If you’ve been keeping up with the fallout of the One World Under Doom event, you know the Marvel Universe is currently a giant, Latverian-shaped power vacuum. Victor von Doom is dead, his strongholds are sitting empty, and every opportunist from Hydra to Wakanda is currently sprinting toward the border to grab whatever leftovers they can find.
Dungeons of Doom #1 is exactly what it sounds like: a claustrophobic, horror-tinged descent into the places Doom himself didn’t even want to visit. It’s written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy, two guys who know exactly how to dial up the grit and the gore.
Pay at least $16 for these 10 items
The Post-One World Under Doom Power Vacuum
The issue starts by reminding us that Latveria has basically become The Monster’s Den. The vibe is immediately established as a messy, multi-faction war zone. We see local Freedom Fighters trying to protect their home from a Hydra invasion, while General “Thunderbolt” Ross leads a team of American soldiers into a massive cave-in. It’s a full-on dungeon crawl here.
What really makes the story stick, though, are the people caught in the crossfire. Johnson and Percy introduce us to a group of rebels: Sofia, Borys, Aleksander, and Fedir, who are basically physical manifestations of the trauma Doom left behind. Sofia spent her childhood in a work camp and literally had her jaw torn off, only to have it replaced with scrap parts from a Doombot. Borys watched his parents get electrocuted by Doombots. I continue to appreciate writers showing Doom as an evil fascist SOB because these broken survivors are looking for an edge to take back their country, and that edge might be hidden in the Crypt of Monsters.
Into the Whisper Man Chapter: Marvel’s Dark Fantasy Aesthetic
The transition into the ‘Whisper Man’ chapter is where things get truly weird and creepy. Ross and his squad find themselves way deeper than any of their intel suggested, discovering a room that was never meant to be opened. They stumble upon a proximity alarm recorded by Charles Xavier, warning them about an organism beyond comprehension. This is where the art team really gets to flex its muscles.
Speaking of the art, having five different artists: Justin Mason, Robert Gill, Carlos Magno, Georges Jeanty, and Karl Story, could have been a disaster, but it works surprisingly well here. The creature designs are nightmare fuel. Page 19 features a massive, multi-eyed, tentacled horror that feels like it crawled out of a 1980s dark fantasy flick.
Guru-eFX handles the colors, and they do a great job shifting the mood. The subterranean scenes are heavy with sickly greens and deep shadows, which contrast perfectly with the harsh, fiery reds of the combat above ground. Travis Lanham’s lettering also adds to the atmosphere, especially with the distorted sound effects of the monsters and the way the Charles Xavier dialogue feels like it’s actually creeping into your mind.
Who is Umbra, and Why is a Hydra Agent “Worthy”?
The issue ends with a double whammy of a cliffhanger. First, we get a look at Umbra, a mysterious agent acting on behalf of Wakanda. Even though he’s working for Black Panther, Umbra seems to have his own agenda, and he’s searching for one small thing in the deep dark.
Then, in a total wild-card move, we follow a Hydra agent named Wills who finds himself able to lift an ancient, massive hammer that previously seemed immovable. As he grips it, a voice whispers, “Worthy.” A Hydra agent wielding what looks like a Thor-level artifact? That is a bold move that I cannot wait to see play out.
Final Verdict: Is Dungeons of Doom #1 Worth Reading?
If you’re a fan of the darker side of Marvel or you just want to see what happens to a country when its dictator is finally gone, then check out Dungeons of Doom #1. It’s brutal, it’s mysterious, and it proves that the most dangerous things in Latveria weren’t the Doombots, but whatever Victor was keeping in his basement.
Read More from KPB Comics:
‘Dungeons of Doom’ #1 Marvel’s Horror-Filled Journey into Latveria
If you’re a fan of the darker side of Marvel or you just want to see what happens to a country when its dictator is finally gone, then check out Dungeons of Doom #1. It’s brutal, it’s mysterious, and it proves that the most dangerous things in Latveria weren’t the Doombots, but whatever Victor was keeping in his basement.
