Happy 40th Anniversary – Jason Todd!

“Tell me what bothers you more, Bruce, that your greatest failure has returned from the grave, or that I’ve become a better Batman than you!?”

As I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions, I’ve been a huge fan of the big, bad bat since the tender age of six, and though I initially discovered the character in the late seventies, I was way too young to appreciate the nuance and depth of the tantalising tales that beset my young eyes in publications such as Batman and Detective Comics. And so, it was the eighties that my appreciation of the Caped Crusader really took flight, through scintillating storylines regaled to me by such luminaries as Gerry Conway, Frank Miller and Alan Grant. The eighties were also a time of change for the Dynamic Duo themselves, as Batman’s lifelong partner against crime – Dick Grayson vacated his role as teen sidekick – Robin, all grown up and now wearing his big boy pants, he flew the nest and became the fun loving quip-tastic costumed crimefighter known as Nightwing!

Leaving poor ol’ Batsy rudderless, as Dick acted as his moral compass and helped bear a lot of the pain and pressure that comes with wading through the villainous detritus that the streets of Gotham spewed forth, Batman’s crusade got darker, and the bat himself, meaner and even more violent, a Batman without Robin was a minacious prospect. Luckily (or, maybe not so, with context) Batman would soon have a new soldier in his never ending fight against crime, a young street urchin named Jason Todd, a troubled youth who looked set to live a troubled life, in fact the first time Batsy met the wayward juvenile, he was in the middle of boosting the tyres… from the Batmobile!

And so, a new Robin was born, as Batman took the teen terror under his (bat)wing and attempted to instil a sense of righteouness and discipline into his new ward. Unlike the previous Boy Wonder, who was an amiable, affable and grounded individual, Jason was an angry and splenetic young man, and though, over the years as Batman’s sidekick, he seemed to mellow slightly, his anger at the injustices life had wrought unto him, never really went away. Until one day, in an ill fated meeting with the jester of genocide himself – The Joker, Jason lost his life after a savage beating by crowbar and ultimately a bomb placed beside the bloodied and bound young crimefighter, Batman arrived mere minutes after the devastating explosion, and, unable to save his life, spiralled downwards into uncontrollable grief and anguish. Surprisingly though, not too long after this, Jason, somehow, returned, but this time he was… different.

Eco-terrorist – Ra’s Al Ghul, who felt partly responsible for Jason’s untimely demise, because of his own dealings with the Joker at the time, exhumed his corpse and bathed the body in the life giving waters of the Lazarus Pit, which brought Jason back, meaner, madder and with a vengeance streak a mile long. Jason returned to Gotham under a new guise – The Red Hood, and with lethal force began tearing down the mad machinations of the various Supervillains and crazies, whereas an encounter with The Batman would, at worst, end with a visit to the hospital emergency room and six months in traction, a similar confrontation with ol’ Hoody would mean a handgrenade in the mouth and a ten inch blade buried in the head!

After a violent second encounter with the clown prince of crime (this time, Jason came equipped with the crowbar!) and a soul searching, yet brutal fight against his former mentor, Batman, Jason is once again caught in a calamitous explosion from a device set earlier by the Joker, which sends all three antagonists plummeting into Gotham Bay. Surfacing sometime later, Jason returned as the vilified vigilante, but toned down his murderous side to some degree, and would partner up with many other of DC’s popular heroes and anti-heroes under the guise of the super-team – Red Hood and the Outlaws, and in due course mended his broken trust and friendship with his mentor and surrogate father – Bruce Wayne.

Precinct1313 highly recommends both the Under The Red Hood, and, Batman: Death In The Family movies for a further deep dive into Jason’s tragic upbringing and eventual death and vehement rebirth.

Daily Dose Of DC…

2023 marks the eightieth anniversary of the very first live action appearances of the Dark Knight Detective – Batman and Boy Wonder – Robin, whose dynamic debuts were in the 1943, 15 chapter serial series: The Batman, directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Lewis Wilson as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Douglas Croft as Robin/Dick Grayson.

