Review: Doomsday Clock #5

“There Is No God”

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artists: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson

Review by Steve J. Ray

The wait for issue #5 of Doomsday Clock has been torture. Considering that this was a series that I was initially dead set against, this title has quickly become one of my top of the pile, must read comics. So, was the fifth chapter “There is no God” worth the wait?

This is a comic that features Batman, Superman, Rorschach, Ozymandias, Lex Luthor and The Joker… what do you think?

From the opening pages Geoff Johns and Gary Frank grab your attention. After the brilliant ending of issue #4 we’re drawn straight back into the drama with dialogue and art that work together flawlessly. I had one small complaint about the previous chapter, where I said that I was on tenterhooks awaiting the arrival of The Man Of Steel. Once again, the wait was a long one, but so worth it.

No, Superman doesn’t get into a cosmic punch up, nor does he use his heat vision to melt a bad guy’s shot-gun. No. Just like everything else in this series, The Man Of Tomorrow’s involvement is more measured, precise and pregnant in it’s promise. You can’t help but think that stuff is going to get real serious, real soon. There’s a storm brewing.

In God We Trust

Gary Frank and Brad Anderson deserve a raise.

I can happily wait a couple extra weeks for every issue if this is what I’m going to receive. The attention to detail, every nuance of every character’s expression, the delicately handled, yet quite horrific violence… all of it is expertly delineated by these two incredible artists. From the wonderfully domestic; in Lois’ interactions with Perry, to the supremely majestic; Superman floating in the sky, cape billowing in the wind, while he uses his super-hearing to eavesdrop on Lex Luthor.

Perfection.

Conclusion

The pressure is building. Meta-humans all over the globe are being manipulated into confrontations not of their making. The parallels between the tensions rising amongst these super powers is eerily reminiscent of those felt between Russia and America in the original Watchmen. The addition of Superman and The Joker to the mix of characters only adds more spice to this delicious pot.

Issue #6 cannot come quickly enough… but will be well worth the wait, I’m sure.

Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment

(This review was originally published on the Dark Knight News website on June 1st 2018)