchmen is one of the greatest and most iconic pieces of comic art and literature of the 20th century. You seriously think Alan Moore is homeless? He's Alan fucking Moore, he's one of the Godfathers of the comic book industry. He was one of the people that proved that comics could rise above just being vehicles of populist entertainment and government propaganda and could be serious,compelling works of art.He Carrie's as much weight outside the comics industry as he does in.I have no idea how Moore is doing these days he has no social media and leads a very hermit like lifestyle. I'm a 100 percent sure he's not homeless and yes, he's doing quite well these days, you can find out, Google is a thing. Sure Moore didn't sell out (unlike most of his contemporaries) but he kept his artistic freedom and integrity. And to him, that is all that matters.

[@LARKXHIN]

I'm glad we have a new episode. Hey, don't feel obligated to do so every week. Any video you give us is a treat, take your time until you feel up to it.

[@newnamesameperson397]

Wrong, as we speak he is in a room slowly filling with comics. He must read and make videos on these comics to make them disappear. If he does not than he will drown in comics and it will be all your fault

[@MissingSKA]

@@newnamesameperson397 wha

[@matthewschwartz6607]

He was kidding.

[@darkstar1360]

Did not expect a Harry Partridge reference at the start.

[@Hero4Hire82]

It warranted an instalike for me :)

[@tximinoman]

I'm happy people still remember that video.

[@Reoko77]

You guys think the legends are true that Niteowl still knows how to party down to this very day??

[@DavidB75311]

This cartoon gets both funnier and more depressing with each passing year.

[@esean1]

One good thing I can say about DOOMSDAY CLOCK without reservation is that Gary Frank's artwork is absolutely superb! It's a beautiful book to look at!

[@joestacey6185]

Your take on this reminds me of the Moffat run on Doctor Who when they decided that the Doctor had become too famous. Rather than just writing stories that take the TARDIS to places unknown, they tell a story solving the problem of his fame. But it's a solution to a problem that only exists because they say it does. It's sounds like Doomsday Clock is the same.

[@tobigrantlbart]

Yeah but the last season before Moffat was trash

[@joestacey6185]

@@tobigrantlbart If you mean the season with Donna, then I'm going to strenuously disagree, as that's the best season of modern Doctor Who, but either way, I'm not sure how it relates to my point.

[@archmage7813]

@@joestacey6185 I liked the Donna season and was the best of DT run on Who but it certainly wasn't the best season of the new Who.

[@theangryholmesian4556]

@@tobigrantlbart Not even close. And I prefer Moffat over RTD!

[@TheJMuise87]

Somewhere I hope Alan Moore still has pride in Watchmen. Having reread it a few months back, it does stand very well on its own merit. It's still a good read and I wish it could just be that. Thanks for the great video Chris!

[@OGTrilogy]

Geoff Johns: Who's our most popular character? DC: Batman. Geoff Johns: What's his motivation? DC: Dead parents. Geoff Johns: Gotcha! Let's kill off the parents of every character!

[@slothbaby2104]

Does anyone remember when Barry Allen's parents were alive and have not been murder by the first Zoom?

[@slothbaby2104]

@@Deadpan-th2vc damn that sounds awesome and I wish it was like this all the time

[@OGTrilogy]

@@slothbaby2104 Yeah, that's one of the instances I was talking about.

[@OGTrilogy]

@@Deadpan-th2vc Notice even Mime and Marionette are motivated by the death of their parents when they were children? It's the only thing Johns knows how to write. 🤣

[@Pikashades]

@@Deadpan-th2vc Barry moved on from his mother's death after Flashpoint.

[@nilus2k]

Glad to see you got this out. Don't forget that "Simpsons did it" as well. They made a joke about merchandising Watchmen on the episode that Alan Moore guest stars. Milhouse tries to get Moore to sign his copy of "Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation"

[@Agamemnon2]

So basically the story removes the ambiguity from the end of Watchmen and then uses its characters as a magical reset button for the DC universe? That's certainly an oversimplification of the plot but it just sounds really disrespectful for both properties.

[@josephboyle1273]

There's alot of subjective interpretation from the book but I dont really feel like the ending cliff hanger was all that ambiguous when the story seemed to go out of its way to point out that peace built on a lie isnt really peace or stable.

[@xthelegend89]

That’s really reductive.

