7 Great Doctor Doom Comics You Should Go Read Right Now

If you only read one Doctor Doom-related comic to get to know the villain and what he might be like in the MCU, I would recommend legendary Marvel writer Jonathan Hickman’s run on the character. This is cheating though, as Hickman built up his take on Doom starting in 2009 on Fantastic Four and ending in 2016 with the conclusion of the Secret Wars event comic. That’s roughly seven years of comics to read, which is daunting, though I promise it is worth it.

Across Fantastic Four, Avengers, New Avengers, and Secret Wars, Hickman’s portrayal of Doom as a man who works on the highest level possible in the universe is fascinating. He’s basically playing 5D chess at all times, and watching Doom concern himself with the end of the multiverse and the killing of gods, essentially on his own, is badass. 2027’s Avengers Secret Wars bares the same name as Hickman’s climactic finale, so you can bet it’ll be a major inspiration for the MCU.

With Robert Downey Jr. taking on the role of Doom, many are wondering if the MCU’s version of the character will be a variant of Tony Stark. Whether he is or not, there is a lot of history between Stark and Doom in the comics. My favorite book that delves into that relationship is Brian Michael Bendis’ Infamous Iron Man.

The premise is essentially, “What if Victor von Doom took over the mantle of Iron Man?” Following Stark’s death in Civil War II, Doom steps into the armor and starts fighting crime with his new suit while also welding a lot of magic. The comic puts Doom in an interesting position we haven’t seen him in before and digs into some emotional connections between the two characters. Bendis is a great character writer, and that is on full display in Infamous Iron Man.

If you got confused just now when I mentioned Doctor Doom using magic, then boy, have I got news for you. People might only know Doom as the masked villain of the Fantastic Four and not be aware of his mystic origins or affinity for the dark arts. Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment is a great team-up comic with the Sorcerer Supreme of Marvel that puts Doom’s mystical side at the forefront. It’s a wild romp through hell with phenomenal art from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. If you just want to read a cool story starring Doom that has some of the best art in comics, look no further.

If a comic hero or team has a run written by legendary writer Grant Morrison, I will be recommending it. The author who has given us the best X-Men and Superman stories ever also did a short stint with the Fantastic Four, and it’s just as good and unexpected as you’d imagine.

Fantastic Four: 1234 is essentially a story about Doctor Doom acting as the devil on the shoulder of the titular team. Over four issues, Doom tempts each member of the Fantastic Four with their desires or sabotages their lives. That isn’t that hard considering Morrison writes the team with a lot of baggage under their seemingly happy relationships. It’s a great dismantling of Marvel’s first family that could only be done by Morrison.

Sure, you know that Doctor Doom is the de facto enemy of the Fantastic Four, but what do you really know about the man behind the metal mask? Over the decades, a number of writers have fleshed out his backstory, much of which has become as convoluted as comics can be. Ed Brubaker’s Books of Doom is a succinct summary of that backstory.

Told mostly from the perspective of the villian himself, Books of Doom will take you through the life of the Fantastic Four’s greatest enemy. That includes his path to big bad, but also offers insights into his parents, especially his mystic mother. If you’ve only ever encountered Doom as a monologuing villain waiting to get defeated, then learning more about the intricacies of the character and his motivations is a must.

I’ll be the first to admit that reading traditional superhero comics…kind of sucks. It never feels like a good time to jump on, and with constant reboots and crossovers a lot of storylines never get the time they need. But if you just want to dive into what Doom is up to right now, with as little bullshit as possible, there is an option for you. This May, Jonathan Hickman gave us another Doom story worth reading in collaboration with Sanford Greene.

Simply titled Doom #1, this one-shot story sees the titular villain go on a universe-spanning mission to defeat Galactus. It’s a quick read that will still give you a good feel for who Doom is as a character. And hey, if you like it, then you can dive into something meatier.

This choice is just for fun, as it isn’t strictly about Doctor Doom. Rather, I am asking you to give Doombot a chance. One of the many robotic stand-ins for Doom that the villain has used as an army of grunts in the past, Doombot has a fantastic supporting role in 2017’s Runaways.

Doombot is a sassy and overdramatic robot that believes himself to be the true Doctor Doom and I love him. While not Doom, he does act like a caricature of the villain, almost parodying the monologuing tendencies Doom had in earlier issues. Runaways makes for a fun break from the usual doom and gloom (pun intended) that comes with reading Doctor Doom stories.

.