Comic Page Scans: Doctor Doom in "Unthinkable"

[thehefner]

This one is especially for peeps who don't normally read comics or who are wondering who this "Doom" guy is I keep pretending to be. Here's pretty much a free issue scanned out for you, stand alone. Give it a go and lemme know what you think. I posted this already to the "scans_daily" community, so I thought I'd put it up here as well.

These are scans from Fantastic Four #496, written by Mark Waid, penciled by Mike Wieringo and inked by Karl Kesel, the prologue to the "Unthinkable" story arc. Waid's depiction of Doom was the source of much controversy in the comic world, with fans arguing back and forth if it was out of character and whatnot. So judge for yourself.

As Waid wrote in the book's introduction: "Victor von Doom is the ruler of Latveria, a small but powerful Balkan nation. For years, Doom has brought his scientific and technological genius to bear against the Fntastic Four in a contnual bid for world domination...










Doom says that it is here, in this small town of frauds and so-called "seers" that Valeria's trail ends. For those not familiar with who this Valeria is and what she is to Doom, Waid fills us in...









The latest seer turns out to be real, and she tells Doom where Valeria is living. The lovers are reunited...

















Now the flesh armor looks a bit silly, especially in comparison to the awesome metal armor, but regardless that's pretty f****d up right there. Your thoughts?

Comments

[icewolf010.livejournal.com]

Wow. In character, out of character, whatever. This is one hell of a story. Outstanding.

[kwsapphire.livejournal.com]

I had read this somehow before. Perhaps just in a comic shop, or maybe I saw it online. Because I knew he'd sacrificed his "true love" to gain new power. I'd read this. And I would gladly sacrifice myself for him, for any reason. I see nothing petty or out of character in this. Awesome. My local shop has it on order, but it's out of stock. If it ever comes in, they'll nab it for me.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Good, then I am heartily pleased indeed that you approve. Do let me know what you think of the rest of the storyline when you read it, and especially be sure to read the follow-up story, "Authoritative Action." I am very interested to hear what you think, oh lady of Doom and raptors. Waid's FF was one of my favorite books every month.

[tompurdue.livejournal.com]

I dunno. It feels kinda... thin. The love of his life, introduced in a couple of frames. The only thing we feel for her is the fact that we're told he loves here, but there's no reality to his love except a few empty declarations. It's the hardest part of any love story, making the love real, but they get paid for it and I don't. Maybe I'm just too cynical to accept a bucolic montage as a substitute for a well-developed relationship.

So I just don't feel any wrenching when he says, "Oh, by the way, I'm lying to you so that I can kill you." I think I'm supposed to get something from the fact that he's supposed to give up something precious, but again, it feels like something they're asking me to put up to "suspension of disbelief" rather than to real emotion.

F**ked up, sure. But it seems like a kind of cheap f**ked up. Why? Because he's eeeeeeeeeeeeevil. But unthinkable? I get worse in the newspapers.

That, and the fact that she looks like a Disney princess.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Well, actually, no, we've known about Valeria for over 30 years. She was always the symbol to him of what he gave up to become Doctor Doom. So it does indeed have the weight of many, many years behind this.

Oh, and the title "Unthinkable" doesn't apply to this issue. It applies to what he will subject Richards to in the following issues.

[tompurdue.livejournal.com]

Ah. Well, that makes kind of a difference, don't it.

I still think she looks like a Disney princess.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot of people don't like 'Ringo's art because of the cartooniness, but I think it perfectly fits the FF tone. It's still a far sight better than wanna-be manga.

[tompurdue.livejournal.com]

I just found that one piece to be disconcerting, partly because I'm lacking the rest of the background. Disney princesses also have that "You love me because I have large eyes and big hair and no waist" factor, so the love story is always kind of forced in Disney movies.

But in those cases it's just a plot device to move the action forward (and a bit of fantasy fulfillment for the little girls who couldn't give a rat's ass about the action but just want to know that somebody's falling in love, just because he and she are the prettiest characters on screen, because he's brave and strong and smart and she's ... beautiful. Though with an under-defined sense of independence.)

[jcsbimp.livejournal.com]

Strange and good. Seamless blending.
To accomplish both of those simultaneously is
something indeed, Milleresque or beyond.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That's Mark Waid for you, author of "Kingdom Come". He knows how to write superheroes well.

[jcsbimp.livejournal.com]

And he pulled off quite a trick, in that despite my knowledge of Doom, I found myself believing him, at least enough to wonder what would happen if she did become convinced... at the very least I believed that he was being as earnest and truthful as possible (knowing of course that a twisted villainous mind will sometimes pervert a reformed and earnest intent)... and totally surprised and horrified by what did happen, by the fact that it WAS a facade, a mask. He's VERY good with those.

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

I liked it; not too familliar with Doom beyond a few comics/general knowledge of comic characters, but it fit very much with his 'grand pride and ego', that he would see it as a kind of fitting to sacrifice the woman he loves in his pursuit of power, that she's "helping" him in it-Doom's version of noble romance?
Have you seen the new Fantastic Four movie? I haven't, and the bad reviews it's gotten aside, I still think Kenneth Branagh would have been great as Doom-he's good at the melodramatic, powerful characters and hearing him do the whole Doom talking about himself in the third person would have kicked ass.