Doctor Doom Appreciation

[Abe]

I know what you mean, there's just a different quality to Maleev's style compared to Marvel’s other artists. His work reminds me of the stylised art you'd see on the cover of a fantasy or sci-fi novel, instead of a comic book. I mean, the typical comic book is all about primary colours and rarely any shadow. Maleev is the opposite of that, dark shadows and lots of fluorescent hues. It's really helped to give every issue of Infamous Iron Man a decidedly otherworldly tone.

So true. And of course we have to credit Matt Hollingsworth for the fluorescent hues!

They are partners for a long time... What a great team!

IMHO there is definitively something special with artists from the Balkans and Doom. Of course both Maleev and Ribic have obviously a strong background in fine arts studies - and Maleev followed the cursus of the Kubert School (thus the Milton Canif's influence ?!?), but there is also a different European sensibility.

About Hollingsworth, I love the fact that he LIves in Croatia - Ribic welcomed him there - and that his second professional activity is craft beer brewing... It makes so much sense (and reunites two of my greatest pleasures in this life )

[Iron Maiden]

Byrne has always been the artist I most associated with Doom. When I envision Doom in my head, he just looks like Byrne drew him.

I always considered that there is a triumvirate of "fathers" for Doom: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and John Byrne. For the visual, I think the one thing I prefer artists that convey the sense of weight to the armor. John Buscema, Gene Colan, and Rich Buckler did this. Byrne's figures in that era looked a bit on the slight side. Kirby buffed up Reed after first giving him the look of a professor...then he eventually made him more muscular. Byrne tended to draw Reed as Kirby did in the first 20 issues or so of the Fantastic Four.

[Kintor]

Exactly. It's very atmospheric and Matt Hollingsworth's coloring complements Maleev's work very well. I know it was a longshot but I wish it had gotten an Eisner award for best new series. Marvel got a nod with the cancelled Mockingbird series.

So true. And of course we have to credit Matt Hollingsworth for the fluorescent hues!

They are partners for a long time... What a great team!

IMHO there is definitively somthing special with artists from th Balkan and Doom. Of course both Maleev and Ribic have obviously a strong background in fine arts studies - and Maleev followed the cursus of the Kubert School (thus the Milton Canif's influence ?!?), but there is also a different European sensibility.

About Hollingsworth, I love the fact that he leaves in Croatia - Ribic welcomed him there - and that his second professional activity is craft beer breewing... It makes so much sense (and reunites two of my greatest pleasures in this life )

Ah yes, good point. That was something of an oversight in my previous post. But you're both right, I must also praise Matt Hollingsworth for his phenomenal colouring!

[Iron Maiden]

CBR has the preview up for Avengers #8. Lots of pages and it's about a mysterious "Avenger X" but Infamous Doom isn't in any of the preview pages. Yet his seeking redemption is mentioned on the summary page. Does he assist them with this new menace? Tune in and see I guess.

[Void-X]

Long live Von Doom!

[Digifiend]

Doom is not an official Avenger. His appearance in #8 spoilers:

was a response to a distress call from Wasp, after all the other Avengers except Thor were incapacitated. So he didn't join the team after the events of #7.

end of spoilers

[Iron Maiden]

Thanks Digifiend. I'm not surprised to read that since I've been looking at the monthy solicitation covers and he wasn't a part of any of them. So I guess Mark Waid doesn't get a chance to drag him through the mud again (joking Waid fans!)

[Abe]

No mud for Doom this time. You'll read it soon enough, Iron Maiden, but it's nice, good characterisation - nothing extraordinary but without mistakes and with a nice reference to some good old days . Anyway it makes me want to read more about Victor and Nadia.

Great artwork by Noto BTW (not to forget the colorist, I haven't check the name, but to be fair I wouldn't be surprised if Noto did the colors himself - if not : great team work!) - IMHO the highlights are not for our good doctor, but Avengers X is great, as the decors are very often truly beautiful.

[Abe]

Long live Von Doom!

Long live Von Doom - and Void-X!

[Kintor]

Read the issue myself, it was good to see Doom cutting loose in his fight against Avenger X. Although, apparently Doom was still holding back in a way, with his admission that he was trying to incapacitate but not kill Avenger X during the battle.

Still important nonetheless. If there's one thing that Marvel needs to do somewhere its re-establish Doom's reputation as a veritable force of nature, even though he no longer has his old armour. Which is going to be tricky since Doom is now somewhat concerned about collateral damage.

[Iron Maiden]

From reading all the updates, now I am a bit more encouraged. Kintor, now I want to see that fight. And you're right... Doom should still be one of the biggest ass-kicker and name takin' forces in the MU. Otherwise he wouldn't have lasted this long in the MU against multiple foes.

[TheVillain]

I'd just like to use my very first post on this board to let everyone know that Doom 2099 is super underrated. That is all.

[DoomScribe]

I'd just like to use my very first post on this board to let everyone know that Doom 2099 is super underrated. That is all.

No argument on that point from here. It was brilliant with only exception being the last four issues. A must read for all minions of Doom.

[TheVillain]

No argument on that point from here. It was brilliant with only exception being the last four issues. A must read for all minions of Doom.

Honestly I think it started to go off the rails a little bit even before that, I always thought that Doom's revenge arc against Herod was really underwhelming, considering how good One Nation Under Doom had been.

[Iron Maiden]

Honestly I think it started to go off the rails a little bit even before that, I always thought that Doom's revenge arc against Herod was really underwhelming, considering how good One Nation Under Doom had been.

Yes, I also thought the One Nation Under Doom arc wrapped up too quickly. But that could have been because of behind the scenes issues going on at the time. I first read about it on Doomscribe's old website devoted to everything Doom.

On another note, the only thing wrong with Doom's appearance in Avengers #8? There wasn't enough. Since there were co-writers on this issue you don't know for sure who contributed what. I think it's safe to say Mark Waid, who's always known to be into Silver Age stuff, would be the on to recall that Doom did sort of discover the Microverse by accident in Fantastic Four #16. But I think the Microverse even goes back to the golden age. FF #16 might be the first time used under the Lee/Kirby days.

Nice work by Phil Noto showing Doom invoking the Flames of Faltine..



What still is a mystery to me is how Nadia knows so much about Doom since she is new to the world of superheroes and villains. At least the ending leaves the door open for a new appearance. But with Legacy coming up and the ending of Bendis's Infamous Iron Man up in the air as to whether he keeps up with this quest to find redemption, it remains to be seen what direction Doom will take in the coming months.