Batman & Robin are copyright: DC Comics.

V’s Quote Of The Week…

V’s vision of vicarious valour by vanquishing villainy through vengeful violence against any whose views violate the virtuous vox-populi, is the voyage that vocalises the voracious venture and vanguard of valiant victory!

(Unfortunately, this particular post hits rather too close to home at this moment in time, I reside in the UK where we are currently dealing with an unpleasant rise in prejudice, inequality and dogmatism. To everyone on the outside looking in, please understand that the vast majority of Brits do not agree with the policies of the current administration and we uniformly oppose all forms of bigotry and intolerance)

Precinct1313’s End Of The Year Geekstravaganza…

Welcome, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, to Precinct1313’s annual end of the year Geekstravaganza! and, whew! what a year it’s been in the jolly ol’ world of geekdom. Lots of cool and compelling comics, fantastic films and venerable video-games vied for this particular geeks attention, so lets run down our favourite nerdy necessities for your perusal and pleasure!

Favourite Graphic Novel – I Am Not Starfire

I Am Not Starfire was another absolutely fantastic standalone graphic novel brought forth from the prominent pen of Mariko Tamaki, and beset with vivacious visuals from Yoshi Yoshitani, making for another gripping teenage tale of angst and apprehension, but ultimately growth, friendship and inner respect as we follow the trepidatious tale of the distraught daughter of one of the world’s most powerful super-beings. (And you, lucky people, can read our review Right Here)

Favourite Comic-Book Artist – Bilquis Evely

I mean, this is always a highly difficult category to pin down a favourite in. This year as in most the standards in comic visuals has been stellar, with notable nods to Bruno Redondo for his stunning output on Nightwing, and the great Phil Jimenez for his titanic turn on the first issue of Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, but the artist whose work shone the brightest for me this year is the bedazzling – Bilquis Evely, whose amazing art graced the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow series, though this technically came out at the end of 2021, I personally only got around to reading it this year, and it’s phenomenal!

Bilquis’ art is highly distinctive, stunning to behold with beautifully in-depth line work, that when combined with the bold and gorgeous colours of Matheus Lopes are ascended to even greater heights, this is the absolute definition of high-art!

Favourite Feature Film – The Batman

If you know me, then you’ll probably realise this is a bit of a no-brainer, of course Matt Reeves stunning rendition of the Caped Crusader was my favourite film this year, it encapsulated almost everything I’ve ever wanted from a Batman movie, ever since I was first transfixed by the character at the tender age of six years old. Yes, we’ve had lots (and lots) of prior Dark Knights running around Gotham at night in tights, trouncing baddies, yet (for me, at least) none of them really captured that particular bat-magic that the comics and animated movies served up, until now!

Robert Pattinson was perfectly cast as a younger Bruce Wayne/Batman and was phenomenal in the role, ably backed up by an absolutely stellar cast, with Paul Dano, Zoe Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Jeffery Wright and (an almost unrecognisable) Colin Farrell adding their tremendous thespian talents to this grim, gritty noir detective movie… this blew my bat-socks off!

Favourite Video-Game(s) 

So many games, so, so many! I mean my backlog is huge and could probably last me several lifetimes! I played a ton of great games this year, so there honestly couldn’t be only one (Highlander style) choice, so I’ve gone with my top three instead! Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a fun, fast and frantic musou style ofshoot from the laudable Fire Emblem: Three Houses and is absolutely the very best Musou game I’ve ever played (it does help that I’m a bit of a FireEmblem fanboy, I guess) Nier Automata without a doubt showcased the very best storytelling and world building I’ve ever seen in a game, an emotional journey through a ravaged world littered with twists, turns and serpentine lore, just remarkable!

