Doctor Doom Appreciation

[Iron Maiden]

Having just glanced through a few pages of the Moon Girl book, I went back and looked more closely at the parts dealing with Doom. I thought this exchange between Riri Williams and Moon Girl does shed more light on things. Later Moon Girl pays a visit and since their a jack o lanterns about when we see some of the city scenes, this take place during Halloween. Of course it's always difficult to line up events in the MU at any given time. I remember once a Christmas themed story in the Millar/Hitch run of the Fantastic Four didn't get published until summer and other comics out that month clearly didn't take place in the winter.

What's worth noting is that there is some doubt about Doom's whereabouts and what he looks like. That can be explained since perhaps SHIELD is not exactly broadcasting information about him. Amara and Mary Jane met him in person and they would be aware of him being Iron Doom but it's still probably not common knowledge. His public appearances have been kept at a minimum. Both the Thinker and I think Diablo's hidden lair's were in other countries. He would have been seen on the streets of NYC when he fought the Thing but that was brief and probably hushed up as to who Ben was fighting.

[PaxHouse]

Incredible Preview Pages of INFAMOUS IRON MAN #5 are released and I honestly don't know who to root for...!!

[Abe]

Well... this is something... I mean the preview (thanks PaxHouse!) - I'll have a word about Moon Girl later...

GREAT art. The dialog is... interesting... I'll hope that the answers will be... satisfying... if possible... Victor seems as skeptical as you surely are, Iron Maiden . According to the solicit, we're also supposed to learn hat s Victor's "secret" - but I think it's fair to say that the solicits can't be trusted.

I really hope that Bendis has some truly good ideas. And won't only be teasing us with them in this issue one more time. If the trade book is supposed to be 6 issues long, he has to deliver something this week!

[Abe]

double post...

[Iron Maiden]

Ah yes, the preview. Thanks for linking that PaxHouse. I did see that but ran out of time to post about it.

I agree with you about the solicits being terribly wrong, Abe. It makes me think that these were ideas that Bendis had early on but discarded. Maybe he never will have a run in with Pepper Pots. We still have the promised clash with the other Iron Man, or Ironheart I should say.

I have to also agree the art is the best part of this book and I love the Maleev/Hollingsworth team on this. It's mostly moody and dark in tone. Looking at this scene, we see that Ben is recounting the encounter to someone else, Maria Hill I suppose. But either his memories are incorrect about Cynthia von Doom, or Bendis's are. It's never been mentioned that Cynthia was part of some coven in Latveria.

[Abe]

Ah yes, the preview. Thanks for linking that PaxHouse. I did see that but ran out of time to post about it.

I agree with you about the solicits being terribly wrong, Abe. It makes me think that these were ideas that Bendis had early on but discarded. Maybe he never will have a run in with Pepper Pots. We still have the promised clash with the other Iron Man, or Ironheart I should say.

I wouldn't mind if we don't get any of those confrontations. They could make sense for an Iron Man-Doom, but that's not what this book is really about, isn't it? The less it ties with other books, the happier I well be... But it's not impossible that tony was aware of something to come - thus the discussion is supposed to have with victor when he trapped him in that field... I don't expect much but perhaps that part of the plot of the previous Bendis Iron Man book will make sense one day, and the new Victor's path will lead to something in the MU...

I have to also agree the art is the best part of this book and I love the Maleev/Hollingsworth team on this. It's mostly moody and dark in tone. Looking at this scene, we see that Ben is recounting the encounter to someone else, Maria Hill I suppose. But either his memories are incorrect about Cynthia von Doom, or Bendis's are. It's never been mentioned that Cynthia was part of some coven in Latveria.

Yes, Maleev and Hollingsworth are doing great. Mostly moody and dark as you said, especially in those pages, but in a way that enlightens the magic when both Cynthia and Victor use it (on a side note, I like the use of greek alphabet or japanese hiragana syllabary in Cynthia's spells : I can read "spin lukhs" - spin lights - in greek but can't make sense of the japanese : u-ka-se-be-i or something like that...).

