Sometimes comics get hot due to movies or television shows. Thanks to, "X-Men '97," a lot of X-titles were getting buzz from the first appearance of Gambit to when Bastion debuted and so forth. I always find organic growth of a comic especially fascinating, however. When a book just seems to slowly gain attention and get hotter and hotter that is fun. I discussed such a case in my last installment of this segement with the newest iteration of, "Ultimate Spider-Man," and now have a really interesting comic for you, "Doom."
I honestly thought this was going to be a new series when I saw it solicited but, "Doom," is in fact a mega-sized one-shot written by Jonathan Hickman (same writer of, "Ultimate Spider-Man," actually) and illustrated by the amazing Sanford Greene. Hickman has clearly been on a roll lately with this being the second comic he's done this year to really blow up in popularity. Why is, "Doom," and its big one-shot so hot though? A chunk of reasons...
1. It's a Great Story. This comic is set in a future where all the Marvel heroes (and much of the rest of hte galaxy) have been wiped out by a superpowered Galactus and it falls to Valeria Richards (daughter of Reed and Sue) and Dr. Doom to attempt to save what they can of the Universe.
2. The Art is Amazing. Sandford Greene gives us some illustrations that are absolutely mind-blowing and this may be the best-looking comic we witness this year. His artwork is gorgeous and a feast for the eyes.
3. It's a One-Shot Set Outside of Continuity. In a time where we get these big epic series or events that are always advertised as changing the current Universe in wild ways forever, there is a charm to a relatively quick and self-contained story that realizes it can just be cool and do whatever it wants because it does not, "Count/matter," in the general comic continuity. Sometimes fans avoid a comic if it isn't a part of the big epic storylines, but the fact this is just a cool little yarn has touched a nerve with readers. You don't have to read anything before this or after (as of now unless we get a sequel story). It's just a damn good one-and-done comic.
4. Retailers May Have Under-Ordered. Even though I (and others I talked to) thought this was maybe the debut of a series, retailers probably saw it was a one-shot and giant-sized with a bigger price for the pages, seven bucks. That is a hefty price for a random one-shot set outside of continuity that comic readers may skip out on unless they really like Doctor Doom or the creators. The book is hot now but initially, it would make sense for retailers to be nervous and under-order the comic, resulting in fewer copies out in the public and the price going up in the secondary market.
5. The Opening Page References MF Doom. Seriously, the famous rapper who drew inspiration from Doctor Doom and sadly passed in October of 2020 gets a little homage/shout-out on the opening page with the text, "Living On Borrow Time...The Clock Ticks Faster..." which got a lot of people's attention and resulted in some fans of MF Doom seeking the comic out too. It's a nice little touch.
These factors have resulted in, "Doom," #1 selling for $30-$35 on eBay with the variant covers getting a little less scratch but still being hot. The fact it is a damn good comic all-around and was possibly under-ordered and has some extra buzz thanks to a musical homage all seem to have lit a fire under, "Doom," #1. A second printing is undoubtedly on the way if you want to read this awesome one-shot but would rather not pay too high above the cover price. Hickman keeps putting out hits in 2024 and Greene should be allowed to draw whatever he wants for Marvel because it is bound to be beautiful.
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