I’ve read a small number of Marvel novels now, and find them a little hit or miss for me. This one was more miss than hit, but I expect bigger fans of Doom will enjoy this more and appreciate what’s been done with the character.

The Harrowing of Doom follows Victor von Doom’s attempts to rescue his mother’s soul form hell. And while he is distracted, a prince tries to ‘reclaim’ Latveria for himself. The novel is told in different POVs, bringing you closer to particular parts of the story through the eyes of different characters. For me, there was a bit too much head-hopping, typically something I don’t enjoy in novels (though I tend to like it much better when it’s full length chapters from different POVs). It felt like there were soon a lot of different characters to keep track of, and the scene switches often felt very sudden.

It also felt like there was a bit of a disconnect – I wasn’t ever quite sure how we were supposed to feel about Doom himself? Of course, when facing the Fantastic Four he’s a Bad Guy, but at various points throughout this book we’re told he’s such a good leader, he’s done so many things for Latveria, and are given an idea of what these things are – they are good things, don’t get me wrong, but it still comes across as the thing that makes him so good is comparison to the last guy, who was really bad? It’s a low bar, but Doom is still a single person running a country, and one who is hugely mythologised and literally worshipped by the people, in acts he seems to encourage, and who dedicates a huge chunk of his time to trying to rescue his mother from hell rather than ruling the country or dealing with what was basically a terror attack?

But no, it’s fine, because everyone has UBI (which is something I agree with! I just don’t agree with a tyrant running a country?). So yeah, bit of mixed feelings towards the characters as a whole, and overall just didn’t really gel with this story – it was a touch too all over the place for me! But it wasn’t massively bad, and like I said at the beginning, this is probably one to pick up if you’re already a fan of Doom himself.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

When villainous Doctor Victor von Doom set his mind on something, he doesn’t give up easily. Teaming up with the wise Maria von Helm to create the Harrower, a device that will rescue his long-gone mother from the depths of Hell, Doom sets himself on a course that seems destined for destruction. It’s a many-step plan with a great deal of working parts. And when a rebellion begins to rise to knock Doom from power just as his invention nears completion, all Hell breaks loose. Literally.
Written with Marvel movie fans in mind, this cinematic exploration of Victor von Doom’s enigmatic mind is just that: enigmatic. I never quite knew the specifics of what was going on or why, but I didn’t really mind? That said, the ensemble of characters was so diverse that Doom didn’t really stand out as the protagonist, and his murky motives prevented me from truly supporting his actions. As a die-hard Marvel fan, I enjoyed this look at Doom’s motivations and schemes; I just wish it felt like a deep dive rather than a surface level scuba.

Aconyte has a new Marvel book out, and the hero is … Doctor Doom?

Now, I’ll admit, I’ve never really been much of a Fantastic 4 reader, but isn’t Doom supposed to be the bad guy? Well, in one sense, that’s the exact question that David Annandale’s The Harrowing of Doom sets out to answer!

If you’re going to try and set someone who is typically regarded as the bad guy up as a hero – or, at least, as an anti-hero, then you probably want to give him a worthy cause to be fighting for, and Annandale definitely ticks that box here, as we discover early on that Doom’s grand scheme, his “Harrowing” aims to do nothing less than liberate his mother’s soul from hell, a task which will see him coming into conflict with Mephisto (who is basically Marvel’s version of the devil). From the outset then, The Harrowing of Doom sets you up for an epic confrontation, in which the villainous Dr Doom looks like a solid bet as the guy you want to root for.

The story takes place almost entirely within Latveria, and Annandale does a great job in moving beyond “generic East-European place” to a fully fleshed-out country. Doom’s Latveria is progressive and protective: the capital city (Doomstadt) is powered by a massive hydro-dam, and citizens are provided with universal healthcare and education. The book also places Latveria’s marriage equality in a very prominent position, with one of the main characters noting early on to her wife that, as a trans-woman, she would have faced discrimination, perhaps even persecution under the old order.

So is this a re-boot for Doom then? Or is this a faithful tale of Latveria’s ruler, simply without the distorting viewpoint of Reed Richards? Well, it’s worth noting that Doom is certainly not presented here as a saint. His rule in Latveria is absolute: he might be a benevolent dictator, but he is a dictator nonetheless. Even beyond the absolutism he establishes through the rule of law, time and time again Annandale reminds us of the sheer force of will that characterises Doom. By sheer obstinance he will face down the forces of hell, but this strength of character is not lost on those around him and several times other characters in the story will be forced to question whether they truly have free will at all, in the presence of the overriding determination of Doom himself.

Aside from Doom, the events of The Harrowing of Doom are viewed through the eyes of a number of Latverian subjects, and I want to focus in on 2 in particular: Father Grigori Zargo and Captain Kariana Verlak of the palace guard. The two present a nice contrast: the Captain of the guard is a woman of ironclad certainty, where the Priest is a man plagued by conflict and doubt.

