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Doom, Ascendant!

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For a more contemporary take on the 1964 origin of Dr. Doom, you may be interested in checking out a six-issue series from 2006 written by Ed Brubaker, and narrated by the Master of Menace himself. The series covers the period from Doom's childhood to his seizure of the throne of Latveria from King Vladmir (the former Baron whom he blamed for the persecution of his gypsy tribe and the loss of his parents); as a result, Books Of Doom has no real draw beyond the name recognition of its deadly and complicated subject, which is virtually a non-issue since Doom has always proven to be a bankable character for Marvel (at least until he crossed over into cinematic ventures).

The reader may also be reluctant to invest time in this story because of the series' perplexing title, which suggests that they're in for a mundane exploration of the character's motivations and thoughts while giving the impression of a diary or journal approach to its narrative. To be honest, well after finishing the series, I found myself wondering, "Wait--what'books'? What's the title referring to?" His studies abroad? Some sort of allusion to the doomed path he set himself on? The spell books of Doom's witch-mother, the preoccupation of which would not only open the door to an affinity with science but would lead to a lifelong obsession to free her from her damnation? The title's true meaning always felt as if it were right in front of me, yet remains elusive to me to this day.

Nevertheless, this story is a compelling one, with a solid script by Brubaker and breathtaking interior art by Pablo Raimondi that's belied by the impressionist style of the series' cover artist, Paolo Rivera. There are many things that will be familiar to anyone who knows of either the '64 origin tale in its entirety or any of its details passed down through subsequent stories in one form or another; yet there are also a number of variations that go beyond items that other writers have from time to time used to supplement the original story in order to fill in gaps without altering the authentic version. One minor example in this case would be from the Lee/Kirby tale, when the young Victor von Doom is visited in his tribal camp by the Dean of Science from New York's Empire State University, who offers Doom a scholarship; whereas in Brubaker's telling, the visitor is a U.S. general who offers Doom a position at a lab facility near the university to develop technology for the military, though he'll also be enrolled in classes at ESU--the same deal that's cut with Reed Richards. It seems counterproductive to the expectations the military brass have for both of these men, since anyone who's ever attended a university could tell you that a college course load is bound to sap a considerable amount of the time Doom and Richards are meant to devote to their lab work; unfortunately, Brubaker doesn't really justify splitting their time thus, except to conform to Lee's story.

Yet try not to jump to conclusions based on an alteration like this that occurs almost right out of the gate; instead, for now, regard the variations you'll encounter as a writer's prerogative to offer a different interpretation of prior events, and be assured that the overall structure of Brubaker's story will become clear in due time.

Until then, allow this series' host to beckon you onward.


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