Challenges of Doom: Spider-Man #1
Writer: Al Ewing
Artist: David Messina
Colorist: Rain Beredo
Cover Artist: Fabrizio De Tommaso
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Challenges of Doom: Spider-Man #1 is the second installment in a series of one-shots that focus on Victor Von Doom's relationships with both his friends and his foes. Sometimes they're even both at once. This issue touches on Doom's earliest encounters with everyone's favorite wall-crawler, and it's a fantastic issue that works as a strong showcase for both of its stars.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR BELOVED RULER
GREETINGS, PEASANTS. I AM DOOM. REGULAR SCRIBE RUSSELL HARTMAN, THE SO-CALLED "KING OF HEARTS, IS CURRENTLY… INDISPOSED. DOOM DOES NOT TRUST HIS REPLACEMENT, THE "FANTASTIC" FRANK JAROME—WHAT TIES DOES HE HAVE TO THE ACCURSED RICHARDS? THEREFORE, DOOM SHALL HANDLE THE RECAPPING HIMSELF, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THERE ARE NO… EMBELLISHMENTS.
DOOM HAD RICHARDS BESTED, AS PER USUAL. BUT THEN, HIS RIDICULOUS CIRCUS OF A "FAMILY" INTERVENED, AND DOOM MADE A TACTICAL WITHDRAWAL. A NEW STRATEGY WAS NEEDED. IF RICHARDS USES PARTNERS, THEN PERHAPS DOOM SHOULD AS WELL. THE SPIDER-MAN IS INTRIGUING, AND YOUNG—THAT SHOULD MAKE IT CHILD'S PLAY TO TARGET HIS EGO.
Excuse me, your Doomness, sir, but I think I've got this now…
Having discovered the frequency of Spider-Man's Spider-Sense, Doom sends the boy a message that he has no choice but to respond to. It's then that Doom makes his case, promising the young hero everything he has been denied, but Spidey "politely" declines. In response, Doom blows up the building they're in.
For their second encounter, Doom begins tracking the Spider-Sense frequency, and ends up capturing a teenager in a Spider-Man costume who is definitely not the real web-slinger (I think it's Flash Thompson, even though the issue doesn't directly say so). The real Spidey arrives and works his way through an array of traps and weapons. The Web-Head is saved by the arrival of the Fantastic Four (THE FOOLS WERE FORTUNATE THAT SPIDER-MAN HAD ALREADY TRIGGERED MOST OF DOOM'S TRAPS, OR THEY WOULD HAVE SURELY BEEN SLAIN!), and Doom detonates the building they're all in. Yes, again.
In a third encounter, Doom reveals his magical aptitude and soon has Spider-Man at his mercy. Then he armchair diagnoses the lad as a performer who does it all for fun. If you know anything about Spidey, you know that's as far from the truth as possible, so this doesn't sit well at all. The Web-Head breaks free, and proceeds to give Doom an earful (THE BOY IS NOTHING MORE THAN A JESTER, BUT THE JESTER'S ROLE IS TO SPEAK TRUTH TO THE KING EVEN WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL. SO DOOM CHOSE TO GRANT THE BOY DOOM'S MERCY), which actually set the Lord of Latveria on a different quest entirely…
Action is His Reward
This was so much fun.
Spider-Man is probably my favorite superhero, and Doom is one of my favorite villains in any medium. (WHAT DO YOU MEAN, VILLAIN? DOOM IS NOT SOME MUSTACHE-TWIRLING TWIT WHO ACTS FOR PERSONAL GAIN. DOOM IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BRING PEACE AND ORDER TO THIS WORLD—AND YOU DARE CALL HIM A VILLAIN?)
Everything in this issue is just right. Doom's voice is captured perfectly, and the fact that he's the one telling the story gives us a touch of Unreliable Narrator that helps sweep away any potential continuity errors. This tale takes place early in Spider-Man's career, so he's still in the classic mode where he's a teen who's figuring it all out and his biggest concern is Aunt May. After the modern trend of piling as much of the weight of the whole world on him as possible, this simpler take is refreshing. (HE WOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THAT WEIGHT IF DOOM WERE IN CHARGE!)
The idea that Doom is able to determine the frequency of Spidey's Spider-Sense and send a message through it is very cool. And I love how when the Web-Head asks him how he even knew about it, the response is "I am Doom. That is explanation enough." (IS IT NOT?) Then in their second encounter, Doom makes Spidey's fear come true and learns how to track that frequency. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The dialogue between Doom and Spider-Man in their first encounter is a wonderful read. Doom attempts to "woo" the boy to his side, so that he can be used as a weapon against the Fantastic Four. As the conversation progresses, Doom is more and more convinced that he is getting the desired responses—but we, the readers, know Spidey better than that, and we know that he is just stringing the good doctor along and setting up for a punchline. And Doom's response? Blowing up the building. Overreaction much?
