Doomquest #1 Review
Doctor Doom has a simple vision, make himself and Latveria the dominant power in the world, thankfully his oldest enemy might have just given him a way to do it. —by Jonathan Cadotte
DOOMQUEST #1
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Francesco Mobili
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: May 27th, 2026
Previously in Doomquest, Victor Von Doom has long sought to make the country he rules, Latveria, a major power amongst the other nations of Earth. But a lack of resources and importance has always stood in his way. But if he could shape history to his will, nothing could stop his and his nation’s ascension.
A Glorious Project
Doomquest #1 opens with a quick recap of Doctor Doom and Latveria’s history. It then shifts to Doctor Doom receiving the latest reports that Latveria still doesn’t compare to the rest of the world in any meaningful statistic. At the same time, Reed Richards is giving a talk about how humanity could find peace if someone were able to alter the events of history in such a way that all changes happen simultaneously. This gives Doom an idea, and he immediately devotes the entirety of Latveria’s manpower and resources to accomplishing this very goal. Just as he is about to accomplish his goal, though, the combined forces of The Avengers, The X-Men, and The Fantastic Four attack.
Harnessing Doom
Of all the villains in the Marvel catalog, there are maybe a handful that ever get pushed to the forefront as major threats to the Marvel Universe as a whole. Doctor Doom is among that group, but so often he is depicted as a single-minded world conqueror type without much depth. In Doomquest #1 he’s given a slightly different spin. While he’s still very much a megalomaniac, here he’s also shown to be much more concerned with the fate of the nation he rules in a way that seems genuine and not just as an extension of himself. Rather than his hopes for Latveria’s success to be a mirror to his own, he sees himself as the only person who can make Latveria great. It’s a subtle shift in characterization, but it’s this characterization that makes this issue work. While at no point does this issue make the reader think that Victor Von Doom is not a bad guy, it also presents things in a way that makes you almost root for him, which is an unexpected but entertaining thing. Really, my only issue with this book is in the pacing. This is a quick-moving comic, as if it wants to get to the time-traveling shenanigans quickly, but it never actually gets to that. Much of this issue reads like a preamble to a foregone conclusion, which makes me feel like they should have just gotten to that quicker so we can get to what this series is going to be about sooner rather than later.
A Gamble That Pays Off
Doctor Doom in Doomquest #1 does not look like an imposing figure and this issue is all the better for that. One of the most intriguing parts of the visuals in this issue is when Victor looks strong and when he doesn’t. During sections of this book that are obviously supposed to be propaganda, Doom looks impressive and victorious. This also carries over when he’s interacting with his subjects. But in sequences when he’s by himself or face-to-face with his enemies, he’s given a smaller stature and a less impressive presence. It’s an effective technique that helps dig into the core of the character and helps turn this from simply a fun superhero vs. supervillain romp into something a bit deeper.
Bottom Line: A Strong Foundation to Launch From
While I think I would’ve liked to see this issue get to the meat of the series’ premise quicker, I do like the time they spend on establishing the characterization of Doctor Doom that hopefully will carry on through. The plot of this book is somewhat simple, but it also doesn’t need to be anything more complex; it just needs to be a decent enough spotlight to examine the main character with. 4 out of 5 stars.
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