This shit is bonkers.

To give you a scope regarding the deeply intense intimacy found in this issue: Re-read issue 51 of Scott Snyder's run (if you can) and then read this monster. It's a fully-fledged swan song celebrating Snyder's run, Batman + Joker, DC, and superheroes in general. And that's the tip of the iceberg because I don't know where to even begin concerning Greg's insane pencil-work. Then you have the colors, the ink-work, the letterer... This is a pure superhero comic (with an edge, of course (Black Label)) through and through. What a way to end the decade. Seriously. Now to wait for the absolute edition...

The ominous tone set by Geoff Johns and the cinematic work done by Fabok, paired with the nauseating color palette of Brad Anderon... This is a daunting comic to approach. It has an almost scholarly feel to it--like this is a culmination to Batman's long and bloody history with Joker, which includes Jason and Barbra, fittingly. At its core, it's an examination of trauma done right *cough* Tom King *cough*. It's serious, gothic, dirty, and feels like a bronze age comic book in all the right ways before the superheroes fell into the modern era. When there are shelves of superhero comics exploring some new crisis event this is a rare gem that stands out from all those "pure fun" comic tropes. This is shaping up to be an ace in the hole.

The best song to listen to while reading this is 'Harmonielehre: II. The Anfortas Wound' -- this entire issue is drenched with eeriness. Best to read on a rainy night, with the lights off, a lamplight on... Chilling.

The series is seriously treading through some ground I'm not sure I'm comfortable with. On one hand, there's the JSA (who are there only for a few freakin' pages and then, once again, vanish without giving Wonder Woman any advice) but on the other hand, DC is (yet again) taking something of elegant design (Dr. Manhattan) and using it as a plot device to bolster the BWL's power. I mean, dude? Doesn't Snyder have an ounce of respect for Alan Moore's creative mind? At this point, the BWL has become a caricature for badly-developed villains found in comics--which is a shame (or maybe the point?). It just had so much potential to tread the comic book avenues as a xenomorph-like villain but now the BWL is nothing more than a gag, honestly. I'm buying issue 3 but, man, DC should have seriously gone with Doomsday Clock for its "change" and not this over-the-top, bloated event. But this IS barely the second issue, that's why I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt...

“Fool me once, strike one. But fool me twice...strike three.” - Michael Scott. Yeah, I should have stopped with the event back when I rolled my eyes upon seeing the last panel of Issue 1. I have this impression that this isn’t Snyder’s story at all–that someone from the top is pushing this down his throat. This just doesn’t feel like the Scott Snyder I grew up admiring back when he wrote the first issue of the New 52 Batman series. However, if it IS Snyder’s story… What happened? Does he only want money out of this with all these new “Batmen” he keeps creating through sheer whim (batman toys)? After all, this is his LAST gig before he opts out of DC. Is he milking as much as he can out of this? Speaking of the various Batmen, I’d argue that even Capullo’s pencils (and panels) are lacking when it comes to drawing these various Bat-thugs, and the entire DC pantheon. Wonder Woman, for example, when she first appeared in this issue, her face looked…off. Heck, this whole series seems off. I was expecting a Wonder-Woman driven story as Scott said but this is more of the same of what METAL was but in doses that would answer this question in affirmation: Is too much of a good thing a bad thing? Yes. Yes, it is. This issue alone proves it. What with all these Batmen and a storyline that a 6-year-old would create with his toys. By far, though, the biggest casualty out of all this mess is Batman’s reputation. This series has turned him into a cliché. I love me some metal, you know, but you can only go so far before it turns into screamo–and I have nothing against screamo–but, yeah, this series is too rich for my comics taste. I’ll pass. This is the opposite of what ‘Doomsday Clock’ was and, far as I’m concerned, DC is what changed DC. Not this…thing. This unholy aberration of a ‘superhero comic.’ I'd pick Geoff's Superman over Snyder's 'Death Metal' version of the character any day of the week. The critics love this series, though, so am I missing something? For what its worth, if you’re an aspiring inker or colorist–or even a letterer–pick it up. That’s why this is getting a 3, at least. The colors are lush and vibrant and the inks are sharp–and are contrasted nicely to make those colors pop. The lettering is fine, too.

