Tag Doctor Doom

A Fantastic Four #700 Micro-Review – When You Give a Narcissist a Time Machine…

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

TITLE: Fantastic Four #700
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross.
RELEASED: May 17, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I haven’t read nearly as much Doctor Doom content as I perhaps should have. But one thing I’ll never deny is that Doom is inevitably fun to read. He is a narcissist that refers to himself in the third person, after all. Ryan North has a great handle on the character.

And what happens when you give a time machine to a narcissist? The results aren’t nearly as catastrophic as you might think.

Question: How much longer is Johnny Storm going to have his fu manchu? It may have run its course, I think…

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@Yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter and TikTok. 

A Fantastic Four #2 Micro-Review- A Town Called Doom

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Fantastic Four 2, cover, December 2022, Alex RossTITLE: Fantastic Four #2
AUTHOR: Ryan North
ARTISTS: Iban Coello, Jesus Aburtov (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross.

RELEASED: December 7, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is a really strong character issue for Doctor Doom. That’s saying something, as he doesn’t appear in the issue.

We started this series off by checking in with Ben and Alicia Grimm. This month we check in with Reed and Sue Richards. And (Spoiler Alert!) next issue we check in with Johnny Storm. In terms of starting a new team book in particular, that’s not a conventional approach. But it’s not a bad one. New readers (like myself) get a chance to spend some more time with the characters before we get into the larger-scope stuff.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Iron Man 2020, Go Go Power Rangers, and More!

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***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Oye. Not a good comic book week for yours truly. Not only am I still reeling from the demise of my local shop, but my pull list was uncharacteristically small this week. So what’s a frustrated fanboy to do?

With only three issues in my stack this week, I’ve added a mini-review of Detective Comics #1000, as we learned this week that it was the highest selling comic book of 2019.

Shout out to Jay’s Comics in Gurnee, IL. I’m pretty sure they’re my new shop.

TITLE: Iron Man 2020 #1 (of 6)
AUTHOR: Dan Slott, Christos Gage
ARTISTS: Pete Woods, Joe Caramagna (Letterer).
RELEASED: January 15, 2020

Thanks to a lot of backstory, (which the issue is nice enough to provide us post-script), Tony Stark’s adoptive brother Arno Stark is now Iron Man. Straight out of the gate, he’s got a rebellious robot uprising to contend with.

As someone who hasn’t kept up with Iron Man lately, there’s not much here to excite me. It’s inferred that Arno has sinister intentions. But when friggin’ Doctor Doom has played the role before, everyone else pales from a “villain as the hero” perspective. Ironic, as Dan Slott’s work on The Superior Spider-Man drew me to this book.

TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #27
AUTHORS: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Eleonora Carlini.
RELEASED: January 15, 2020

Excellent issue, which includes a fight between Tommy and Lord Zedd over the White Ranger powers.

So between what’s happening in this book, and in the main MMPR title, you’re telling me the all-wise Zordon has no idea what’s happening with Jason, Zack, and Trini? The kids he himself chose to be Power Rangers? Like, not even a little? That’s the one aspect of “Necessary Evil” I’m having trouble buying. Other than that, I’m really enjoying what we’re getting from the PR titles right now. The main book was shaky for awhile, but things are definitely back on track.

TITLE: The Low Low Woods #2
AUTHOR: Carmen Maria Machado
ARTISTS: Dani, Tamra Bonvillain (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by J.A.W. Cooper.
RELEASED: January 15, 2020

Something felt off here. I’m not sure if the issue was paced to fast, or I was having trouble recalling things from the first issue, or the bizarre-but-not-in-a-scary-way thing we see on page three. But I wasn’t into this issue as much as the first.

I do, however, appreciate the way they’ve developed the town of Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania as almost a character unto itself. The town apparently has “an extremely unhealthy relationship with its dead.” As I said last time, it’s very reminiscent of a Stephen King story.

TITLE: Detective Comics #1000
AUTHORS: Scott Snyder, Kevin Smith, Paul Dini, Warren Ellis, Denny O’Neil, Christopher Priest, Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, James Tynion IV, Tom King, Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Greg Capullo, Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen, Becky Cloonan, Steve Epting, Neal Adams, Alex Maleev, Kelley Jones, Alvaro Martinez-Bueno, Tony Daniel, Joelle Jones, Doug Mahnke. Cover by Lee.
INKERS: Jonathan Glapion, Scott Williams, Derek Fridolfs, Raul Fernanxes
COLORISTS: FCO Plascencia, Alex Sinclair, John Kalisz, Jordie Bellaire, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Dave Stewart, Michelle Madsen, Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano, Todd Klein, Steve Wands, Simon Bowland, Andworld Design, Willie Schubert, Josh Reed, Rob Leigh, Clayton Cowles
RELEASED: March 27, 2019

Yeesh. No wonder this issue sold so well. The sheer amount of talent on this thing, many of whom shaped the mythology of Batman, is outrageous.

