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Nothing can stop a hunger crazed Galactus from devouring everything within sight. Earth has been consumed and nothing but the vastness of space remains. But there is hope. Valeria Richards scours the galaxies searching for the only being that can stand between the The Eater of Worlds and the end of the universe…DOOM!
- Written by Jonathan Hickman & Sanford Green
- Illustrated by Sanford Green
- Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg & Sanford Green
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by MARVEL Entertainment
Doom Has Failed
Our story opens in open space as debris of steel and rock float along, along with the body of Doctor Doom…and he’s not alone. A ship piloted by Valeria Richards weaves thought the wreckage and brings the body aboard. A quick scan determines that Doom is actually still alive! A combination of his armors abilities and Doom’s magic have kept him in stasis. Valeria slowly nurses Doom back to health, revealing to him that after his defeat to Galactus, now consumed by a bottomless hunger, The Eater of Worlds had defeated the forces of Earth, the guardians of the universe, and the Celestials. Now he seeks to destroy the universe and recreate a new one to start the process all over again! They’ll have to team up to defeat Galactus’ new heralds and shut down the Celestials Machine before everything hey know is gone forever.
A Doom Story Like No Other
Jonathan Hickman and Sanford Greene have written an amazing Doctor Doom story. I love short, self contained stories, and this one shot delivers tons of fun, action, and emotional moments. I found myself fascinated and really entertained by the strength of character and quick with of Valeria in this story. As someone who doesn’t read a ton of Fantastic Four material, and honestly doesn’t know much about Valeria, I was quick to go an learn more about her and ended up wanting more.
It was really cool to see Doom in a vulnerable state, in need of someone borderline smarter than him to revive him and help him prepare for a round 2 against Galactus, super soldier serum, celestial DNA, and a new armor made form Uru and Vibranium! He was actually very gentle and appreciative to Valeria, admitting that she was clever in survival. It’s Dooms wisdom that shines through everything else. He has an absolutely beautiful inner monologue toward the end of this book as he battles Galactus’ new heralds, The Molecule Men.
This Artwork Pleases Doom
The art and design in this one shot can only be described in one simple gesture/phrase: “Chef’s Kiss”. I love the designs in this book. There are tons of characters that appear for brief flashbacks and everyone looks amazing. Sanford Greene’s style is so gritty and classic, while still feeling fresh and modern. It really lends itself to almost a horror sort of feeling. Galactus is terrifying and I love it. Everything in this book is very reminiscent of the current run of Transformers at Skybound (of which Greene has provided cover art for!). The best part of it all is Dooms new armor, complete with cosmic cubes, and cloak made of pure energy!
The colors that Greene and Rachelle Rosenberg use compliment Greene’s illustrations in the perfect way. The darkness of space and the cold feeling of rock and metal are contrasted by neons, warm light colors, and a fantastic use of white in everything associated with Valeria. Each character stands out in their own way and nothing gets lost by being blended in to the background. There’s a ton of detail in every panel.
Everything Points to 9/10
I want to yell from the mountaintops how much I love this book. The story is packed with action, beautiful prose, and artwork that pushes the narrative and raises it to new heights. I found myself one moment on the edge of my seat excited for happens next, the next, feeling emotionally engaged at what has happened and what’s going to happen. The layout of the pages is fantastic, making it a pleasure to the eyes. The pacing is balanced. Flashbacks and explanations don’t drag the story and add the appropriate amount of information without any huge lore dumps. I know that I’ll be reading this one over and over again for years to come!
