Infamous Iron Man, Vol. 1: Infamous

Infamous Iron Man (Collected Editions)

by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Alex Maleev (Artist)

There's a new Iron Man in town, and his name is...Victor Von Doom! The greatest villain of the Marvel Universe is no stranger to armor, but now he's trying something new on for size. And where Tony Stark failed, Doom will succeed. But what is Doom's master plan? As the secrets that propel Victor's new quest as a hero start to reveal themselves, a who's who of heroes and villains start looking for a piece of revenge for Doom's past sins - beginning with bashful, blue-eyed Ben Grimm, the ever-lovin' Thing! Next up at bat is someone from Tony's past who has a big problem with Doom taking on the Iron mantle - but where has Pepper Potts, a.k.a. Rescue, been until now? The saga of Iron Man takes its strangest turn yet!

Collecting: Infamous Iron Man 1-6

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction, Science Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2017

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, they made Superior Spider-Man minus the humor.
So. Time to throw a hoodie over Iron Man armor and kick some ass...I guess?




Von Doom (with a new face, thanks to Reed & Secret Wars) decides to become a force for good with some very mixed results. He knows who the bad guys are and where they live.
How? Because he's spent a lot of Saturday afternoons getting together with them for backyard barbecues. <--Vic makes a mean potato salad



Remember Tony Stark's ex-girlfriend, Amara? Well, Doom seems sorta/kinda/maybe interested in her now. But the problem is, he's so weird and robotic that every interaction they had just made me scrunch my face up in distaste.





Then he tries to make amends with S.H.I.E.L.D. while dealing with some pretty severe Mommy Issues...



And he's doing all this while posing as the new Iron Man.
What is it with Doom and metal suits? Why not throw on some shorts and flip-flops then zap some bad guys with his magic? I mean, he has magic! What is he doing futzing around with Tony's old shit?!



Ok. It's not bad, but I was honestly expecting more after all the hype. I've heard over and over again that this was the best thing to come out of Secret Wars, but I just don't see it yet. Doc Ock was gawky, but watching him try to blend and do good was funny. Doom is...not funny. I personally felt there were a bit too many cringy moments as he bumbled around with this over the top socially awkward persona.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, Vic Von Doom has a lot to answer for after Hickman’s exhausting Secret Wars stuff.

I would like to personally throat punch the good doctor as well.



I’m gonna take a wild guess here and say it’s not tea “time” or “time” to get your hot rod’s oil changed or “time” for a prostate exam.



Yep. Clobberin' time!!!

It seems that Dr. Doom is all pretty now and handsome is, as handsome does and Victor wants to play the hero so he steals the Iron Man armor from Tony Stark’s not yet rotting corpse.



And this change of heart throws off a lot of people…



(Damn, I love me some Ben Grimm)

…including his mama.



Dawww.

The whole Reed Richards/Doom's mama stuff made me throw up in my mouth a little too. What a revoltin' development!

Bottom Line : Sure, the villain turned hero thing has been done 87,123 time before and, of course, nothing is ever as it seems, because it never is when a villain decides to go the hero route, but this is entertaining and it’s Bendis, so…

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only interesting thing to come out of Secret Wars’ finale was the question of what Doctor Doom would do next: where do you go after being God Emperor Doom of Battleworld? Brian Bendis provides an answer: become Iron Man! And it turns out to be a shit answer as Infamous Iron Man is a disappointingly crummy title.

Like too many Bendis comics, there’s no story here. Victor fights some random villains because that’s what heroes do. He macks on Tony Stark’s girl, Amara, because Tony’s now “dead” apparently – but “dead” in superhero comics just means taking a nap so Tony’ll be back in no time. Just look at Victor’s dead mother who’s suddenly alive again! She wants to mess with her son because (insert arbitrary reason here). Ben Grimm/The Thing is now an Agent of SHIELD because no-one wants to read Fantastic Four comics anymore – he’s after Victor because that’s what the FF do. By fixing Victor’s scarred face, Marvel have taken away his personality. And if Victor’s now wearing an Iron Man armor, who’s the dude in the classic Doom outfit at the start?! God, it’s awful!

