KING IN BLACK: Iron Man/Doctor Doom REVIEW AND SPOILERS

[Iron Maiden]

I put the spoiler tag up there since I am not really following the main event. IMO Christmas time is not a good time to stage one of these when people are already spending their $$$ on presents, etc. But maybe that's just me

Having said that, this is a fun part of the event where you really don't have to know much to follow the story. Tony is still reacting over the death of Eddie Brock and how he played a role in it. Doom sort of randomly shows up to ask if he would mourn Doom as he is mourning Eddie Brock. This evolves into them discussing a few hypotheticals as to how that could possibly happen. One thing I have enjoyed about Cantwell's writing here, and in his Iron Man and recently concluded Doctor Doom series is he is very good at doing these kind of off the wall dialog scenes. IMO it gives a very human aspect to the characters, especially for Doom who many writers just resort to him making pronouncements and speeches. Larocca shows us a very detailed look at Tony's Extremis/Symbiote armor -- I'm not sure what else to call it. Later in the story, Doom reaalllly likes this armor and Tony tells him no chance of that happening.

While they are on the rooftop discussing how Tony would ever consider mourning Doom they see the approach of Santa in full regalia, sleigh and reindeer. That is they think it is until they get a closer look. Once again Cantwell shows some of his writing skills with the dialog of the symbiote Santa as he sings darker versions of Christmas carols. He also has "paindeer" that vomit symbiote goo. The best panel in the book is when Knullified Santa starts swearing. Now usually in comic books, it's blocked out by using special random characters like *&%!% but instead Santa uses christmas emojis

Marvel's armored icons team up to take down the dark version of Santa, Tony with his new armor's powers and for good measure Doom tosses in an anti-Krampus spell. Doom also fries the paindeer who had earlier spewed some of the symbiote goo on him, to no effect.
Knullifed Santa is defeated but we are left in doubt as to who he really is...could he have really be Santa or a guy from New Jersey who owns of a holiday decorations store. Doom seems to think so anyway. The only thing that I found disappointing is that there is no mention of Doom's previous encounter with Santa Claus in "I'll Be Doom for Christmas" story in What The #10 - Christmas Special from the 1980s comic.

I always have found the relationship between Tony and Victor interesting. There's isn't that deep animosity as there is with Victor and Reed. One wonders if Doom does admire Tony in some ways since he did take on the Iron Man mantle in Bendis's Infamous Iron Man series. They actually do have conversations in ways that never happen with Reed...and sometimes I don't think Tony is all that fond of Reed.

[Lucyinthesky]

This story was adorable, I liked the quite way they show their love/hate relationship and how they know were the other is not quite ok

[Iron Maiden]

I figure both of them were in a down mood at the beginning of the story...Tony feels guilty about Eddie Brock and Victor is in a funk because he thinks there is no good in him. Yet they team up take on this Knullified Santa together

[Lucyinthesky]

I figure both of them were in a down mood at the beginning of the story...Tony feels guilty about Eddie Brock and Victor is in a funk because he thinks there is no good in him. Yet they team up take on this Knullified Santa together

Yes Cantwell said he wanted them to have some fun after Doom´s last issue and something that´s going to happen with Tony in his next issue so seeing them together fighthing evil Santa was good. I hope there are some new plans for Doom in 2021 I would like if Ewing writes him interacting with Magneto on SWORD.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Salvador Larocca's art humanizes Doom well, especially this panel. There's something sentimental in there.

KiB - Iron Man Doom 01.jpg

[Iron Maiden]

And do you notice that the colorist has darkened the tone of his skin? Or is it just me? To be honest I like seeing a Doom that isn't "whitewashed". His AU self isn't so maybe there's no reason to interpret anything from it. I know in the early 4 color days in comics, it was not easy to give shading, etc. It's just that there is so little reference to Doom's ethnicity. Except I did like his random reference to Latverian Christmas lore in this story

[Iron Maiden]

Yes Cantwell said he wanted them to have some fun after Doom´s last issue and something that´s going to happen with Tony in his next issue so seeing them together fighthing evil Santa was good. I hope there are some new plans for Doom in 2021 I would like if Ewing writes him interacting with Magneto on SWORD.

I've been waiting to see if Hickman has a Doom guest shot in his X-Men. There seemed to be a hint given of a possible conflict brewing on the horizon when Doom and Valeria were talking at the end of Zdarsky's X-Men/Fantastic Four

[Tien Long]

A little off-kilter story for the holidays. Seriously, Dr. Doom in a story featuring a symbiote controlled Santa Claus? What's next, he's going to have a run-in, with, I don't know, Squirrel Girl?!......................Oh wait.....

