with this being the last week of October, as the air is getting cool, and Halloween drawing near, I felt it time for a bit of a change. so I bring forth Dr. Droom Week.

Stay Tuned my comic book review readers as we Move back in time again for this week. To start we will go to  June of 1961 to begin this epic tale,  of a marvel hero whom would appear for five lone stories in Amazing Adventures #1 to #4 and then again in #6. Then he would vanish into the nothingness of comic history for a long time before being brought back and renamed Dr. Druid.

for a bit more history, Amazing Adventures was renamed after issue #6 to Amazing Adult Fantasy; the name it would keep for 7 of the 15 issues of the run,  the last issue, that I already reviewed it would drop the word adult and debut Spider-Man.

But for now, we are back at issue #1, and it is still called Amazing Adventures, the last short story in the book is titled I am The Fantastic Dr. Droom. In 5 pages we have the origin of perhaps the strangest marvel character until Dr. Strange.

Story

That is right the comic book story that is the origin for Dr. Droom is but 5 pages long at the end of amazing adventures #1. His story was not even the feature story of the cover. the story of Torr was the issues feature, as it is mostly a monster book, not a super-hero book, then we had the story of “Midnight in the Wax Museum” but both of these tales are not the feature of my review, instead the last 5 pages on Dr. Droom are.

Synopsis

Our story follows the adventures of Dr. Droom, as he goes to Tebet to help a Lama whom requested a doctor from the United States. His journey is costly to get there and discover that he will not be paid for the job.  but he decides to see the patient anyway.

The lack of funds to pay the doctor is but the first choice the doctor faces, as he quickly finds out that he must put himself in great danger just to progress to see the patient.

Origin

This story is more of an origin for Dr. Droom, then it is a medical visit to a dying Lama. Dr. Droom quickly learns from the lamas own mouth, that there is nothing that can save him as he is dying of old age.

but his purpose to be there was not to save the old man, but to replace him. Dr. Droom is destined to become to the world what the lama was

In short, Doctor Droom, you have passed the Lama’s test! you have shown that you are the right man to succeed me. The Man to continue the never-ending fight against the diabolical forces that exist in the world! Do you accept this task??

Thus, in a few short pages, we go from a american doctor, to the force so stand in the way of evil as the Lama had done before him.

What kind of evil

This first adventure does not directly show us what kind of evil Dr. Droom is going to face, but it does tell us in a few key ways.  the Lama informs the doctor that he has been given an appearance suitable to his new role,  that he is to be “The nemesis of all occult powers that are sinister and corrupt”

The Lama’s disciple then also tells Dr. Droom that he will follow him just as he did his former master, and teach him the secrets of Black Magic and The Ways of Mysticism. 

Art

Though clever use of shadows, creative coloring, and a great job inking I feel this tales artwork shows for the master-peace that it was. Much like other works of the time, color distention and accurate choices was not given as much thought. Instead the use of colors  in many panels was as much for the effect.

We gain as much effect at times, though the use of black,  and two tones for darkness. helping to give the reader the feelings that I suspect they desired.

Originality

I feel; at this time this bit was quite original. not so much unheard of. But what Dr. Droom offered was an attempt to bring in a “Super Hero” to the concepts that had been working so well for marvel at the time. Monster books.

In that time monster books seemed to be where marvel was at,  Fantastic Four was still a few months away,  But Superheros seems to be on their way back in. So they took what seemed to work, and added what they thought would work.

Characters & Development

Dr. Droom is not all that deep of a character, but as far as any origin story, where the whole thing is wrapped up in just 5 pages, you can’t expect much.  I feel that for what he was given we where able to see for ourselves just what the Lama spelled out for us about him.

Does this make him a compelling read? only time over the rest of the week will tell.  See you tomorrow for Amazing Adventures #2