Victor’s motivation for being a hero is unsatisfying, the series has no direction or anything beyond the gimmick of putting Doom into an Iron Man suit and playing on the novelty of him being a hero, and Alex Maleev’s art looks rushed, flat and totally underwhelming. I think that after the success of Superior Spider-Man Marvel are trying to do similar role reversals with their other characters and it completely fails with Doom as Iron Man.

Infamous Iron Man, Volume 1: Infamous (the imagination of that subtitle!) is, like most current Marvel titles, tedious garbage across the board – don’t bother.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Tony Stark dead, Victor Von Doom takes up his mantle as the Infamous Iron Man! But not everyone things Doom is on the up and up...

Since I'm a lifelong Fantastic Four fan, Doom going legit intrigued me so I fired up Marvel Unlimited.

The art by Alex Maleev was really good and I like the way Bendis writes Doctor Doom. Seeing Doctor Doom take out Diablo and the Mad Thinker was pretty satisfying.

However, a lot of things bugged be. Everyone other than Doom spoke with the same snarky dialogue and the six issues could have easily been two or three and still been "decompressed." The Thing was in the book but he wound up being a big letdown as well.

Visually, I thought the book was great and I liked Doctor Doom trying to be good. Other than that, the book felt lazy and padded. Three out of five stars.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this. Not sure why a lot of others hated it. Tony Stark is supposed to be dead and Victor Von Doom decides to fill in for him as Iron Man. I loved the opening scene of the book where it flashes back to the Cabal and Doom gets completely annoyed with the Hood. Anyway Victor is pretty much winging it as Iron Man and makes plenty of mistakes. After all, he's never tried to do the right thing before. The Thing is now an agent of SHIELD and determined to take Doom down. I really liked his scene at the Latverian embassy. Dr. Amara returns from the last Iron Man book to be Doom's sounding board even though he completely effs up her life. The big reveal in the book was interesting. I'm curious to see how she returned.

Alex Maleev's art has gotten even better in this book. It's a little simpler and more well-defined. His previous work could sometimes look murky. Bendis is at his best when he writes flawed characters and Doom is certainly that.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as individual issues.

Vote: 0 stars

Just worst Bendis'story ever (and Maleev is not at his best too).
Give me back dear old Victor, please.
The Super Hero Squad one is a far better and interesting Dr. Doom than the "Infamous Iron Man".
I liked just one thing in this messy trainwreck: the Hellraiser reference/easter egg.



Can you see the Lemarchand's box? That made me smile and maybe raise the final vote to 1 star.

Maybe.

[Malum · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I were to ask someone who has never heard of Doctor Doom to write a comic where he becomes Iron man, this is what they would write.

I could totally accept Doom becoming good, but not like this. Doom becoming good would be him becoming an anti-hero. He would do good on his own terms. He wouldn't just do a 180 and completely change every facet of his personality.

Why did he become Iron Man? "Because Tony Stark is my peer and I respected him so much." Holy crap, give me a break. Also, Doom obsessively stalks some woman he barely knows for no reason whatsoever.

Besides the HUGE slap in the face Doom and his fans get here, the other problem is that there is just no plot. Nothing happens. Doom wants to be a good guy, everyone still hates his guts, and people stand around talking a lot.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okayish read I guess.

So Doom decides to play hero after the events of Secret wars and he goes after Mad thinker and El diablo and then we see him saving Hill but then going against Ben whose now an agent of shield and the drama there and the thing with Amara is interesting and its typical subplots but its the resurrection of his mother (or is it?) and when he confronts her, things sort of get interesting but its quickly set aside and I didn't like that aspect of the writing like rather than having it off-panel it could have been explored more and done better tbh.

But then again we see his weird confrontations with SHIELD and Ben and then whatever happens in Latveria and his big enemy-ship with a mysterious foe which would be interesting to see in the future volume but as for this its hinted at and well some scenes were cool but the others felt so tedious and monotonous and hard to get by like Bendis trying to do SSM but yeah its badly done but then again Doom acting heroic is a fresh change of pace for his character and then the weird battles and finally the face-off with former villains.

Overall its an okayish read which seems at something big to come in future volumes and explores Doom's past but this time with a heroic turn and as for the art well its Maleev and I am not a big fan of his work but its okay, but its too dark to sometimes understand some things.

