current / archive / issues / faq / RSS feed / twitter /
The Private War Of Doctor Doom!
| < previous | next > |
Sadly this issue doesn't feature George Perez, with Sal Buscema taking over instead. I've always liked his artwork, especially (obviously) on the Hulk, but it looks a bit odd here underneath Pablo Marcos' shiny inks. Marvel comics at this time seem to switch between Gerry Conway, Bill Mantlo and whoever else is around every few issues, and this one is written by Jim Shooter, who was called in a couple of blogs back to draw Super-Villain Team-up!
We pick up where the last issue finished, with an unusually long three pages of recap, including a splash page with almost exactly the same dialogue as the end three panels last time. Once we're finally caught up Doom agrees almost immediately to The Vision's proposal of a team-up and pretty much takes control of the situation.
There's a quick look at what Namor's up to - getting into a Quinjet with Beast, Whizzer and Wonderman - before we return to Hydrobase where Doctor Doom appears to have freed the Avengers from their Slave Collars.
There then follows a LOT of melodramtic soul searching as different characters ponder their relationships, complicated here by the existence of magic, androids, and people revived from the dead. It's almost a prototype for the kind of storytelling Chris Claremont would use so successfully on the X-Men.
Doom, meanwhile, has totally taken over, working with Iron Man to plan their next steps. Nobody seems to have any complaints about working with someone who's meant to be an arch enemy of all that is good and right, until The Whizzer sees them all heading his way a few pages later.
There then follows the traditional Big Fight, with The Avengers leaping into action against Attuma's forces. This goes on for several pages until The Avengers are able to triumph by using, once again, their secret weapon of Teamwork. Doom has been absent for the whole thing, running off with the "cell stimulator" which Attuma had been intending to steal. Namorita tries to stop him getting away, and Doom very un-chivalrously bats her away with his fist - something which I'm sure an earlier version of the character would have baulked at.
Luckily for the free world The Avengers arrive and, while Doom is fighting them off, The Vision destroys the cell stimulator. This leads to an absolutely classic bit of old-style Doom behaviour - he sees that the device has been destroyed and instantly flees by jumping out of a window, swearing to be avenged!
And that's pretty much the end - we never did find out who the mysterious "buyer" was that Gregor was talking about a few issues ago. Perhaps we'll learn more when we return to Doom's own series next time?
link to information about this issue
posted 30/8/2019 by Mark Hibbett
| < previous | next > |
Comments: