Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2
Writer: Dennis Culver
Artist: Chris Burnham
Color Artist: Brian Reber
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Reviewed by Davydh Tidey
Summary
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2, the return of Niles Caulder…and, of course, he’s up to no good. Of COURSE.
As we learned in the last issue, the Doom Patrol have a new mission, and so far they’re performing it wonderfully. Rescuing metahumans all over the US from the military force known as the Peace-Hammers (three guesses for who’s in charge of those), they’ve become a force to be reckoned with. However, there’s a wolf among the sheep. Niles Caulder is back among the team he built, and he may have ulterior motives.
Positives
You’re lucky to get this second chance AT ALL.
– Chief
This is shaping up to be my favourite book of the year.
This issue gives us a more in-depth look at the team dynamics as it isn’t heavy on action, and focuses on character-building. We get a look at their new headquarters, the facilities they’ve built to aid their mission, and a good look at the new DP under The Chief. They’re organised, efficient and they do their work well. Someone has to help the strange people, and the DP are up to the task.
That said, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Work-life balance is tested and the OG Patrollers are still in shock from the events of Weight of the Worlds. The DP are wearing the veneer of a capable team now, but underneath, they’re still the same broken people who started this crusade in the first place. Just like the people they’re working to save, they’re far from perfect. It’s a wonderful dichotomy, and a brilliant contrast to the Justice League. It’s also a brilliant euphemism for modern life; how, in a world of perfect conformity, do the outsiders get by?
The Doom Patrol are in extremely capable hands with Dennis Culver. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a comic with this much character depth. I cannot praise his choices with these characters enough.
Chris Burnham and Brian Reber continue to excel with the art, too. I absolutely love the multiple splash pages showing off the new headquarters and THAT sequence showing all the characters in their own spaces. The faces all have so much expression and emotion to them. Even Robotman displays emotion and he’s literally a robot! His body language is wonderful. Burnham and Reber were the perfect choice to illustrate this weird, emotional, dangerous book.
Negatives
I’D RATHER GO TO JAIL! THIS IS @&#$%!
– Degenerate
It’s a whole month until the next one. The suspense is killing me!
Verdict
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2 reaffirms everything people love about the team. The DP are a group of flawed people, dealing with their own trauma and physical maladies, while still helping people with theirs. They’re just people doing their best, and there’s a huge amount of relatability in that.
Thanks to The Chief, and their new-found effectiveness in the field, they’re closer to achieving their goal than ever before. Having a therapist on the team was a wise, WISE move. They’re gonna need them.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