[@nataliealphonse4634]

@@josephboyle1273 yeah I definitely feel the implication was that it did fall apart, it's just up to the reader to decide what the world does with that information

[@andrewnicorn]

You're like everyone's knowledgable nerdy older brother, a great resource that everyone deserves to have.

[@UberBman]

The delays hurt this series. But I think there’s more shenanigans going on behind the scenes at DC with Didio constantly dragging characters through the mud and making them overall miserable. Doomsday Clock I believe was meant to be a tie in/kickoff with Rebirth. But Dan and his clown car crew have gone out of their way to drag the characters back to the grim, dour hopeless world view of the New 52.

[@jadenbryant9283]

Dan really needs to grow up

[@calumhouston3308]

Totally. The delays killed a lot of people's interest in the book, so now people just use it as another example for DC misusing their ip.

[@sneakyskunk1]

It is funny how times change. In the years since it came out, I have talked to comic fans who despise Moore's Watchmen (and to a lesser extent Veitch's Brat Pack). The unifying idea behind the dislike was that those books and others like them lead to the "Grim and Gritty" era of comic books. These were mostly older fans who remembered Golden Age heroes and their adventures. It was a sentiment I would hear again later among some younger comic book fans(not surprisingly, many of them did not enjoy the G and G era). As to the material, I personally never felt it needed to be revisited. Sequels to that seminal work never felt necessary to me. That said, the video was both entertaining and informative. Thank you Chris.

[@underthepale]

"When trouble's about, you'd best watch out, for... THE WATCHMEN!" ... Happy Harry? Really, now? Man, haven't seen that one in ages...

[@kostajovanovic3711]

The best watchmen outside the comic

[@aaronsarchive82]

@@kostajovanovic3711 I don't know. Watchmen Babies had their moments.

[@Astupid13NAme]

Dan Didio forced Johns to do a reboot. DD wanted to do a reboot ever since Final Crisis concluded, but Johns said no. but after years of in-fighting, Johns caved and made FlashPoint which started the N52. Needless to say, that was a huge disaster and soured a lot of long-time fans with the reboot. That's the whole reason why we got convergence, to introduce pre-N52 superman and bring him into the N52 universe. And when Johns got promoted, he got overwhelmed and had to work with the mess that DD decided on.

[@TevyaSmolka]

GC yup that’s right

[@MrSafior]

Do you have proof ?

[@TevyaSmolka]

@@MrSafior yes i do here's my proof kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpm5dYeamaZ9bs0

[@Astupid13NAme]

@@MrSafior it's hard to find proof since it's all based on a lot of leaks. And basing those leaks onto what happend in comics and the comic industry, it makes sense

[@JohnWilliams-wl9px]

GC More proof is that fact during the New 52 most of Geoff Johns New 52 ignored the reboot and continued as normal.

[@Sewblon]

6:00 The objectivist stuff was more directly a satire of Steve Ditko's character Mr. A. from the 70s than anything from the golden age. That is why Rorschach dresses the same as The Question and Mr. A. More importantly, what was Adrian's plan? How did he make it look like Firestorm turned those people into glass? I read the book. But I can't remember anything that Adrian actually did once he got to the DC universe.

[@Vent69420]

It's lex luthors plan in bvs, it's not really anything he orchestrated, but he sure takes credit

[@paulakroy2635]

I mean ditko also wrote blue bettle who ends up being the hero of watchmen

[@Sewblon]

@@Vent69420 Do you mean that Adrian didn't orchestrate the plan but he did take credit for it? Or that Lex didn't orchestrate the plan but did take credit for it?

[@Sewblon]

@@paulakroy2635 Watchmen doesn't really have a hero. It has a bunch of characters with conflicting moralities. Adrian's morality seems to Triumph. But, if you consider Doomsday clock in cannon with Watchmen, then Rorscach's morality triumphs in the end.

[@paulakroy2635]

@@Sewblon nah Dan garret seem pretty clearly like the only non psycho in the end

[@supergenesis6494]

You gotta give credit to where its due, Johns is super creative at enhancing continuity at DC. Making Parallax a fear entity, addressing the issue that death has no consequence in comics in a clever way in Blackest Night, and bringing fan favorite characters like Wally and JSA with clever continuity corrections. Fleshing out whole stories out of such deep DC dives such as Moore's GL annual is still a creative feat, i would argue. Also new 52 was not his brain child. Flashpoint was just a regular dc event that Didio and Jim Lee thought would be a perfect chance to jumpstart a reboot that would boost sales. But even if we dont agree on Johns' talent, your a great critic Chris! Keep on with the great content.

