[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Gerard Way
Artist: Nick Derington
Summary
The world of Casey Brinke continues to get weirder and weirder! Not only does she have a new roommate, but her roommate seems to be a genius at robotics — basically building one right in their apartment! As the robot gains sentience, Casey is called to her job of rescue paramedic! But what ties does this robot have to Casey, and as she rushes to the scene of a madman screaming “where is Larry Trainor,” what connection does it exactly have to her?
Positives
The second issue of Doom Patrol really gives us more action than the last and I’m grateful to Gerard Way for giving us a great way to start our story! Showing us a test pilot named Larry Trainor, we’re led to believe he’s a test pilot on a mission, when it goes strangely wrong. Gerard does a great job of giving us a good opening, as I found myself asking questions about such an intense start for a story. Derington’s art gives us more to ponder as the colors from book virtually jump out at you on each page, as the action gets more intense!
I’m enjoying seeing what exactly goes on in Casey’s life and I’m guessing that she’s more than just an everyday paramedic. It seems throughout this issue that Casey is struggling trying to maintain being a paramedic, and believing that their is something else going on with her life, as if their is something missing that there is no explaining for. Fortunately toward the end of the book, Casey gets some form of those answers, although I think it will just lead to more questions as well.
Negatives
The only complaint I have about this book is that it seems to have tendencies where it jumps from too many characters too often. In the beginning we’re focused on the test pilot I mentioned earlier, later its the robot in Casey’s apartment and her roommate, afterwards there’s another story involving the test pilot who then later runs into Casey and Samson while they’re on duty with the emergency unit. Toward the end of the book, all of these different stories come together, but it still leaves you with a lot of questions about what’s going on. My guess is that Gerard wants you to be just as in the dark about the state of things as our character Casey is, and if so that’s a brilliant way to go about this story.
Verdict
Doom Patrol #2 is an issue that can’t be read on its own, but that’s not a bad thing at all. I personally went back and read the first issue but not because I needed to, but because I wanted to see the story unfold again as a whole and that’s a good thing. It seems that towards the end of the issue Casey is about to begin a journey that will hopefully answer all of her questions and mine as well! It seems that in a way Casey Brinke is alike many of us — she’s just a girl who wants answers on what direction her life is really supposed to go. I’m really enjoying the journey that she’s only started to take so far. Check out Doom Patrol so you can witness it for yourself!
