I stopped doing first impressions posts a while ago when I realised it was better to just focus on comics one volume at a time, but that isn't really the case for comics like 2024's Doom release, which itself is a 'one-shot' in which it's essentially one long volume that tells a story from start to finish with no breaks between releases. I quite like these sorts of stories for the fact that they tend to be more focused on the narrative, taking advantage of every page and panel they have to immerse the reader whereas weeklies or monthly releases tend to have a bit more breathing room. I recently starting to dive into the Doom character having seen them mentioned throughout the years but never knowing anything actually about them. Especially recently where my comic interest has grown rather exponentially. This month a new Doom comic was released called 'One World Under Doom'. This first volume piqued my curiosity a bit more and had me searching through the Internet for recommendations on previous comics that focus on his character. I found a few discussions online which had a few comics mentioned, though I stumbled across this one-shot purely by accident by opening another tab, seeing that 2024's Doom release had been picked up by mainstream media for its opening panel referencing the rapper MF Doom that died a few years prior. While I'm not a fan of the rapper, the panels I saw caught my interest immediately.
Most of what I have been reading is either finished or recently started to release, and it's really refreshing to dive into something knowing that I don't have to wait for more volumes to come out, particularly as I'm finding mostly always between volumes and searching for something new. But I have a feeling that I'll be getting through this one really quickly. The first thing that caught my attention was the art style. It felt nostalgic in a way. Like it had film grain splattered all over the panels, Darker colours for the most part with a grainy texture. Incredibly pleasing to the eye. And it does make sense as to why this would be an artistic direction due to the Doom character being a supervillain. Dark and gritty is precisely the approach we should be getting. It's rare to see that in relatively newer comics these days, especially from the works of Marvel and DC to which they've been heavily digital in the art for a while now. Sometimes comics don't quite get that edge they need to feel immersive and dark where they should be, and much of that is the more vibrant look of the art style and worlds that are built. This didn't feel that way at all, instantly showcasing a near-dead Doom floating through space after losing a major battle. Metal shards both from his own body and the surroundings showing the scale of that battle that took place.
I like this introduction so far. Supervillains are often known for getting roughed-up and rarely succeeding in their efforts. And Doom being near-death floating through space with a relative of his searching for him to bring him back, only to inform him of that loss and the inevitably defeat of humanity that came with it speaks of the volume of that battle. Where even supervillains had joined forces with the good in efforts to triumph over a threat, only to all fall in the process. Few of humanity had managed to survive, with the destruction being incomprehensible. After all, that threat appears to have been a planet killer. Scale seems to be a heavy theme within the comic quite early on, showcasing the events of the past that led to Earth's destruction and the number of heroes that attempted to save it. A nice addition was how the scale portrayed the heroes and even the villains as tiny in comparison. This was also reflected at the start with Doom floating through space. Very little is even seen of the Doom character for quite a few pages, as the story establishes itself and Doom is effectively incapable of moving, in a state of recovery from the lost battle, slowly discovering the events that unfolded at the same time as the reader. This little exposition dump feels less like an exposition dump as a result, and that's always a nice addition to a narrative.
I briefly mentioned the art style and the use of a grainy texture in the panels. This is something I thoroughly enjoy. From an art direction perspective, I really love this comic. It's definitely one of the better ones I've seen, especially from a Marvel/DC product. The use of dark blacks and darker tones in the colour make it a really beautiful comic to glance through. Many of the panels feel big in perspective and riddled with details. I found myself going back every other panel to just take another look at the art and really see the strokes of the brush from the artist. While I tend to do that often anyway, I feel like this art style is one that really shows how good a comic can look when given the right amount of attention. From smaller characters in the foreground to the details of a city in the background, it makes the universe being displayed feel significantly more lived-in, and that's something highly important given the narrative's context of a beaten-up world with little left remaining. It was a cool addition to have Doom hear the defeat of all else and immediately jump into the understanding that he needs armour, that he needs to get back into the fight as if it's his duty. That connection between world building and character.
This is a comic that I know for a fact I'd love to own in a physical edition one day. The art is incredible, and the story has been pulling me along panel after panel as I refuse to take my eyes away for a second. It shows all the great sides of what comics have to offer, for those who love art, and for those who love the variation in possibilities in narratives to be told. Simple, and quite concise, yet incredibly in-depth and rich in its world building. I'll be trying my best to not read through this one fully within the next 24 hours.