BOOKS OF DOOM #3 (2006)
by Ed Brubaker & Pablo Raimondi
cover by Paolo Rivera
One of my favorite covers in the series, although it’s really hard to pick one.
Last issue we covered the incident that scarred Doom’s face. Most versions of his origin story jump straight to his travel to Tibet, but the advantage of a miniseries entirely dedicated to Doom’s origin is that we can cover the period between those events.
With the understanding that this is the way DOOM narrates it (so take everything with a grain of salt), I really like the idea suggested here: that it was the failure to save his mother that broke him, not the fact that he was scarred. It really makes Doom a more complex and compelling character.
Weird to see Doom admitting ANY fault, but the fact that he seems disappointed in having been angry with a homeless man is interesting.
Victor is currently killing time in Prague, which if nothing else allows artist Pablo Raimondi to draw some gorgeous architecture.
Victor seems to be relying on his bandages to keep people away. Some parallel with his attitude towards his future mask?
Last issue there were some hints that this period was set during the Cold War, but once the KGB shows up to recruit Victor it’s rather overt.
He turns them down, and once they try to kidnaps him he shows that he’s not exactly harmless.
Despite the potential for a boost to his confidence, Victor is still utterly depressed.
Then, in a twist that probably didn’t shock anyone but Victor, he runs into Valeria again.
Uhm, Victor, I know you probably meant “the one woman other than my mother that I ever truly loved” to sound romantic, but… the less we think about it, the better.
Things have been pretty rough in Latveria since the last time Victor was there, and apparently it’s kind of his fault.
Despite appearances, Valeria didn’t just randomly show up in Prague: she was told by a fortune-teller that she would find Victor there, and their clan sent her there specifically to help him.
Note that Valeria doesn’t give any reaction at seeing Victor’s scars. Because his wounds are minor or because she doesn’t care? The series stays neutral on the debate about Doom’s scars.
Nightmares are a recurring theme. Victor constantly has them after the incident, they disappear when Valeria shows up, and they’re be a plot point in later issues.
Considering the huge role Latveria plays in Doctor Doom’s identity, it’s rather notable that in this period he really doesn’t seem to care about it.
Perhaps the best part about scenes with Victor and Valeria is that she typically sees right through his hypocrisy.
Obviously things HAVE to take a turn for the worst, so the KGB shows up to kidnap Valeria.
The most obvious twist at this point would be that Valeria was working with the KGB, but instead we get something a little more creative.
Victor doesn’t dare to make a move because he doesn’t want Valeria to get hurt, but she’s saved by SUDDEN MAGIC!
This dude’s reaction was priceless.
What just happened? Turns out the homeless guy outside Victor’s home wasn’t just some random guy, and the flower that he gave Valeria was actually a magical flower to protect her.
Which makes a certain amount of sense for this kind of story, but what I really want to know is how the heck did he manage to get shot when he wasn’t even in the scene before this!?
This guy was here because his order of Tibetan science magicians sent him to recruit Doom.
Sounds legit.
And that’s all Victor needs to dump Valeria and begin his journey to Tibet!
So, uhm… THAT happened!
Doom significance: 1/10
This is only marginally significant to Doom and Valeria’s history.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
A Tibetan science monk showing up in Prague and posing as a homeless guy because of a prophecy is at least A LITTLE Silver Age!
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
While the writing is as solid as the previous issues and Doom’s characterization is stellar, the ending feels a bit rushed. Considering that it leads to him leaving Valeria for good (almost, she will show up once again in the miniseries), it could’ve been elaborated a bit more.