My third fave of the year was the astounding – SIFU, a Kung-Fu epic set in modern day China, where you control the actions of the son, or daughter of a martial arts school’s – Sifu, who seeks revenge upon those who murdered their father. Honestly this is one of the best beat-em ups I’ve ever played, it absolutely feels like you’ve been plonked down in the middle of a classic Donnie Yen or Moon Lee martial arts movie! Wonderful visuals and a stunning eastern soundtrack, this game rocks… In fact this game rocks so hard, it thinks it’s Metallica!!

Phew! thanks for sticking with us, fellow agents of Precinct1313, so, what was your favourite Comic-Book, movie or video-game this year? Why not sound off in the comments below… Happy New Year!

Oh, And As Ever… Make Mine DC!

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Suffering Sappho! it surely can’t be that time of year again, can it? I guess when you’re an immortal 3,000 year old Amazon warrior then time tends to stand still. Yet for us mere mortals, a year is everything. And so once more, fellow transient travellers, we find ourselves upon the golden sacred shores of Themyscira to celebrate Gaea’s graceful goddess, the incomparable – Wonder Woman!

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, October 21st commemorates Diana’s first ever appearance in ‘All Star Comics #8’ which released in October of 1941 courtesy of her celebrated creator – William Moulton Marston, and DC Comics. That’s a sensational eighty one glorious years in her  illuminating presence!

We love Wonder Woman here in Precinct1313, she’s actually our favourite comic-book creation of all time, and I personally have been reading and collecting Wondy comics, movies and memorabilia since I was a mere nine years of age, she has always been an inspiration to me. Unlike her superheroic peers, Diana doesn’t necessarily rely on her fists… her strength lies within her power to understand, and forgive, to first extend a hand of friendship rather than wield her sword. Diana’s mantra is love and compassion, and in the rather unpredictable world we live in today, she is very much the hero we need…

And so, my astonishing amazonian associates, what will you be doing to celebrate this Day of Wonder? Here in the ol’ Precinct we shall be re-indulging in one of the more recent takes on the Themysciran Titan, the sublime – Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed. The Laurie Halse Anderson penned tale provides a fresh and funky take on Diana’s early upbringing on Paradise Island and first foray into “man’s world” A superb coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker recesses of humankind. And you too can idulge your senses in this vaunted volume with our very own review of this classic – Right Here.

Of course, we shall also be revisiting an episode or two of Lynda Carter’s spectacular turn as Wondy in the 70’s and early 80’s terrific television series, and then, once more (probably for the billionth time now) Gal Gadot’s breathtaking 2017 big screen adaptation!

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Happy Batman Day!

Nana, nana, nana, nana, Batma… oh hey there, my bodacious bat-brethren, do please excuse my reciting of the classic Batman theme from Adam West’s sixties extravaganza, now that was a time when the curmudgeonly creature of the night actually enjoyed fighting crime, he even joked and (unbelievable I know) SMILED!

Of course, the swinging sixties was very much a different time and place, in fact Silver Age Batman smiled, joked, cajoled and inherently enjoyed being the Caped Crusader, this variant of the character was a million miles away from the grimdark version of the Dark Knight. Though, sixties Bats was an anomaly caused by the Comics Code Authority that cracked down hard on the various adult storylines contained within comics such as Batman and Detective Comics.

When the sensational seventies hit, ol’ Batsy was reinstalled back to his rightful place as the creepy creature of the night who revelled in hunting down vile villains, and thrashing the dastardly and deadly denizens of Gotham to within an inch of their lives. Yet, there have been a number of lightheated and fun moments since his return to the despair and darkness that envelops his being, so for this particular anniversary post, let’s turn Batman’s frown upside down and celebrate his cute and cuddly side…

Not Sure If Superman Forcing Bats To Smile For A Selfie Counts, Yet Here We Are!

Ah Yes, The Legendary Bat-Smirk, This One Is Particularly Delightful ‘Cause He Just Managed To Relieve Green Lantern Of His Power Ring, Without Him Realising! 

Yeah, That Would Creep Me Out Too!

