Review by Ian Keogh
Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larroca’s version of Doctor Doom is a character study played out as a fall and rise arc, dangling the possibility of redemption and contentment. It begins in familiar territory with Doom as imposed monarch of Latveria very publicly disparaging the work of Reed Richards on a project designed to eliminate Earth’s waste problem by generating a black hole on the moon. When that project is sabotaged Doom’s world is eroded. He becomes a fugitive in the USA forced to reconsider his life and ambitions. He’s partially conflicted as he’s been shown a version of the future where he’s benign ruler of Earth, happily married with two sons and the growing question becomes whether or not he’ll embrace it.
Over the first half Cantwell presents a Doom so rarely seen, hunted, haunted and confronted with his fallibility, yet strong enough to survive on his wits and knowledge. There’s a cheap and easy return from death, but Cantwell otherwise barely takes a wrong turn as Doom’s character is tested and updated via repeated encounters with a confused Kang the Conqueror adrift in time, and assorted others from the Marvel universe. Cantwell’s preference is for the obscure, but heavyweight villains Mephisto and Taskmaster also appear.
Larocca’s art can be a little stiff, possibly the result of reliance on photo reference, but the artist he is comes to life with the surroundings, always populated and convincing whether the location is Doom’s own castle or a kinder future. A later chapter is told almost entirely in spreads, and Larroca really shines with a succession of pin-up images.
The second act is Doom’s return to Latveria, where the question becomes how much his experiences might have changed and humbled him. It’s cleverly written, as Doom’s an unreliable narrator and his contemplation of what he might be is belied by the same old Doom going about his business with relish. Interestingly, though, he recognises his limitations to some degree whether he acknowledges them or not. So, will he choose to save the planet and grasp his possible destiny at the cost of change or remain who he is? Read this and find out. It’s worthwhile.
This collection combines what was published as Pottersville and Bedford Falls in paperback, but when the original issues were being serialised two existential threats affected the Marvel universe and Cantwell writes brief stories considering Doom in relation to both. During War of the Realms elves invade Latveria, and we see through the eyes of child how pivotal Doom is. Cian Tormey supplies suitably gloomy art, but the story is slight. Larroca illustrates a teaming with Iron Man when the invasion of Earth by Venom symbiotes was at its worst during King in Black. It’s trivial, dark humour played as drama as Santa is bonded with a symbiote, but succeeds in raising more questions than it answers, which is the intention. Again, though, it’s slight, and the main course is what you need.