I must say that's also one of the reasons I liked the previous issue : I know that many disagree with the disarray of Latveria as if it was Victor's fault, but it was one of the first time that Latveria seemed to me really European. Memories of the wars in ex-Yugoslavia - on TV - and - more personal ones - of the last years of the USSR or of Saint Petersburg in 2000... Of course one could argue that Victor should have been clever enough to manage a better transition to a new power for his beloved country, but that's also the point. Victor's epiphany is about to let it go - I mean the ruling thing (he ruled the universe !) - he did it quick and made the understandable mistake that the average human beings would set things right by themselves... Pity humans!

In fact I like the voice of Ben in the book. I can even understand why he acted so bad in his search of Doom... He mourns his family and the fight - that wasn't really shown - in Cambridge or London - not in NY IIRC - was a way to feel like in the good old days. How to act in this new situation? Bendis talked about that in one interview I think, and I can get into that stuff.

I also think that his almost laconic Doom is pertinent to the situation : Victor doesn't really know how to act with people normally and his new persona is like a new armour he doesn't really know how to use... I really liked the last page of the previous issue because of that : the meeting between Victor and Ben was full of emotions, with very few words... IMHO it works quite well...

Anyway you're perfectly right about Ben(dis?)'s mistake about Cynthia and the coven... (thinking about that, could Cynthia have had some relationship with Wanda's mother? I stopped reading Scarlet Witch very soon, but we saw her mother in the woods, didn't we?).

And it could be the first of... many unforgettable mistakes to come ... lol...

[Ravin' Ray]

Anyway you're perfectly right about Ben(dis?)'s mistake about Cynthia and the coven... (thinking about that, could Cynthia have had some relationship with Wanda's mother? I stopped reading Scarlet Witch very soon, but we saw her mother in the woods, didn't we?).

Funny you should say that because the way "Cynthia" (I'll put her name in quotes until we know for sure that's truly her) is drawn here strongly reminds me of Wanda.

As for Wanda's mother, since I continue to read it,
spoilers:

Natalya Maximoff, the first Scarlet Witch, formed the classic Maiden-Mother-Crone coven with Wanda and Agatha to defeat the chaos entity attacking the Witch Goddess, and then volunteered to become the core of the Goddess in order to save her. She also resurrected Agatha and reversed Wanda's ageing.

end of spoilers

[Iron Maiden]

Funny you should say that because the way "Cynthia" (I'll put her name in quotes until we know for sure that's truly her) is drawn here strongly reminds me of Wanda.

As for Wanda's mother, since I continue to read it,
spoilers:

Natalya Maximoff, the first Scarlet Witch, formed the classic Maiden-Mother-Crone coven with Wanda and Agatha to defeat the chaos entity attacking the Witch Goddess, and then volunteered to become the core of the Goddess in order to save her. She also resurrected Agatha and reversed Wanda's ageing.

end of spoilers

Is issue SW #15 going to be the last issue? I hope not since it is my favorite monthly after Infamous Iron Man. You know Stan was the one who may provide a possible tie between Wanda and Victor. In Avengers #25, Doom lures Wanda and Pietro to Latveria with a letter written to them using the name of an alleged Aunt. Of course Doom made up this Aunt but it makes you wonder if he had heard of the Maximoff family from before, perhaps from talk going from members of his Zefiro tribe. No one's every really connected them any closer than that they are both Romani but it wouldn't be that big of a leap to find out that Wanda's mother knew of Victor's mother.

[Iron Maiden]

I wouldn't mind if we don't get any of those confrontations. They could make sense for an Iron Man-Doom, but that's not what this book is really about, isn't it? The less it ties with other books, the happier I well be... But it's not impossible that tony was aware of something to come - thus the discussion is supposed to have with victor when he trapped him in that field... I don't expect much but perhaps that part of the plot of the previous Bendis Iron Man book will make sense one day, and the new Victor's path will lead to something in the MU...