Aww, Harley Loves Batsy Really, Look at Her, Sharing The Cupcakes…

He’s Just A Cuddly Costumed Vigilante Really, He Even Keeps Lollipops In His Utility Belt! 

See, He’s Not Scary At All… Unless You’re A SuperVillain, And Then You’re Gonna End Up In Traction For Six Months!

Ok, This One Genuinely Made Me Laugh Out Loud, Maybe Bats Should Take Up Stand Up Comedy!

Love This Exchange Between Batman And Black Orchid From The Justice League Dark Animated Movie, Pure, Dry Batman Brilliance!

Sure, Joker May Be Laughing Right Now, But Just Seconds After This, Batman Kicked The Crap Out Of Him… Again!

So there you go, fellow Bat-Fans, a lighthearted look at the Masked Manhunter in celebration of Batman Day! That said, as jovial as he seems here, one thing you should never, ever do is criticise his choice of transport, he hates that!

Happy Batman Day!

We Can ‘Harley’ Believe That It’s Been 30 Years Since Ms Quinn’s Debut…

That’s right, it’s been three dynamic decades since the psychedelic psychopath of print was first unleashed onto an unsuspecting comic book universe, much to the chagrin of The Batman, but conversely to the delight of millions of comic book fans, for Harley truly is… one of the greatest comic-book characters ever conceived, and if you don’t agree, then her beloved mallet would like to have a word with you!

Former psychiatrist, Dr Harleen Quinzel was originally an Arkham Asylum intern who, after prolonged psychology sessions with crazed clown The Joker, was coerced into thinking that Batman was the ultimate cause of Joker’s insanely murderous high jinks. Slowly falling in love with the irascible psychotic, Harleen eventually aided the mirthful murderer to escape the asylum and joined him on his insane crusade to dispense madness, murder and mayhem on the populace of Gotham City.

Ms Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm and actually made her first ever appearance outside of the comic book format, on the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, in an episode titled “Joker’s Favour” which aired on the 11th September 1992.

Actress Arleen Sorkin was Paul Dini’s original inspiration for the clown princess of crime, after he caught her appearance in an episode of Days Of Our Lives, in which she appeared in a dream sequence wearing a Jester outfit. Dini and Sorkin had been friends since college, and he even incorporated certain facets of Arleen’s personality into the character (and, of course – Arleen/Harleen)

Though initially brought in as a throw away character, Harley proved so massively popular with the DC fanbase that she was ultimately ushered into DC Universe continuity in the 1994 graphic novel “Batman Adventures: Mad Love” which recounted her wild and wacky origin tale, written and drawn by her original co-creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm.

Harley of course has, since that time, become a fantabulously fun force to be reckoned with both on and off the comic-book page, starring in both animated and live action movies, and is also without a shadow of a doubt, THE most most popular choice for depiction amongst cos-players across the globe. 

Harley and Ivy Discuss… erm, Beavers!

Enough Already! My Ribs are Beginning To Ache!!

And So, Happy 30th Anniversary To That Marvellously Maniacal Mistress Of Mayhem – Harley Quinn!

*Please Note: No beavers were hurt during the production of this post, just tossed, stuffed, kidnapped (beaver-napped?) and made fun of… so that’s alright then!*

Seminal Fantasy Artist – Oliver Frey – Passes Away At 74

It is with great sadness that we relay the tragic news that legendary fantasy illustrator – Oliver Frey passed away from cancer on 21 August, he was 74.

Originally born in Zurich, Switzerland, Oliver spent most of his life as a resident in the UK, where he became a household name thanks to his varying works on British comic strips and magazines including – White Dwarf, Dan Dare and The Trigan Empire. Oliver studied at the London Film School, whilst he continued freelancing as an illustrator, it was during this time that he met film director – Richard Donner, who commissioned Oliver to create a 1930’s comic-book style opening as a pre-title sequence for the 1978, Christopher Reeve starring “Superman”

For me though, and many other fans, it was his stellar illustrative work on prestigious 80s and 90s British videogame magazines – CRASH and Zzap64 that first endeared us to his awesome artwork. Oliver’s seminal artistic output adorned the various covers and innards of these fantastic ZX Spectrum and C64 based review zines, plus he would also draw portraits of the review staff that denoted their pleasure or dislike of the varying games they would review, giving these classic magazines a wholly unique feel. After the closure of the respective magazines publisher – Newsweek, Oliver continued to work in the gaming art field by utilising his unique style for publications such as – Sega Force and N-Force, amongst many others.