[Artemy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doctor Doom in an Iron Man suit sounds like a fun idea, but in his typical fashion, Bendis forgot to come up with a story. This book is an absolute shitshow. There is no plot, no logic, no structure, it's all just chaos and randomness. Characters don't have any agenda or motivation, they just show up, do something (or talk a lot), then vanish to make room for other random characters. Doom does this, then he does that, then he's ambushed, then he goes to Latveria, blah blah blah... This may be the worst Bendis comic I've ever read, and I've read most of his Guardians of the Galaxy run, so that should be saying something. In short, don't waste your time and money on Infamous Iron Man. It's not worth it.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd go with a 3.5. I don't see why people dislike this so much. I had fun. Doctor Doom is trying to be a good boy now. You know, after becoming a God and all. So now that Tony is out (that dang Civil War knocked his ass out) the hero we've all wanted comes into the spotlight! Riri...OH WAIT! NO IT'S MOTHERF'ING DOOM!!!!!! Yeah Victor has had enough of doing nice things with people and not getting respect. He decides to take on that mantel of Iron-man and do some good in the world. How? By slowly hunting down big time baddies cause he knows them so well due to being one of them before.

What I liked: I thought the dialog was fun and light. Bendis is a love or hate it type of guy for most people, I luckily love most of it. I also thought the big "reveal" who was behind it was pretty damn good. I was like "Oh shit" even though I don't believe it's actually them. It can't be...right? I also really like how Doom is so different than Tony and Riri. With so many Iron-man characters you have to have them all very different and he does feel that way.

What I didn't like: The Thing fight was a let down. Built up to something epic but in reality was just a few pages of nothingness. Downer. Also the fact the art is a little hard to follow. I really can't tell whats happening. Also it's odd Doom is Iron-man suit because...does he need to be? He's so overpowered anything. Which makes him very powerful, which makes every enemy seem like nothing.

Overall I had fun reading it. I can see why some people dislike it but I quite liked it. More so than Iron-man volume 1-2. So I plan on sticking with this one!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

11/7/2022 - Rereading back through this. Still great!!



Never knew anything about a Dr Doom Iron man until I was reading Marvel two in one Thing and Human torch and came across the annual. After that I discovered he had a whole series so I tracked all 12 issues down. After reading 1-6, I’m glad I did. This story is pretty damn good so far. Doom is trying to fly straight after Secret Wars and no one is buying it. Lol. Some of the best stuff was the Thing busting in on those diplomats demanding to know where doom is. Jus great stuff there Lmao!! Anyway, towards the later issues we see some other plot developing. Can’t wait to read the rest.

[Starlight Kid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of potential and promise not begin with but was kind of boring by the end.

I won't continue with this series which is unfortunate but it didn't keep me entertained.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of Bendis comic I like: chatty, plotted well, with mysteries and twists that were telegraphed from the get-go, but only spooled out as needs be.

Always at level ten snark, and usually smarter than whatever brand echhh pedestrian dialogue responses you’d expect to find in today’s entertainment (The CW, I’m looking at you), I not only enjoy whatever interactions Bendis decides to cook up, but I find myself feeling *compelled* to find out what’s really going on behind the plot armour we first encounter.

Even a neutered Doom is still formidable - even moreso when he’s whispering than when he’s chewing scenery. I love that he’s dealing with most foes with aplomb, such that he’s going to be completely bowled over when he sees what’s really going on.

And since I have volume two sitting at the top of my borrowed library comics, I’ll see you in a couple of hours for the wrap-up.

[Adam Spanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am duly impressed . Great story line and the artwork brings it all to life beautifully. I'm not surprised...Victor has always admired his armored adversary and he has the arsenal and knowledge to make one of Marvel's deadliest villains into an equally powerful Avenger for good. BRAVO Ironman team. Nicely done!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

We begin with my usual Brian Bendis disclaimer - if I were reading this in single issues, I would be enormously frustrated because the plot moves at a glacial pace. This is mitigated slightly by reading the book all in one go, thankfully.

Tony Stark is dead - long live the Infamous Iron Man, as Victor Von Doom steps up to the plate to take over and wipe up all of his old messes. It's an intriguing idea, and one that Bendis runs with in some interesting ways, especially once we get the reveal of his true motivations midway through the book and how it ties back into Secret Wars and beyond. I also very much liked the Ben Grimm plotline, since who better to track down Doom than Ben, and the mystery of Doom's mother & the Maker is one I am 100% here for.