Yes, Maleev and Hollingsworth are doing great. Mostly moody and dark as you said, especially in those pages, but in a way that enlightens the magic when both Cynthia and Victor use it (on a side note, I like the use of greek alphabet or japanese hiragana syllabary in Cynthia's spells : I can read "spin lukhs" - spin lights - in greek but can't make sense of the japanese : u-ka-se-be-i or something like that...).

I must say that's also one of the reasons I liked the previous issue : I know that many disagree with the disarray of Latveria as if it was Victor's fault, but it was one of the first time that Latveria seemed to me really European. Memories of the wars in ex-Yugoslavia - on TV - and - more personal ones - of the last years of the USSR or of Saint Petersburg in 2000... Of course one could argue that Victor should have been clever enough to manage a better transition to a new power for his beloved country, but that's also the point. Victor's epiphany is about to let it go - I mean the ruling thing (he ruled the universe !) - he did it quick and made the understandable mistake that the average human beings would set things right by themselves... Pity humans!

In fact I like the voice of Ben in the book. I can even understand why he acted so bad in his search of Doom... He mourns his family and the fight - that wasn't really shown - in Cambridge or London - not in NY IIRC - was a way to feel like in the good old days. How to act in this new situation? Bendis talked about that in one interview I think, and I can get into that stuff.

I also think that his almost laconic Doom is pertinent to the situation : Victor doesn't really know how to act with people normally and his new persona is like a new armour he doesn't really know how to use... I really liked the last page of the previous issue because of that : the meeting between Victor and Ben was full of emotions, with very few words... IMHO it works quite well...

Anyway you're perfectly right about Ben(dis?)'s mistake about Cynthia and the coven... (thinking about that, could Cynthia have had some relationship with Wanda's mother? I stopped reading Scarlet Witch very soon, but we saw her mother in the woods, didn't we?).

And it could be the first of... many unforgettable mistakes to come ... lol...

I'm not on board with Cynthia being in a coven mostly because I think her husband would probably lead her away from it. Aren't they sort of like brides of the Devil when you're in a coven? I'm not that knowledgable on Romani culture but it seems to me that the idea of covens is more a European thing and their origins go back to India.

I wonder if we will ever find out what happened when Tony trapped Doom in the containment field? I find that annoying...that and the plot among something being amiss in the realm of magic and Doom's alternate reality Wand of Watoomb that he gave Tony.

You make some interesting points about the disarray in Latveria. I've said before that if Marvel wanted to bring Doom "up to date" they would tie his early years to the era right after Marshall Tito died. That part of the Europe became war torn and there was the horrific genocide that occurred. You make some good points about Doom being perhaps a bit impatient about wanting to embark on this new life. He can be a contradiction. At times it appeared that he planned things out for years yet he could also be impetuous too as when he flies off to NYC looking to settle scores with the FF because Reed had fooled him with the encephalogun.

I still think Ben should have considered the civilians involved when goes around looking for Victor but you make a good point about him being a bit unaccustomed to being alone and without his family. There could be some repressed anger there.

I do agree with you that Victor probably would have an adjustment to make in his relating to people . He was always such a solitary figure and maybe that's why he used to have these "dinner parties" with his adversaries. I had that little thing going here for a while with my continuing "Dinner with Doom" episodes. His inner circle was very small, just Boris and sometimes Kristoff and lately we've not seen much of either of them. But he always seemed to talk at people, and not talk to them.

** wow...we're closing in on half a million views. There must be a lot of lurkers out there. ***

[Abe]

I finally made sense of the Japanese signs (u-ka-se-be-i) on the third page of the preview... but the words are Russian !