Our thoughts go out to Oliver’s family and friends at this very sad time.

Daily Dose Of DC…

56 years ago – July 1966 – “Batman” was released in cinemas, starring Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson.

          “Some days, you just can’t get rid of a bomb!”

Daily Dose Of DC…

30 years ago, the unimaginable happened… the Man of Steel died fighting Doomsday!

To celebrate this genre defining moment, DC have reunited the original creative teams of Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Roger Stern, and Butch Guice; Louise Simonson, Joe Bogdanove, Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett for the Death of Superman: 30th Anniversary Special #1.

These compelling creative teams have reunited to tell the tales that showcase how some of Superman’s biggest allies reacted during and after his cataclysmic battle against Doomsday, through four brand new narratives. The Death of Superman: 30th Anniversary Special will be available from your local comic-book emporium from the 8th of November.

Superman is copyright: DC Comics

Daily Dose Of DC…

On this very day 79 years ago, the Caped Crusader hit the silver screen for the first time in Lambert Hillyer’s 1943, 15 chapter serial series – The Batman – starring Lewis Wilson as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Douglas Croft as Robin/Dick Grayson.

Batman is copyright: DC Comics.

Remember, Remember, The Fifth Of November…

Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder, treason and plot, I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason shall ever be forgot…”

Hey there fellow conspirators of Precinct1313, today in the UK it’s Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night. This annual commemoration is observed every November the fifth in Britain, the history of which began with the events on fifth November 1605, when a senior member of the Gunpowder Plot – Guy Fawkes – was arrested after being discovered guarding the explosives his Machiavellian associates had placed beneath the House of Lords.

In celebration at the time, that King James had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around the provinces of London, over the centuries this has become an annual national remembrance day of the plot and it’s failure, to which people burn effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire pyre traditionally accompanied by fireworks.

In commemoration of Mr Fawkes, we present a re-blog of an interview we held a couple of years back with one V of V for Vendetta fame, so you too can join in on this classic chronicle of conspiratorial calamity! (also why not indulge in the fantastic 2005 celluloid adaptation, which encapsulates, quite possibly, the greatest performance of all time by thrilling thespian – Hugo Weaving as the titular V!)

Re-live Our V Interview – Right Here!

Happy Bonfire Night!

80 Glorious Years Of Wonder Woman!

Hola and welcome, my absolutely astounding Amazon associates, to the 80th anniversary of the Themysciran Titan known as – Wonder Woman! That’s right, William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter’s groundbreaking fictional female first appeared in print exactly eight decades ago to this day, in the October 1941 issue of Sensation Comics #08.

If you’ve been a follower of the Precinct for awhile now, you more than likely know our affinity and adoration for Diana, in fact near forty percent of the post output here has been about the wondrous one’s myriad adventures. We have regaled you, dear reader, with comic and graphic novel reviews, psychological breakdowns of Diana’s mantra and impact, not only in the world of comics but also in real life situations of feminism, emancipation and acceptance, not to mention in-depth looks at her many allies, and foes, biographies of her creators, and the sundry stunning writers and artists who have depicted her over the decades.

Wonder Woman is THE most important fictional female character ever committed to print, a shining beacon of hope and bastion of empowerment and equality, in the popular world of the superhero, she is the anomaly, relying on forgiveness, love and acceptance, rather than just the fist. That said, she is also a three millennium old Amazon warrior, who has been training, alongside her immortal sisters, in martial mastery since her illustrious and divine creation by a pantheon of Greek gods, so, if she needs to kick arse, let’s just say, very few can stand before her might.