This just might be the most heinous event story out of DC lore. Scott, what happened?

Cons: Too much exposition (Scott should've opted to write a novel) and Lex feels rushed. The writing is just absurd, man. No way this series should've been 7 issues. This should've been 12 issues at least (with no tie-ins). Pros: Last few pages are pretty awesome (but it all hinges on how the next issue will look like). But, overall, Capullo's pencils are OK--but that's only because Snyder's writing nearly covers every darn panel... Colors, inks, and lettering are on-point. But man... I've tried having fun, tap into my inner 5-year old self, but this event feels forced. Even for the avid DC fan, this feels more like a cookie-cutter thrash song than the metal ballad it should've been. Stick with DC: Metal and/or Doomsday Clock. This whole series reminds me of the bad/goofy stories of DC's silver age... Lost potential all around.

This whole thing feels unearned and inconsequential with its over-the-top story. It's a discombobulated mess! It leaves one both underwhelmed and unfulfilled by the end :/ Honestly, is Snyder 5 years old? Because the script certainly feels that way. Juvenile and callow. It's a rushed and crammed filled event with no clear goal except to kill off DC, I think. If you're into that kind of thing, great. But if you're a fan of superhero storytelling, yeah, this ain't it chief... Art is fine. The colors and inks are stellar tho ngl.

Did Scott Snyder, the writer of the COURT OF OWLS storyline, just kill DC comics? I don't see anything good coming out of this event, man. The guy's career at DC began with a bang and ended with a whimper. You can slap the word 'hope' on each page and insert a thousand heroes but that doesn't make it a good comic book. Especially if the consequences are flat which this event has in droves... Also, the interactions between the heroes are hella dry. Stick with Doomsday Clock. At least that event was WAY more consistent than this... :/ Congrats to Capullo and the art team for putting up with Snyder's antics... This gets a 4. P.S. Why are outlets giving this comic a 9-10 score? Their opinion, yeah, but a 9? C'mon...

Beautiful character study.

A very deep character study.

Straight fire this is.

This is a Superman issue through and through and by gosh does Geoff and Gary pull through. Take all the time guys. This is quality stuff. Inspiring.

Non-spoiler review... Issues 1 - 4 = Act 1 Issues 5 - 8 = Act 2 Welcome to Act 3, where Dr. Manhattan and every DCU hero imaginable (not exaggerating) head to Mars (not a spoiler since it's in the variant cover) to confront him. Some of you who are die-hard DC fans are going to get emotional, I think. I mean, these are heroes you love and have a deep attachment to. So when you see them confront Dr. Manhattan--a force that's beyond them, beyond any superhero universe, hell, beyond US--you KNOW that a fight ISN'T going to win the day BUT a conversation: One with Dr. Manhattan and (you guessed) the Man of Steel; and by the issue's end that pillar becomes erected. And to give you an idea of the scope of this issue: What goes down makes Marvel's Infinity War look inconsequential and trivial in comparison. This is a DCU v. Dr. Manhattan issue, ladies and gents. The start of Act III. P.S. The delays are torture but the quality (writing, pencils, ink, lettering, colors, panel layout) is just insane. Be patient!

