Marvel Double Shot #2: Review

Feb 2003

Christopher Priest, Paolo Rivera

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Story Name:

Masks

Review & Comments

Rating:

Marvel Double Shot #2 Review by Peter Silvestro (March 15, 2010)

Review: This issue presents an extreme contrast between the two stories. The Doom tale is a grim story of psychological torture with a bitter climax, presented with dark and gloomy painted art that does nothing to leaven the oppressive mood. Result: one depressing tale. The delicate interplay between the two characters is the best thing about the tale. Conversely, Rivera’s art isn’t very successful: Doom’s mask looks like tin (and his pre-accident face resembles a young Beau Bridges trying to look evil, for a bit of unintentional comedy). At the opposite end of the spectrum is the comical Avengers tale: Bill Morrison is the primary writer/artist for Bongo’s SIMPSONS COMICS and it shows in every panel. Everyone and everything is Simpsonized (though not yellow-skinned) and various tropes from the show are echoed (Thor strangling Loki, a prank phone call for “Harry Butz,” etc.) True, it’s more a gimmick than an actual alternate take on the characters but it makes for a very entertaining story.

Comments: Second in a four-issue series featuring creative and unusual takes on famous Marvel characters. Issue includes a three-page preview of INCREDIBLE HULK Vol. 3 #50. Cover inset drawn by Bill Morrison. Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Black Knight, She-Hulk, Falcon, Yellowjacket.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Marvel Double Shot #2 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Doctor Doom attends a performance of a Russian symphony orchestra held in his kingdom hall in Latveria and a young viola player catches his eye. He approaches her privately later that evening and reveals that he knows she is Karen Sutter, recruited by NATO Intelligence and surgically enhanced to resemble Doom’s lost love Valeria. This makes her an enemy of the state and she should be executed. Karen protests that she is only a news reporter trying for an inside story on the dictator; no says Doom: she is a psychological assassin sent to drive him over the edge and the scheme has failed. After much verbal sparring, she points out that, if she was no threat to him, Doom need only have ignored her; he must still miss Valeria. He tells her he will decide her fate at dawn. She challenges him to do his worst. He does: he removes his mask. When she awakens from her swoon the next morning, she finds Doom on the terrace. She realizes belatedly that she was a weapon against Doom and that she has destroyed the last shred of humanity he had left. "I’ve taken something from you, Doom…I have to give it back." And she leaps from the terrace to her death. "Of course…Doom could have saved her."

Story #2

The Roots of All Evil

Writer: Bill Morrison. Penciler: Bill Morrison. Inker: Bill Morrison. Inker: Mike Rote. Colorist: Nathan Kane.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Peter Silvestro

In Asgard, Loki is working on his latest scheme to destroy the Mighty Thor. The Enchantress, hoping to rescue her beloved Thor, suggests that the God of Evil return to his roots as the God of Mischief and that prankery may succeed where iniquity has failed. Meanwhile, the Avengers are in the Qunijet, returning to the Mansion from a mission. Unaware the vid-com link to Jarvis is still open, Hawkeye mocks the faithful butler’s dull, humorless personality (while the others try desperately to shush him). The invisible Loki arrives at Avengers Mansion shortly thereafter and starts to play pranks on the heroes: putting hair remover in Thor’s helmet, greasing Captain America’s shield, dumping ants in Iron Man’s armor, and the like. When the Avengers assemble to accuse one another of being the culprit, Loki is so overjoyed that he turns visible. Jarvis spots him and places an air-filled sheep’s bladder (don’t ask) under him and the noise of the makeshift whoopee cushion alerts the heroes to the presence of their real enemy. While they take turns whomping on their foe, his horned headdress goes flying and Jarvis catches it…and puts it on. Thus we witness the origin of Jarvis, God of Mischief!

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