This week on Marvel Rundown, we examine the conclusion to Ryan North, RB Silva, and David Curiel’s nearly year-long saga of One World Under Doom. Additionally, Rapid Rundown includes Captain America #5, Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #5, and other dispatches from the Age of Apocalypse.
Cover art: Ben Harvey
One World Under Doom #9
Screenplay: Ryan North
Artist: RB Silva
Colorist: David Kriel
Written by: Travis Lanham of VC
I would like to take this review as my formal apology to Ryan North. I started to turn away from One World Under Doom around the fourth issue, unsure if the story would deliver the kind of sharp political commentary it was aiming for. Of course, it was around this time that North revealed the dark Omelas deal at the heart of Doom’s utopia. The second half of One World Under Doom shatters everything that looked bright and promising, culminating in the shocking conclusion of issue #8, in which the only person Doom actually cares about besides himself dies at his hands.
Perhaps it didn’t all work as a “line-wide event” where the entire Marvel publishing line was revitalized, like the tightly orchestrated events of the Bendis era where shadow president Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers invaded every aspect of the Marvel publishing line, but it ultimately has little real impact on the story within these nine issues. There are minor details here and there that are missed, but none of them are important to Victor Von Doom’s central story. And all that is stripped away in this finale, which follows Victor’s desperate quest to save his goddaughter. In the final moments, when Doom makes his final request to Reed Richards, you can’t help but feel that one of Doctor Doom’s best stories has come to an end.
North and artist RB Silva showed Victor Von Doom in all his complexity, in all his strengths and flaws. Whatever good he does ends up serving his own desire to be perceived as a generous and strong person. He is an empty shell, eventually visualized literally by Silva. We’ve seen what kind of good Doom is capable of, but more importantly, we’ve seen the deplorable depths of evil he’ll go to in order to impose his will and promote the praise he craves.
Silva’s talent for conveying scale through perspective and layout shines through in this final issue as Doom travels through space. He takes what amounts to pages of captions and dialogue and creates something grand and fantastical. David Curiel’s colors are powerful throughout the series, creating a color script that adds to the ebb and flow of emotion and power dynamics. Doom’s green flame of victory is stripped away in this issue, leaving him sometimes marooned in pure white space, a sliver of space, or huddled in the shadows. Similarly, VC’s Travis Lanham created strong baroque lettering for Doom, which was removed at the end of the issue.
Like the best crossover events, the ending of One World Under Doom offers new story opportunities and a new status quo. With the government in turmoil and factions of the people still bent on overthrowing the emperor, it remains to be seen how much of what North Korea has said will be picked up, but there are threads to follow. More overtly, the finale sets up future Fantastic Four and Scarlet Witch stories, both of which I’m looking forward to reading.
But I’m not the only one thinking about this week’s finale. Marvel Rundown contributor George Carmona 3rd offered a slightly different perspective on the finale. In a tribute to Radio Rahim, GC3 shared his love-hate reaction to the series, writing:
“Earlier this year, the Marvel Rundown staff held a roundtable about One World Under Doom, and we all came to the conclusion that the world of Doom should be lost, and writer Ryan North and artist RB Silva We brought that home with us. Once again, we had a solid concept, quality execution, and predictable results. The best thing this series did was give voice to the madness that is current American history and set up the next Marvel event.”
I share George’s belief that One World Under Doom is a poignant commentary on a disorienting moment in American history. This book explores the costs of the politics of the strong and the devil’s bargains required of individual members of society to ignore the moral and human costs for personal safety. Perhaps the ending was predictable — in superhero comics, the bad guys always lose in the end — but the journey was compelling. So once again, I would like to apologize to Ryan North. At the end of the day, One World Under Doom is a great superhero story. It’s a big, bombastic action movie that examines and reflects the real world while tackling themes that are both personal and profound.