Verlak’s loyalty to Doom is absolute, and she is strong and decisive as she attempts to apprehend threats to Latverian security, most of which come through the machinations of Prince Rudolfo Fortunov, a man trying to fight a guerrilla war to liberate a people who mostly don’t want to be liberated. Annandale puts Verlak in an awkward position: she certainly seems as competent as she is loyal and driven, and her bravery, along with her refusal to be beaten saves Doomstadt from worse fates than they might otherwise have faced on multiple occasions. Ultimately though, she is unable to completely eliminate Fortunov’s with his attacks and plots, if for no other reason than that we wouldn’t have a third act if he were apprehended in the first. Interestingly, Doom is shown to be remarkably forbearing as the Prince fails to be apprehended time after time.

Father Zargo, in contract with Verlak, is all self-doubt and introspection. A former Geomancer, he was allowed to leave the Academy and pursue a calling in the church, but Doom requires his expertise in detecting ley-lines as part of his plan to raid hell, and when Doom commands, you obey! Zargo is a fascinating figure, characterised by reluctance, but also by not only a gift for geomancy, but a real passion for it, even if his enjoyment of the task is something he does his best to deny, both to himself and to others. Zargo makes an interesting case-study for pondering the question of whether Doom is cruel or kind to his subjects with the particular freedoms that he grants and denies them in turn. Ultimately, Zargo has a big role to play, not simply in Doom’s grand scheme, but in protecting those who seek sanctuary in his church.

The rest of Latveria feels fleshed out, and there is time for the viewpoints of Verlak’s wife Elsa, Dubrov the castle archivist, and Mariva Von Helm, his mother’s closest friend. These were the 2 though whose passages I most enjoyed


It’s a good thing that the protagonists of The Harrowing of Doom are so interesting, because the antagonists are a fairly difficult bunch to feel much sympathy for. At a few points in the story, we see Doom locked in combat with various demons of hell and, whilst the scenes in which they appear are well drawn, it is hard to see the lesser demons as anything beyond the horde of generic monsters which could appear in any story. Only the most senior of the demons to appear have any definable sense of personality, and it is hardly one with which you can sympathise.

When Doom is confronting mortal foes, they are a bunch of ex-aristocrats, who seem not to have noticed that it isn’t the 19th Century any more: their leader, “Prince” Fortunov, wants his “rightful” throne, (on the basis that it was his dad’s once) and he is followed by various other members of the old nobility who are still resentful over the lands and riches that the lost thanks to Doom’s revolution. The underground resistance are a surprisingly resourceful bunch: they seem to have an elaborate warren of tunnels crisscrossing under Doomstadt and the wider countryside, and not only have they avoided detection for many years, but they have also secured the assistance of A.I.M. a villainous ex-HYDRA offshoot, who will happily provide technology for all your nefarious needs, assuming you can pay. Honestly, this bunch felt like a real puzzle to me: there’s certainly an element of ambiguity around whether their lack of support from the Latverian public stems from a fear of Doom or more general apathy, but it’s hard to find any redeeming features within their actions or their motivations: given the pains that Annandale has taken to remind us of how well everyone’s material needs are met in Doom’s Latveria, it’s hard to see the motivation of these ex-aristocrats as coming from anything other than greed and selfishness – you certainly don’t imagine them starving on the streets if they just accepted the change.

Ultimately, The Harrowing of Doom gives the reader a very intimate look at its eponymous protagonist, and whilst Doom’s iron will, and the implicit (or sometimes explicit) lack of freedom that this implies for his subjects never fully goes away, the figure he presents is a very interesting one nonetheless. Doom is arrogant and domineering, daring to do things that others sensibly balk at, but his incredible drive stems from his desire to benefit the people of Latveria and, above all, his mother.


Annandale has noted in various interviews that he has already pitched another Dr Doom book to Aconyte, so I remain hopeful that he, Verlak, Zargo and the others will be reappearing soon. In the mean-time, The Harrowing of Doom is out in E-book form, and physical copies in the US, and will be reaching the UK early in 2021.

This review was based on an advance digital copy of the book, given to me by Aconyte for the purposes of reviewing.

About Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

I've been thoroughly enjoying the Marvel novels coming out from Aconyte Books lately, and this was no exception. I honestly didn't know much about Victor Von Doom going into this book. I'd seen the characters in a few movies and knew of his powers in passing but had never focused on his character arcs. I really enjoyed this insight and I don't feel like you NEED to have read much about Doom to read it - though personally I do wish I'd known a little more. The villain-as-protagonist works really well here, with other POV included to add some depth to the story. The author's love for the character really comes through in the writing, and though I did find it lagged a little at points, I generally really enjoyed this story.

