Fantastic Four #258
Published and © by Marvel, September 1983
Title: “Interlude”
Synopsis: While seeing to the rebuilding of Latveria, Doctor Doom plots his revenge against Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four.
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: Byrne
Review: Writer/artist John Byrne follows up the previous month’s transitional issue (see review of FF #257) with … another transitional issue! That’s OK, though, because this is another excellent, character-driven outing. This time out we head to Latveria to check in with Doctor Doom, a character Byrne imbues with exceptional depth. Noble and majestic, unpredictable and murderous, Byrne’s Doom is a fearful live wire. The only misstep is Doom’s re-empowerment of one of Galactus’ fallen heralds; it’s hard imagining the mad monarch would ever trust another living soul with the Power Cosmic – especially an uncontrollable miscreant like Terrax!
Grade: B+
Second opinion: “Doom’s character had been developed so well over the years (and enriched by Byrne himself), that even his daily routine could be made compelling source material for a story that didn’t feature the FF in a single panel!” – Pierre Comtois, “Marvel Comics in the 1980s: An Issue By Issue Field Guide to a Pop Culture Phenomenon,” 2014
Cool factor: All Doom, all the time.
Not-so-cool factor: You know, Doom can be a jerk at times.
Notable: Captain America and Iron Man cameos.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 75¢ Canadian variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “Doom needs no one.” – Dr. Doom, speaking in the dreaded third person sinister
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on Jan. 25, 2010.