In all seriousness though, the issue had a one-shot, crazy vibe to it. Honestly, for a while I was thinking that this was a Marvel joke issue. I thought they'd actually say that there was a Santa Claus! But it worked out well. I like this use of continuity and mixing, with an Extremis/Symbiote infused armor. So, yes it was an entertaining issue.

Oh yeah, big props for name dropping Paramus, New Jersey! North Jersey's land of the shopping malls! Santa coming from there makes sense.

[Iron Maiden]

Oh, I didn't know that about Paramus. The farthest east I've been is the huge King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania. So that makes sense that Santa would hang around New Jersey.

[Tien Long]

Oh, I didn't know that about Paramus. The farthest east I've been is the huge King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania. So that makes sense that Santa would hang around New Jersey.

Ha, thanks. Yeah, probably came from Garden State Plaza, 14th largest mall in America!

Getting back to the issue, I'm wondering when did Doom come to NYC? For that matter, what is the current status of Doom? Last I remember, he was trying to be the next Iron Man, right after Secret Wars. I don't recall him being in the main King In Black series. Come to think of it, Doom seemed a little underwhelming here. I'm expecting massive, titanic powers and such, not holding on to Santa's sleigh. Was Doom chumped out here?

[Huntsman Spider]

Ha, thanks. Yeah, probably came from Garden State Plaza, 14th largest mall in America!

Getting back to the issue, I'm wondering when did Doom come to NYC? For that matter, what is the current status of Doom? Last I remember, he was trying to be the next Iron Man, right after Secret Wars. I don't recall him being in the main King In Black series. Come to think of it, Doom seemed a little underwhelming here. I'm expecting massive, titanic powers and such, not holding on to Santa's sleigh. Was Doom chumped out here?

Long story made short, though Iron Maiden can probably explain better than I can, is that Doom got his face re-scarred at the end of Brian Bendis's Invincible Iron Man while stopping the Hood from yet another magic-enabled criminal scheme, and then as of Dan Slott's Fantastic Four, resumed his rulership of Latveria at the behest of his remaining loyalists. Then he made some appearances in Amazing Spider-Man, mostly the 2099 arc in #32-36, and got his own series, written by Christopher Cantwell like this one-shot, which ended last week at issue 10. Funny enough, the 2099 arc in ASM ended with Doom pretty much framed for a terrorist attack on New York City, with Doom refusing to admit it wasn't him because his pride would have him play the monster rather than be seen as anyone's patsy or dupe, and his now-concluded series began with him being blamed (or framed) for a different atrocity. Won't spoil the final issue if you haven't read it yet, but that's as much as I recall of his status at present.

[Iron Maiden]

That's a pretty good summary of the last couple of years

Ha, thanks. Yeah, probably came from Garden State Plaza, 14th largest mall in America!

Getting back to the issue, I'm wondering when did Doom come to NYC? For that matter, what is the current status of Doom? Last I remember, he was trying to be the next Iron Man, right after Secret Wars. I don't recall him being in the main King In Black series. Come to think of it, Doom seemed a little underwhelming here. I'm expecting massive, titanic powers and such, not holding on to Santa's sleigh. Was Doom chumped out here?

Doom, AFAIK, is making his only appearance in the KIB event here. I've not really been keeping up with it though. All I can say is I think Cantwell just wanted the two in this book together since he just finished up the Doom series and is 4 issues into the Iron Man series. And he just likes both of these characters. I don't think it is a major part of what the KIB event is about....just a goofy little Christmas-y one shot.

[xcoijoi]

Vic is right. Brock isn't worth eulogizing over.

[Iron Maiden]

Vic is right. Brock isn't worth eulogizing over.

I've really lost track of him over the years. A while back I decided that I just couldn't get the entire Marvel line like I used to. I do have a Marvel Unlimited subscription so I can pick and choose what I want to keep up with

I just am going by his portrayal in the movies but he did seem like a weasel in those.

[Huntsman Spider]

That's a pretty good summary of the last couple of years



Doom, AFAIK, is making his only appearance in the KIB event here. I've not really been keeping up with it though. All I can say is I think Cantwell just wanted the two in this book together since he just finished up the Doom series and is 4 issues into the Iron Man series. And he just likes both of these characters. I don't think it is a major part of what the KIB event is about....just a goofy little Christmas-y one shot.

Thanks very much.