Dungeons of Doom #3 – Hide Away The Darkness

Latveria is in turmoil. Doctor Doom has fallen, and the Dungeons of Doom are a battleground of multiple groups. The Latveria Freedom Fighters, U.S. soldiers led by Red Hulk, and even a Wakandan are trying to find out what secrets the Dungeons hold. What if the Dungeons weren’t just to keep people out, but to keep things in?

This review is a joint review from Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writers: Benjamin Percy and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Carlos Magno, Robert Gill, and Justin Mason
Penciller: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Karl Story
Colorist: Guru-eFX

Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Cover Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Writing

Megan: With the end of Dungeons of Doom, the creative team ended this mini-series on a powerful note. We see the separate stories of the characters wrap up for this story, but also leave room for new stories in the future. Benjamin Percy and Phillip Kennedy Johnson bring the most gruesome and horrifying issue yet with Dungeons of Doom #3.

In each chapter, we see a brilliantly vivid look at the end of these characters’ stories in Doom’s lairs. Red Hulk is faced with a decision that could end his team completely, but also puts the entire village in harm’s way. We learn what the skull-shaped herb does for Umbra, which was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster. We even see what exactly Hammer of Treachery and the Eye of Khonshu can do to anyone who possesses them. In short, this ending was powerful, horrifying, and kept your eyes glued to the pages.

Shawn: Dungeons of Doom wraps up, having been a great example of how multiple writers working on a project can bring their strengths to the table. Since issue one, I’ve loved the decision to follow the chapter format for this series, and with the series ending, I think it worked incredibly well for the series.

Percy and Johnson do a really great job in Dungeons of Doom #3 of tying up a variety of loose ends they’ve created during the series, while also leaving enough runway for Chip Zdarsky to tie the events into the ongoing Armageddon series this summer. Each chapter felt unique and distinct. The stories feel like part espionage, part horror story, and they left me wanting more issues of this series.

Art

Megan: When I said this was easily the most gruesome issue, I meant it. The artists really brought the horror aspect to the artwork, and the comic benefited from it. Carlos Magno, Robert Gill, Justin Mason, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story, Travis Lanham, and Guru-eFX bring so much to the pages of Dungeons of Doom #3, like their fantastic detailing, excellent shading work, gorgeous coloring, and expertly handled lettering. Perfectly capturing the horror aspect and using it with the action of some of the characters, this was a really solid way to end the series.

Shawn: As good as the writing for this series has been, the art has even been better. Magno, Gill, Mason, Jeanty, Story, and Guru-eFX combine to give us another issue with great, distinct art. Despite the variety of stories and the massive creative team working on this series, each chapter feels unique with a common thread tying them together.

With Umbra, we get some beautiful art as we find out the result of him consuming the skull-shaped herb that feels both comfortable in Wakandan art we have seen before, while still feeling new and fresh. Several characters drawn for this issue would be just as fitting at home in a Marvel horror-based comic, and I loved the feel the creative team added.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 9/10. Dungeons of Doom #3 brings the series to a satisfying and thrilling end. The multiple different stories happening in the comic are handled beautifully by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy. The artwork will leave you on the edge of your seat. There was no better way this series could have ended. The creative team deserves all their flowers for this.

Shawn: 9/10 Dungeons of Doom was a solid tie-in to bridge the gap between the One World Under Doom series and the upcoming Armageddon series. The creative team on this series fires on all cylinders from beginning to end. The art fit the narrative so perfectly, and I still love the chapter format for this series. The only bad thing about Dungeons of Doom is that it has to end.

Overall Grade: 9/10