Doom Patrol #1 Review

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Reviewer: John Babos
Story Title: Baptism of Blood

Written and Penciled by: John Byrne
Inked by: Doug Hazlewood
Colored by: Alex Bleyaert
Lettered by: Jared Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Valerie D’Orazio
Editor: Mike Carlin
Publisher: DC Comics


Together Again! For the First Time!

That’s the tag line that adorns the cover of DC’s newest crisp “#1” issue. But, while this is the launch of a news series, its not the launch of a new concept. The Doom Patrol is a super-team that has a storied and checkered history in the DC Universe. And, therein lays the rub (but, more on that later).

The “current” incarnation of the Doom Patrol team debuted in the pages of the JLA (#94 to #99) in the Tenth Circle arc that involved vampires, misfits, and mind-controlled heroes.

That arc received a mixed bag of reviews over its biweekly publication, but it proved to be a sales winner.

John Byrne’s Doom Patrol has received quite a bit of virtual-ink on the Internet with many chiming in on whether his series will be a winner or a stinker. (John tends to be a lightening rod for the opinionated. Many either love his work or hate it. Most of us…. *ahem*… older fans… have an opinion. Not many of us are undecided “out there”.)

Now to the “rub” I wrote about earlier… much of the controversy around the Doom Patrol has involved DC’s idea to reboot the team from ground zero. The years of Doom Patrol continuity (particularly post-Crisis) have been wiped out without explanation.

Many have taken “sides” on this. However, what’s happening to Doom Patrol is also happening to a growing number of DC properties: from the reboot of Superman’s origin in the pages of Birthright to the (re)introduction of the Kara Zor-el Supergirl in the pages of Superman/Batman, as well as the upcoming relaunch of DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes franchise by Birthright scribe Mark Waid.

Conspiracy theorists unite! Mark Waid is DC’s 2004-equivalent to the Anti-Monitor – the villain behind DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths who reshaped the DCU – with John Byrne riding shotgun!

Seriously though, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that DC has implemented a deliberate policy of selective-continuity recognition. Its a fact.

So, what should I do? Pick up books that aren’t true to continuity or not?

Well, I’m a comics fan not fanatic (although the former is derived from the latter). So, I’ll try books that intrigue me whether they’re new or older concepts – in-continuity or not. I’d prefer a stronger adherence to continuity, but I have been a fan of both John Byrne and the Doom Patrol in the past. Due to this, I’ll give this new series a taste test.

So, that brings us to my review of Doom Patrol #1.


The Review

John Byrne has pulled together the remaining threads of the Tenth Circle arc from the JLA and is seemingly tying them up in the opening arc of the new Doom Patrol series. The JLA are also on hand to see the story through.

It is true that readers don’t need to have read the JLA arc to be “in” on the story. Byrne uses a plot device where one of the issue’s villains recaps what’s transpired since JLA #96. Its a two-and-a-half page densely worded chronicling that gets readers up to speed.

It is also the most “forced” part of this issue. I understand “why” it was there, it served to get readers caught up, but within the plot it seemed odd that the Doom Patrol would let a punk-kid-villain drone on for so long. In addition, he’s not that menacing of an antagonist.

Putting this tempered unease aside, while I am starting to grow a bit weary of the vampire-as-villains angle, Byrne does put an interesting twist on it by having the three uber-vampires – their awakening being the raison d’être for the master villain in the Tenth Circle arc – “merged” with three “new” super-villains from Doom Patrol founder Dr. Niles Caulder’s prison. While the super-villains seemed generic and underdeveloped, it was an interesting take – an unexpected one, mind you – that could have been more effective if “established” villains had been used as the vampire hosts.

Also, the cliffhanger ending that Byrne uses doesn’t deliver the impact intended by virtue of who is seemingly maimed. If Byrne wanted to shock, move or intrigue readers, the character who was “maimed” could have been someone who we as readers would believe could be harmed irreparably or even killed. If it had been JLA’er and current Doom Patrol groupie Faith or one of the “new” Doom Patrollers (Nudge, Vortex or Grunt), the cliffhanger ending would have had more impact.

However, the action scenes between the Doom Patrol and villains were well-paced and dynamic. The action was best part of this issue’s plot.

That said, I also found that the characterization of the Doom Patrol was particularly strong due to a solid and illuminating scripting effort. Readers get inside the heads of our misfit heroes – particularly the “Big 3” of Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-girl – for the first time (again).

The story and writing had a very comfortable “feel” to it. It didn’t feel as gritty and dark as most of the offerings on the shelves today. It had a very optimistic feel to it that I imagine some will call “retro”. Its sad that stories that aren’t grim and portray damaged heroes are consider passé by some. Hopefully the pendulum will swing in the favor of a better balance in the industry with more hope and positivity in comics offerings.

John Byrne’s pencils are by far the most solid part of Doom Patrol #1. They are as vibrant as ever with character faces very expressive and with his heroes drawn as strong and… um… heroic. My favorites continue to be Byrne’s Batman and his Negative (flying skeleton) Man.

Inker Doug Hazlewood compliments Byrne’s pencils well. Byrne pencils looks like Byrne pencils. The coloring of Alex Bleyaert is also quite vibrant. The art side of the issue is very strong.

This first issue, as many first issues, has a tall order to achieve in a market saturated with “new” and older more established books. Is this issue a slam dunk? No, but its circling the rim, teasing us. The next few issues of the series will determine whether it will be buzzer-beater that will make Byrne’s Doom Patrol a winner or not.

Readers should also note that Byrne goes to the unusual length of issuing an open letter to fans at the end of issue to tackle the controversy over the series’ “continuitiness”. Its an interesting and entertaining read that (whether you like the position purported or not) Byrne deserves credit for.

The series does show promise. I’ll be here for the next little while to see if it lives up to it or not.

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!