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Please note that this review will contain spoilers for this issue of “Fantastic Four” and “One World Under Doom” #2.
For those who haven’t been keeping up with “Fantastic Four” and “One World Under Doom” (to which I say: your loss), some context may be needed. After the Four launched their own failed attack on Doom, he stripped Ben Grimm, AKA The Thing, of his powers. While there was a time when Ben would have been glad to be human again, he’s long since learned to accept and love himself as he is, so despite Doom describing it as a “cure,” losing his powers is literally losing a part of himself.
This issue of “Fantastic Four,” then, follows Ben as he deals with the loss and trauma of having his powers stripped from him. This is not an action-packed issue of the Fantastic Four beating up villains (although apparently three of the four are busy fighting Diablo off-page), nor is it about using super science to save the day. It’s a personal, character-driven story focusing on Ben and his grief, and it’s all the better for it.
Writer Ryan North carries us through this by jumping from moment to moment in Ben’s days moving forward, making it pass by in an instant before bringing us to the present. Anyone who’s experienced depression or the crippling sadness of a loss can relate to Ben in these moments.
As the story progresses, we see the toll the loss takes on Ben both physically and emotionally. Yes, he is still the hero who would absolutely jump in front of a bullet for his family, but he no longer has the bulletproof rock body that would protect him. When he tells Reed how he’s not strong enough, it hits home on an emotional level, so we understand as it leads him to make a deal with the Puppet Master, frequent enemy of the Fantastic Four and Alicia’s father.
This, in turn, brings us to an emotional scene where Alicia confronts her father, who has his own emotional moment where he comes clean about his mistakes and regrets. Between Ben, Alicia, and her father, it’s a powerful scene about grief, coping, recovery, and regret that hits incredibly hard.
For all the larger-than-life heroics of the characters, for all the super science and magic, moments like this make the characters feel real and relatable, especially for readers who’ve been through similar trauma.
While the storytelling is top-notch, the artwork is… also top-notch, of course. Cory Smith’s illustrations do an amazing job capturing the characters’ emotions and carrying us through each page, while Jesus Aburtov’s colors bring it to life with bright tones and shading that adds volume throughout.
As stated, this is an emotional issue, and it needs art that can carry it. Smith’s illustrations provide just that, giving us powerfully expressive characters throughout the book. Ben’s body language carries the loss in every page, making the plastered-on smile he gives himself all the more painful. We get the same expressiveness when Alicia confronts her father, adding to the impact of every line.
Beyond that, the character work and scenery are both filled with life and detail. The city streets are overflowing with activity and personality, and the cells onboard the Raft show the age and dampness of the prison.
All the while, Aburtov’s color work lights up the pages, bringing out the characters and scenes with touches of lighting and shadow that add to the volume of the imagery and emotion of the moment. It’s particularly impactful when, for instance, the panel is lit up by the muzzle flare of a gun firing, casting the characters in yellow light and the background in crimson red. But even subtle differences in the brightness and lighting of different settings controls the atmosphere wonderfully.
Ryan North’s run on “Fantastic Four” has been consistently great, and issue #30 is no exception. It’s a powerfully emotional story that gives us insight into the characters’ struggles in a way that feels incredibly real, with artwork to match. While the struggle to save the world from Doctor Doom (if it even should be saved from him) continues in the pages of “One World Under Doom,” “Fantastic Four” #30 lets us focus more on the characters, and it’s an excellent story for it.
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]]>The post Marvel Reveals “Avengers: Doomsday” Cast appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>So far, the revealed cast members and their (presumed) roles are:
- Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
- Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman)
- Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America)
- Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barns/Winter Soldier)
- Letitia Wright (Shuri)
- Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man)
- Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent)
- Tenoch Huerta Mejia (Namor)
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing)
- Simu Liu (Shang Chi)
- Florench Pugh (Yelena Belova)
- Kelsey Grammer (Beast)
- Lewis Pullman (Bob Reynolds/The Sentry)
- Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres/Falcon)
- Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch)
- David Harbour (Red Guardian)
- Winston Duke (M’Baku)
- Hannah John-Kamen (Ava/Ghost)
- Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
- Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier)
- Ian McKellan (Magneto)
- Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler)
- Rebecca Romijn (Mystique)
- James Marsden (Cyclops)
- Channing Tatum (Gambit)
- Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic)
Finally, as previously announced at San Diego Comic Con, Robert Downey Jr. is making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe not as Tony Stark, but as Doctor Doom.
