The Clock #1 Review
/By Justin D Williams
Within three weeks, hundreds of millions of healthy people worldwide contract various forms of aggressive cancer, and the proliferation, seemingly a viral outbreak, stumps the best scientific minds available. But after a leading cancer researcher loses his wife and watches his nine-year-old daughter begin to succumb to the same illness, he must race against the clock to end a global conspiracy that could propel the world straight into WWIII...or worse.
“The Clock” is a brand new series from Image Comics. Writer Matt Hawkins and artist Collen Doran have created a very compelling story. The story had me invested from the first three pages. That is all thanks to the introduction of the situation and stakes of the overall plot. A new strain of cancer is spreading like wildfire all over the world. A scientist name Jack is investigating the matter. He travels to Nigeria, Africa to find out why the locals haven’t been infected. Things get a little dicey when they are attacked by rebels. Thankfully Jack and his team make it out. I won’t go too deep into the plot because it will enter the spoiler zone. The Clock is well written with characters, situations and moments that anyone can relate too. Jack’s burden is not only trying to find a source or reason for this new cancer. He also must deal with the loss of someone close to him due to cancer. The layers of the burden that get piled onto him in this first issue will have you really feeling for the character. I think Matt Hawkins did a great job of giving us a character with multiple layers and dimensions to his arc and personality. “The Clock” is at its very core is a human story. The situation of a viral cancer outbreak brings in a horror/thriller element which I thought was handled very well. There is a sense of urgency and dread as the body count keeps piling up. The artwork by Collen Doran is also really good. I really enjoy some of the far wide shots, actions but I think the core of the art was the emotion. The scene where Jack has to deal with his loss is one of the highlights of the artwork. His facial expression, his body postures it feels in your face and you can’t help but feel for with him.
Overall “The Clock” is definitely a win. It has some great characters, a shocking twist that will have to question what is going on. The protagonist is relatable and his burden is something you can’t help but cheer that he will make it out. Definitely check out this first issue.
