The nine-part One World Under Doom Marvel event reaches its third-way-point (is that a thing?) today with issue #3. Doctor Doom has taken over the world through alliances with world leaders, and the Avengers are stumped. They’ve tried a few tactics, but now it’s time to try the tried and true method: Punch Dr. Doom in the teeth!
One World Under Doom #3 offers a few key elements of any good event. One is some surprises, which come in the form of supervillains joining the Avengers. The other is stakes, which are established correctly in the final few pages. Last is action, with our heroes fighting Doctor Doom with everything they’ve got. It makes for a good chapter, though not without a few faults.
The characterization is on point in this issue, and there are a lot of characters. That includes villains like Arcade and Doc Ock, and mainline heroes like Scarlet Witch. Sure, Scarlet Witch superfans might not think she’d ever use the word “dork,” but it’s fun and adds to the scene. Writer Ryan North understands how to keep you interested with characters talking and interacting.
Letterer Travis Lanham adds to the characterization, giving iconic characters their own lettering, like Thor. Generally speaking, the lettering has a looser feel in word balloons when not getting a style upgrade due to the character. That keeps the dialogue lighter and more aloof, which suits little touches like Mordo being called out for plotting a double cross.
At what point does Arcade have to change his name due to culture eradicating arcades?
Credit: Marvel
Something that takes the wind out of the sails of this issue is the Avengers thinking that world leaders are being manipulated. While it’s not clear to them that humanity on a global scale has chosen to side with Doctor Doom, I believe it’s fairly obvious to the reader. That’s thanks to visuals like the Fantastic Four’s neighbors putting out Doctor Doom signs, or more symbolically, a woman taking Doom’s hand in the first issue cliffhanger. Three issues into the event, it’s clear to the reader the larger picture message: Sometimes people side with the obvious villain. That makes the heroes learning the hard truth by the end of the issue not surprising. With their motivations riding on their lack of belief, Doom won over the heart of humanity, you’re left reading this issue waiting for them to figure it out already.
One other gripe is the action, and while R.B. Silva draws with incredible detail and the colors by David Curiel look great, the excitement in the action is lacking. For instance, doom hovering over a grinder or a bunch of streaks of light hitting Dino-Doom aren’t visually compelling. You get what’s happening, but it’s not event-caliber fight choreography.
That isn’t to say the rest of the book isn’t visually stunning, with Dormammu’s reveal being a standout moment. Fire and energy blasts look good too, and the supervillains’ close-ups are a nice visual treat over six panels.
One World Under Doom #3 delivers solid event staples – big fights, surprise alliances, and ominous stakes – with sharp character writing and strong visuals. While the action choreography occasionally underwhelms and the story drags out a realization readers already reached, it’s still a compelling chapter in a high-stakes Marvel epic.
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