As some of the cast members reveal, “Avengers: Doomsday” will include members of the Fantastic Four and X-Men. Anything beyond that, including the size of their roles and if they’ll be brought into the same universe, remains a matter of speculation.
With the five-hour stream over, you can watch the much more well-paced reveal here:
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]]>The post Comic of the Week: “One World Under Doom” #1 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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In any other comic event, the heroes would be busy trying to stop Doom from conquering the world, like when they had to save the world from the King in Black and his symbiote dragons, or Malekith’s army from across the realms, or a vampire uprising. In this case, however, writer Ryan North takes us for a turn by kicking off the comic with Doom’s conquest complete.
Yes, Doctor Doom is now the ruler of Earth, as the comic begins with his announcement that every nation in the world has surrendered to him. Obviously, something is afoot, but what? That’s something the Earth’s heroes will have to figure out and resolve by the end of this event. And so, we’re given a team-up of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and of course, Squirrel Girl, who has defeated Doctor Doom nearly as often as the Fantastic Four have.
Given that Ryan North is currently writing the “Fantastic Four” comics, it makes sense that he’d take the helm for this event. His take on Marvel’s first family has been exceedingly enjoyable, and he’s got a great grasp of the characters and what makes them endearing, as well as the grandiosity that is Doom.
This also means North gets to write Squirrel Girl again, several years after his incredible run on “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl,” which still stands as one of my favorite comics (and the “Unbeatable Radio Show” podcast, which is also worth a listen). That alone makes this a must-read. Squirrel Girl’s college roommate/BFF Nancy Whitehead and villainous-turned-heroic brain-in-a-jar Brain Drain also return from the “Unbeatable” comics, and while their roles are minor, they’re still most welcome. (It’s no big stretch to imagine that Squirrel Girl would ask to bring them along to the secret hero meeting.)
Of course, with as large a cast as “One World Under Doom,” it will take more than four and a squirrel to make the dialogue across the comic land. Fortunately, North doesn’t let us down. We get an amusing bit of banter between Spider-Man and Johnny Storm, Tony Stark getting some witty one-liners, and generally some solid teamwork between each of the characters as they bounce ideas and plans off each other.
However, what makes “One World Under Doom” work is, well, Doctor Doom himself. The heroes can only react to the plans and machinations that Doom has already put into motion, and seeing them play out is immensely engaging. From Doom’s first address, where he claims his only decrees are to outlaw war, provide universal health care, and make education available to all, we as readers are left to wonder if a world under Doom would really be that bad. Then we’re reminded that he does tend to rule with a literally iron fist as he dispatches of resistances mid-speech.
To say any more would be a spoiler, and it’s best to go into the comic not knowing what Doom has in store. But it’s worth it to see it play out.
Oh, and he’s accompanied by a tyrannosaurus rex Doom, which is objectively awesome.
So from a writing perspective, “One World Under Doom” is off to a great start. But artwork can make or break a comic as well, so how do illustrator R.B. Silva and colorist David Curiel manage?
Thankfully, the two are more than up to the task. R.B. Silva is one of Marvel’s best, displaying an excellent sense of panel composition, framing, lighting, and action. Each panel is packed with detail and characters, drawn with natural details and proportions while still maintaining a comic book style. This gives us some stunning scenes, from the gathering of heroes to the silhouette of Invisible Woman’s forcefield plane illuminated in the rain.
When the action picks up, Silva’s artwork matches, packing in tons of heroes and villains throwing attacks and debris around in a single panel. It’s high-energy, intense, and makes great use of lighting and character outlines to keep each panel engaging.