[@lacrartezorok4975]

Nah, he is a glorified fan fiction writer. He doesn't respect continuity, he writes characters with the personality he thinks they should have, he depends too much on retcons and fan service. The worst is that he claims to love silver age comics but his stories are totally 90' dark crap. Don't get me wrong, there were some good dark stories in the 90's, but Johns write almost Youngblood level.

[@twistedwell9568]

​@@lacrartezorok4975 All of the current age of creators are glorified fan fiction writers lol!

[@batgirl697]

Lol most people want to blame him for new52 instead of lee,didiot,I guess no one read his JSA,Hawkman,Superman,Titans.and fking GL run.

[@v-trigger6137]

@@batgirl697 "Didiot" WTF 😂

[@PassiveNights]

Continuity isn’t art

[@shanelorrison5224]

On your last livestream I mentioned that my cat was peeing outside his litter box. You suggested it could be a medical problem and I should take him to the vet. I did as advised and fortunately my kitty is ok. His problem is behavioral and not medical. Anyway, thanks for everything and I love your show. Excelsior!

[@shanelorrison5224]

Get Off My Planet - There was no medical issue. It’s a behavioral thing. He still does it but not as much, I hope. He’s been neutered since October. He only goes outside on our porch where he can’t escape. Other male cats come around and they hiss through the screen at each other. I don’t know what else to mention but I hope he grows out of it. He’s 8 months old so maybe he will. Probably not though 😔

[@michaelwalsh9616]

The Rorschach in dooms day clock is a different person

[@LordJagd]

You mean literally? Because ya know, Rorschach is probably the perfect character to have iterations of. If there was going to be any Watchmen sequel a street-level, very personal series of stories of people interpreting Rorschach and the revelations of his journal could make for a good read. Makes sense, since a Rorschach test varies wildly depending on who is looking at it.

[@michaelwalsh9616]

​@@LordJagd Yeah Kovachs (The original Rorschach) Was killed in the original run. The one we see in DC is the son of Kovachs prison psychiatrist. He donned the mask after losing his parents in the Ozymandias attack on New York. He was also influenced by the Mothman (a golden age hero in the watchmen universe). He does eventually learn the Kovachs was responsible for ruining his parent's marriage. I also agree with the iterations idea, it kinda makes me sad the only went with the direction of the Kalvary in the tv series

[@jamesalexhowlett]

Yes, the character behind the mask was a different person, but it was the same costume, and idea behind the character. That’s why he said Rorschach was back.

[@LordJagd]

@@michaelwalsh9616 Ergh, yeah that sounds WAY too conveniently close to the characters of the original. Completely misunderstands the function of those characters in the first place. And that sounds so melodramatic with his realization that Rorschach ruined his parents' marriage. Yeah and even then the Kalvary (as far as I've seen) are ridiculously two-dimensional and overtly political, which is a fine angle to take but with the TV show it's all they've got.

[@michaelwalsh9616]

@@LordJagd at least be glad the show is done and over with

[@markasimmons]

10:06 . You've hit the nail right on the head there, Chris. Too many company decision makers are more influenced by their need to create and sustain "their brand" in order to make more money, especially by merchandising the hell out of their assets, instead of allowing creative talent to tell great stories that excite fans and take us somewhere new. Ironically, just like Moore was employed to do in the 1980s.

[@christopherfloody5555]

Too many companies are obsessed with making money? I mean, that is the only reason they exist. They don't care about characters, or continuity, or whats artistically interesting. They only reason they exist is to make money. If they thought doomsday clock would make money, then of course they made it. I don't really know why so many people are surprised by this.

[@leaffinite3828]

@@christopherfloody5555 not surprised, just disappointed

[@DevilishmanThe]

So, when it comes down to it, Doomsday Clock is just DC making a public justification for all their bad stories, retcons and decisions.... All the while implicitly blaming Moore... Quoting Bruce Wayne: Dissapointed, but not surprised.

[@REDDAWNproject]

Its not blaming Moore, its blaming idiots like didio who took everything wrong from watchmen.

[@DevilishmanThe]

@@REDDAWNproject Can't say I disagree with you, but I still can't help but to feel like DC is tryng to burn Moore along the way.

[@gatchamonster]

Chris, this is my favourite comics channel, your attitude and perspective is spot on. Thanks for the vids!

[@dbensdrawinvids8390]

"This is both annoying, and essential." Kiss of death from a storytelling perspective right there.

[@mjtspotter]

In my opinion, i admire two types of comics writers. 1) the one who creates their original ideas (Alan Moore,Jack Kirby,Joe Shuster & Jerry Siegel, Grant Morrison) and 2) the one who takes heroes and characters and create new stories with them (Geoff Johns, Alan Moore, Scott Snyder, Grant Morrison)

[@curtisofentse1368]

This has to be the best comics review channel out there where nothing is diluted just some real talk from a true comic book fan. Keep it up Chris and remember we ALL got your back bro.

[@whoop6377]

As a big DC comics fan, I absolutely loved these comics. I do see how it offers very little to someone a little more new however.

[@thecollector4332]

But old dc and watchmen fans hated this comic.

[@bikit1316]

@@thecollector4332 why? no

[@dilungmoveityafool777]

@@bikit1316 I've seen many comments who hated what DC has done to Watchmen.

[@RH-jl8qr]

Home run Chris! Your genuine passion for comics coupled with your technical perspective is fantastic!!! Take your time and find the next content your find worthy and FUN to explore, explain, and share. That’s why I keep tuning in and only want the best for you. Thank you for all you do sir! God bless!!!

[@kristinaneuner7058]

Just wanted to say thank you for your take on Doomsday Clock story, Chris. The Comic Tropes community appreciates the time and passion you give to create these episodes. The Watchmen is perfect how it was originally written and concluded by Moore, and doesn't require any sequels, prequels, or spin-offs. However, in our age of digimodernism, creators return to past successes, because they bank on profiting off of nostalgia.

[@captaindemobeard9560]

I personally love Doomsday Clock. I think it's a decent story with fun characters, old and new. But what I think it excels at, is reminding us of the importance of Superheroes like Superman. Heroes we look up to and aspire to be. The type of hero that we're sadly lacking in today's world. It's all well and good to have relatable heroes like Spider-Man, or anti Heroes like Deadpool, but we also need heroes that inspire hope and represent the best of humanity. This is why He-Man and She-Ra are my favourite Superheroes, and why I'm not a fan of MOTU revelation, and Netflix She-Ra. They don't understand what those characters represent, and how we see them. Doomsday Clock shows this with Superman.

[@Mattmurdockk431]

Love the cartoon theme reference. Deep cut. 😂

[@andybaxter4442]

I just came across that cartoon theme again last night, and it cracked me up when I opened up this video.

[@SonofTheMorningStar666]

@@andybaxter4442 Do you have a link or a search word?

[@andybaxter4442]

@@SonofTheMorningStar666 I think the link is below this video. He mentions it at the end.

[@newflesh666]

I've heard it's one of the few adaptations of his works that Moore actually likes, alongside the animated Justice League episode "For the man who has everything"

[@newflesh666]

@Ebenezer Roofing LLC whoops I missed that typo when I sent the message. Thanks 👍

[@Jaden-bp6kh]

This channel has led me to so many good novels and comics, skud, and Johnny the homicidal maniac are my favourites I’ve read so far

[@rolandguiscard]

I dunno if this makes you feel better, but without you I wouldn't even be reading comics anymore. You just let me know where to go and what to see. Thank you.

[@somesadnormie5881]

"I don't read the words, I just like when he punches people!"

[@tygrus3495]

"Hi John, how would you like your eggs this morning? Scramble, or A la Manhattan". I am waiting for the Tiny Adventures of Baby Watchmen : ). Great scope, Thanks.

[@MrFaceNumeroUno]

Great to have you back! And I was hoping you'd discuss this topic sooner rather than later so this is a double win for me! Thanks!

[@Amadeus_A]

On a similar side note: I remember reading The Sinestro Corps War comic in middle school. How you described Geoff Johns sounds like how I remembered it. I enjoyed the comic but mostly for the fan service of characters. Although I wasn't that into the story, I'll admit that's the only comic storyline I read in the series so I didn't have much context.

[@fun2building]

It's been two years and I still remember Doomsday Clock really well

[@adinocc2042]

How many frickin reboots does DC need to have? They really need a grown-up to come in, probably do another reboot (a final one), and make them stick to that continuity. I love DC's characters although I was never super into their books, back when I was still reading comics. I hate to hear about another reboot, and another reboot, and another reboot, ad nausium. Pick one and get on with it!

