Issue- 1

Title- My Dinner with Doom

Writer- Dwayne McDuffie

Art- Casey Jones

Summary:

Doctor Doom invites Reed Richards to his embassy for dinner. He has declared a new holiday, "The Rapprochement Festival." The festival involves forgiveness and reaching out to someone whom you have wronged. Doom chooses to reach out to Reed. Taking him on a tour of his embassy, Reed quickly realizes that he has been subtly teleported from the embassy to Latveria. Doom does not hide the fact. Meanwhile, the three remaining members of the FF retreat to secure locations throughout Manhattan because Reed left warning that Doom may use this opportunity to recover something that Reed took from him years ago. Sue stakes out at the sub-basement of Damage Control, Johnny at the New Avengers building, and Thing remains at the FF building. Back in Latveria, Reed and Doom resume a chess game that the two left unfinished during their college years. At the same time, three Doombots attack the spread out FF members. They are promptly defeated which sends a signal to Reed. Reed reveals that his Doombots have been defeated and that he knows what he wants. Finally he also wins the chess game. Conceding, Doom explains that the experiment which resulted in the explosion, was an attempt to free his mother's soul. Reed acknowledges this as truth. Reed then reveals why he took his notes and the object which Doom now seeks. Reed was afraid that Doom was attempting to unleash being from hell. Although he wanted to return the object, he never had the opportunity until now. Reed ultimately hands him a locket which contains a picture of Victor with his mother.

Comments:

Possibly one of the best Doom stories in a long time. No offense to Ed Brubaker's fine work on Books of Doom, but this is my kind of Doom story. This story marks a return to a characterization which I always search for in Doom stories. He is methodical, he does things for a reason, and he is honorable. This is not the insane psychotic whose ends always justify the means. He is also a man who is aware of his past. This is not a Doom that would make dealings with the same demons who would have kept his mother in chains. Story wise it is of note that Triumph and Torment is strangely [no pun intended] alluded to by not being mentioned. The Rapprochement Festival takes place on the day of his mother's death. We all know that Doom fights [fought] each year for his mother's soul on this day. By not making note of this, and not saying anything to the effect that Doom wants the locket back for anything more than sentimental reasons, the events of Triumph and Torment are obliquely referenced.

I know Dwayne McDuffie from his work on Damage Control and Deathlok. It is a delight to see him writing something at Marvel again. He's got a great handle on Doom and his relation to Reed. While the reasoning behind Sue, Johnny, and Ben essentially hiding in different buildings across Manhattan is shaky at best, the fights are there for fun I think. Personally I could been happy with the issue focusing soley on Reed and Doom's dinner. Art-wise, the issue features a cartoony feel. The colors are bright and the details low. The art is reminiscent of Mike Weiringo work on the FF title, but I actually like this better. Faces are more square than round. I would say its the difference between the first seasons of Batman: The Animated Series versus the later "Gotham Knights" style. Ultimately, even if you don't like the art, the story is good enough to stand on its own.

The story notably takes place in current continuity. Spider-Man along with Captain America makes an appearance as a New Avenger. This makes the story post-Unthinkable. Doom has as yet not officially returned, however a comment made by Tom Brevoort hints that a proper return is upcoming. This leaves only the question, why this story was not delayed until then? Until Doom comes back proper, one cannot complain the presence of a good story while we wait. Bottom Line: Buy It!

VC

1/11/06

1. Was this a story that was pitched to you, or did you approach Marvel with it?

Tom Brevoort e-mailed me with the pitch, it sounded great to me and I jumped at it.
 
2. This story references events from Doom's past. Did you do any sort fo research on the character? If so, what?

No special research. I own a complete run of the FF (if you count reprints) through the mid-90's and I also have all of Mark Waids recent trades.
 
3. Although not directly alluded, I felt that the story referenced the Marvel Graphic Novel Triumph and Torment by Roger Stern, was this something that you had in mind or aware of when writing the story?

Now that you mention it, it's definitely there. I wasn't consciously thinking of it, though. I wrote an unpublished FF graphic novel (although I used some of it in an issue of What If?) years ago dealing with some of this stuff and I read Roger's terrific story back then.
 
4. I'm aware of you using Doombots in two other stories, the MechaDoom from Deathlok #2-5 and a Damage Control(led?) Doombot in #2 of the second limited series. So if I am not mistaken, this is your first use of the real Doom? If mistaken, please correct me. Otherwise, how did it feel to write the character? What do you like? Don't like? In other words, in a nutshell, who is Doom for you?

I wrote the real Doom in an issue of What If? (although I think it could have been in continuity) and in the second issue of the first Damage Control series.
 
5. Being released concurrently with Ed Brubaker's Books of Doom, was there anything that you wanted to do but couldn't? Or editorially was there anything you had to change because of the origin being presented in the other series?

No one ever told me not to do anything. I got very mild continuity notes from Tom; but I haven't read Books of Doom yet. I'm waiting for the trade.
 
6. I'm not sure if you can answer this, feel free not too, but Tom Brevoort mentioned "publishing reasons" for why this story had to be released now, despite the fact that Doom is officially dead and in hell right now. Can you add anything to that or is 'mum' the word?

Tom didn't tell me either. But he clearly knows how this all fits. We'll find out together.