Marvel Comics
Doomwar #1
By Hervé St-Louis
February 28, 2010 - 00:04

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Jonathan Maberry
Penciller(s): Scott Eaton
Inker(s): Andy Lanning, Robert Campanella
Colourist(s): Jean-François Beaulieu
Letterer(s): Cory Petit
Cover Artist(s): John Romita, Klaus Janson
$3.99 US



doomwar001.jpg
Doctor Doom wants to collect vibranium to harness its mythical abilities, which have not been used by the people of Wakanda to their full extent. In order to get the precious resource, he has to conquer Wakanda through a proxy which quickly expel T’Challa the Black Panther, and his sister. Storm, his wife and a leader of the X-Men is captured and jailed until the time where she can unlock the safe that protects the vibranium. Will Doctor Doom succeed?

In an issue in the first Black Panther series by Reggie Hudlin, Doctor Doom hints that Wakandans may be different than other Africans because of a recessive mutant genes. Black Panther corrects him and expose him for the racist he is. There has been a lot of strife in Wakanda in recent years, but overall the royal family has remained in control. Yet a renegade group attempts a coup, backed by Doctor Doom and it actually works this time. Guess there is no recessive gene after all. What bothers me the most in this issue and that has been hinted at before in other Marvel Comics, but never by writers such as Hudlin and Christopher Priest is that vibranium is the reason that the people of Wakanda are so advanced compared to other ones. I don’t like that either. I’m not sure if I prefer that the Wakandans have a recessive mutant gene or that they were just lucky to stumble unto a meteor that gave them access to riches others didn’t. In either case, the genius of their civilization does not come from their adaptability and prowess but from gifts that made them special. It is racist, in the sense that one does not assume that they can make it on their own as an African nation without some kind of boost. So much for the great society that is far more advanced than anything. But of course for the majority of Marvel Comics writers this is something they just don’t understand and they continue to feed ideas to little black kids that the only reason the Black Panther is great is because he had some help.

Doomwar is an interesting story, and I hope that at the conclusion of this story, Doctor Doom gets the beating he deserves from the Black Panther.

Eaton is used to working on the Black Panther so his work seems natural here. It is a bit busy with too much going on in the page to really make the layout work. Thus it’s not very engaging even if the characters’ designs are strong.
Rating: 8/10

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