That's the good. The bad is the character of Doctor Amara PeXXXX, who is a supporting character from Bendis' previous run on Iron Man with Tony before this. She doesn't come across as a fully formed character - her role in this story is to have her life ruined because Doom likes her, and to have him explain things to her so that the audience can find out. She doesn't bring anything to the table herself, which is very disappointing.

Alex Maleev, longtime Bendis collaborator, brings his A game for this one, as always. Like Michael Gaydos on Alias, Maleev has a very distinct visual that doesn't always lend itself to every character, but he manages to make the magic and technology of the Infamous Iron Man his own. Top notch.

Dodgy pacing and a sexy-lamp type character aside, Infamous Iron Man is an interesting idea pulled off with a high level of success. I definitely can't wait to see where we go next.

[Joe Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Michael Bendis - writer
Alex Maleev - illustrator

I really enjoyed this book. Bendis writes an interesting, fresh take on Dr. Doom. Maleev's art has really developed nicely since his days illustrating Daredevil. I can't wait for the next volume!

5/5 Recommended.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heel-face turn has an excellent pedigree at Marvel - from Magneto to Emma Frost to Loki, their most interesting heroes are often once (and generally future) villains. In a way it's the ultimate expression of the Marvel "flawed hero" brand.

So there's no reason it shouldn't work with Doom, and as the man himself admits in Infamous Iron Man, his post-Secret Wars status, where he became God and discovered he wasn't up to the job, seems a good place to try it. Bendis is a good pick to tackle the subject, too - his best work has always been slow explorations of single characters, which makes it frustrating that he's spent the last decade-plus at Marvel mostly writing team books.

Sure enough, his Doom is a strong character - a man not so much trying to use his powers for good as trying to use his flaws for good. He's too much of an egoist to actually change or examine himself, and his contempt for anyone not-Doom is fully intact. In other words, he's a portrait of a familiar type - the apparently contrite abuser, willing to apologise for what he's done but not to change who he is. The inherent volatility in that is the tension that drives the book.

Two things stop Infamous Iron Man from working as well as it could, though, despite typically moody and attractive art from Alex Maleev. The first is that the storytelling is rather too languid - with no central through-plot for the volume, all we get is Doom's relationships with the rest of the cast advancing incrementally. The second, which in fairness annoys more than it actually undermines, is that the link to Iron Man is extremely tenuous - Doom has never really been an Iron Man character, the supporting cast here are almost all Doom or FF-specific, and yoking this interesting Doom story to their ongoing Iron Man plots doesn't really do it justice. In an environment where hero-replacement titles are meeting with increased suspicion, I can't help but feel just launching a Doom comic would have been bolder and better and carried less baggage. Even so, this is one of Marvel's best post Civil War II books.

[Cora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as single issues and DNF after 4 issues.
Basically, having Victor Von Doom as Iron Man is a good idea (villain to hero) but it was poorly executed one in that there wasn't a good plot. The plot is basically Maria Hill gets kidnapped, Doom saves her and then Ben fights him a lot because he thinks he is still the bad guy. It got boring very quickly.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Vic Von Doom has decided to play Iron Man.

Actually that's kind of relative since it very much looks like his former armor, grey with a green hood and all but that's not really important. What would be is why? I don't want to spoil so let's just say it's directly linked to Secret Wars. And that I wouldn't actually call it a slap-in-the-face kind of revelation.

Consequently, in order to get some street cred as a good guy, our guy Vic starts bashing heads around, people he knows well since he was formerly on their side. Not enough for S.h.I.e.l.d. that lets slip a very personal dog of war-Ben Grimm. Then blue-eyed Benny encounters... Vic's mom, long supposed dead.

Am I losing you here? So we're on the same page.

Yet 3*. 'Cos if I'm a bit lost in this rather slow moving plot, I can't honestly say I didn't like it either. Vic's new presence, all on the reserve, is a nice change from his usual flaming arrogance. I'm rather surprised by the intempestive use of magic but wish to give Bendis the benefit of the doubt on this topic.
And the presence of an old foe is intriguing enough to maintain interest.

Bendis writes more smoothly these days or so it seems. Slow pacing, humor, good dialogues but much less verbose than before, all for the best.

Alex Maleev is doing a good job, probably not his best ever but nothing to be ashamed of. Pretty Matt Hollingsworth colors, very cool covers.