So, in celebration of Wondy’s eighty year reign, we would love to share with you a selection of our favourite Precinct1313 Wonder Woman posts from throughout the past eight years of this blog’s existence, that regale our love and admiration of the scintillating scion of the sublime. Enjoy, and… Happy 80th Anniversary Diana, we love ya!

Wonder Woman: The True Amazon

Eisner Award winning writer/artist – Jill Thompson’s perfect parable of Diana’s earlier years is an alluring and sometimes provocative take on the Themysciran Titan, the storytelling contained within this terrific tome has a level of true emotional depth oft unfound in the medium, and you can re-visit our 2016 review – Right Here.

Wonder Woman/Conan

The legendary pairing of the Themysciran Princess and sullen eyed Cimmerian – Conan the Barbarian is equalled in this titanic tale by the mythical mixing of it’s superstar creators – Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti. Simone’s slow but epic build up in the story allows us to richly immerse ourselves into Conan’s savage and tempestuous reality, of which you too can experience if you visit our glowing review from 2020 – Right Here!

Wonder Woman: Rebirth

Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott’s Rebirth series was a phenomenon both visually and in it’s stellar story-telling, and world building, and has ended up with the distinction of being one of my absolute favourite ever takes on Gaea’s glorious gal, and you can find out why when you re-visit our 2016 post – Right Here.

Why We Love Wonder Woman

A more recent post from July 2021, where we spend time reflecting on the core attributes about Zeus’ favoured daughter that initially attracted us to the classic character, and why we still hold her in such reverence. Why not wend your way over to this particularly poignant post – Right Here!

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed

Celebrated author – Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrator – Leila Del Luca provided a fresh and funky new take on Diana’s early upbringing on Paradise Island. A superb coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker recesses of humankind, but is ultimately a tale of family, friends, love and emancipation. Indulge your senses in our review – Right Here.

Diana – Princess Of The Amazons

Diana: Princess of the Amazons tells the tale of the wondrous one many years before she became the icon known as Wonder Woman. An eleven year old girl growing up on the idyllic paradise island of Themyscira. This fabulous fable is an uplifting tale about dealing with the inevitable growing pains that everyone ultimately experiences on their emotional journey into adulthood. A young adult novel that can be enjoyed by all ages, and you can start your very own voyage into this wildly wonderful world – Right Here!

Happy 80th Anniversary Diana! Just 20 More Years To The Centenary!!

Happy Batman Day!

Over eight decades ago, the smoking gun barrel of Joe Chill unleashed unto the unsuspecting denizens of Gotham City a nocturnal nightmare of which they had never seen. The tragic murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, before the innocent eyes of their young son, Bruce, created a force of vengeance and justice that has been preying on Gotham’s criminal underbelly with furious anger ever since… The Batman!

Created by the peerless pairing of Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the creepy and curmudgeonly creature of the night’s first ever appearance was in DC Comics’ revered Detective Comics in May of 1939. Since that time, the dark and surly one has gone on to become, quite possibly, the most popular and renowned Superhero ever conceived, with his fame spreading across every single known entertainment medium, from comic-books through video-games, television shows, movies, toys, clothes, novelisations, and so, so much more, firmly cementing his place in heroic history!

But what is it that compels readers to immerse themselves in a vengeance driven man-hunter, a being that has devoted his life to bringing his own brand of Bat-justice to a corrupt and dystopian city seething with criminal detritus? I absolutely believe that it’s his inherent vulnerability and pathos, you see, unlike the vast swathe of caped crusaders, Bruce is, ultimately, just a man in a costume… he can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, or deflect bullets with bracelets, he’s not capable of reaching the speed-force, or even talking to fish! but what he does possess is the inherent belief in his own righteousness and decency, it’s his integrity and moral fortitude that has enabled him to rise above the sea of costumed crimefighters and be the best he can be, no matter the adversity or lack of powers thereof… the mark of a true hero (of course, billions of dollars, an unsurpassed mastery of myriad martial arts, genius level intellect and a compendium of glorious gadgets also, sort of, helps!)