So, I was kindly offered an advance reviewer’s copy of The Harrowing of Doom by David Annandale for the Marvel Untold series, a new prose line revolving around Marvel’s villains. Although I’m not personally familiar, the author’s prior written work and academic scholarship indicated a strong background in fantasy, science fiction, as well as horror film and literature - all essential elements of Doom himself honestly, whether in his character, design, or formative influences. A promising start from the outset!

To no one’s surprise, I was especially excited for this one. Doctor Doom is both my favorite Marvel character and area of nerdy comics expertise, and Annandale sounded like the perfect candidate to tackle him.

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The Harrowing of Doom centers around a conflict familiar to those who know the character. Taking place fifteen years after his ascension to the throne, Victor von Doom is still hellbent on rescuing the soul of his mother, Cynthia, trapped in hell by the demon Mephisto. His yearly attempts to save her have been fruitless thus far, but he believes he can really do it this time, enlisting the help of a new character, Maria von Helm, and some of his lesser known subjects (also new characters) to accomplish the task, by building a machine called The Harrower. The noble scheme is further complicated by the reappearance of Prince Rudolfo Fortunov, son of the monarch deposed and murdered by Doom years prior, who is equally determined to take back what he believes is his birthright by any means necessary. The novel is a relatively dense and detailed one, and as a true blue Doom enthusiast, I have a dense and detailed review to match.

The first thing that I personally take note of in any material involving Doom is the author’s perspective on the truth of Latveria’s “benevolent dictatorship.” It immediately speaks volumes about a writer’s perception of Doom’s accountability and sense of morality; it kind of ends up coloring his entire characterization. That being said, I was really pleased by the evenhandedness with which Annandale treats Doom’s Latveria and his influence upon his subjects. It slots in neatly with some of the greats, Lee & Kirby, Jonathan Hickman, Roger Stern, etc with the acknowledgement that Doom is indeed a despot with an iron fist and a will absolute, but one who cares for the wellbeing of his country. Through dialogue from his subjects like the skittish Father Grigori Zargo and diehard loyal Captain Kariana Verlak, the reader gets the sense that Doom’s rule may be the best leadership Latveria has ever known. (A brief aside: another great strength of The Harrowing of Doom that has to be mentioned is the fleshing out of these different original characters. Maria von Helm was a particularly welcome addition, as a close friend of Doom’s mother and a far more empathetic magic user compared to him.)

Verlak is openly married to Dr. Elsa Orloff, a trans woman and neurosurgeon of international renown. Both of them had experienced the Fortunov rule that predated Doom’s, with Orloff even having fled Fortunov’s Latveria when she first come out as transgender, in fear of his tyrannical rule and the dangerously transphobic legislature he enforced called “The Laws of the Person.” It is apparent that Doom exists in obvious juxtaposition to the prior ruler’s bigotry. Beyond the total erasure of all previous discrimination and state-enforced bigotry, he has Verlak appointed in a role of great prominence, gave Orloff the tools she needed to succeed in her field, and even shares an exchange with her where he remarks that he knows her from her publications in the Lancet Neurology and that he appreciates them for their “speculative” approach. In an excellent exchange between Father Zargo and the rebel Prince Fortunov, the priest, who is by far Doom’s number one fan, explains Doom’s mesmerizing hold on the populace and the benefits they reap from his rule, despite it being a despotic one:

“I’ll be explicit, all the same,” said Zargo. “Doom is a sun king, even more fully than Louis XIV ever was. Latveria is a world power. How? Because of Doom and only because of Doom. Latveria’s strength and its wealth come from his inventions. And the beams of his sun touch every citizen. Universal basic income, free healthcare, free schooling, free universities, free training to the highest level of your calling - all of these things flow from Doom.”

“Free?” Fortunov snarled.

“The price is obedience, yes,” said Zargo, “And yes, Doom is feared.” Zargo stopped himself from saying Vladimir was feared and hated. […] “Even though Doom is feared, he also is Latveria in every sense that matters.”

What I really appreciated was the author’s ability to walk the tightrope of acknowledging how beneficial Doom is for the country and his protectiveness over his domain, whilst also acknowledging Doom’s intense paternalism that ultimately favors his own goals. Doom, as well-read comic fans would know, is heralded as one of Marvel’s master manipulators. It’s a great strength of this novel to see him exerting his willpower and the strength of his personality to manipulate and sometimes, fully overpower that of his subjects. Father Zargo is definitely the most profound victim of this, a man with ties to both the church and the occult. Through the novel, Doom insistently pushes him towards the latter, his priorities made clear in one sentence: “The work was what mattered. Zargo’s soul was not Doom’s concern.” An especially interesting scene occurs later in the novel. Without too much elaboration, Doom performs an experiment where he uses the old Latverian nobility as guinea pigs. This was something I immensely liked, corroborating one of my own personal perceptions of Doom. It’s always made sense to me that Doom would continue to hold a certain amount of disdain for Latverian high society, even after he went from low class Romani boy to monarch himself.