I saw that many readers don'the seem to like this book. I think it deserves at least a second volume to be so clear-cut.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the events of Secret Wars, Victor Von Doom is... unfulfilled.

He was literally the God of... well, everything and still, it wasn't enough. This is the reason why he decides to try a different approach to things, being a good guy being that approach. And after Civil War II, with Tony gone and having worked with him so closely over the past few months, he decides to take up the mantle. It doesn't really go well because he tries to force his will bluntly, not really thinking about his collateral damage... he is, after all, a villain and only knows how to do things one way really. Shield sends Ben Grimm out to find him, and instead Ben finds someone who is very close to Doom and possibly, just as deadly.

I really enjoyed how Doom tries to navigate the world of "normal" people. As normal as they get around Doom that is. You really get a sense that he pretty clueless on how to live as a non villain. So seeing him trying to somehow accomplish his goals in his heavy handed way was entertaining. And Bendis does a good job of making it entertaining and a breeze to read.

The art by Meleev is also really good. His style has changed slightly to be more toned down, but it definitely works to make the title clear and quite a joy to look at. Good job on the art team overall.

I didn't know what to expect from this title, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Recommended for fans of Iron Man and/or Doctor Doom.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bendis has a real winner here with Doom trying to be a hero, and emotionally being really horrible at it. It's fun to see him mess with everyone with his extremely high power level, and it's fun to see him out trying to save the world. The subplot of his mother is a particularly nice one for a Doom comic.

My only real complain is Ben Grimm. Him trailing after Doom, breaking stuff, detracts from the comic rather than adding to it.

[Traumal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nechápu. Bendis už měl být za zenitem, ale bavil mě mimořádně. Ze zdejších recenzí jsem očekával, že mě jakožto doom-fana jeho pojetí Dooma urazí. Ale nestalo se. Je fakt že celá série tak nějak nikam nevedla ale to nijak nevadilo, já se bavil celou dobu.

[Arun Divakar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Umm...so what was this supposed to be all about ? Victor Von Doom dons the Iron Man suit and then nothing happens.

Random characters come and go and that's about it.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very promising. The story was fascinating as we see a different side of Doctor Doom. The artwork is beautifully done, almost dream like.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

review - https://youtu.be/9EKcPRh39ec

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marvel just keeps repeating itself, as here an infamous villain walks a mile in the hero's shoes a la The Superior Spider-Man, Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy. This time Doctor Doom dons the mantle of Iron Man as he struggles to be good because...um...he's topped out the whole evil thing and is going to try the other side out of just-because boredom? I wish the talent involved was applying themselves to something I could give a damn about.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bendis deepens his exploration of post-Secret Wars Victor Von Doom by making him a good guy, Iron Man, no less. It works to a degree, especially with Bendis' snappy dialogue. Frequent Collaborator Maleev and color artist Hollingsworth are tops here, too. We do get a Bendis/Maleev rendition of Ben Grimm/The Thing, which is fun. Warning: not much resolved by end of this tpb collection, but we do have lots of interaction with Victor and old FF villains and SHIELD.
Recommended.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why can’t there be more stuff like this out there ?

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Infamous Iron Man - Volume 1: Infamous by Brian Michael Bendis is a graphic novel that has a reformed Dr. Doom taking up Iron Man's mantel. The story is a what-if story without being a what-if book. What if Dr. Doom wanted to change his ways and do good? What would the superhero think? What would long-time rivals the Fantastic Four think? This book covers what Ben "The Thing" Grimm thinks: that this is a trap, and he is not buying it. I'm not a big Dr. Doom reader I have read a handful of early Fantastic Four. In those comics, Dr. Doom was once a rival scientist to Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards and was on the cosmic voyage that changed the Fantastic Four. I know Doom's name is Victor Von Doom and he is from Latvaria. That is all I knew going in. I wanted to read some Dr. Doom graphic novels to get more familiar with the character in preparation for Avengers: Doomsday. I don't know if this was the right book for that purpose since this is a changed Dr. Doom. From the cover, I thought it was Tony Stark becoming Dr. Doom, but I was wrong. The story is a redemption story of a hero who went for maximum power and was not happy. He starts doing some good and feels something. Dr. Doom is a very stiff character in this book and don't ever see him get any joy. It is a mystery why he is doing good until the final book in this volume. Infamous Iron Man features a list of characters The Thing, Maria Hill, Reed Richards, The Cape, Emma Frost, Ironheart, The Wizard, Mad Thinker, and M.O.D.O.K. Infamous Iron Man - Volume 1: Infamous collects Infamous Iron Man 1-5. Infamous Iron Man - Volume 1: Infamous was published on May 30, 2017.