Speaking of the panels themselves, Silva primarily uses square and rectangular panels throughout the comic, but the adjusts the size and width of each to carry the reader’s eyes across the page and through the action, as well as add impact to the most dramatic scenes. On occasion, characters or action will pop out of the panels, adding even more impact to the moment.
David Curiel’s color work is perfectly suited to Silva’s style, bringing out the details and amplifying the intensity. While the comic starts with bright but clear colors, Curiel knows just when to amplify the brightness and fill in the background with specific shades for added effect. This blends nicely with Silva’s use of shadows, making the light sources and displays glow off the page.
The most impressive use of Curiel’s colors comes as the sun begins to set, and the sky is cast in shades of yellow and orange that illuminate the scene. This leads to a battle scene where the night sky is filled with shades of reds, greens, and yellows that pop off the page and make each panel stand out.
Although the year is young, “One World Under Doom” is shaping up to be the must-read Marvel event of 2025. Ryan North, R.B. Silva, and David Curiel are all at the top of their game, creating a story that’s narratively engaging and visually stunning.
(And I’ll never say no to a comic where North gets to write for Squirrel Girl again, especially if there’s a dinosaur Doctor Doom.)
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]]>The post SDCC: Marvel Reveals “Fantastic Four” and “Avengers” Titles, Casts Doctor Doom appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>Not only did we get new titles for the upcoming movies, but Marvel announced the actor cast to play the iconic Fantastic Four villain, Doctor Doom, and you’ll never believe who it is.
Except you will, because the internet has already gone wild with the announcement, so there’s no need to build any suspense.
It’s Robert Downey Jr.
The Fantastic 4: First Steps
Marvel’s first family’s entry to the MCU has been a long time coming. While there have been a handful of “Fantastic Four” movies in the past, ranging from the “so bad it’s good” to “it’s alright,” they couldn’t make a proper entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Disney acquired 21st Century Fox.
Now that they have, the Fantastic Four are getting ready to make their debut. Director Matt Shakman introduced Hall H attendees to the upcoming installment, titled “The Fantastic 4: First Steps.”
“First Steps” won’t be set in the present day, instead featuring a “retro-future 60’s” setting. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. It also features Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus, as well as Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich in yet-to-be-revealed roles.
While Galactus is an iconic Marvel figure, tied into the cosmic side of the stories, the announcement didn’t mention Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom. That was saved for slightly later…
Avengers: “Doomsday” and “Secret Wars”
Doctor Doom is still making his MCU debut, but instead of taking on the Fantastic Four, he’ll be facing the entire Marvel Universe.
While Marvel originally planned to make Kang the Conqueror the primary antagonist of the upcoming “Avengers” films, plans for that were quickly scrapped after Jonathan Majors was found guilty of two domestic violence charges.
As such, “The Kang Dynasty” is out and “Doomsday” is in, leading up to “Avengers: Secret Wars.” To the delight of the crowd, Joe and Anthony Russo are making their return to Marvel as directors of the upcoming “Avengers” films.
Also making his return to the MCU is Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark/Iron Man from the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s “Iron Man” up until 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” But RDJ is not returning as Tony Stark, but rather, as Victor von Doom himself.
Online buzz has been split on this announcement, with many fans excited to see the actor’s return, while others express skepticism at the casting decision or are worried that we’ll get a “snarky” Doctor Doom. However, the applause at the SDCC panel was nothing but enthusiastic.
What does this mean for Doctor Doom in the MCU? Naturally, we won’t know for a while. Whether we see RDJ’s face under Doctor Doom’s mask or not, whether this Victor von Doom is a multiversal variant of Tony Stark, or whether Marvel takes us for a complete twist, we’ll have to wait and see in “Avengers: Doomsday” in May 2026.
In the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments and keep an eye out for more news from Comic Con.
Sources: Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Titled ‘The Fantastic 4: First Steps’: Comic-Con Concept Footage Unveils Retro 1960s Vision and Galactus’ Head / Robert Downey Jr. Sets Marvel Return as Doctor Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ / Big Marvel Studios reveals from its 2024 Comic Con panel, including Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom
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