Spoiler-Free Review Wally West said--in the DC Rebirth one-shot special--that "there's going to be a war between hope and despair. Love and apathy. Faith and disbelief." The last three issues of Doomsday Clock, I think, are going touch on that war, that conversation (finally). After the epic battle that took place in Doomsday Clock #9, it seems fitting now to tackle the very essence of what DC stands for--which isn't a splash page of heroes fighting villains but a conversation of those things that Wally mentioned at the end of the Rebirth one-shot. This issue in particular touches on the topic of "hope versus despair." And it becomes apparent with the JSA (who represent hope) now in the mix, but (as you can see in the variant cover) Dr. Manhattan is there too and he acts as a rebuttal to that philosophy (which is despair). We begin to see a debate form. We also see a return of the hardboiled noir series featuring Nathaniel Dusk, and we start to see parallels now with how this story serves as a metaphor to the psychological/philosophical war between DC's heroes and Watchmen's characters. In a nutshell: Some people are going to get turned off because these last three issues are going to be about a war between ideologies rather than fists. And that's a good thing damnit! This issue finally sets the tone for the ominous confrontation between Dr. Manhattan and Superman. Just don't expect a fight. It's clear that the impending confrontation will result in a debate about the very forces that make one a hero or a villain. As for Gary Frank's art? What new things can I say about it, man? The guy is crushing it.

A detailed and SPOILER-FREE Review The issue debates the forces of faith and disbelief. I haven't seen a world brimmed with so much darkness since Moore's Watchmen. This isn't what DC stands for BUT that's what Johns WANTS us to see. His thesis in this issue is that superheroes are there to breathe through that darkness, that is, to inspire; and it's up to us whether to have faith in them OR to have disbelief. The events that transpire throughout the issue begs one to question the understanding of what it means to have superheroes in the world, and if they are efficient--and worthwhile--truths for us to better comprehend the world and each other. Johns writes these characters with such human stark and grace that you'll find yourself feeling and confronting sentiments you've never experienced before in reading a comic-book. The perfect song for this issue is Mozart's Introitus. It's a very beautiful and sinister issue. Needless to say, this type of material is sure to be taught in academia (a few examples where you'll find this stuff being taught: English Interpretation, Positive Psychology, Cultural Philosophy, and even Social Politics). As I said, no spoilers here, but the ending of this issue is damn near biblical. It will convince those people that are calling Doomsday Clock "cheap fanfic" to question their verdict. Doomsday Clock is truly the "second coming" of a great comic book and a call to arms for another golden age of superhero comic books. My only tiny negative is that A LOT of stuff happens in this issue. It's a tiny thing because I can see someone making the argument that Johns is commenting on what superhero writers always have to do every now and again, which is explain what's happening, what's going on, who are these characters--so on and so forth. Which isn't a far-fetched argument, honestly. Mainstream critics have caught on that each Doomsday Clock issue comments on a facet of society and comics--and so much more. To give a few examples: Issue 9 commented on this crisis that every comic book event must have and how it's just futile (and Dr. Manhattan proves that when he incapacitates every superhero who goes to Mars). Then there's issue 10 that comments on retcons... The list goes on and on. This is high art I have faith that Johns will deliver in issue 12 and if he doesn't, well, read the quote by Theodore Roosevelt, the one that appears at the end of issue 3 of Doomsday Clock. Whatever happens in issue 12 Johns can go to the grave being the one writer to have dared. That's his ace in the hole. As for my boy Gary Frank...the dude is killing it in every single panel. Protip: Buy yourself a magnifying glass (I'm serious) because some panels are riddled with so much articulated detail that you'd be surprised by what you find. Calling it right now: Next issue is going to be about love (Superman) versus apathy (Dr. Manhattan). But I'd recommend you don't read any user or mainstream reviews until after you've read the issue. It's the last issue and I think you'd want to savor every sense that comes with that notion. Peace.

What, you want to know why I gave it a 10? Read it yourself first :) This is a once-in-a-lifetime type deal that deserves your attention only. In other words, stay off of everything until you get your hands on this issue. After the biblical confrontation at the end of issue 11, this issue will... Nevermind. But hey, DON'T expect a fight. Just don't. Expect, instead, a debate about what makes us human. Read it, and savor every panel. And for those who have read it and want to offer their opinion, keep it vague, or don't say anything at all. This thing has been nearly 3 years in the making. Let's let those who haven't gotten the chance to read it have an experience unlike any other found in literature.