Warning: Spoilers for Doom #1!Jonathan Hickman’s Doctor Doom one-shot feels like a return to form for both the character and the writer behind it. Hickman just finished his series G.O.D.S., one of Marvel’s most original works in years. However, reactions have been mixed. For some, it is a required taste that’s hard to absorb, and for others, a mind-bending odyssey – whereas Doom feels akin to his groundbreaking work on X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man.

Doom #1 – written by Hickman, with art by Sanford Greene – features a pivotal battle between Victor Von Doom and the Devourer of Worlds, Marvel’s first cosmic threat, Galactus. While thrusting Doom into the role of hero, Hickman’s story sacrifices none of qualities that have made Dr. Doom a fascinating, evocative villain for over six decades.

This story is an exploration of Doctor Doom in perhaps his weakest moment yet, showcasing how he turns even the most brutal defeat into a moment of triumph. It’s an adventure that portrays Doom at his most fascinating and, believe it or not, his most uplifting.

Another Marvel Powerhouse Is Revitalized In Writer Jonathan Hickman’s Latest Offering

Doom #1 – Written By Jonathan Hickman; Art By Sanford Greene, Rachelle Rosenberg, & VC’s Joe Caramagna

Hickman’s Doom #1 is exciting from the moment it starts, even in its choice of epigraph: “Living on borrowed time … the clock ticks faster.” That quote comes from the song “Accordion” by MF Doom, and it couldn’t be a more perfect way to introduce Doctor Doom in his story. More than just a playful meta-twist – MF Doom took his moniker as an homage to the legendary Marvel villain – this line perfectly defines the story to come in the extra-sized one-shot. As always, every one of Jonathan Hickman’s creative choices prove deliberate.

Artist Sanford Green also contributed to the story, along with Jonathan Hickman, and together, they produced an incredible reflection Doom’s core themes. The story is all about endurance, or rather survival, even if it’s out of spite. To live on borrowed time is for one to find themselves alive after they expected to die. After this opener, the story begins as Doom is found floating through space after a fatal encounter with Galactus that left him presumed dead for two years. Throughout the rest of the tale, Doom remains determined to still live defiantly whilst staring death in the face.

Readers can view this story as a challenge on behalf of the creative team to make a positive reflection of Doctor Doom without sacrificing his villainy. Miraculously, the Green, Hickman, and their collaborators pass that challenge with flying colors by not making Doctor Doom a hero or giving him something noble to do, but by humanizing him on a sincere level. He may not be relatable, sympathetic, or empathetic, but his actions, emotions, and words do resonate, and that is impressive in its own right.

Hickman & Greene’s Portrayal of Doctor Doom Is What Elevates Him

The Dr. At His Most Human

Doctor Doom isn’t the easiest character to humanize. At his most diabolical, he commits some truly heinous acts that are wretched enough to put him in a league worse than Thanos’. At his worst, he’s a mustache twirling villain who gets easily humiliated at every turn. He’s pompous and arrogant with little to no redeeming qualities, and Doom #1 isn’t oblivious to that fact. Despite being the main protagonist, the creative team are not trying to sell audiences on the idea that Doctor Doom has what it takes to be a good guy, because to do so would be disingenuous.

What Greene and Hickman opt to do, however, is to portray Doctor Doom at his most humbled and vulnerable. Doctor Doom has never been more broken on a physical, mental, or emotional level than he is in Doom #1. After Valeria recaps his encounter with Doom, he’s too speechless to even acknowledge what he’s told, moving on quickly to asking about Valeria’s survival. What’s most noticeable is how, after learning of his defeat, he doesn’t hesitate to make his way back to the battlefield looking for a rematch. This portrayal may not gain him sympathy, but it doesn’t showcase his perseverance.

Sanford Greene’s Doom #1’s Art Is As Ambitious As Hickman’s Story

A Five-Star Collaboration

As much as the writing behind Doom #1 is worth praising, one cannot praise the story without praising the artwork. So much of the artwork lends itself to the story at hand, and much of the story works because the art works so well. Much of the artwork achieved by Greene is haunting in how it perfectly sets a tone and setting for the world Greene and Hickman create through the script. This is a world that has been hardened and made desolate by Galactus.

Every inkling of Doom’s pages reads as somber, and reflective of the madness engineered by Galactus in pursuit of his hunger. Furthermore, themes of perseverance, endurance, and survival feel all the more prominent because of the world building achieved in this story through the artwork. The script does an apt job at explaining how the world got to the shape that it’s in now, but the artwork feels as bleak and hopeless as the script describes. For these themes to hit home, it must feel like the characters are pulling hope from a hopeless place, and because of Greene, it does.

The Ending of Doom #1 Solidifies It An All-Time Instant Classic

Doctor Doom Faces Death Like Never Before

The ending is where everything comes together in terms of Doom’s themes and where Doom #1 solidifies itself as a modern masterpiece. Doom stands alone following a sacrifice, and it looks like this rematch with Galactus will end the same way the first one did, except maybe Doom won’t be so lucky to cheat death like he did two years prior. Doom isn’t oblivious to that fact. In fact, he’s certain of it – yet he shows no fear. He carries on with his head high because that’s what one is supposed to do in a life that’s so short.

“When all that remains is one final moment of defiance … embrace Doom and laugh in its face.” That’s the moral of Doom #1: when things look grim, don’t run away – charge in its direction and make life worth living, whatever’s left of it. Even coming from Doctor Doom, it’s oddly inspiring. As odd as it is to think something so uplifting could come out of Doctor Doom’s mouth, it’s a testament to Hickman and Greene’s story that it resonates as strongly as it does coming from Marvel’s biggest supervillain.

At its core, Doom #1 is a story about the human spirit and how it endures under tough obstacles. Even a soul as bitter, disillusioned, and often evil as Doctor Doom’s still has a human spirit that is willing to persevere in the middle of an astronomical challenge. When forced to look death in the eyes, he merely laughs and pushes forward. It’s a story that allows readers to understand Doctor Doom and his motivations on a deeper level while also giving readers a surprisingly optimistic, inspiring sentiment to take away from.