The second encounter is different, but no less a great insight into the two men. Doom captures a boy in a Spider-Man costume (THAT IMITATION WAS SOMEWHAT HIGHER QUALITY THAN THE REAL THING, WHICH AMUSES DOOM GREATLY) and lures the real one into a trap. Here, Spidey is able to escape Doom's various attacks and traps through his own powers and skills. But to Doom, each item is merely a checkmark on a list of test items, and the only reason the Fantastic Four are able to come to the boy's aid is that the traps were already set off. And he blows up this building, too.
I'm noticing a pattern here. (DOOM OWNS MANY BUILDINGS. HE CAN SPARE A FEW IF IT MEANS BEING RID OF HIS HATED FOES!)
The third and final encounter is the most interesting one to me. Here, Doom uses magic to capture Spider-Man, and he tells the boy what he has learned about him in their previous meetings. He has determined that Spider-Man is a boy playing at being a man, that he's in it for the thrill (he actually says "Action is his reward," which I marked out hard for), and that if given a chance he might actually pity Doom. That must never happen. Spidey doesn't take kindly to this diagnosis at all, and rips into Doom in return. He points out how Doom's a genius, apparently a magician, he runs a country, and all he cares about is his "super important" war with the Fantastic Four (THIS IS NOT TRUE. DOOM CARES ABOUT HIS SUBJECTS, AND IN FACT THE WHOLE WORLD. IT IS THE IMBECILE RICHARDS AND HIS RELENTLESS "SUPER HEROICS" THAT PREVENT DOOM FROM BRINGING PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE WHOLE WORLD). Doesn't he care about anything?
I think this was the best part of the whole book. The idea of teenage Spidey, who Doom towers over, just exploding on the man and calling him out on his BS is both hilarious and also utterly Spider-Man. And Doom, being a man who is aware enough of his limitations, recognizes the truth in what Spidey says and lets the boy go. Actually, some of the wall-crawler's words seemed to have gotten through to him, and he's ready to face Mephisto for the soul of his mother (DOOM HOPES THAT RUSSELL WILL RETURN BEFORE THAT STORY, HE TIRES OF THIS FRANK PERSON).
Truth to Power
Al Ewing takes a story that was just a simple encounter between Spider-Man and Doctor Doom and makes it so much more. He's turned it into a timeless story that gives us an incredible glimpse into the minds of both men, even while Doom is the only one whose internal thoughts we actually see. (WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT ANYONE ELSE HAS TO ADD? DOOM'S THOUGHTS ARE ALL THAT MATTER!) He keeps the pace moving, and everything serves a purpose. Doom's ego is on full display here, as is Spider-Man's sense of responsibility, but even more interesting is Doom's sense of honor and respect. He starts the issue trying to manipulate Spidey for his own purposes, and by the end he has a newfound sense of respect for the web-slinger. It's a full character arc for a character that is known to be pretty set in his ways.
Of course, in comics, you can have a great story, but the artwork can drag it down if the two don't jibe. Fortunately, David Messina is the artist here, and he's exactly the right partner for Ewing (UNLIKE SPIDER-MAN AND DOOM). His character designs are clean, with a great sense of motion. Doom towers over Spidey (AS HE SHOULD), and the Web-Head is constantly moving. The multiple explosions (seriously, dude has an issue) are well-rendered, and the two-page spread of Doom's multiple deathtraps is a joy. I've always had an issue with artists making the eyes on Spidey's masks grow and shrink, which he does a lot here, but I know that's just a way to put some emotion on his fully-covered face, so I usually let it slide.
Rain Beredo's colors are bright and, well, colorful throughout this issue. He uses shadows well when the story calls for it, but then really turns out the brightness in other places. Spider-Man's suit comes across as the classic red and blue, no black tones here. And Doom comes across as regal and majestic as you'd want. The many explosions, death traps, and power effects stand out without looking completely out of place. It's just good work overall.
King or Jester?
Challenges of Doom: Spider-Man #1 is a fantastic issue that brings us deep into the minds of both Doom and Spider-Man, while still having that Unreliable Narrator factor that being narrated by the Lord of Latveria brings. It's got action, humor, and heart all in equal measure, and represents both of its stars well. Marvel has been hitting the Doctor Doom button pretty hard recently, but when the books are of this quality, I don't mind it at all.
FINAL SCORE: 9 out of 10
(NINE? BAH! DOOM DEMANDS A TEN! BRING BACK RUSSELL!)