Doomsday Clock

The first official crossover between Watchmen and the DC Universe.

Doomsday Clock is a 2017–2019 superhero comic book limited series published by DC Comics, written by Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank and Brad Anderson. It serves as the conclusion to storylines established in the New 52 and DC Rebirth while acting as an official sequel to Alan Moore's 1986 graphic novel Watchmen. This marks the first official crossover between Watchmen characters and the mainstream DC Universe. While co-publisher Dan DiDio promoted it as a direct sequel, Johns viewed it as a standalone story where "Watchmen collides with the DC Universe." The series debuted on November 22, 2017, and concluded on December 18, 2019, featuring a focus on the dichotomy between Superman and Doctor Manhattan.

Quick Facts

Format

Limited series

Genre

Superhero

Publisher

DC Comics

Date

November 2017 – December 2019

Issues

Writers

Geoff Johns

Letterers

Rob Leigh

Editors

Brian Cunningham
Amedeo Turturro
Bobbie Chase (executive editor)

Lore & Background

Set seven years after the New York City massacre in the Watchmen universe, Rorschach's journal exposes Ozymandias's role, making him a fugitive. He gathers allies to find Doctor Manhattan, while the new Rorschach, Reggie Long, seeks Batman's help and Ozymandias consults Lex Luthor. In the DC Universe, the "Supermen Theory" conspiracy accuses the US government of creating metahumans, sparking an international arms race where nations recruit super-powered individuals. Dr. Manhattan, believed to have manipulated the post-Flashpoint universe, visions a future where he and Superman attempt to kill each other. The story explores two separate universes where characters view each other as fiction. Johns described the project as his "most personal and most epic, utterly mind-bending" work, debating for over six months on intersecting these worlds.

Reader's Guide

Doomsday Clock was revealed on May 14, 2017, with a teaser showing Superman's logo at the clock's 12 o'clock position. Originally scheduled for a monthly release ending in December 2018, the schedule shifted multiple times due to delays. After announcing breaks in March and April 2018, the series switched to bi-monthly releases, pushing the end date to July 2019 before further delays. Issue #8 moved from November 28 to December 5, 2018; Issue #9 shifted from January 23 to March 6, 2019; Issue #10 slipped from March 27 to May 29, 2019; and Issue #11 was pushed from May 22 to September 4, 2019.

The twelfth and final issue arrived on December 18, 2019. Collected editions include two six-issue volumes (October 2019, June 2020), a single-volume edition (October 2020), and an Absolute Edition with bonus material (October 2022). The series holds an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 on Comic Book Roundup based on 438 professional reviews.

Did You Know?

The series was delayed multiple times, pushing the final issue from its original July 2019 target to December 18, 2019.
Doomsday Clock introduced Reggie Long, the son of Malcolm Long, as the new Rorschach.
The story features a specific focus on the contrast between Superman's compassion for humanity and Doctor Manhattan's detachment from it.