Doctor Doom #1 Review with Spoilers and Buffalo Gals

[Iron Maiden]

Whoa....what an opener. I like the set up and it looks like we are in for a wild ride.

The scene opens with a newscast in progress that is covering the launch of a grand project to help cure the planet by reducing CO2 emissions and cool down the planet. Right off the bat the sounds like trouble to me and made me think about the Snow Piercer movie. It's powered by Stark/Richards tech so right off you know Doom's going to have something to say about that when he's interviewed by the anchor, who picks the wrong person to throw some shade at. Poor Steve, he's probably wondering when his next meal is coming.

Despite the disrespect shown on the broadcast, Doom seems to be in a good humor these days. It was surprising to know that he gets visited periodically by a somewhat addled Kang who seems to be losing track of his journeys through time. I think with Kang you just never know what version you are going to get....there could be copies of him at various stages of his life floating around the time stream. At this juncture, there is a strange kinship between them. Neither of them is sure if they are related or not, much like there has always been speculation on the point ever since the Lee/Kirby days.

Then we get these strange interludes of Doom in another life where he has married has a couple of children , cured all the world's ills and has a strange fondness for American folk songs. We are also given an update on Boris by a new character and that is Boris's daughter Petra. I hope we get to see Boris but the fact that he is battling cancer sounds ominous. I liked the fact the Boris has enough spirit to have wagers with Doom on foreign affairs involving neighboring Symkaria. Doom does throw a veiled threat in there but one is not quite if he is joking for not. And neither is Petra.

Then disaster strikes and there is an attack on the Antilon project when Latveria's missiles are launched and causes its' destruction with over 3,000 casualties. This places Doom at the top of the World's Most Wanted, and probably filling all of the top ten spots.
I liked that the first hero that shows up is the British Union Jack along with a couple of mercenary types. Doom is wounded in the fight but surprises every one by surrendering.

For an opener, I think this issue does all the right things in setting the stage, throwing in some keen characterizations and a mystery to top it all off. There are a couple of mysteries in fact...the meaning of Doom's visions of another life and who is the real cause of the attach on the Antilon project. Sal Larocca does some wonderful work on both the quiet moments of Doom in his study and the fight with Doom and his attackers. This was a good start for the first issue and I hope Cantwell has a nice long run on this series. The title of the issue is Pottersville and I must be referencing It's A Wonderful Life. But right now, things aren't so wonderful for Doom.