Ukase for указ, a decree or an order, and bey for бей, the imperative form of бить (bit'), which means : to beat (pretty much the same word than in English, which is in fact quite usual...), to hit, to strike, to break.

It makes perfect sense!... Maleev is having fun I think. So do I... lol

[Abe]

Funny you should say that because the way "Cynthia" (I'll put her name in quotes until we know for sure that's truly her) is drawn here strongly reminds me of Wanda.

As for Wanda's mother, since I continue to read it,
spoilers:

Natalya Maximoff, the first Scarlet Witch, formed the classic Maiden-Mother-Crone coven with Wanda and Agatha to defeat the chaos entity attacking the Witch Goddess, and then volunteered to become the core of the Goddess in order to save her. She also resurrected Agatha and reversed Wanda's ageing.

end of spoilers

Thanks Ray! (And you right to use quotes!)

The way she's drawn reminds me more Mignola's version of her than in the first issues btw.

And thanks also Iron Maiden for reminding me Avengers 25. I don't know how to deal with all the witchcraft in the Marvel Universe BTW, especially when it's linked to carton-pate ethnicities like "Gypsies" or "Tibetan" full of pulp stereotypes... Happily the sexual connotations of the coven, or the 'bride of the Devil' thing is avoided in those comic books... So I will see in the 'coven' more like a sisterhood devoted to very old traditions and knowledge. Anyway I don't think it will play a big part in the book...

[Abe]

I'm not on board with Cynthia being in a coven mostly because I think her husband would probably lead her away from it. Aren't they sort of like brides of the Devil when you're in a coven? I'm not that knowledgable on Romani culture but it seems to me that the idea of covens is more a European thing and there origins go back to India.

I wonder if we will ever find out what happened when Tony trapped Doom in the containment field? I find that annoying...that and the plot among something being amiss in the realm of magic and Doom's alternate reality Wanda of Watoomb that he gave Tony.

Those two points should be addressed in the book, really. And it would give some consistency to all those Iron Man books Bendis wrote or is writing. Perhaps the "secret" from the solicit is about that... (there should be a secret!)

You make some interesting points about the disarray in Latveria. I've said before that if Marvel wanted to bring Doom "up to date" they would tie his early years to the era right after Marshall Tito died. That part of the Europe became war torn and there was the horrific genocide that occurred. You make some good points about Doom being perhaps a bit impatient about wanting to embark on this new life. He can be a contradiction. At times it appeared that he planned things out for years yet he could also be impetuous too as when he flies off to NYC looking to settle scores with the FF because Reed had fooled him with the encephalogun.

Yes, that would be nice - especially if Doom finally makes his way into the MCU... In the books it would be nice too, but I still have great difficulties to deal with the sliding time-scale. Especially after reading Hickman's Secret Warriors last week, where Fury is old enough to have been a fighter in WWII with Cap and a member of the 'new' SHIELD since 1961 : Hickman uses the same chronology than in its own SHIELD and the two books are closely tied... Secret Warriors is a great BTW

I still think Ben should have considered the civilians involved when goes around looking for Victor but you make a good point about him being a bit unaccustomed to being alone and without his family. There could be some repressed anger there.

Perfectly true... The civilians... and the Latverian cultural patrimony!

I do agree with you that Victor probably would have an adjustment to make in his relating to people . He was always such a solitary figure and maybe that's why he used to have these "dinner parties" with his adversaries. I had that little thing going here for a while with my continuing "Dinner with Doom" episodes. His inner circle was very small, just Boris and sometimes Kristoff and lately we've not seen much of either of them. But he always seemed to talk at people, and not talk to them.

The 'breakfast with Doom' was nice... And Iron Doom didn't eat potatoes chips yet... Will Bendis try another food scene with Victor?... Command a pizza or some Chinese food?... It could be fearful! I don't really want him writing Boris BTW... even if I miss him so much!

** wow...we're closing in on half a million views. There must be a lot of lurkers out there. ***

Some of them are probably Doombots!

