DCU Comic Book Reviews

DOOM PATROL #1

We Who Are About To Die...

October 2009

Written by Keith Giffen

Pencils by Matthew Clark

Inks by Livesay

Covers by Matthew Clark

Synopsis

In Buena Suerte, the Doom Patrol are investigating the possibility Dr. Amand Beckett is creating monsters.  While they find the monsters, things go bad as the team is discovered.  They are able to destroy the monsters, but in trying to escape, Nudge is killed and Grunt is left behind.  On Ooolong Island, the team deals with losing a member, with each one talking to Father Leslie.  Later, the leader of Doom Patrol, Niles Caulder receives news of a Black Hole

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Here is the problem with this issue:  I felt like I was thrown into the middle of something, as if I was reading the second part of the story rather the first issue of a new series.  It didn’t feel reader friendly. Part of that is due to the fact that Giffen decided to incorporate team members for one of the lesser known reboots and then kill them off.  I had no idea who Nudge and Grunt were supposed to be (or even Dusty, but I think she is new) and I kept wondering why Beast boy (or Changeling if you prefer) was missing.  The other part is that there is no set-up to the mission, we are just tossed right into the mix.  We don’t know what Doom Patrol is doing and why.  Yes, the information is provided in the text by the characters, but it was awkward to read and the reader should not be asked to discern what is going on page one to dialogue spoken on page four.  Overall, the first few pages had me off balance and unsure exactly what was supposed to be happening and that carried over to the rest of the issue. 

I will say, however, that the scenes on Oolong Island read a little bit better, but not much.  I liked the discussions with the priest.  It was a very effective way to get across the personalities of the team and it helps to build on their characters.  The problem is that I don’t know Nudge and therefore the reactions of the team have no impact.  I mean, how to you react to someone reacting to the death of someone you don’t know? 

Although Giffen tries to introduce the team with the e-mails (or whatever they were) populating the issue in between panels, reading them interrupted the flow of the story.  I wasn’t sure if I should read the part or not.  I was thinking if it was important, then it should be part of the story, not an “aside” (so to speak).  And when I did stop to check it out, I then had to go back and re-read where I stopped reading the story.  It was very intrusive to the story. 

I didn’t know until afterwards that Nudge and Grunt were from Byrne’s revamp.  Not knowing who they were, I thought for sure Nudge was coming back, because why would you kill off a member of the team.  Unless you were dealing with continuity glitches, which is exactly what Giffen was doing 

Comic Connection

The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963) followed by the launch of their own title in March 1964.  When the first Doom Patrol was canceled, the entire team was killed in 1968.  A new Doom Patrol was introduced in the second title in October 1987 and lasted 18 issues until the Invasion! storyline took place and Grant Morrison took over the title.  After Morrison left, the title became part of the Vertigo line.  The title was eventually canceled after 87 issues in 1995.  A third Doom Patrol (by John Arcudi) was started in 2001 and lasted 22 issues followed by the fourth title in 2004 (by John Byrne) that lasted 18 issues.  After Infinite Crisis, the team was rebooted again and appeared during the One Year Later stunt in Teen Titans #34. 

The reverend in the Hawaiin t-shit is Leslie “Rocky” Davis, a member of the Challengers of the Unknown who was last seen in Last Will and Testament. 

A Day In The Life

Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis

Art by Kevin Maguire

Synopsis

On Kanigher Street, the neighbors of Dr. Magnus express concern over the Metal Men and want them out of the community.  In Brazil, the Metal Men are seeking the Ruby of Redemption.  When they find it, they awaken a large Indian statue. However, they are able to defeat the statue and retrieve the ruby.  Back home, Dr. Magnus tries to relax, but is aggravated by the antics of the MEtal Men.

Review

This was utterly funny and fantastic.  I loved it.  Actually, I liked much, much better than the main feature of the book.  It properly introduced the team and the set-up, put the team into a mission that was defined fairly easy before we got the them, and then we saw the aftermath of that mission as well.  All of it worked perfectly.  And to top it off, it was funny (copper?), giving me a few laughs (especially the note on the credit page).

The street name is a tribute to writer Robert Kanigher, who wrote Wonder Woman for many years and created Sgt. Rock and Easy Company as well as (naturally) the Metal Men.  

 

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