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(“The Fantastic Origin of Doctor Doom,” Fantastic Four Annual #2.)

Afterwards his partner, Maria von Helm, muses aloud that she always wondered why Doom let vestiges of the old regime remain, to which Doom responds: “Now you know. The aristocracy has its uses, and the advantages of being disposable.” It’s maybe my favorite example in the book of the exceptions to Doom’s purported benevolence. He does want the country to flourish and for his subjects to prosper, but this intent can be superseded by his innately ambitious nature and his own personal biases. It’s clear at several points in the book that Annandale is obviously well-read on Doom himself, but it was especially in the capturing of this nuance that it really stuck out to me in a big way. (As well as the fun reference to Doom’s brief jaunt in the French Riviera in Supervillain Team-Up!)

Outside of this core aspect of his characterization, I really enjoyed how the novel not only built up Doom’s cult of personality, but emphasized the sheer magnetism of Doom himself, in person. Constantly, characters find themselves buffeted by strength of his will, craving his approval or cowering and scrambling to avoid his displeasure. It’s a great true-to-character depiction of interactions between Doom and Latverian citizens, dynamics that were only touched upon briefly in the periphery of most comics involving Doom. I think, ironically, this is also perhaps the source of one of the novel’s few weaknesses. By keeping the book very Latveria-focused, Annandale does an excellent job of adding world-building on every level, from expounding on Latverian national holidays to the layouts of Doomstadt to the country’s storied history with witches predating Doom and his mother. But the fact that Doom mostly interacts with those beneath him or those who work for him gives the reader a bit of a myopic, overtly flattering perspective of him as almost too certain, too powerful, too unfeeling. I suppose it serves the scope of the novel for Doom to be more an obelisk of a man than fully well-rounded, but I contest that one of the best things about his character is that his indomitable exterior hides a deep well of pain and uncertainty.

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(“In The Clutches of Doctor Doom,” Fantastic Four #17.)

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(“Oath of Fealty,” Doctor Doom #7.)

The novel obviously perceives Doom as Byronic, there’s even excerpts from Manfred interspersed between chapters that I greatly enjoyed, but I did find the heart of the Byronic character a little lacking here. Where Manfred bares his soul alone in monologue or to others, Doom, for the most part, does not. There are definitely brief allusions to the trials he’s faced, but he seems rarely prone to doubt or vulnerability until the very end. (For example, the central task is the attempt to rescue Cynthia von Doom’s soul, but little time is spent dwelling on this very human connection between mother and son.) Or even self-admitted imperfection! Interestingly, I only ever caught one mention of his scars in the entire novel.

The Harrowing of Doom seems to prescribe to the line of thought that the mask is the only true face of Doom’s that matters, but I think with that philosophy, it stays firmly within the character’s own comfort zone. And his psyche never feels truly challenged, because there’s no worthy challenger. Doom knows without a doubt that he is Fortunov’s superior, so there’s no real interpersonal friction there. It left me keenly interested in seeing how the author would write Doom in the presence of someone like Reed Richards, an opponent who has historically brought out Doom’s baser instincts and invoked his self-doubt, drawing out his flaws and humanity in the process. Hopefully Marvel approves a sequel!

Doubtlessly, it’s still a strong entry into Marvel’s Doom canon and an excellent read for anyone who enjoys the character and is familiar with his history. The novel gives a sprawling, detailed look at Latveria and fleshes out both country and countrymen with aplomb. I took real delight at the indirect peeks at Doom’s personality through other characters’s observations or simple exposition. Some notable examples include Doom’s occult librarian wondering if he had been appointed out of spite of his witch-hunter ancestry, Zargo noting the west wing of Werner Academy was dedicated to clinical research in a nod to Werner von Doom’s work as a healer, and my favorite: the paintings within Castle Doom being impressionistic depictions of Doom’s ancestors, “people long buried, long forgotten, and in their lifetimes ignored or worse.”

The conflict also moves at an engaging, brisk pace and smartly takes advantage of the widely known fact that Doom is preoccupied every Midsummer Night and turns that into an opening to be exploited by Fortunov, who also is well characterized throughout the novel and even experiences his own personal growth.