Plot Summary: During the events of Civil War II Iron Man and Dr. Doom got close. This led to Dr. Doom seeing himself as different and wanting to be more like Iron Man. After the events of Civil War II Tony Stark (Iron Man) has not been seen. Dr. Doom has since taken up the mantle to add a little hope to this world. But for this new Doom Version of Iron Man to succeed Dr. Doom will have to atone for his past and convince past rivals he is good. He also sets out to turn former allies into good. The first rival he must convince is The Thing who would rather fight than talk. The story is all about Dr. Doom's reckoning with his past and his witch mother who was locked away in hell after making a deal with the devil. The root cause of his rise to power would be to one day free his mother. He either couldn't or wouldn't so she freed herself. It is unclear what she wants but she is powerful and will not let anyone stand in her way.

What I Liked: The Dr. Doom and The Thing fight. The thing was the aggressor and it was terrifying. Dr. Doom's mother puts a spell on The Thing to make his rocks slowly pop off. The way Dr. Doom arrived on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hellicarrier was awesome. I did like how awesome and in charge Maria Hill is in this volume. Dr. Doom's fight with the Wizard was awesome. I love what the Wizard was able to do to Doom's Iron Man boots. The flashback scene with Doom, Reed, and Ben before the cosmic rays changed them was great writing. Ben wrecking the Latvaria history museum to get Doom's whereabouts. I liked that Latvaria turned into a military-ruled country after Doom left and he gets angry about it to the general.

What I Disliked: The love story angle that takes up most of the book was just okay. Victor is so stiff and emotionless. The girl is sending vibes off and on, it grew to be annoying. I did not like that Victor did not have an accent when talking or an attempt at the dialogue having one. Ben makes fun of the accent which wasn't in the word written. The mom plot line was okay, it is the cliffhanger moment of the book when we see who is possibly controlling her for what purpose. Doom again shows little to no emotion when reuniting with his mom. Doom's powers are confusing he is all-powerful but gets shot when unaware. I feel this will be Marvel's hardest job explaining for the new film.

Recommendation: I read this book to know Doom and his powers. This is not a great book for that. If you like Doom and want to see him go good then this is the book for you. There are two scenes in this volume where the writing is very good one during a flashback and one when he explains what made him want to change for good. I'm a fan of Brian Michael Bendis's writing in Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man, and New Avengers, but the writing in Infamous Iron Man was not as good as the three mentioned. I feel this story has potential and is filled with some good moments but overall it lacked being compelling. I liked the villain gone good storyline but I needed to see emotion while doing it. It felt like reading and unfeeling robots changed slightly without feeling. I will not recommend reading Infamous Iron Man - Volume 1: Infamous to my followers.

Rating: Infamous Iron Man - Volume 1: Infamous by Brain Michael Bendis I rated 2.7 out of 5.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I liked Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart, Volume 1: Riri Williams, I have to say that "Iron Doom" was incredible. The writing and artwork stood out for me. Alex Maleev has been working with Bendis for years, but this is the first time I have read a book he has drawn. The story, is the big surprise here. There is a lot of ways a reformed Dr. Doom story could have failed, but it somehow did not. It was different from everything I have read by Bendis, much more quiet than he usually writes and much "deeper" sort of ideas going on. This is like a mirror version of Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1 with the supervillain being the one that wakes-up no longer in-control. Victor von Doom is still grappling with the events of Secret Wars and decided to give-up his former ways and try to make amends for all the suffering he has caused. The problem is that even Doom has underestimated that amount of suffering he unleashed on the world and virtually no one is ready to just embrace him. T'Challa was an absolute monarch, but he was also in Avenger. Doom was one of the most tyrannical forces in the Marvel Universe (the conflicts in the current Black Panther are, in-part, fallout from The Doomwar between Latveria and Wakanda). This book is not as "flashy" as other book that Marvel Comics has out, but at least it has a true human heart to it.