Doomsday .1

Author/Artist:  John Byrne

Publisher:  IDW

First Publication:  November, 2013

Source:  Comixology

Graphic Novel Challenge #35

Summary from Amazon:  The Earth may have dodged a bullet on 21/12/2012, but there are worse things in store for our little blue planet. Seven adventurers aboard the International Space Station watch in horror as most of the world is decimated by a monster solar flare. And their only choice is to return to the surface, and face whatever awaits them there!

Over the years, I have enjoyed many different “after the apocalypse” stories.  “The Company of Glory” by Edgar Pangborn was one of the first I read.  It followed up his better known “Davy”.  Pangborn had a laid back almost lyrical/poetical style that was very easy to get into.  “Hiero’s Journey” by Sterling Lanier was another from the same time period.  Lanier included intelligent animals and mutant powers into his world.  Following on that theme, who can forget the original “Planet of the Apes” movies?  In comics, a few of the ones I read included “Killraven” and “Kamandi”.  “Kamandi” was one of the big books Jack Kirby did when he moved to DC.  “Killraven” by Don MacGregor and P. Craig Russell (for most of the series) is one of my all time favorites.  I need to go back and do a re-read soon.  The other series I picked up, but unfortunately was  only able to get one issue of, was Charlton’s “Doomsday +1” that featured the art of a young John Byrne.  Byrne went on to make a name for himself on “X-Men” and many other titles.  Something I have sitting ready to re-read in the near future is Byrne’s “Next Men” series.

“Doomsday .1” is Byrne’s reimagining of the original “Doomsday +1” series.  Each issue tells another short story in the series.  That makes it stand out from other series on the shelves today.  Byrne does a great job of developing the personalities of the various characters.  I do not want to ruin it for anyone who has not read it, but I like the way he reveals what happened on Earth following the disaster.

Many years ago, Byrne starting inking his own work.  While still good, I preferred it when his art  was inked by others (favorites included Terry Austin, Bob McLeod, Joe Rubenstein, and Dick Giordano).  I am not sure if he changed his inking style but in recent years I have grown to like his art more.  The art in this series is very good.


Highly recommended.