DCU Comic Book Reviews

DOOM PATROL #4

Dead Reckoning

January 2010

Written by Keith Giffen

Pencils by Justiniano

Inks by Livesay

Cover by Justiniano

Synopsis

Arani Desai (aka Celsius), along with other former members of Doom Patrol, rises from the dead and becomes a Black Lantern.  Meanwhile, Doom Patrol returns to Oolong Island.  Rita attempts to find Niles Caulder.  Instead, she finds Black Lantern Joshua Clay (aka Tempest).  News of the attacks on Doom Patrol reach the island security team, who put a call into President Veronica Cale for advice.  Elsewhere, Larry Trainor (aka Negative Man) helps to give Clifford Steele (aka Robotman) a new body.  As they are dumping the old body, they are confronted by Black Lantern Valentina Vostok (aka Negative Woman).  As Larry and Val fight each other, Cliff is suddenly attacked by Black Lantern Clifford Steele.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Blackest Night is both the best thing and the worst thing that could happen to this team and the book.  On the one hand, it is great because Doom Patrol has a rich history of characters who have died.  About, what three or four?, return in this issue and I am not even sure Giffen has touched the surface of the number of characters he could bring back.  Luckily, he seemingly chose the right characters, picking ones who are a good counterpoint to the characters they are fighting.  Granted, I lack the Doom Patrol history to know for certain; I don’t know who these characters are, but the conflicts as seen here are fraught with history and Giffen does a good job make it accessible enough to understand what is going on.  On that level it works and was a decent story.  I am sure Doom Patrol enthusiasts will get more out of it than I did. 

However, for a book only on its fourth issue and a book that needs to overcome such detail and oftentimes convoluted history, I am not sure mining its past is the best way to attract new readers.  Maybe some will brows the title due to the Blackest Night tie-in, but if the story was dense for someone reading the first three issues, imagine someone trying to read this issue as their first one (who is that dude with the starry face?).  I think (and this may be just me) that this book needed more time to establish its current roster before mining stories of its past roster. 

Of the various returns, I think I liked the interaction with Arani and the Chief.  Her beef with him continues the same beats the others have expressed in the past, so her conflict is not out of place at all within the book.  And I liked the fact that Chief was seen in the orange color spectrum, showing his greed. 

My favorite part of this book after four issues has to be the banter between Cliff and Larry.  I love their repartee.  It is chock full of pop references and meta-textual comments as well as insightful looks into the other characters.  I also liked the fact that Larry poised the same question I had as I was reading about Cliff’s transfer to a new body:  he is pretty much immortal.  And it also sets up the ending quite nicely, with the Black Lantern Cliff coming back to attack the one currently alive. 

The Coming Of The Clique

Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis

Art by Kevin Maguire

Synopsis

At Helfer University, Professor Rumpus is told the funding for his research on developing thinking, feeling artificial life has been revoked.  Rumpus returns home, unsure what to do.  He visits his creations, three female robots.  After he leaves, the three come to life.  One decides she wants to rule the world.  The other two are uncertain.  They decide to go shopping.  At the mall, a security guard tries to stop them.  Elsewhere, Dr. Magnus is returning home with Mercury and Tin when they see the security guard come flying out of the window.  Tin saves him, then enters the mall.  Magnus follows and finds the Rumpus Robots have Tin captive. 

Review

I love the credits page.  If I ever had to drop this book for whatever reason (probably lack of money) I would pick it up in the store just to read the credits.  Great stuff. 

Anyway, this was a mildly entertaining installment.  It starts slow, but slowly picks up steam, especially when the Metal Men actually appear in the story.  The character of Rumpus was both refreshing and slightly boring.  I think refreshing because for once we have a character who has everything taken away from him and is upstaged by someone else, but he doesn’t seek vengeance.  He just accepts his fate and moves on with his life.  Sadly, there is a reason why we don’t see this type of character more often; they don’t offer much in the way of story or conflict.  Once he is out of the way, the robots give the story life.  I liked their bickering and indecision on what they should do.  I am reminded of the cartoon Pinky and the Brain, with the Brain trying to rule the world and Pinky going along with the plans because he was clueless.  “What are we going to do tonight?”  “Same thing we do every night.  Try to take over the world!”

 

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