Detective Comics #977: This issue is clever in a number of ways. First, Ulysses shows Tim his future, and we learn it was Kate and the Colony assassinating Bruce in the Batcave -- on the President’s orders -- that sets up Tim’s confrontation with her. It appears the President ordered Bruce's execution because he again activated Brother Eye. (I'm actually not sure when Bruce first activated Brother Eye.) This development isn't just connected to some distant future, as Ulysses also introduces Tim to his creation (presumably Brother Eye) in this issue. Ulysses says he’s helping Tim because he was furious to learn he (Ulysses) wasn’t part of the future at all; he wants to team with Tim so he can be relevant. Tim isn’t sure he wants Ulysses' help, and Tynion does a solid job throughout the issue in showing Tim still reeling psychologically from the events of the last few weeks, including his time in Mr. Oz's prison. Ulysses is disappointed with Tim's response, so he takes matters into his own hands when he hijacks two Colony troops and has them attack a bunch of criminals Batman is staking out. Tim had just come to Bruce to ask for help, and Ulysses seems confident his actions will somehow get Tim to accept his offer. I'm not sure I see the connection yet, but we'll see.
Doomsday Clock #4: Unlike Snyder's race to the finish in "Dark Nights: Metal" #6, Johns leaves you with the sense he has all the time in the world here, as he takes a detailed dive into the new Rorschach's origins. We learn he was a quiet and socially awkward young man who spent most of his time with his parents. Most importantly, his father was the original Rorschach's court-appointed psychiatrist, an outcome of his drive for fame and prestige. (We see a scene from Rorschach's childhood where his mother begs his father to let them move from New York, as the Soviet Union is testing nuclear bombs every day Dr. Manhattan is involved in Vietnam. Rorschach's father refuses to do so until his career gets going, and it's clear the blame Johns is pinning on them given their eventual deaths during Veidt's attack on New York.) Rorschach is institutionalized after Veidt's attack, as he's consumed with rage (a reflection of the psychiatric impact many of the attack's survivors felt). Mothman befriend him there and eventually teaches him how to fight, turning him into a one-man Minuteman. Mothman would break free of prison from time to time to go flying. On one trip, he returned with memorabilia from Rorschach's home, recognizing his longing for a connection to his parents. Rorschach discovers his father's journal about the original Rorschach, but all but the initial chapter is missing. He eventually decides to escape from prison, setting the institution on fire. Mothman initially goes with him, but stops and enters the flames, saying, in a brilliant moment, he's been drawn to them lately. But, he left Rorschach with a note -- including tickets to Antarctica and directions to Ozymandias' base -- saying he was invited there one time. Rorschach arrives to kill Veidt, but Veidt collapses in remorse, realizing he's made a terrible mistake. In the present, Bruce poses as a therapist to try to get Rorschach to tell him more about him, but fails, prompting Alfred to warn Bruce he severely underestimated Rohrschach. Underlining the point, Jane Doe helps Rorschach escape Arkham after being disturbed by what she's seen in his mind.
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