Unstoppable Doom Patrol #4 - DC Comics

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL No. 4, August 2023

Announced during the “Dawn Of DC” panel at Wondercon 2023 that this six-issue mini-series was being “bumped up” to include a seventh instalment, it is arguably easy to see why Dennis Culver would decide to use the opportunity to try telling the supplementary tale in a slightly different manner than normal. However, it is difficult to imagine all that many bibliophiles were particularly happy with the author’s decision to pen an entire twenty-two-page plot from the perspective of a psychiatrist session or five. Indeed, the dialogue-heavy discussions debatably do so little to progress the limited series’ overarching narrative, that “Breakthrough Breakdowns” disappointingly smacks of simply being a ‘filler’ edition of the “Unstoppable Doom Patrol”, rather than a rare chance to further explore the meta-human community’s increasing unease as to what Kay Challis’ heroic band of “freaks and misfits” are up to. 

Arguably aiding this sensation of the publication lacking direction is the fact that the author just seems to have rehashed the origin stories of the strange team’s roster, including a brief synopsis of their resident therapist, Doctor Syncho – a being who “channels five Fifth Dimensional entities into one super consciousness to delve deep into the psyches” of her team-mates. These consultations are probably fascinating for those within the audience who are unfamiliar with the considerable cast of characters on show. Yet for fans more acquainted with Arnold Drake’s co-creations from the Sixties, the only psychoanalysis sessions possibly of any interest are those involving reluctant member Degenerate and Kareli’s “brand new” furry alter-ego Beast Girl; “We usually don’t get much farther than this before you storm out.

The understandable decision to replace “series co-creator Chris Burnham” with artist David Lafuente due to time scheduling constraints also somewhat jars upon the senses, courtesy of the Spanish-born illustrator’s cutesy, almost cartoonish pencilling style. Admittedly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book’s interior layouts or Brian Reber’s predominantly bright colour choices. But having become acclimatised to the more detailed drawing technique of this title’s Connecticut-born regular contributor, the ‘different look’ debatably just reinforces the feeling that this comic was somewhat ‘done on the fly’. 

Fortunately, the periodical does appear to at least finish on something of an intriguing conclusion, with the Chief’s subdued Crazy Jane personality evidently being deeply unhappy with the mysterious machinations of her dissociative disordered host. This revelation greatly contrasts to Jerry’s satisfactory assessment of Doom Patrol’s overall mentality, and tantalisingly doesn’t bode well for the team leader’s current battle for control of the Shelter’s operations with rival Doctor Niles Evelyn Caulder.

The regular cover of "UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL" #4 by Chris Burnham & Brian Reber