[@HSuper_Lee]

I do hate that the only way to solve their reboot problem is to use another reboot, but I agree things are twisted enough that there's essentially no other way.

[@tobigrantlbart]

@@HSuper_Lee Problem is that Dan Didio (and probably Jim Lee) is a publisher who thinks everything nedds to be blown up every few years, Rebirth was intended to be this final reboot, but Johns stepped down as Creative Director so he can write for the DC movies, Shazam was the first coming out of this and was sucessful, meanwhile Didio was like :„Yep press the reboot button again!“ And yes I see Dark Knights Metal as a soft reboot, seeing how the branding was changed, the creative staff mostly canged and built-up stories were thrown away. After the New 52 was over and Rebirth promised a longlasting return to form, blowing all up again was just a bad idea. Didio needs to realize that you lose all built-up connection and pull new readers further away. Someone has to stop him (and Jim Lee maybe), it's doing nothing good for the company

[@SamuelSEdme]

I assuming DC reboots their properties so new readers could have a good starting point when getting into comics.

[@xthelegend89]

It could be worse. They could be like Marvel, with their reboots that aren’t actually reboots and now we have two number one issues of the same comic in the same year even though it’s continuing the story of the first run.

[@a.dennis4835]

The DC Universe is the one place where Last Thursdayism makes sense.

[@Thedudefromtheplace]

You always manage to say exactly what I think about the medium and then further it by a few steps, and its lovely. Thanks for making me open my eyes!

[@NDHFilms]

Moore: Oh Hi, you caught me hating everything.

[@Brilchan]

Moor is a socialist - anarchist and most of his classic comic book work was Forcked up dumb down and stripped off its original meaning by greedy corporations so he every right to be mad at dead. But if you look up some recent interviews he mellowed out a bit. He is still mad about it with he has every right to be but it's not the searing rage the internet zeitgeist has meme him into.

[@REDDAWNproject]

@@Brilchan why should he be mad when all his characters are rip off the original Charlton characters? Seriously, the man is an eternal hypocrite.

[@PyroNexus22]

@@REDDAWNproject god, what an unbelievable moron you are

[@Changetheling]

@@REDDAWNproject That's what ignorants say, clearly.

[@nivekian]

@@Changetheling If it wasn't for Public Domain and League of Extraordinary open copyright use, he would have been working back under DC in 5 years. Moore should be a ghost story for young comic writers, don't be that "Can only do well playing with someone elses toys in their sandbox" guy like the Hype Wizard.

[@MFDoomguy21]

Love that intro, made me laugh like Batman in the animated series laughing at Harley’s love for Joker 😂😂😂

[@rockbertrexington2592]

Johns is one of my favorites, especially because his run on Green Lantern is what got me into comics, and remains my favorite long-running series. That said, I understand your viewpoint, and it is unfortunate how this saga all played out. Great video, though!

[@ReaperXC]

Putting all these decisions and ideas on Johns’ head is a big leap. He was a cog in the machine. Didio, Lee and others were involved in the decision making of new 52 and rebirth; not just Johns.

[@natanielcostard]

I remember perfectly when Goeff Johns retconned Superboy into being "a clone of Superman and Luthor", and thinking that it sounded as a logical idea, but was just a hyper simplification, not very respectful to the work of the previous writers. Little did I know that it would be the essential Geoff Johns trope. He "remade" Superboy, then Green Lantern... then Flash... about that time I thought, this guy will not stop until he remakes the whole DC Universe. Enter: The New 52, which was exactly that. Since his intention of remaking super-hero movies was a complete flop, and he already had remade the whole Universe, his next obvious step was other people's work. And that's how we get to Doomsday Clock, his creepy remaking/cloning of not only Watchmen, but also Alan Moore's writing style. I'm a little bit afraid now, any minute now Johns will start remaking my life, which is a shame, since I've got a very nice relationship with my father and I'm pretty fond of both my arms.

[@mcpics4448]

Nataniel Costard man if we count every single recon Geoff John has made to make dc how it is Well it’s still superior then how Bendis does recon that for sure

[@Pleasestoptalkingthanks]

He cloned my girlfriend and then killed the original.

[@TevyaSmolka]

Nataniel Costard Geoff Johns I at least trust when he foes retcon something it turns out good way better then bendis bullshit

[@wayfaringstranger8430]

That was a good laugh at the end! Have an upvote!