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(“Though Some Call It Magic!”, Astonishing Tales #8)

Essentially, the product is a great novel about Doctor Doom influenced by strong comic lore knowledge, Gothic and Romance literature, horror cinema (According to the author, Doom’s lab is modeled after the lab from The Bride of Frankenstein!), and fantasy. If that sounds like something up your alley, definitely check it out. It gets a wholehearted recommendation from me.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

As I am currently wading my way through the early 90s Infinity Gauntlet/War saga and all the crossover issues of comics, I was intrigued at the sometime villain, complex character that is Victor Von Doom. This book seemed to be the perfect chance to put some meat on the bones of this intriguing powerful character.
The book starts on Walpurgis night, as Doom looks towards the coming midsummer and his annual battle with Mephisto's forces of Hell as he tries to reclaim his mother's soul. Beaten once more, Doom hits on a plan to take the fight to Hell on his own terms.
Meanwhile, Doom's mother's previously defeated foe, a prince, seeks to take back control of the country, using terror attacks while Doom is distracted with his Hellish fight.
The story has some good characters, in the few people trusted with helping Doom to accomplish his plan (his mother's former ally and now recluse, a priest with heretical powers and his security chief) which help to tell the story. However, throughout the book we are treated to the same sense of mystery of the insides of Doom's mind that we see in the comics.
The book is good, an interesting one where an over-powered character is undone by refusing to delegate or being too egotistical, and it is something of a page-turner. But as a Doom-focused book, it left me wanting more.

I received an advance eARC of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to think going into this. I love comic books, and have read some of the most poignant and memorable tales within their pages – but my experience with prose versions of the very colourful and vivid characters has been mixed. Somehow words alone haven’t been able to do justice to what is usually a very visual experience.

Within a few pages, I knew I needn’t have worried. I find myself deep in Latveria, home and domain of scientist and magician Dr Victor von Doom, witnessing his quest to rescue the spirit of his mother from Hell. Almost like a damned soul himself, it’s a battle he (literally) fights every year, only to lose over and over. But this time will be different…

I was absolutely captivated by this book. I knew the author from some of his Warhammer fiction, but reading his little note stating his love for one of comics’ greatest villains, I can only agree – he’s more than done justice to what could well have been a pretty two-dimensional character.

The outline of the base plot is above, but threads run swiftly through the pages to depict a busy, thriving country ruled by a benevolent dictator, with everyone fighting their own battles much as we all do. From the lowest to the highest, this book expertly balances magic and science, contemporary and medieval, superstition and fact, love and duty. In a way, it reminded me of the cleverness of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, which confused and awed many critics with its skilful mix of real-world and comic-book.

No previous knowledge is really needed, and it doesn’t take much to suspend your disbelief. If someone were to point out Latveria on a map now, I think I’d just want to know more about it as a place and culture!

This story absolutely left me wanting more. I read it at increasing speed, with moments of calm thoughtfulness slowly ramping up to a crescendo of action – all beautifully described, so I never felt lost.

This is the Doom we have never seen in the movies. I love how his tale has caught the imaginations of many through the years, and I’m absolutely looking forward to future prose versions of his fantastic peers.

Definitely recommended.

This was a mostly enjoyable book, as a long-time Marvel reader. But it was also very slow moving and somewhat disjointed, making it hard to maintain my interest for long periods of time like I read most books. This one was only swallowable in small doses. And I won't write a review on it because of all the demanding legal notes Marvel or whomever insist I put on my opinion. Makes it not worth my or other readers' time. Get real. Give us our freedoms! And get better editing and quality control for what could be really great books like "Harrowing."

For his first Marvel novel, The Harrowing of Doom – part of the Marvel: Untold range from Aconyte Books – David Annandale tells a tale of iron will and fierce obsession as Doctor Doom sets out to turn the tables on Hell itself. Each year at midsummer, Doom must battle a champion of Hell to try and free his mother’s soul, an impossible task that he’s fated to lose every time. Setting out to change the terms of the duel and weigh things in his favour at last, Doom enlists the help of the sorceress Maria von Helm and a reluctant Father Zargo and embarks on a bold but risky gamble. Even as he works feverishly on this new project, the security of Latveria is threatened by the deposed crown prince Rudolfo Fortunov.

The main thrust of the narrative focuses on Doom and Helm’s great work creating the Harrower, a powerful but deeply dangerous fusion of sorcery and technology, and Fortunov’s campaign of intimidation and guerilla warfare in search of a way to regain control of Latveria – something he considers his god-given due. Along the way, however, this becomes a compelling examination of life in Latveria (specifically in the capital Doomstadt), where the shadow of Doom hangs over everything and the people rightfully fear their sinister ruler. And yet, whether it’s Zargo’s begrudging return to a life he thought long behind him, palace guard Captain Kariana Verlak’s fierce loyalty to her lord, or the general population’s decidedly cold response to Fortunov’s attempts to rally them, it’s clear that Doom’s relationship with Latveria and its people is complex, deep-rooted and in some respects genuinely progressive.

For anyone not entirely familiar with the character, Doctor Doom can seem a bit…well…silly, on the face of things. Not here. He may normally be the villain but in this story he makes a fascinating protagonist – Annandale doesn’t worry about giving too much of his backstory, instead focusing on his unwavering determination to move forward and his ironclad certainty in his own power, both literal and metaphorical. His fierce will is clearly a big part of what makes him such a compelling bad guy normally, and clearly he’s not a likeable person, but when contrasted with Fortunov – who, for all his plucky underdog spirit, is a much more selfish, entitled character – it’s hard not to empathise with him. That will and sense of purpose leaves little room for introspection, however, so the other POV characters – Helm, Zargo, Verlak, even Fortunov – play a big part in building up a full picture of Doom.