And So… Happy Batman Day! What will you be doing to celebrate the Dark Knight? Why not sound off in the comments below, fellow Bat-fans.

Precinct1313 Recommends: Doomsday Clock – The Complete Collection

Never was a truer word said Doc… since DC Comics and comic-book author – Geoff Johns – once again returned us to the dystopian landscape of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins’ original groundbreaking ’80s maxi-series. 

I am a self confessed Watchmen fanboy, it is without a shadow of doubt my favourite comic-book series of all time. When I first consumed Alan Moore’s trailblazing series in 1986, I was blown away, it was a unique and contemporary take on the Superhero genre, a treatise on social anxiety, and a complete deconstruction of traditional Superhero conceptualisation, it was different in every single way possible to everything that came before it, and is almost single-handedly responsible for completely transforming the face of the comic-book medium for future creators, and readers. A veritable masterpiece.

Since that time we have been regaled with scant few other forays into Moore’s apocalyptic vision, from Director – Zack Snyder’s masterful cinematic adaptation in 2009, a motion comic version of the original series released the same year to coincide with the movie’s release, through DC’s prequel series – Before Watchmen, released in 2012, and more recently, the superb HBO television saga by Damon Lindelof. And though some fans revelled in the new material presented to us (myself included) others believed that the original should have always have been left as a standalone project, with whom co-creator Alan Moore has always sided.

I personally believe that any beloved piece of creation, be it film, novel and comic-book should always be given a chance to grow and re-present itself to a new and modern audience, Snyder’s movie was the first instance of this for Watchmen, opening up the material to new fans, but at the same time being honest and respectful of Moore’s original vision. Watchmen is a world that has so many more tales to tell, and even more lessons to bestow upon it’s readership, and with Geoff Johns’ – Doomsday Clock series, DC did just that, oh and it also marked a return for irascible ink-blot masked vigilante – Rorschach, but not in the way anyone was expecting (I mean, Doc Manhattan did, literally, implode Rorschach at the end of the first series!!)

Doomsday Clock actually counts as  our first foray back into the pandemonium that is the Watchmen as it’s a direct sequel to the iconic ’80s series, and as controversial as that seems to some fans, as I stated earlier in the post, I personally am more than happy to once again step into the chaotic and dystopian world of the titular Crimebusters. Sequels, movie adaptations, et al, do not dilute the original works, and if done with care and attention to the former work, can add more layers to the existing whole, plus if the idea of a Watchmen sequel is in any way sacrilegious to you, then you can always ignore it and continue to enjoy Moore’s superlative original story in all it’s well deserved glory.

Doomsday Clock is initially set just a few short years after the end of the original storyline, it’s 1992 and the world is still in turmoil after the events set in motion by Ozymandias, but with his scheme now laid bare, the world is once again on the brink of nuclear armageddon. With this premise, writer – Geoff Johns and artist – Gary Franks, effortlessly transport us back to the wonderfully dark and grimy world set up by Moore, stylistically the comic evokes the original material beautifully, from the dialogue set, through to the nine panel grid layout, visually this feels perfectly at home to it’s predecessor.

Of course, I haven’t even touched upon the cross dimension interaction between the Crimebusters and DC’s regular pantheon of Superheroes, but let’s just say that the Batman/Rorschach team-up is as delightful as you can imagine, with some utterly fantastic dialogue between the two maniacal masked manhunters.

If you’re fan of Watchmen and can get past the apparent controversy that a sequel to the seminal original exists, then the recently released Doomsday Clock: Complete Collection is an absolute must buy. Johns and co have presented us with an extremely well written dark, but at times amusing return to the world of masked vigilantes, chaos and deep rooted fear and anxiety, and I for one am more than happy to continue my stay in its fatalistic presence. Highly recommended.