[@TevyaSmolka]

Joseph Smith lol indeed

[@secretbootlegs]

Thank for all that you do, Chris! Sending good vibes considering everything that's going on. I loved Geoff John's Flash run, but I don't think he's ever hit those heights ever again.

[@firelifeblizzard8782]

10:38 Holy fuck I never actually thought about it like that. Like,, it's such an obvious and good point, but I guess I've just been consuming comic book wank for so long it just never occurred to me. This is the first video I've ever seen from you, but that's such a shockingly nuanced point for a KZbin comic book channel to make that I know I need to subscribe

[@eyecontactleadsto]

Just want to say I truly love watching your videos, your insight and knowledge is awesome. You've shown me comics I'd never have heard of before and make me appreciate ones I'm familiar with even more. Cheers from Scotland!

[@KeithHarper]

I don't read monthlies anymore, but one of the things that always soured me on DC was the multiple continuity/universe reboots. I preferred the multiple Earth pre-Crisis setup

[@castorayala4728]

'In the end'? Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends.” - Alan Moore

[@dww7094]

That you for the video as always dude, it's hard to find people who make comics videos that aren't let's say a little sketchy. And you stroll through super calm well-reasoned with solid production.

[@mkge7206]

Thank you for the video Chris, I did not have the heart to tackle this thing myself. Great intro, I could taste the acidity.

[@gitboxer2000]

Love your channel. Definitely value your opinions and the variety of types of comic reviews. I loved the link to the watchmen cartoon. Totally hilarious. Thanks for everything!

[@ladyjaysindeore1113]

Good to see you back; I hope this means you’re doing better. Don’t push yourself too hard while you’re still healing but doing the things you can do will almost definitely help you feel better and more accomplished

[@MFSeaMen]

Glad to have you back!

[@vicbaez]

That intro was savage.

[@stoomdoom6148]

I know this KZbin game is tough Chris and of course personal issues always compound things but I just want to say thank you for the hours of great content, the education and the entertainment. It's very much appreciated, makes lots of people's day brighter and has us rooting for you! Thanks again.

[@spengler2258]

If there’s one thing I’ll commend Doomsday Clock for, it’s the new Rorschach. I think the character they chose to continue the mantle works perfectly, and the storyline he has is pretty good.

[@Yours2Keep138]

I've been a fan of your channel for a little over a year. With that said this is one of my favorite videos you've ever uploaded on here. Keep up the great content!

[@ElKartun1229]

Good job Chris. Great episode!

[@NatsuMatto]

Great work as always Chris. Sorry to hear about your not feeling well recently!

[@simonbarnett8668]

Thank you for all your work. Good to see you!

[@twig8523]

Welcome back! Great topic for an episode. The new camera has things looking good too! Thanks for your channel, but I'm glad you're also making time to enjoy the real world.

[@liammiller6247]

Excellent video, Chris! Watchmen is probably my favourite graphic novel of all time!

[@ItsTheFizz]

I appreciate the message Johns was trying to going for with Doomsday Clock but looking at the rest of DC's output this year, it's clear that other writers couldn't care less about easing off the grimdark bullshit...

[@KJHall-ts2xy]

Glad you're back! I know you've had a tough couple of weeks, just nice to see you back up on the horse.

[@kalebproductions9316]

Your channel is the best comic explaining channel. I especially liked the episode where you explained the business of comics and distribution. That's a much darker story than can be written with superheroes. :(

[@TheZooropaBaby]

wow I just started reading Watchmen what a coincidence, Chris

[@Kaladryn2781]

Your segues are getting better and better every time.

[@CesarTorres13]

Loved this episode! Please keep the good work coming.

[@steakcrust558]

Glad to see you back Mr. Comic Tropes, I hope this is a sign things are getting better. Peace and respect my dude

[@barthalen]

Thanks for the review! I never looked into this storyline and loved the original comic. So it was great to get an idea of what I missed, plus you've motivated me to check the HBO series. I consistently enjoy your work, thanks for doing what you do!

[@AlienIOIandroktone]

I like that a lot of DC events are basically mission statements for future. I think it's good to have some meta metaphors in there, like having the impact of Watchmen the comic on the industry, actually have an in universe analogy to the gritty New 52. I also don't think that a new reader would instantly get Watchmen, I think you need to know a bit of the context behind superheroes in general to get what it's trying to subvert. I love that Harry Partridge video though

[@MABlackMetalGuitar]

Best channel on KZbin. I’m going back to this video 3 years after it debuted and I’m enjoying the hell out of it.

