Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Art: Manuel Garcia, Geoffrey Shaw, Cam Smith, Yen Nitro, Edgar Delgado, and VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: July 12th, 2023
Return to the future in a tale that reveals the events leading up to the timeless original story that’s inspired spin-offs, films and more in X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 by Marc Guggenheim! In a world where mutants are more than simply hated and feared, the assassination of Senator Kelly comes to pass, bringing with it the Mutant Control Act and Sentinels on every corner. But with mutantkind on the back foot, what lengths will the rest of the X-Men go to in order to find some way to survive? Witness the thirty-year descent into the dystopic future, replete with the previously untold deaths of key mutant characters, as we flesh out one of the most celebrated X-Mme timelines in its own series for the first time!
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THE DISPATCH
We begin in the thick of it instantly! Readers dive into a future where Mutants are hunted, feared, and eradicated by Sentinels. If you’ve been anywhere near the X-Men in the last thirty years, you know the story. However, X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 focuses more on the begins that lead to the deaths of some of your favorites. Readers get a quick summary of years that showcase sequences of events that lead to the actual X-Men: Days of Future Past providing a bit more background and detail on the hows and whys.
Guggenheim gives fans some much-needed depth to the original story that was lacking in X-Men: Days of Future Past when it first came out. The best comparison would be what Marvel did with Maestro as the precursor to Future Imperfect. I remember reading Future Imperfect, loving the story, but desiring to know what led up to this event. How did the Hulk become this Maestro? Sure, it took about twenty to thirty years, but we got it! X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 feels the exact same way.
Readers see steps that the Avengers take that lead to X-Men: Days of Future Past as well as who’s behind the scenes with Stryker (which might surprise you), and how martial law basically orchestrates the demise of the entire human race. Plus, on the topic of events leading to their demise, I loved the TV interview with Captain America. The interviewer used some key points that were spot on about teens with atomic powers going through puberty with the possibility of killing dozens of people without knowing it being permitted to stroll around normally and thus putting our society in danger. The analyst basically says that these teens aren’t even old enough to vote or have consensual sex, why should they be permitted to freely use these deadly abilities? Truthfully, not only was this person correct, but I loved the connection between this premise and the political battles we see today with children and their rights. Additionally, the analyst has a point. However, eradication is never the answer.
Moreover, the sadness and mob mentality that Guggenheim portrays in the comic is downright disgusting… but sadly true. We saw it with our riots and protests within the last five years. And within the pages of X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1, be prepared for some disheartening moments especially involving Spider-Man. Furthermore, the showdown between Magneto and his Brotherhood as well as Charles and his X-Men is just brilliant! Magneto’s points and perspectives were also spot on. Gosh, the idea that both sides have such based opinions. How can two sides of the same coin be so correct but come to two totally different conclusions? Again, look at the world today and just be fascinated by this story and its parallels to our culture at large. However, the destruction, the setup, and the sadness continue as X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 ends with a pretty intense cliffhanger.
ART
Manuel Garcia, Yen Nitro, and Cam Smith do a phenomenal job mirroring the original X-Men: Days of Future Past but also put an updated touch on the design. The comic appears somewhat dated with the coloring and pencil work but aligns its flavor with a modern touch that’s sure to provide that perfect charm to fans of the original. However, the most intense and visually stunning scene involves Spider-Man and a group of militants ultimately having their way with the wall-crawler. And readers, here’s how amazing the art is. Fans will be able to see Peter’s expression and emotion THROUGH his mask! Now, that’s just outstanding illustrations!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Isn’t it crazy that a story in which we already know the outcome can still provide some insane twists, turns, and cliffhangers leading up to it? X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 delivers some pretty powerful moments that put mutants in the driver’s seat in terms of their own destruction. Guggenheim showcases so many bad moves and heated discussions that arguably set up the mutant demise that happened behind the scenes leading to the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past. Likewise, the same could be said for the Maestro series as well.
Readers, X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 is the perfect way to go back to the success of the past and build on a story by providing depth with what ultimately amounts to a prequel. Sure, fans won’t get every answer they might be searching for. However, they will get some heavy discussion as well as the devastating outcomes of so many mutants and heroes alike. Fans of the original X-Men: Days of Future Past will certainly need to pick this up and add it to their collection. Additionally, fans looking for something different from the ongoing X-Men and are interested in reliving a tale from the past, should definitely check this out. I highly recommend giving X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 a shot and adding it to your pull list. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!