I was pleasantly surprised to find something I liked in each tale from this 96-page multi-story anthology. But ultimately, it’s Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev that steal the show with “I Know.” An elderly Oswald Cobblepot confronts an equally elderly, wheelchair-bound Bruce Wayne to tell him he’s known his secret for a long time. It’s a quieter story compared to the rest. But it’s no less impactful for it.

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An Infamous Iron Man #1 Review – The Most Unlikely Hero

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Infamous Iron Man #1, 2016, cover, Alex MaleevTITLE: Infamous Iron Man #1
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILLER: Alex Maleev
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: October 19, 2016

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

So this is basically Superior Spider-Man with Doctor Doom and Iron Man. That’s an incredibly simplistic description. But it’s basically accurate, isn’t it? Hey, Superior Spider-Man was really good. If they can capture some of that magic with Infamous Iron Man, more power to them.

In the aftermath of Civil War II, Tony Stark is out of the picture. As Civil War II has been plagued by delays, we don’t know where Tony is, or what’s happened to him. But he’s gone. In his stead, the most unlikely of replacements will take up the Iron Man name: Victor von Doom. But why? More importantly, what is in store for the world now that Doctor Doom is Iron Man???

At face value, this seems to be another story about a bad guy trying to make amends with the world and become a hero. His motivation beyond that remains to be seen. But something’s clearly not right, as evidenced by his creepy scene with Tony’s former love interest Amara Perara. There’s an ominous vibe that seems to indicate things aren’t what they seem. He also makes it clear he’s taking on the Iron Man identity whether Tony (or at least a digital projection of Tony’s consciousness) approves.

Infamous Iron Man #1, 2016, Alex Maleev, Doctor Doom costumeThere’s also something going on with Doom’s mother. They bring her up at the start of the issue, and then we see her at the end. Looks like someone’s got some mommy issues…

Also, the Thing is now an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. So Doom has a built-in first opponent, who he may face a soon as next issue.

Artist Alex Maleev and colorist Matt Hollingsworth let us know we’re squarely in villain territory for most of the issue. Their dark, sketchy, muted M.O. sets a grim tone worthy of Marvel’s most despicable villain. Even when we see Doom rescue Maria Hill from Diablo, it’s difficult to trust him as he’s shrouded in darkness.

Maleev’s rendering of Victor, whose face has been restored after the events of Secret Wars, is interesting. He maintains the suave and sharp look he had in Invincible Iron Man. But Maleev also humanizes him. Early in the issue, there’s a transition from a shot of the Doctor Doom mask, to the same shot of Victor. Male gives him a face slightly touched by age. Mike Deodato modeled him after Vincent Cassel in Invincible. But you can also see a little Peter Cushing (Tarkin from Star Wars) in Maleev’s version.

Doctor Doom is, among many things, delightfully complex. He’s as good a candidate as any to do the villain-becomes-hero routine. Our villain’s attempt to reform will inevitably crash and burn. Given this is Doctor Doom we’re talking about, that crash will undoubtedly be big, epic, and deadly. So for now, Infamous Iron Man has my attention.

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A Secret Wars #2 Review – A Journey to Battleworld

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Secret Wars #2 cover, Alex RossTITLE: Secret Wars #2
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hicks
PENCILLER: Esad Ribic. Cover by Alex Ross.
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASED: May 13, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

The key to Secret Wars thus far, especially if you’re an A.D.D. guy like me, seems to be taking your time. There’s so much going on, and the scope of it is so huge, it might even take you a few reads to absorb everything. It is the end of the universe after all…

We spend most of this issue exploring Battleworld, a planet made up of pieces of the traditional Marvel Universe, the Ultimate Marvel Universe, and various other universes and timelines. To Jonathan Hickman’s credit, there’s a hierarchy to the world that seems very thought-out. The emerging conflict in this story seems very organic. This runs contrary to what DC did with Convergence, which segregated all the alternate universes, and then had a God-like figure simply force the various characters to fight.

It takes awhile to explain how Battleworld works. But once you get it, you come away with a certain enthusiasm for it all. So let’s hit some bulletpoints…

Secret Wars #2, Doctor Doom– Doctor Doom is revered as a god and an all-powerful creator.

– Doctor Strange is Doom’s right hand and acting lawmaker.

– This world’s police are the Thors, who police the various realms. They essentially guide us through the issue, and the world at large.

– Those who breach the borders must become part of The Shield (No wrestling fans, not that Shield.), a group that guards the realms from various hazards and hostilities.

– More serious offenders may be banished to the Deadlands, i.e. an underworld which is home to symbiotes, Ultron robots, and Annihilus drones.

If you’re watching Game of Thrones, much of this should seem familiar, particularly the stuff about The Shield and the Deadlands. I half expected to see Jon Snow pop up during the second half of the issue. Still, it works. And it’s all so rich in Marvel mythology, most of which newer Marvel readers (and perhaps even some of the more seasoned ones) won’t pick up on.

