May 2016 saw the release of DC Rebirth, bringing the New 52 to an end and spawning the current universe-spanning mystery: who is watching DC? “The Button” began with promises for answers, but we still haven’t got that many from this Flash/Batman crossover. Its final issue, Flash #22, will be coming out next week and will probably give us another piece of the puzzle.
To fill the void left this week by the postponing of The Button’s last installment and to celebrate the one-year landmark of DC Rebirth we bring you this new section, The Watchmen Watch. The purpose of it is to keep track of clues and hints being dropped all around the DC Universe so that you, our dear reader, won’t have to spend all of your time – and money – following the trail left behind by Doctor Manhattan and his crew.
To start with grandeur, we will be having three special editions before we fall into our regular schedule. This, the first one, is a dissection of two of Alan Moore’s works for DC: Watchmen and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, also known and the unofficial last Superman story, much like Gaiman’s Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. This is us going after the bakery where the bread being used by DC to leave us a bread crumb trail was produced. Be aware that it is full of spoilers. This is not a recap or summary of those books, a lot has been left out and some smaller plot points are brought to the forefront as we link the stories to DC Rebirth.
Our next installment will be a study of groups of characters that seem to be linked to the muddled timeline, namely the Legion and the Justice Society. Besides, we are including a study on the Charlton Comics characters, the ones that were supposed to be the characters in Watchmen were it not for DC red lighting their use. Ted Kord being brought back after 12 years of being dead and Captain Atom having his own a mini-series rings all kinds of bells, and we wouldn’t leave it out of our investigation. Last but not least, the third part will be an analysis of The Button after it is finished. What will be found out? What are going to be the implications of their traveling to the Flashpoint universe and its destruction?
Without further ado, please enjoy this scarlet and yellow breakdown of Moore’s universe.