From Doom’s laboratory to the gates of Hell, this is about as grandiose and epic a story as you could imagine, and after a relatively quiet opening it quickly builds up an unstoppable sense of momentum. Much like the blend of sorcery and technology that fuels Doom’s daring plan, Annandale mixes gothic tragedy and bold, cinematic action (along with a fair amount of surreal occult antics) to create something powerful and exciting, and it proves to be as spectacular, characterful and downright entertaining as any Marvel movie. Doctor Doom might usually play the role of the bad guy, but with this fantastic exploration of his character and his relationship to Latveria it’s clear that there’s much more to him than just monomaniacal villainy. Annandale’s love for the character comes through strongly, and he’s undoubtedly done Doom justice.

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<p>I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Marvel Untold novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52568899-the-harrowing-of-doom" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52568899-the-harrowing-of-doom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Harrowing of Doom</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/David_Annandale" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/David_Annandale" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Annadale</a>, published by <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://aconytebooks.com/" target="_blank">Aconyte Books</a>, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.</p>
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<p>So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.</p>
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<p>I am also friends with David on Facebook, but I suspect that's more about him connecting with fans rather than being a big fan of mine!</p>
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<p>I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.</p>
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<h2>What is Marvel</h2>
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<p>Look at this point I would bore you with a bit of background to the game/universe, but lets not, you all know the Marvel Universe, if you don't have you been living under a rock!</p>
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<h2>The Story</h2>
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<p>This story focuses on Doctor Victor von Doom, the ruler of the Eastern European country of Latveria, and his quest to free his mothers soul from Hell. </p>
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<p>He teams up with a hermit witch Maria von Helm, as they work to change the rules around Dooms yearly duel with a champion of Hell, so that he might fuse science and sorcery to free the soul of his beloved mother.</p>
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<p>But as with all things, there are forces allied against him, in particular an old enemy from before his revolution.</p>
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<p>So the story whilst being about Doom, isn't Dooms story, whilst a lot of it is told from his point of view, you also get the points of view of an enemy who hates him more than any other, his head of security, a priest reluctantly drawn into his web, his archivist and a nurosurgeon.</p>
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<p>It would be so easy for David to have just done a story about a cackling mad scientist super villain, but this isn't that story, instead its a bit more nuanced, its more insightful, giving us a glimpse into Dooms determination to not only free his mothers soul, but to protect his people.</p>
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<p>And that's one aspect of Doom, which is very much out there, he cares for the people of Latveria, yes they are his tools, yes they live in fear of him, but he genuinely cares and wants to protect them, with his rulership even coming over as considerably more liberal than that of his predecessor with trans citizens being afforded equal rights.</p>
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<p>Whilst these books do inhabit their own universe in the Marvel multiverse, I think this book, a bit like the previous Domino novel, offers a look at a character is a way the comics, simply don't manage very easiy.</p>
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<p>David has managed to connect me to Doom in a way, i didn't think possible.</p>
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<p>Now if you listen to Edge of Empire, you will know I am not the biggest fan of Davids writing style, but in this novel, he manages to take a huge leap forwards, perhaps its having an editor who knows how the get the best out of him, but its a much easier read than most of his Black Library work. His sentence structures has tended to be so short and sharp, but in this book they flow so much easier than they did in say Ruinstorm.</p>
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<p>I know David is an established writer, but over the past three or so years, it feels like his writing has become so much better, I used to be a bit irritated if he got to write a story in a series I was enjoying, but now I look forward to them.</p>
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<h2>Conclusion</h2>
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<p>This book works really well, and you know what, one of its strongest points is that it doesn't even bring in much of the larger Marvel universe, it focuses solely on Doom, with a few mentions of other stuff, I think Richard Reed is mentioned once, AIM gets a couple of mentions.</p>
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<p>But this book stands on its own and really gets you into the character and actually gets you rooting for him, especially given that one of the Marvel Universes biggest villains stands for trans rights!</p>
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<p>This felt like it could easily be adapted into a movie in the MCU, its a very strong story and very well written.</p>
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<p>You can buy the eBook now, and the paperback is available in the US now and will be in the UK on 7th January.</p>
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<ul><li><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harrowing-Doom-Marvel-Untold-Novel/dp/1839080523" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon</a></li><li><a href="https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-harrowing-of-doom-1" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-harrowing-of-doom-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kobo</a></li><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-harrowing-of-doom/david-annandale/9781839080524" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-harrowing-of-doom/david-annandale/9781839080524" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Waterstones</a></li></ul>
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An amazing untold story of the greatest villain in The Marvel Universe. Marvelous Marvel is at its best with this novel.

