- Written by:Ryan North
- Art by:R.B. Silva
- Colors by:David Curiel
- Letters by:VC’s Travis Lanham
- Cover art by:Ben Harvey (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: March 19, 2025
One World Under Doom #2, by Marvel on 3/19/25, finds President Donald J. Tru….. err, Doctor Victor Von Doom giving a speech to the UN about his latest gift to the world when the Fantastic Four decide to attack.
Is One World Under Doom #2 Good?
Recap
When we last left the Latverian Sorcerer Supreme in One World Under Doom #1, the world leaders gave up full control to Doctor Doom for some inexplicable reason. What did the new leader of the world demand? First, Doom demanded all wars immediately cease. Second, all citizens would be provided with top-tier healthcare and education. The Avengers decided they better attack Doom to stop his global takeover, but Hydra beats them to the punch. The issue ended with Doom destroying fascists in full view of the public, making the Avengers look very bad.
Plot Synopsis
In One World Under Doom #2, the Fantastic Four are exasperated by Doom’s continued and growing dominance over the world. Their plan? The FF decides to attack Doom when he appears before the United Nations to give a speech. The FF believes that defeating and embarrassing Doom in front of the world will coerce him into showing his true colors.
While the FF prepares to attack, Valeria Richards meets with her godfather, Doom, privately to find out what he really plans. Above anyone else, Doom loves and cares for his goddaughter, so he tells her the absolute truth. Doom believes he is the most qualified person on Earth to lead the world to a new era of peace and prosperity. The old ways of doing things have failed, so Doom uses his power as Sorcerer Supreme to usher in a new age and earn eternal glory. Valeria has doubts but believes Doom speaks the truth.
Later, the FF attacks Doom at the UN soon after Doom delivers a speech where he declares all borders to all nations open so that humanity can work and live together in complete freedom. The FF’s attack goes badly when Doom is defended by civilian guards, and the unprovoked attack is televised to the world.
Doom continues his offerings of mercy and leadership by allowing the FF to leave unimpeded, as long as they agree to pay for the damage to the UN. In a final show of mercy, Doom uses his powers to permanently cure Ben Grimm.
First Impressions
Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. Did I mention Ryan North is depicting Doctor Doom as President Donald Trump? The heavy-handed allusion to modern-day politics is so heavy you couldn’t pick it up off the ground. At its core, Ryan North has the ingredients of a good story in this event, but his inability to get out of the way of his political leanings, making the Fantastic Four look like clowns in the exchange, squanders any potential for this story.
How’s the Art?
R.B. Silva’s artwork shines in the whimsical displays of magic and power. First, when the Fantastic Four stop an armed robbery in progress in the opener, and second, when Doctor Doom takes Valeria on a tour around the Earth (and Solar System) to explain his master plan. Silva loses quality and detail with faces, especially in the wide shots, but the broader visuals look great.
What’s great about One World Under Doom #2?
Ryan North’s “plan” to make Doctor Doom very hard to defeat, to North’s credit, works impressively well. By all outward appearances, Doom takes over the world by agreement from the world leaders, and he seemingly uses his authority to make the world better. What greater challenge can Earth’s mightiest heroes face than a villain who isn’t doing anything villainous?
What’s not great about One World Under Doom #2?
The crux of One World Under Doom #2 only works if you believe that Reed Richards, one of the smartest men on the planet, is galactically stupid. In issue #1, the Avengers made fools out of themselves by “supporting” fascists attacking Doom instead of supporting a peaceful transition of power. Here, Reed concocts a plan to attack Doom in plain view of the public during a speech where Doom announces unrestricted freedom of movement for the entire world. In effect, the world’s smartest superhero team repeats the exact same mistake made by the Avengers in the previous issue, making the Fantastic Four the world’s dumbest superhero team.
Last but not least, North’s intention to paint Doom as a representation of Trump is so obnoxious it’s painful. North digs down into near-identical talking points, news headlines, and man-on-the-street reports to make it look like you’re reading the comic version of MSNBC or Fox News, depending on the scene. Is it a problem to draw inspiration from real life? No, but it’s a problem when you read a $4.99 comic with such an egregious lack of imagination for a fictional world.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
One World Under Doom #2 continues to elevate Doctor Doom as the unstoppable leader of Earth, but it does so at the expense of the Fantastic Four or basic imagination. Ryan North uses Reed Richards to concoct the worst plan possible to stop Doom, and North’s obsession with painting Doom as President Trump goes obnoxiously overboard. This event is turning out to be a bigger disappointment for the wasted potential rather than the lack of creativity.
5/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
