DoomQuest #5 – An Intoxicating Sensation

Doom’s time travel continues. After surviving the sinking of the Titanic, reliving his life with his first true love, and becoming George Washington, Doom now finds himself in the body of his most powerful figure yet: the one and only Invisible Woman. Doom’s intelligence and magic, combined with Susan’s powers, will allow Doom to reach a level of power not yet experienced before. What will Doom do?

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Francesco Mobili
Color Artist: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Alex Ross

Writing

Megan: I don’t know how many times I have to say it but if you’re not reading Doomquest, you are missing out! Each issue is so wildly different from the others but still has the same theme; Doom. Doctor Doom is stuck in the timestream and each issue spits him out in a different time period. In this issue, Doom ends up in one of the most iconic scenes of the Marvel Universe, the time Galactus first fought the Fantastic Four. To make it even more exciting, Doom is in the body of Sue Storm, AKA the Invisible Girl. Doom is in full control of Sue’s body and all the powers she and the Fantastic Four aren’t aware of and he plans to use this to his full advantage.

Time and time again, I’m reminded why Ryan North is my favorite person to write Doctor Doom. There’s something about how he’s able to show that Doom’s greatest power is his mind that I love so much. In each issue of Doomquest, Doom faces every obstacle that life has to throw at him and he takes control of the situation and makes it his own. Doomquest #5 is no different! Doom uses what’s given to him in that time period and uses it to its full extent. In this case it was the powersets of Sue Storm. At this point in time in the Marvel Universe, the only person that knew the full extent of Sue’s powers is Doctor Doom and he’s more than ready to put them on full display.

Shawn: Another month, another outstanding issue of DoomQuest. Ryan North really is doing some of his best work on any series with DoomQuest. I love that this issue opens with an excerpt from Fantastic Four #48. Not only is it a beautiful reminder of a keystone moment in the history of the Fantastic Four (First appearance of the Silver Surfer and first cameo for Galactus), but it ties into the story beautifully. North takes us back to that 1966 story and the beginning of one of the single best story arcs in the history of comics, and then turns it all on its head. North shows us the visit from Galactus (which plays out across issues 48-52 in the original story), if Doom had been of control of Susan Storm’s body allowing her to understand powers she didn’t yet understand.

In DoomQuest #5, North not only shows us that despite all the magic and other skills, Doom’s mind is also his best asset. North also takes the opportunity to remind anyone who may have forgotten that Susan is the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four. It’s downright crazy to see essentially a “What If” episode in a comic showing us what could have happened if the variety of powers the Invisible Woman possesses now were understood by her the first time Galactus visited New York. North again shows why his work with Doom is untouched as he shows what true power Sue is capable of in the right hands and with the restraints off.

Art

Megan: There was so much to love about this issue’s artwork! Francesco Mobili, Frank D’Armata, and Travis Lanham are an absolute dream team and have shown just how hard-hitting their artwork is for Doomquest. In the fifth issue, the artwork captures many different tones of the story and even adding its own. The callback to the classic artwork of the Silver Age of comics was a very welcomed surprise and set the tone immediately for what was to come next. Mobili brings excellent linework that puts a spotlight on Sue’s and Galactus’ powers. Along with that, there’s a lot of action in this issue that’s drawn to make it feel larger than life and succeeds exponentially.

The showdown between Sue/Doom and Galactus is nothing short of stunning. Mobili and D’Armata work off each other perfectly with the excellent detailing work accompanied by the beautiful vibrancy of the colors. The colors throughout the comic have a juxtaposition of more natural tones with bright and vibrant colors that make every page with Galactus stand out. Travis Lanham brings the incredible artwork to a close with his work on the lettering, perfectly capturing the menacing tones of Doctor Doom and Galactus. Together, the artists made this issue really stand out from the rest!

Shawn: At this point in this series I really am speechless when it comes to the art. Francesco Mobili, Frank D’Armata, and Travis Lanham continue to up their game on every single issue of this series and I’m still not sure how they are doing it. Mobili isn’t just maintaining the status quo he’s reached, he’s continued to elevate beyond it and perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than the line work for not only Doctor Doom but Sue Storm. We get just some amazingly beautiful line work from Mobili as Victor studies and learns Susan’s powers.

Mobili’s work is complemented and enhanced by Frank D’Armata. With the story opening with FF #48, D’Armata does a great job capturing the vibe and colors of FF #48, even with this modern style. It’s obviously a modern rendition that artistically feels more One World Under Doom that Kirby era FF, but D’Armata beautifully makes the connection between the two eras with just a wonder palette choice in each and every panel. Travis Lanham continues to kill it on this series with lettering. I will always and forever be a fan of the black, green, and red speech bubbles for Doom that appeared during Krakoa, and Lanham uses them masterfully throughout this series but especially in this issue. He helps guide you through the story easily keeping track of who is who.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. This comic run gets better and better with each issue! Doctor Doom has proven himself as powerful as he says in each issue, working with whatever he has and taking complete control over each situation, and the fifth issue is no exception to that!

Shawn: 10/10. DoomQuest is easily one of the best series out today from any publisher. This creative team understands what makes Doom tick. Every issue is a new adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Overall Grade: 10/10

What did you think about DoomQuest #5? Let us know in the comments below.