Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Doomsday+1 #1 Review
    Retro Review

    Retro Review: Doomsday+1 #1 (July 1975)

    Matthew PetersonBy Matthew PetersonAugust 30, 2020Updated:August 30, 20205 Mins Read

    The 1970s were full of dystopian future tales like ‘Logan’s Run’ and ‘Soylent Green,’ and even comics weren’t immune.  Your Major Spoilers (Retro) Review of Doomsday+1 #1 awaits!

    DOOMSDAY+1 #1

    Writer: Joe Gill
    Penciler: John Byrne
    Inker: John Byrne
    Colorist: Uncredited
    Letterer: John Byrne
    Editor: George Wildman
    Publisher: Charlton Comics
    Cover Price: 25 Cents
    Current Near-Mint Pricing: $8.00

    Previously in Doomsday+1:  After starting his career at Timely Comics during the Golden Age, Joe Gill actually scripted a number of early Captain America stories before moving to Charlton Comics cirac 1948.  He became Charlton’s primary staff writer, turning out literally thousands of comic books over the next thirty years, co-creating Captain Atom and The Peacemaker and helping to revive Golden Age character Blue Beetle in 1964.  By 1975, Charlton Comics was flagging a bit in sales as Marvel and DC continued to take over larger portions of the comic book market, but Gill teamed with a young artist named John Byrne (pronounced “burn”, in case you weren’t sure) for a series taking place in the far-flung future year 1996!

    We are introduced to Captain Boyd Ellis and his crewmates Jill Malden and Ikei Yashida (who, for some reason, is dressed in hip boots and a tiny leotard) as they prepare to blast off for a scientific mission in orbit.  Boyd and Jill are an item, in a very unprofessionally PDA-laden way, while Ikei is overtly and obvious jealous, which may explain her provocative clothing choices.  Unfortunately for our astronaut trio, dictatorian madman General Rykos finds himself under siege, surrounded by his enemies as the curtain drops on his fiefdom.  In his final moments, Rykos chose to fire nuclear warheads at Moscow and New York City, triggering the moment that WOPR would warn a young Matthew Broderick about just a few years later.

    Of course, it’s a comic from the 1970s, so there’s a little bit of casual racism thrown in there as well, with retrograde depictions of what seem to be African and Inuit people.  For his part, a 25-year-old Byrne is showing the beginnings of the style that would reshape the X-Men in just a year or two, showing the horror in Jill’s face as she seems the explosions from their orbiter.  Boyd decides to keep the ship in low-Earth orbit for an undisclosed amount of time (which, if you’ve ever read a Joe Gill story, is a pretty common occurrence, as the exact amount of time in any given story is always somewhat nebulous) before he is forced to bring them down due to lack of food and supplies.  Seeing that much of the Eastern seaboard of the US is flooded, they choose a low-radiation area in what was once Greenland, bringing their capsule down somewhat explosively in the now-melting ice cap.

    You’re cold, Ikei, beause you’re wearing your underpants on an ice floe.  (That’s #OneToGrowOn!)  Exploring their surroundings, they find a wooly mammoth, perfectly preserved, with Jill explaining that an instant freeze could cause a creature to become perfectly preserved, only to live again years, or centuries later.  Right on time, another mammoth appears to attack them, only to be brought low by a spear from out of nowhere, hearalding the return of the mammoth’s primary predator: a hulking specimen of proto-humanity.

    The story indicates that he mammoth, and by extension, their new friend Kuno, has been frozen for 10,000 years, meaning that he comes from a time when agriculture was starting to develop among humans and dogs were being domesticated, midway through the Stone Age.  That makes his iron knife perhaps a bit out-of-place, but it’s a comic book from 1975.  We’re lucky he’s not accompanied by a triceratops.  Another undefined time period passes, as the new friends begin traveling across what was once Greenland, teaching Kuno their language as they go.  Eventually, they discover a fishing village, where they borrow an abandoned shipping vessel and sail back towards Canada and civilization.  Unfortunately, they find that they’re not the only survivors, as their ship is buzzed by a clearly hostile fighter jet…

    The revelation that not everyone was destroyed will lead our team of Goths and scientists into a series of new adventures, drawing upon many of the standards 70s sci-fi tropes, including cyborgs, angry Russians, and even undersea Atlantean types, but the most interesting part about Doomsday+1 for collectors is the numbering scheme.  The first six issues tell a complete story, albeit one with an ambiguous ending.  Issues 7 through 12 are reprints of the first six, released a couple of years after the cancellation of the series, meaning that collectors who insist on being completists will own twelve issues but only six issues worth of material.  Regardless of Charlton’s odd reprinting scheme, Doomsday+1 #1 is a remarkably solid first issue, packing a ton of story into it’s 20-odd pages and featuring some interesting early work by Byrne, earning a better-than-average 3.5 out of 5 stars overall.  You’ve probably run into this book in back-issue bins and flipped right past it, but it really is worth your time to find the first six issue…  or the last six, I guess.


    Dear Spoilerite,

    At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

    DOOMSDAY+1 #1

    70%
    70%
    Post-<p>Apocalyptic

    It's a clever, if somewhat familiar premise, that is more successful than it could have been. It's well worth seeking out for fans of sci-fi or of Byrne.

    • Writing
      7
    • Art
      7
    • Coloring
      7
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    Charlton Comics Doomsday+1 George Wildman Joe Gill john byrne Retro Review Review
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleThat Texas Blood #3 Review
    Next Article [First Look] Batman: Three Jokers #2
    Matthew Peterson
    • Website
    • Twitter

    Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.

    Related Posts

    COMICS PORTAL: Magazines Promoting the Movies!

    Read More

    Unchosen #1 Review

    Read More

    Wayne’s Comics Podcast #701: Interview with Curt Pires

    Read More

    Comments are closed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    6.0
    July 13, 2025

    Unchosen #1 Review

    6.3
    July 13, 2025

    Retro Review: Marvel Team-Up #95

    8.7
    July 11, 2025

    Fantastic Four #1 Review

    6.0
    July 8, 2025

    JSA #9 Review

    7.0
    July 7, 2025

    X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 Review

    Patreon Support
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT