Review by Frank Plowright

Doctor Doom approaches various groups of villains offering them power-ups or revealing the location of items to improve their capabilities. The cover shows a version of the Sinister Six, a collection of Spider-Man foes, but they’re only seen in the first chapter, wandering around a Paris very decoratively drawn by Patrick Scherberger. Other villains provide the focus thereafter. The Masters of Evil are promised by the title, but we also see the Circus of Crime, the Enchantress and the Executioner, Magneto and on the heroic side Doctor Strange and Iron Man.

Paul Tobin aims this at younger readers, but doesn’t dumb things down, at least not in the sense of patronising young readers. The villains can be plenty dumb at times, and yet smart when needed. It’s all down to survival instinct. He also humanises them, sometimes in very funny ways. Mysterio asks to borrow Chameleon’s car to pick up his computer from the repair shop, while the Enchantress steals a can of peaches from the supermarket. Princess Python serves as Doom’s conscience.

The plot and script make good use of the Marvel universe, but the art is problematical. Main artist Patrick Scherberger is very good in a stylised way, but the publication schedule of the original comics seemingly prioritised being issued monthly over accommodating his rate of production and so involved other artists. The results in places are downright ugly and often slapdash with little thought of being compatible with Scherberger’s art. David Baldeon’s contributions to the final chapter are the exception, and Esdras Cristobal’s cartooning on the third is good, but doesn’t fit.

Such are the quantity of smart concepts, misdrections and mysteries that this would rate very highly were the art better.