Secret Wars #2, Doctor Strange, Mr. SinisterAs compelling as Battleworld itself is, the most interesting aspect of this issue is Doctor Doom himself. We see that in addition to Doctor Strange, Sue Storm and her daughter Valeria are among his inner circle. The fact that they’re there, especially considering this is the original Marvel Universe’s Doctor Doom (As said by Hickman himself.), is extremely interesting. The duality between Doom’s more natural sadistic state, and the more merciful side we see brought to the surface by Sue, is also curious. How this progresses, and presumably unravels, in the issues to come will be interesting to see.

There’s also an interesting Science vs. Religion conflict here. Apparently the Thors have another job: To quarantine and keep secret anything that might cause believers to lose their faith in Doom as a god. Yet another curious seed planted.

Needless to say, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into with Secret Wars #2. But if you’re willing to stick it out and wade your way through the initial confusion, you’ll find out there’s a pretty good story on the table here. Granted, there’s still plenty of time for them to screw it up. But for now, they’ve got me interested. And as someone who’s been out of touch with Marvel lately, that’s no small feat.

Image 1 from comicvine.com. Image 2 from author’s collection.

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A Secret Wars #1 Review – A Noob’s Nightmare

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Secret Wars #1 (2015)TITLE: Secret Wars #1
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
PENCILLER: Esad Ribic. Cover by Alex Ross.
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASED: May 6, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I’m not a Marvel noob by any means. I’ve been a reader for a long time. But full disclosure: I’ve been out of the loop lately. As such, Secret Wars #1 was bewildering to me on a number of levels. But my God, if it threw me for a loop, imagine what it must have done to those poor noobs…

You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that saw Avengers: Age of Ultron on the first of the month, then came out to the comic shop several days later to see what the hell these Marvel comic books were all about. And low and behold, they found this: A book that pits the primary Marvel Universe against the Ultimate Marvel Universe in a desperate fight to survive as the multiverse collapses. And what’s more, it’s wrapped in a gorgeous Alex Ross cover (Oh hell, they’re all gorgeous.) very much reminiscent of Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Secret Wars #1, 2015But indeed, a new Marvel Universe is about to be formed. And to  be fair, Marvel is doing what it can to keep everybody in the know. The book has a plain white expository page that simply says: “The multiverse is dying. Only two universes remain. Today, Earths collide.” That’s a pretty simplistic view of something that’s not simple at all. But it states things pretty plainly. We also get cast page, that diagrams almost everybody in the issue. Hell, the issue even comes with a giant foldout of Battleworld, which as I understand it, is where much of the story will take place.

The issue also has a pretty damn good hook, as Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, and Molecule Man come face-to-face with the Beyonders, as an unknown narrator talks to us about God, and what happens when we die. Heavy stuff. But appropriate I suppose, considering, you know, it’s the end of the universe. When we circle back to it at the end, it’s fairly strong.

If you’ve been following the Ultimate books and the main Marvel stuff, there are some cool moments to be found here. Captain Marvel and Ultimate Iron Man face off. We see the Triskelion fly into primary Marvel Manhattan. Both versions of Spider-Man seem to simply be caught up in the mayhem, which I find fitting considering their standing within their respective fictional universes. But most of my cool points go to the sequence with The Punisher in the bar (see below). Talk about a scene with a punch line…

Secret Wars #1, Punisher, bar sceneStill, the issue jumps around so much between different characters that it can almost be frustrating, especially if you’re not familiar with who’s who. It’s understandable, considering the scope of what’s happening. But in the span of one issue (An oversized issue, but still a single issue.), we jump from Luke Cage and Iron Fist, to the Guardians of the Galaxy, to Storm and Thor, to Captain America and Iceman. And that’s just one page (shown above in part)! Throw in the fact that some of these characters don’t look the way mainstream culture knows them, i.e. Thor being a woman and Sam Wilson being Captain America, and the cyclone of confusion only gets stronger.

Both Esad Ribic and colorist Ive Svorcina deserve much credit for the much-needed epic feel they inject into the issue. While we don’t see a great deal of it here, Esad’s rendering of the Doctor Doom mask is awesomely intimidating. The desperation, terror, and determination he draws our heroes with is a beautiful thing. And Svorcina makes the issue a beautiful blaze of color, particularly in the way she reflects the colors in the sky off the various costumes. The issue as a whole is a lot to take in. But once you do, you know it’s gorgeous.

Regardless of how you rate the issue, between Secret Wars and Convergence, I’ve officially got event comic fatigue. More specifically, multiverse fatigue. No matter which worlds survive these respective crises, I can honestly say I’m ready to go back to my regularly scheduled comic books. Anybody else up for a non-event comic or two?

Image 1 from pastemagazine.com. Image 2 from gaish.tumblr.com.

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