Once you have everything you ever wanted in life, can you truly be happy? Reaching your goals, means that you have reached your zenith?  As people can get this feeling misdiagnosed. Throughout the world, they have different adjectives for this, but the most common being angst, ennui or weltschmerz.

We generally feel angst, when we worry but that would be reductionist, as it can be more directly described as a feeling that disrupts peace and contentment for no definable reason.  Then there is Ennui, which dates back to the French Revolution, and is described as feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction. Then there is Weltschmerz, which dates back to the Romantic Era in Germany and rightfully so, as it can be described as when the one who suffers wishes the world to be otherwise.  In the latest one shot story in the Wastelands, we get Wastelanders: Doom, where the wary ruler , seemingly has gotten everything but suffers a combination of angst, ennui or weltschmerz in varying degrees.

We are taken to Doom’s Lair, where Doctor Doom rules his territory of the Wastelands, and as such, since Red Skull’s death, chaos has spilled over, whereby rogue groups have since emerged. As Doom lays waste to one of these groups of raiders, he discovers a small town somehow in his territory but not of his knowledge,  but it is not what it seems, as it is trap made by magic. As it is realm protected by witches who only induce his nightmares, filled with memories from his childhood, and of the past, when he welcomed his goddaughter, Valeria Richards, Reed’s daughter. As he finds himself enchanted by the possibilities of staying there, but is told the cost would losing a precious memory, and right when he is about to make a choice, he finds the puppet master behind the rouse, Baron Mordo. By the issue’s end, Mordo finds the source of the magic was Darkhold ,trapping hundreds of people include Sofia Strange and Agatha Harkness who helps Doom give a decisive blow to Mordo once and for all.

Overall, Wastelanders: Doom is an excellent entry into the Wastelanders canon that shows villains can be a hero even when they don’t look to be. The story by Gronbekk is amazing. The art by the creative is breathtaking. Altogether, a story which shows why the MCU should bring Viktor Von Doom into the MCU sooner than later.

Story: Torunn Gronbekk Art: Julius Ohta
Color: Bryan Valenza Letterer: Cory Pettit
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review