Marvel’s latest big event is finally here in the form of One World Under Doom. This is an event that Marvel has been building towards since last summer’s Blood Hunt event. In that event Doctor Doom became the new Sorcerer Supreme. It is a title Doctor Doom has proudly wielded and made known to everyone on Earth. Now Doctor Doom is taking things to the next level by using his Sorcerer Supreme powers to make the world all fall under his rule. How will this all go? Let’s find out with One World Under Doom #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: R.B. Silva
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: Travis Lanham
ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #1 SOLICITATION
“ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM! Six months ago, Doctor Victor von Doom became Sorcerer Supreme — then disappeared behind Latveria’s closed borders. For most, there’s enough going on in the world that Doom’s absence is not a priority, and some time without him feels like a blessing. Only a few recognize it for what it truly was… the calm before the storm. It is a storm that has now arrived.
The world has woken up to a new reality: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World — the ruler of a new United Latveria! And shockingly, impossibly, all of Earth’s leaders seem to be going along with this. Luckily, whether it’s mind control or Doombots, whatever’s affecting them hasn’t affected Earth’s heroes — and so they quickly form a strike team to stop Doom’s machinations. But will they succeed? And what happens when some begin to welcome their new Emperor with open arms, clamoring for One World Under Doom?” – Marvel Comics
REVIEW
One World Under Doom #1 kicked things off with an opening chapter that was pure set-up, in more ways than one. This opening chapter had the unenviable task of selling both new and current readers on this event being a payoff to all the development with Doctor Doom since the end of Blood Hunt. That is a lot of work to do that to Ryan North and R.B. Silva’s credit they mostly pull off.
Easily the best part of One World Under Doom #1 is that there is no wasted time getting right into the story. The title gives away everything about what this event is going to be about so there really is no point into building up to that part of the story. North and Silva embrace that fact by going all in on what Doctor Doom’s message is as he declares himself Emperor of Earth. There is no mincing words that he has already taken over and that people will need to accept that.
The fact that Doctor Doom made such a public display with his announcement further pushed how there couldn’t be wasted time in this opening chapter. The big roundtable discussion with the heroes show just that. North and Silva do a good job at playing with this scene to seem longer than it turns out to be. The time spent with the heroes deciding their response was just enough to get over the magnitude of Doctor Doom’s proclamation. Ultimately the more time they wasted discussing what to do the more time they are giving to Doom to implement his rule.
The roundtable also effectively put over how the heroes are in a tough spot. Because they are fighting someone who is promising positive change that at least the world leaders have already accepted. And because of how swift the world takeover happened there is deep uncertainty how Doctor Doom accomplished this.
Which leads to how Baron Zemo and Hydra attempted coup on the new world order to be so effective. Baron Zemo being public about Hydra opposition forced the heroes hand. They couldn’t stand by as whatever the outcome of Doctor Doom vs Baron Zemo was it would be bad for what was already a big unknown for them.
With their hands forced North quickly shows that the heroes played right into Doctor Doom’s hands. Doctor Doom knew the heroes would not be able to resist trying to take him down. He also knew that Hydra wouldn’t take kindly to someone other than them taking over the world.
With that he was able to use Hydra as a way to get the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man right where he needed to be. That is that heroes aren’t some rebel group who will save the day. Rather the Marvel heroes are forces that want to continue the chaos of the present world filled with never ending hero vs villain battles.
There was no better way than Doctor Doom admitting to killing Baron Zemo and Red Skull. In doing so he was able to show the public that he will accomplish what the heroes could never. Taking out threats like the Nazi villains Red Skull and Zemo are that have caused decades of chaos. It was an effective way to kill two birds with one stone that solidified Doctor Doom being accepted by the public as their Emperor.
This leaves the question of what the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and other Marvel heroes can do. It is exactly where an opening chapter should leave the reader thinking.
That said, not everything ends up working for One World Under Doom #1. Like with many big events of this scale North could not avoid the continuity heavy nature of this story. There are elements were you do feel like there are many missing elements because there has been six months of development.
At the same time, it is odd that no one other than Doctor Strange mentions Doctor Doom’s status as Sorcerer Supreme. Mentions by other characters like Spider-Man and Storm of their dealings with Doctor Doom would’ve gone a long way in adding some context to things. But because we don’t get that it does appear that after getting his Sorcerer Supreme title Doctor Doom just disappeared before reappearing in One World Under Doom #1. It is an odd way to try to not make this feel continuity heavy while still being the case.
R.B. Silva certainly uses their experience working on the X-Men and other major comics to make One World Under Doom have that big event aura. Doctor Doom is appropriately presented as the one that has taken over. Everything about the character screams Emperor. The action throughout this issue appropriately hits the scale you expect from a big blockbuster event.
FINAL THOUGHTS
One World Under Doom #1 effectively kicks off Marvel’s big event. Even when running into continuity heavy problems Ryan North and R.B. Silva make sure to have the focus be on the present. That allows Doctor Doom’s declaration of becoming the Emperor of Earth and the plight Marvel’s heroes find themselves in to fully get over.
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
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