A Marvel Untold novel

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first of a new series of prose novels taking place in the Marvel Comics universe and featuring characters that might not always be in the spotlight. The Harrowing of Doom centers on Victor Von Doom and his quest to rescue his mother from her imprisonment in Hell while holding off a challenger to his status as ruler of Latveria.

While Doctor Doom made for a very unlikely hero, this book did open my eyes as to Doom’s motivation for the things he does that bring him into conflict with various Marvel heroes. It was pretty cool to view Doom’s blend of technology and sorcery differently from the usual villainous angle. I also enjoyed some of the additional Latverian POV characters.

I gave The Harrowing of Doom five stars. I’ve read other Marvel and DC prose novels in the past and enjoyed them. I’m hoping to see a lot more books published that are similar to this one.

The Harrowing of Doom is the latest Marvel Untold Novel, written by David Annandale. I'll admit that it's almost odd seeing Annandale in this franchise, as I've gotten so used to seeing him write for Black Library. Still, it's a refreshing change.

Fans know the story well. Doom lost his mother to Hell. Not figuratively, but literally. Ever since, he has fought to gain back her soul, and her freedom. Even while ruling all of Latveria, that has been a goal of his.

A goal that has never felt closer, thanks to an idea and new allies. With the use of his mother's old friend, and a citizen of Latveria, Doom has a bold plan. A plan that this time around, might just work to free his mother.

“In Latveria, the people did not plead for protection from witches. They plead for the protection of witches.”

I didn't quite know what to expect, when I picked up The Harrowing of Doom. I knew that I wanted to read it, and desperately at that. Doom's story has always left room for curiosity, and I was eager to see if this novel would succeed in making him feel more sympathetic.

What surprised me is that Doom is not the main perspective of this novel. Or rather, he's not the only main perspective. There are several characters who lend their eyes for this tale, providing a more solid understanding of Doom, Latveria, and the world he has worked hard to shape to his will.

It was fascinating, and yet it did leave me wishing that there was more. I'm not quite sure what I wanted more of, but I wanted it. Perhaps I wanted to see more of this epic and yearly battle. Or the enemies. Or the humanity. Or perhaps it is a combination of all those things.

I do love that The Harrowing of Doom forced readers, once again, to question if Doom was a hero or a villain. Personally, one of my favorite Doom-oriented series is Infamous Iron Man, so I couldn't grab this book fast enough.

It was fascinating to see all of Doom's struggles, aggravations, and failures. More than that, to see all of this through the eyes of his people. Both those that are loyal to him, and those that are most decidedly not. It added several layers to this story. Actually, that feels a bit like an understatement. I almost wish there had been time to explore this whole concept further, if I'm being honest.

Ultimately, I did find myself enjoying The Harrowing of Doom. It was a quick yet fascinating read. One that I would recommend to any Victor von Doom fan out there, as it will be especially satisfying for them.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

Whilst I'm not a huge comics reader, and haven't kept up to date with many of the happenings in the current Marvel Universe, I have experienced a number of stories that have featured the character of Doctor Doom over the years, and have come to enjoy the character somewhat. He's the ruler of a country, is able to leverage that to gain diplomatic immunity much of the time, is a genius level scientist and creates amazing technology, and he's a sorcerer able to go toe to toe with some of the most powerful magical users in the Marvel Universe. What's not to love about that?

The Harrowing of Doom presented one of the first real opportunities for me to actually get to know spend time with the character in a scenario where he's not an antagonist, however, and I found this change to be a fascinating one. It's easy to make Doom into an arch villain, just look at his name, but to make him a character that you can understand, whose actions you can agree with, and who you can actually see as a hero, that's not something I think many writers would be able to achieve. It's a level of moral grey that is hard to capture, yet David Annandale not only did that, he made me a major fan of the character.

The story focuses on one of the biggest driving forces in Doom's life, his desire to free his mother from the forces of Hell. Having made a deal with the extra-dimensional demon Mephisto, Cynthia von Doom gained the power to try and give her people a home free from tyranny, but fell in battle and her soul was sent into the bowels of Hell. Now, every year Doom has one chance to free his mother, where every summer solstice night a champion of Hell is sent to challenge him in single combat. If Doom can beat this champion, his mother will be freed. Doom know this will never happen, however, that he will never be able to beat Hell in this contest, so hatches a plan of his own, one that will bring the fight to Hell itself.

Recruiting a number of allies to his cause, including the powerful sorceress and former friend of his mother, Maria von Helm; and Zargo, a priest who used to study the occult and the nature of lay lines, yet harbours a hidden power even unknown to himself that Doom needs. Using all of the forces at his command, Doom spends an entire year building a device of mystical and technological perfection named The Harrower, which he intends to use to storm Hell and free his mothers soul. Not only is this a risky plan, one that will push Doom to his limits, but he also has to contend with Prince Rudolfo Fortunov, the son of the former king of Latveria, who wants to take his kingdom back from Doom with a guerrilla war.

