Cover Art for DoomQuest #2
Written by Ryan North
Art by Francesco Mobili
Colors by Frank D’Armata
Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Art by Alex Ross
DoomQuest #2 is the Titanic story you never knew you needed. If this issue is any indication of what’s to come in this off-the-walls Doctor Doom series then start getting the awards ready now for Ryan North and the incredible art. This is the most fun I’ve had reading a Doctor Doom based story in a long time and the Quantum Leap-inspired concept has created a fun playground for the character. With an issue full of hijinx to get through on “The Unsinkable Ship,” let’s get into it. Spoiler Warning Now in Effect for DoomQuest #2.
Recap of the Issue
After Reed Richards messed with Doom’s massive time machine at the end of the first issue last month, Doom was sent back in time to the ill-fated voyage of the RMS Titanic. It’s made quite clear he didn’t end up at the original destination he had in mind and now, he only has hours to figure out how to get off the Titanic alive. Now, of course, only his mind was sent back in time and not his body so Doom will have to do this all from the body of a regular old civilian.
Doom springs into action; he’s not gonna accept this horrid fate that has been thrust upon him, he’s going to do his best to get off the ship. With his first attempt at escape, he heads up to the bridge of the Titanic and commandeers the ship as it approaches the infamous iceberg. Doom doesn’t try to turn the ship as the original crew did, but rather he smashes the front of the ship directly into the iceberg. This ends up killing some people in front of the ship, but the rest of it doesn’t sink since it’s pushed into the iceberg.
After the Titanic is rescued, with minimal loss of life, Doom is interviewed on the ship terminal dock in New York. His methods are questioned by reporters, but Doom saved the Titanic; he doesn’t care if a few people in the front of the ship needed to be sacrificed for him to complete his goal. As the “hero of the Titanic,” Doom requests that the countries of the world send aid to his homeland of Latveria. The reporters laugh at him, calling it a “backwater” country. Doom doesn’t take kindly to this and shoots one of them in the skull before he’s approached by a police officer and then… sent back in time to the Titanic once again.
The bulk of the issue follows the same trend: Doom figures out a method to get off the Titanic, he thinks he’s solved the issue, and then he gets teleported back to the same moment in time once again. It’s very frustrating to him because it seems like no matter what he does, he can’t seem to escape the doomed ship. After a few times of going through the loop, Doom realizes what he has to do to end this water-logged nightmare and figures out a plan of action.
Doom realizes it is impossible for him to alter his destination, so instead of trying to change where he keeps getting sent to, he simply blocks off the time magic’s path to getting him back to the Titanic. Doom sets a plan into motion. He commandeers every weapon on board the Titanic and says he will kill a hostage every ten minutes if aid is not sent to Latveria. His terms are met, and Latveria now has more of the aid it needs at that point in history. When Doom is sent back this time, he doesn’t head back to the Titanic but rides the time stream to a new destination. With no control over where or when he is being sent, Doom awaits his fate. He finally awakens in the body of someone else. Who, you ask? George Washington, General of the Continental Army for a struggling young nation called the United States of America, led their Revolutionary War for Independence.
Thoughts on the Issue
I mean, this one was just flat out fun. Doom is really one of Marvel’s best characters, and Ryan North is taking this character places that I can’t keep waiting to see. You wouldn’t normally think a story involving Doctor Doom and the most infamous ship of all time would work, but North takes his concept and runs with it full speed ahead. A story like this has the potential to come off very goofy, but North makes sure it never comes off too comical. Doom’s plight on the ship is quite the source of contention; the concept might be wacky but the story certainly is not. Especially when we are treated to the best narrative part of the issue: Doom’s inner monologue.
I think my favorite thing about this issue from a narrative perspective is hearing Doom’s internal thoughts. Doom is methodical in everything he does; he surveys a situation and comes to the best conclusion on how to conquer it or overcome it. Throughout his journey on the Titanic, he doesn’t panic, he doesn't get overwhelmed and even through sometimes immense pain he makes sure he’s moving towards his goal. Not even Reed Richards will stop Doom from his goal of making Latveria more powerful.
Speaking of Richards, North does a great job of making the reader understand how much disdain Doom has for the leader of the Fantastic Four. Based on Doom’s internal monologue, it’s much more than a simple villain-hero relationship. There’s a deep-seething disdain for Richards inside Doom that comes from a place of not just anger but jealousy, and you can even say envy. Richards is beloved by the world for his deeds, but Doom feels as if he’s always been the smarter one and deserves the praise. He feels as if he, his nation, and his people are always overlooked, and it's taken a toll on him over the years.
There’s a part in this book where Doom must either drown or suffocate for about 2-3 cycles of his time-jumping journey. He denies “Richards and Death” his wet lungs and dies with no air in his lungs several times as he puts his master plan into motion. Doom’s inner dialogue in this section is a prime example of who he is as a character and just how motivated he can be when he has a goal he needs to accomplish. I love North’s take on this character, and I can’t wait to see how this series continues to give us deeper insight into the mind of Marvel’s dastardly doctor.
The art in this one, by Francesco Mobili with colors from Frank D’Armata, works really well throughout the whole book. The scenes on the Titanic look great, and with Doom consistently shown wearing his trademark mask, you get some great emotion from his eyes. Some personal highlights of this issue for me include the section where Doom suffocates over and over again on his quest to find all the weapons on the Titanic, the scene of Doom flying through the kaleidoscope-looking time stream, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing a splash panel of Doom standing among Continental Army troops in 1700’s America on the last page.
Take Groundhog Day, The Titanic, and Doctor Doom, put them in a blender, and you have the brilliant DoomQuest #2. Ryan North’s narrative pushes Doom’s resolve to the brink as he seeks to escape the doomed ship, and the art team makes it all look great. A great cliffhanger ending wraps up an issue that shows how far Doom is willing to go to accomplish his goal; Reed Richards be damned. I can’t wait for Doom’s trials and tribulations during the Siege of Boston; issue #3 seems like it’s going to be a doozy.
Rating: 8.5/10