Verdict: Buy
rapid decline
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #5 Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #5 has arguably one of the coolest concepts. Screenwriter Jerry Duggan and artists Javier Garon & Scyetron bring together a mecha that draws on every aspect of the Marvel Universe to take on Godzilla. From the Pym particles that make Magic’s sword bigger, to the Cyclops rays that power the mechs, to the vibranium web shooters, it’s all one of the best things I’ve seen in comics this year. The battle culminates in an epic spread that’s a feast for the eyes and makes the final issue feel worth building up to. The plan to eliminate Godzilla is also a smart one, and one that could only have been made possible by the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four all working together. If Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe ended here, it would be a satisfying crossover with some interesting panels and great fight scenes. But the writers go a step further by hinting at a possible sequel, upending the protagonist’s plans and presenting an even bigger Godzilla-like problem to solve. I hope Duggan and his artists continue to work together in future miniseries. Hopefully, Godzilla can do more lasting damage in the future and leave a lasting mark that shows just how ferocious the monster is. On top of that, this run was overall fun and I can’t wait for the future. – LM Captain America #5 Captain America #5 concludes the first story arc by Chip Zdarsky and Valerio City, and we apologize for the review of the first issue. Looking at the premise of David Colton’s Captain America, and considering that many superhero writers take the easy way out by assuming that those with powers automatically become monsters, I took the easy way out as a critic. I thought we might get another evil cap. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, these five issues allowed Zdarsky to present a story about the complexities of being Captain America, what makes Steve Rogers a hero, and a critique of American interventionism. How did he end this story? Captain America David Colton, traumatized by 9/11, is trying to sort out his feelings, and Steve Rogers is trying to figure out who he is in this modern world. Colton is more interesting than he seems on the surface. Although the memory of America’s involvement in World War II is portrayed as pure, 9/11 left a divided and scarred nation in its wake. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq destabilized the region, which has not recovered to this day. Generations of young people emerged from both theaters of conflict unprepared for the legacy they left behind, and Colton is no exception. He was a hero in his heart, but his actions were brutal and reactionary. This is an interesting contrast to Steve Rogers waking up in post-9/11 America. Aiding this moral complexity is the art of Schiti and colorist Frank Martin. Their approach to this issue has been sullen and grim. Cici’s use of shadows only heightens the uncertainty Rogers feels in the new world he finds himself in. But he can also draw murderous action scenes, like this issue’s battle between Cap and Doom and Colton’s rampage against the American military. Martin’s color work is to be commended, from the spot red during moments of extreme violence to the orange deployment when Rogers pounces on Colton’s rampage. This is a very beautiful manga to watch. But beneath that art are all the questions that drive a truly great Captain America story. What does Captain America represent in the modern world? Interestingly, the answer is not so easy to parse. -DM
Dispatch from the Age of Apocalypse!
X-Men: Book of Revelation #2 You see, I’m still at a loss as to what the core book of Age of Apocalypse is supposed to be. Obviously written by Jed McKay, between “X-Men: Book of Revelation” and “The Amazing X-Men,” “Amazing” feels like the closest to the core book. That said, there is no doubt that Apocalypse is an important title in understanding the scope of the event. X-Men: Book of Revelation #2 further explores Doug’s rise to power and the conflict that erupts between him and Apocalypse. McKay answers the important question: “Why did Doug’s friends let him take over?” To be clear, Doug’s amplified abilities force people into submission, but still. This issue is about the conflict between Kitty Pryde and Doug and a palace conspiracy that causes the collapse of the impending apocalypse. The story is great, well-paced with great character moments, and McKay does some interesting things with unreliable storytelling between Kitty and Doug. Also, Fabian Cortez is given a fate worse than death, which is a good indication of how terrifying Doug’s powers have become. Neso Díaz’s art is great here, but some facial expressions are emphasized beyond recognition. I feel like Diaz was in a hurry to end this issue. Additionally, this pseudo-panel overlay, a page layout technique that Diaz used in the previous issue, is used again here. It looks nice, but it makes the page too complex. Book of Revelation #2 is a solid issue that provides some background, but art issues hold it back. I still enjoyed Age of Revelation, even if I didn’t really understand the plot two months into the three-month event. –JJ Unbreakbale X-Men #2 Unbreakable X-men #2 is a continuation of a side story set in the Age of Apocalypse that follows the Uncanny X-Men team as they battle the ancient horror of Shuvalak. The series was about the possible outcome of Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-men storyline. In that respect, this is a well-crafted, emotionally charged issue. Simone’s talent for getting a team of desperate heroes to work together really shines here, similar to her Gambit characterization. Deathdream (who is shown living on the grounds of Gray Malkin’s X-Mansion but is killed) is currently shown living in Turkiye, Istanbul, and is visually very different, making it a possible continuity blunder. Deathdream can also come back from the dead, but it does so through a simple monthly continuation in the air. Aside from that, this was a big problem for the Outliers, who united to defeat the great evil. CF Villa does this artistically, capturing not only the kinetic energy of the action, but also the emotional weight of the moment. This side story has nothing to do with previous events and generally feels little connection to the Age of Apocalypse, but it’s still a good read and worth checking out. –J.J.
Not enough summaries! Be sure to read previous reviews by the Rundown team.
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