One World Under Doom #7: Changing Hearts and Minds

The question of what one would do in the face of tyranny is central to One World Under Doom #7. This issue begins with back and forth displays of people who are willing to stand up to Doom and others who, for varying reasons, have no problem with what he has done in Latveria. The idea is one very prevalent in current political discourse. Here it’s taken to the extreme, for now more in keeping with historical examples, as Doom unleashes acts of mass violence against anyone who stands up to him.

North’s earlier willingness to “both sides” the issue of Doom’s reign works to One World Under Doom #7’s advantage. Though the series itself never sided with Doom, the fact that North gave voice to the opinion that Doom’s rule, based on the evidence at the time, was an unquestionable net positive helps legitimize the importance of this issue’s events. North is able to show reasonable people changing their minds when given new evidence and unreasonable people who refuse to change their minds despite this new evidence. This also plays into the political discourse of the day.

Maria Hill’s presence and Valeria Richards’ previous conversation with Doom are both paid off in One World Under Doom #7. Though one is more dramatic than the other, they’re both welcome instances of North not wasting previous significant story points.

Reed’s employment of magic will prove especially satisfying for Fantastic Four readers. North writes a lot of dialogue in One World Under Doom #7 explaining how Reed is able to do this. But it is actually an idea that stretches back to Fantastic Four’s Blood Hunt tie-in issues.

Minimizing Reed’s presence for most of the event makes his appearance here and in the previous issue all the more effective. As Doom’s nemesis it’s almost unthinkable that he wouldn’t factor heavily into a Doom oriented event. But the debate in the previous issue and use of magic in this one gives his presence more weight.

That use of magic results in a particularly strong visual presence for Reed in One World Under Doom #7. Silva marries Reed’s usual design with several magical visual characteristics, presenting a character who remains obviously connected to science even as he wields magic.

Silva also presents a very emotional Reed, clearly furious with Doom. Reed is not always the most outwardly emotional character, especially during North’s Fantastic Four run where it has been strongly hinted that he is on the spectrum. Thus it is fascinating here that Reed’s emotions are heightened.

Despite the number of characters that appear in One World Under Doom #7’s fight sequences, Silva maintains the high level of detail that comes with his subtle linework and shading that creates dimension while maintaining nuance. This is true even in crowded smaller panels.

Curiel’s coloring is once again a highlight. Doom’s and the heroes’ various energy based powers are depicted with coloring alone. Silva leaves no evident outlines around Cyclops’ beams or Wanda’s magic, for instance. The overlapping colors create depth, adding a more three-dimensional feeling to large group images. This quality of coloring elevates the already strong fight sequences.

Lanham’s work on the issue’s sound effects reinforces the depth of field in One World Under Doom #7’s fight sequences. Almost all of the sound effects radiate outward from or inward toward their origin point. With the diminishment on one end or the other of the sound effect, the characters seem closer or further away.