Review: Darkhold Omega #1

As the resident, self-proclaimed, Darkhold expert, I have have quietly been looking forward to this book. True, there have been a a couple of “miss” issues, but on the whole this little mini event has been good fun, albeit with a horror twist now and again. The final reading of the Darkhold is now!

The Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom stand shoulder to shoulder, spell to spell against Chthon and his new Darkhold twisted minions, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wasp, Black Bolt and Blade. Now the Darkhold Defiled look to empower Chthon and issue in a new world of darkness!

Steve Orlando closes out the confrontational climax of the series as he positions Wanda and the now recalcitrant Doctor Doom against the supplanted heroes. Orlando keeps characteristics in place with Doom being his usual self, but I don’t seem to remember Wanda being quite so sufficient or confident. Having read all the issues of the event, I am not sure who the Darkhold Defiled actually are; none of them act in a way that seems consistent with their previous appearances. This then leaves an odd taste in my mouth, especially as some of the issues have been fantastic! What was the point of tony’s addiction to his armour or Spidey’s unethical manner of saving his world if all the subtleties are for nought and in return we see traditional, bog standard villainy?

The art from Cian Tormey works hard to maintain a sense of drama, though a lack of details impacts the nuances of the actions and situations that both Wanda and Doom find themselves in. In addition, the reappearance of the Defiled five is far from the the same look they had in their respective books. Again, what was the point? Even Wanda goes through a one panel costume change! the chaos factor is increased with inkers Robert Poggi, Marc Deering and Walden Wong adding their styles to the mix. This unfortunately adds to the inconsistencies. Colors are provided by Jesus Aburtov who delivers an impressive scheme across various environments, installing a sense of otherworldliness. VC’s Clayton Cowles is on lettering duty, mixing it up the colors fo the font and text boxes, along with a looser font than you might expect.

Despite some fun issues, the Wasp, Spider-Man and Iron Man, this series has kind of dovetailed into an ending that feels a tad lacklustre and underwhelming. With that said, I can see how the book will appeal to Wanda fans.

Writing – 2.5 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars

Overall – 3 Stars

Written by; Steve Orlando
Art by; Cian Tormey
Inks by; Robert Poggi, Marc Deering & Walden Wong
Colors by; Jesus Arburtov
Letters by; VC’s Clayton Cowles
Published by; Marvel WorldWide Inc.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network