[@BJAKERONER]

I just have to point out one thing, Johns has no been president of DC until 2016. That was Diane Nelson who came in during 2010. It’s also known that Flashpoint was never intended to be a reboot, that was changed by Didio and Lee when they got their promotions in the company.

[@MattDraper]

Really great analysis! This basically sums up all of my issues with and even the things I liked about the comic, as well.

[@Misadventures_85]

Hello. simply dropping by here to say that I love your videos. I recently watched the one on John Carpenter's music and it is fantastic.

[@MattDraper]

@@Misadventures_85 Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@Misadventures_85]

You are most welcome :-)

[@plannein]

I don't think Doomsday Clock is as bad as people make it out to be. The delays definitely hurt it, and deciding to change plans in the middle of it as it was running didn't help either. But there are some good ideas, and I really like the "Superman is the reason for every universe" idea, some of the explanations for how Manhattan was involved and why things were different had some legs. It was inconsistent, and a few things didn't make sense. Ultimately the story didn't justify its existence by being good enough to live up to its status as a sequel to Watchmen that was also a Crisis level event for DC. But it wasn't completely terrible. It was just fine.

[@plannein]

PS the Watchmen show sucked ass and completely missed the point of the original story and committed some pretty egregious character assassination/mischaracterization of people, and the ending was dogshit.

[@montygatwick1829]

Hey Chris! It’s so great to see you back but please don’t feel the need to work yourself too hard, we’ll always be here when you’re ready. It’s always a joy to see your videos and I hope things turn up soon. Much love from me and all the fans! :)

[@TheGMan366]

This was fantastic 👍Thank you for the history lesson you definitely hit a home run on this thank you so much.

[@ChuckD008]

Lol Tom Motley's drawing, he was my teacher at SVA. Cool guy

[@MrPlayer890]

I've somehow avoided info about Doomsday Clock for a while, so I appreciate the summary, especially from an older fan who knows about Alan Moore's history with DC. Great video. I know the later additions to what were a standalone story are off putting, if only because DC loopholed the comic into their own property, but I'd love to hear some thoughts on the prequel series' if you're ever trying to think up new video ideas.

[@Parkerr__]

What a fantastic video! Always happy when I see your stuff

[@prophoem9492]

The editing of this video is phenomenal! Thanks for the vid Chris! *edit because auto correct

Yay, someone remembers Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.! I loved that series.

[@jamestheloser203]

Love your channel

[@JRWorkAccount]

Woo! Best part of any day, a new Comic Tropes episode!

[@pattybean457]

I just discovered your channel. I don’t even read comics but I find your content fascinating. Keep up the good work man.

[@pinfarmer]

I was looking forward to reading the series now that it is done. I kept myself in the dark. It’s sad to see that it isn’t a watchmen comic but a editorial device for their stale characters.

[@samuraijacques952]

Reading this was like listening to a cover band that made you realize how much more talented the original band was

[@solidkingcobra]

I really love that you tied your reference at the intro at the end. I was wondering at the beginning if you were making a reference to the Harry Partridge video and you tied it up at the end. Keep up the great work sah!

[@TheRAZORVIDS]

Great video Chris! I agree completely with your analysis.

[@deckarde4919]

I thought this was a real developmental jump for the show. Part of it is maybe doing things I like more but I think that the level of analysis is really good in this one. I think the live bits could be a bit tighter performed, still, but still a notacible jump overall.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

Same boring breakfast cereal? Want to try a cereal that is out of this reality? Try Doc Manhattans blueberry cereal, now with more vitamins, guaranteed to turn your milk blue. Comes with Doc Manhattan action figure, anatomically correct ;P Maybe a spoiler below. I still think the ending should have ended with Manhattan still looking at the picture of him and Jane in issue 4 original Watchmen, since he views time in such a way all of what transpired could have happened in a blink of an eye...did it even happen? He drops the picture and starts to build his martian building (Symbolism to him having new hope in humanity and building structures for a new tomorrow/hope). This series could have literally connected the old and the new if they had done such an ending;)

[@Nixo66]

That's a far better ending to the story. Doomsday clock is like a fever dream that goes nowhere

[@AscendtionArc]

Thanks for this insightful and informative video on the story and meta-context. I appreciate this because, doomsday took so long to come out that I lost track of it.

[@marcoandresaraya7690]

Just found out this channel like 4 days ago, i have a seen a ton of your videos, love everyone of them !!!