[Witchfan]

Is issue SW #15 going to be the last issue? I hope not since it is my favorite monthly after Infamous Iron Man. You know Stan was the one who may provide a possible tie between Wanda and Victor. In Avengers #25, Doom lures Wanda and Pietro to Latveria with a letter written to them using the name of an alleged Aunt. Of course Doom made up this Aunt but it makes you wonder if he had heard of the Maximoff family from before, perhaps from talk going from members of his Zefiro tribe. No one's every really connected them any closer than that they are both Romani but it wouldn't be that big of a leap to find out that Wanda's mother knew of Victor's mother.

In the Scarlet Witch series, Wanda found her foster mother Marya Maximoff alive and living in an RV in the Serbian woods. Marya and Django Maximoff are actually Wanda's maternal aunt and uncle.

Yes, Scarlet Witch #15 will be the last issue. The previous issue was the climax of the series, and this one will be the epilogue.

[Iron Maiden]

In the Scarlet Witch series, Wanda found her foster mother Marya Maximoff alive and living in an RV in the Serbian woods. Marya and Django Maximoff are actually Wanda's maternal aunt and uncle.

Yes, Scarlet Witch #15 will be the last issue. The previous issue was the climax of the series, and this one will be the epilogue.

I was glad to read how Robinson was trying to piece together Wanda's family. I've bought every single issue and really hoped it would continue. Aja knocked it out of the park with the great covers. I might pick up one of the women's t-shirts that were made from some of them at WeLoveFine.com

[Iron Maiden]

Those two points should be addressed in the book, really. And it would give some consistency to all those Iron Man books Bendis wrote or is writing. Perhaps the "secret" from the solicit is about that... (there should be a secret!)

If there's not a secret then here we go again with the false info to tease us with! Maybe the secret will be how Victor managed to recover so quickly after being shot a close range by Amara. He was well enough to give the Thing a good fight too!

Yes, that would be nice - especially if Doom finally makes his way into the MCU... In the books it would be nice too, but I still have great difficulties to deal with the sliding time-scale. Especially after reading Hickman's Secret Warriors last week, where Fury is old enough to have been a fighter in WWII with Cap and a member of the 'new' SHIELD since 1961 : Hickman uses the same chronology than in its own SHIELD and the two books are closely tied... Secret Warriors is a great BTW

I went shopping today because a comic shop in my county was having a moving and consolidating sale. I was able to pick up volume one of Hickman and Ribic's Ultimates. For some reason, I never really paid attention. But then a lot of the Ultimate Universe was in disarray after the terrible Ultimatum. We know at least the Maker is due to show up in Infamous...but what the heck ever happened to Victor Van Damme?

The age of Nick Fury used to be explained by him having used the Infinity Formula for a while. Plus, when Stan and Jack were creating the Marvel Universe they were forty - ish guys who served in WWII. Stan stayed in the US and Jack got sent to the front in Europe. So the characters they created were around their ages. It worked in 1961 but became a problem as the decades wore on. I liked Doom and Nick's little feud in the first arc of Brubaker's Winter Soldier, they were verbally sniping at each other. I wonder if Nick Fury ever found out that Doom has set up most of that elaborate scenario with the Yellow Claw just to play a far out chess game with the Prime Mover in SHIELD's early days

The 'breakfast with Doom' was nice... And Iron Doom didn't eat potatoes chips yet... Will Bendis try another food scene with Victor?... Command a pizza or some Chinese food?... It could be fearful! I don't really want him writing Boris BTW... even if I miss him so much!

I hope we see Victor exercising his usual good taste in his new home in Switzerland. I don't think potato chips don't go well with vintage wine although a while back I think I read it was a bit trendy to have popcorn with champagne.

Some of them are probably Doombots!

I hope our shy Doombots will come out to play with us and say hello! By the way, thanks for the translations. I like how Maleev adds little things like that.