The Harrowing of Doom really does focus on its lead character a lot, and I don't think I've ever spent more time with him. Not only does the book give you a great deal of insight into him, into what drives a man of such power, but also how he fits into the larger Marvel Universe, especially in regards to Latveria. I honestly don't know if many comics have gone into the details of Latveria, at least none I've read have, but I know that he's a character that's supposed to be loved a great deal by the populace. This book really shines a light onto why.

There's a passage in the book where a character is questioning why people would follow Doom, and they're given a pretty convincing response. Latveria has free healthcare for all citizens, free education to any level a person could want, they have more than enough food and power and resources to make life comfortable for all. Homelessness and petty crime are non-existent. It's a country where people have been given a chance at the best in life, and after coming out of a fairly brutal dictatorship under the former king too.

There was a moment in the book that really took me back, it was when we learnt that the leader of Doom's forces, his right hand woman, was married to another woman. I thought, cool, Latveria is pretty good for queer people. Then it's revealed that her wife is also trans, and that she had to flee Latveria because of this under the former king, and it was only Doom's rule that allowed her to return and live her life openly and without fear. This absolutely floored me. Doom is seen as a villain in the Marvel comics, yet his country is a safe and fair country where trans people can not only live without fear of prejudice but also excel in their fields. Fuck yeah. I want to move to Latveria now. Doctor Dooms says Trans Rights!

There are so many moments in this book where readers get to see how much of a good, and fair ruler Doom is. He cares about his nation, and the people in it, and this love for his people shows through more than once; and even results in an amazingly selfless moment towards the end of the book. I went into this story expecting to come out liking Doctor Doom a little more, I never expected to end up seeing him as a hero.

The story has a lot of twists and turns in it, especially in relation to the story involving Prince Rudolfo and his mission to overthrow Doom, which means that you never have a chance to get bored or think that the story isn't moving fast enough. Yes, it takes Doom a year to build his machine, but there's so much that goes on during that time, so many characters that get to take the spotlight and to develop that the book never feels like it's not doing something interesting.

The Harrowing of Doom not only sheds light onto the character of Doctor Doom, but the nation of Latveria as a whole, and gives readers valuable insight into one of the more interesting corners of the Marvel Universe, one that I can't help but feel is often misunderstood.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

I'm not a reader of comics, so the world and characters in "The Harrowing of Doom" were completely new to me. I really enjoyed this book - probably even more than I thought I would. It's a gripping story that's a lot of fun. The characters are well-built and interesting. What really carries it off is the writing - it's so smooth you'll find yourself halfway through the book before you know it!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel[dot]com. © 2020 MARVEL

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Harrowing of Doom by David Annandale tackles notorious villain Doctor Victor von Doom from a whole new perspective. This time around, Doom teams up with the wise Maria von Helm to create the Harrower, a device that will rescue his long-gone mother from the depths of Hell. But when a rebellion begins to rise to knock Doom from power just as his invention nears completion, all Hell breaks loose. Literally.

A tale told through Marvel’s signature cinematic nature, The Harrowing of Doom plays out like a movie, an ensemble cast with a variety of quick take vignettes dropping its audience all throughout Latveria -- Doomstadt in particular -- as its leader endangers himself while trying to protect his city -- while a quiet revolution grows ever louder day by day.

Most definitely written with Marvel movie fans in mind, this cinematic exploration of Victor von Doom’s enigmatic mind is just that: enigmatic. I never quite knew the specifics of what was going on or why, but I didn’t really mind? That said, the ensemble of characters was so diverse that Doom didn’t really stand out as the protagonist, and his murky motives prevented me from truly supporting his actions -- except for, that is, attempting to do his best for Doomstadt. As a die-hard Marvel fan, I enjoyed this look at Doom’s motivations and schemes; I just wish it felt like a deep dive rather than a surface level scuba.

#TheHarrowingofDoomaconytebooksMarvel #NetGalley #Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

I was given an advanced copy for an honest review.

Victor Von Doom is one of my favorite characters in the all of Marvel Comics, so when I saw a novel based solely on him I knew I had to read it. David Annandale does a fantastic job of writing Doctor Doom in my opinion, keeping you guessing every step of the way as to just what Victor is up to and why.

This novel sees Doom working to save his mother from hell itself, with the help of Maria Von Helm, however a poorly timed uprising will soon cause problems for Doom on a scale they never imagined.

This is a fantastic book, suitable for all fans of Doctor Doom. I wish it had been a little deeper and of course longer! There is a pretty large cast of characters which at times makes it seem like Doom is pushed to the back and often kind of blended into the larger group, which isn't really Doom's M.O., however I still really enjoyed this book and look forward to buying it as a Christmas gift to a giant Doom fan in my life on release on December 01!

Thank you! To the publisher, Aconyte Books, and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

#Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.

For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL