Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 - DC Comics

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL No. 7, December 2023

Disconcertingly living up to its pre-solicitation promise of “a happy ending is not guaranteed”, Dennis Culver’s conclusion to his “Unstoppable Doom Patrol” mini-series also packs plenty of punch with which to keep its audience thoroughly engrossed in the action. Indeed, due to the sheer grandeur and pulse-pounding pace of this publication’s frantic fisticuffs, many a bibliophile was probably left wishing that the “prolific comic book writer based in Los Angeles” was given at least one more issue within which to depict Degenerate’s single-handed battle against the ever disagreeable Peacemaker and the anti-hero’s United States Army giant robots; “Damn you! You’ll pay for that! It’s on!”

Intriguingly however, not all of this twenty-two page periodical’s plot solely relies upon its super-sized cast trading blows with a menagerie of villains and deadly psychic manifestations. But instead contains plenty of thought-provoking verbal arguments too, such as when the likes of Crazy Jane and the Negative Man anxiously attempt to persuade their ‘opponents’ to join them against a much larger threat to the world’s existence which neither group ever imagined possible.

Equally as well delivered as this comic’s penmanship is also its visuals, with Chris Burnham and colorist Brian Reber absolutely knocking the layouts right out of the park. Of particular note has to be the growing sense of desperation and physical fatigue felt by the titular characters during their protracted conflict. In fact, by the time Willoughby Kipling has finally festooned Robot Man’s armoured shell with all manner of protective runes and incantations, the leader of the Grave Minders genuinely extrudes so much sheer, total exhaustion that his haggard look may well cause the odd reader to actually breathe a bit harder themselves in sympathy.

Debatably this book’s biggest hook though, frustratingly comes at its very end, when the thoroughly detestable General Immortus-turned-Candlemaker suddenly lands upon Danny the Street in the space between universes, and encounters the macabre-looking Batwoman Who Laughs. This meeting comes completely out of the blue, and should have any fan of Doctor Niles Caulder’s Doom Patrol absolutely frothing at the mouth for this book to be awarded a second volume at some point very soon in the future…

Writer: Dennis Culver, Artist: Chris Burnham, and Colorist: Brian Reber

Titans #4 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 4, December 2023

Intriguingly treading the line between low-level crime-fighting and international terrorism, Tom Taylor’s narrative for “Out Of The Shadows” certainly seems to start well, courtesy of a touchingly intimate focus upon Beast Boy and Raven as the couple reconcile Garfield Logan’s doubts about the future of humanity by defeating a pair of knife-wielding neighbourhood bullies. But whilst this somewhat tongue-in-cheek transformation into a talking tiger proves entertaining enough, some within this comic’s audience might be left scratching their heads in bemusement at the rest of the book’s plot.

For starters the notion that the Teen Titans should suddenly decide to return to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo at precisely the same location as one of its settlements is being forcibly removed by the gun-toting Demolition Team is arguably a little too manufactured, considering that it appears to occur solely upon Changeling’s whim to “lead a reforestation effort” with the agencies there. Admittedly, the young vigilante has been badly affected by the recent deaths of the area’s wildlife in a mysterious fire. But to immediately convince the rest of his friends to abandon investigating the Flash’s imminent death sadly smacks of the “New York Times bestselling author” sluggishly contriving the super-group’s separation simply so Wally West proves an easier target for his enigmatic assassin.

In addition, the sudden disappearance of both Nightwing and the Scarlet Speedster just when an alien-influenced Tempest arrives at the Titan’s headquarters also appears incredibly fortuitous for the extra-terrestrial invader. Indeed, the pair’s absence, weakly explained as being due to them “being off somewhere” arguing seems unlikely considering Linda Park-West has already made it crystal clear her husband won’t be participating in any adventures for at least the next twenty-four hours; “I wouldn’t say I’m a secret weapon. But you’re going to listen to Donna and Dick…”

Happily however, what this twenty-page periodical debatably lacks in convincing penmanship it makes up for with prodigious pencilling. Whether it be Nicola Scott and colorist Annette Kwok’s awesome-looking regular cover illustration, featuring Beast Boy being surrounded by a veritable menagerie of birds and animals, or a grumpy Peacemaker scrutinising the satellite images of Donna Troy’s battle against the Demolition Team, each and every panel within this comic is incredibly well drawn.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Nicola Scott, and Colorist: Annette Kwok

Titans #1 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 1, July 2023

Ingeniously hooking his audience straight from the start by penning Wally West’s mysterious murder, Tom Taylor’s script for Issue One of “Titans” certainly appears to live up to the ongoing series’ prepublication hype of Dick Grayson’s friends being the “new premier superhero team” in the Dawn of DC Comics’ relaunched universe. Indeed, Garfield Logan, Princess Koriand'r and Donna Troy’s impressive dismantling of a King Kong-sized Titano just outside a nuclear power plant, strongly suggests the upcoming protectors of the Earth are more than “ready for the big leagues.”

Happily however, the “New York Times bestselling author” doesn’t simply pit “the no-longer-teen heroes” against a villainous giant gorilla, but also provides them with a worthy adversary who theoretically should be working alongside them for the greater good of Humanity. The Peacemaker has arguably always been something of a controversial character, considering Charlton Comics’ original creation is essentially a “deadly vigilante who would kill at the slightest provocation”. So his presence representing the President of the United States of America immediately grabs the reader’s attention, especially once he starts feuding with Batman’s protégé; “The existence of the Titans is antagonistic. Do you honestly believe we will allow so much unchecked power to operate freely?”

Similarly as beguiling is the aforementioned death of the Flash to an unknown assassin who shot him straight through the heart from behind at point-blank range. Whether the “Fastest Man Alive” is going to be able to recover from such a terminal wound tantalisingly remains rather murky throughout this “landmark” twenty-four-page periodical, courtesy of the Scarlet Speedster desperately attempting to use the Cosmic Treadmill to change his fate before his lifeless corpse is shockingly found in Bludhaven. Yet many a bibliophile will doubtless become ensnared enough to pre-order this title’s subsequent instalment from their local comic bookstore, so as to find out more.

Ably assisting Taylor in his storytelling are Nicola Scott’s extremely lifelike layouts, whose detailed pencilling, particularly when it comes to the cast’s facial features, appears a far cry from the zany cartoon caricatures seen on the small screen as part of the (Teen) Titan’s 2009 American animated television series. In addition, the Sydney-born illustrator does a fantastic job of imbuing Peacemaker with some almost palpable testosterone when he swaggers out from inside a military helicopter to aggressively confront Nightwing and unsuccessfully lay down the law of the land.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Nicola Scott, and Colorist: Annette Kwok

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2 - DC Comics

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL No. 2, June 2023

Whilst most readers of Dennis Culver’s stimulating storyline for Issue Two of “Unstoppable Doom Patrol” might have initially been fooled into thinking they were simply going hand-in-hand with Beast Girl on a tongue-in-cheek tour of the “World’s Strangest Superheroes’ new headquarters”, the author soon transforms his fairly fun tale of Kareli’s infatuation for the adolescent Worm into a deeply dark tale of treachery and cold-blooded murder which is equally as disconcerting as it is diabolically deadly. Indeed, having arguably lulled many a bibliophile in with the cosiness of their brand-new member’s welcome, courtesy of an engaging introduction to the Shelter’s gymnasium and physical therapist Flex Mentallo, the sudden appearance of Peacemaker threatening to blow the teenager’s head clean off comes completely out of the blue, and makes a genuine, ever-lasting impression upon the audience.

Similarly as surprising is the revelation that Doctor Niles Caulder isn’t as happy to play second fiddle to his replacement “Crazy Jane” as was first suggested. The tension between these two strong-willed characters when they confront one another in a corridor is so well-written that their open hostility is truly palpable, and this distrust of White Team’s wannabe onsite executive is made all the more real when it’s shown the wheelchair-bound consultant has secretly ‘rebuilt the Think Tank and is using it to amplify Mento’s powers.’

Impressively however, much of this animosity is actually delivered via a single page of this publication being dedicated to a simple memorandum stipulating that all operatives will fall under the jurisdiction of Caulder whilst on site. The pictureless proposal concerning the roster's hierarchy may well make some logical sense. But it is also a clear message to Kay Challis that the original “Chief” intends to take back control of the team despite his past criminally-inclined transgressions.

Helping to additionally ‘traumatize’ this comic’s ashen-faced audience with his excellent artwork is Chris Burnham, whose pencilling imbues the likes of Robotman and Beast Girl with plenty of earnest emotion. Furthermore, the former “Batman Incorporated” illustrator provides Christopher Smith’s deplorable persona with all the psychopathic zealousness a reader might expect from so loyal a government agent, and somehow manages to tug on many a heartstring when a tearful Worm is suicidally sent rocketing into the night sky just seconds before he fatally detonates; “Let me remind you that you still work for the United States of America. That explosive chip… still works. All it takes is a flip of a switch to set it off.”

The regular cover of "UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL" #2 by Chris Burnham & Brian Reber

DC Vs. Vampires #7 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 7, September 2022

Quite considerably ramping up the scale of the vampires’ invasion of Earth to a truly global level, this beginning to the mini-series’ “nightmarish second arc” certainly seems to do a cracking job in depicting just how horrifically all-powerful the blood drinkers’ empire has become since the treacherous murder of the Dark Knight. Indeed, the opening double splash-page to Issue Seven of “DC Vs. Vampires” provides a picture of the terrifying fate awaiting any remaining pockets of humanity which speaks more than a thousand eloquently chosen words. 

Enjoyably however, this sense of grandeur doesn’t deter James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg from still focusing upon the individual inhabitants of their deadly alternative world, and making their audience suddenly care for the likes of Adam Strange, Negative Man and Peacemaker. These ‘B-Listers’ have clearly taken up the fight in the name of mankind, and almost immediately capture the sympathetic support of the reader as they desperately attempt to escort an emaciated Kara to a safe haven whilst all the time fending off the ghoulish incarnations of some of the DC Universe’s heaviest hitters; “Yes. I have always thought you were the most boring member of the Justice League.” 

Furthermore, the shocking and systematic demise of Mister Bones’ band of brave do-gooders to an utterly arrogant Wonder Woman is not only as debatably chilling as comic book violence can possibly get, but also helps quickly establish the deadly, ruthless nature of those heroes infected by vampirism. Establishing such a despicable malevolence really is crucial to this publication’s final third, when it becomes evident that even the highly experienced Green Arrow has been significantly shaken to his core by the sights he has seen and is resultantly angrily at odds with some of his fellow super-heroes when they suggest “travelling halfway around the world, cross the ocean” to Australia to clear the ash clouds dominating the sky.

Adding an incredible amount of realistic fatigue to this comic’s considerably sized cast are Otto Schmidt’s pencils, which really do help promote the utter exhaustion felt by the few mortal survivors of the new Vampire King’s reign. Likewise, the Siberian illustrator does a stellar job in portraying this book’s more action-orientated moments and brings a genuine pathos to the plight of Robert Todd when the skull-headed protagonist sadly slips into lifelessness alongside Jayna after the Wonder Twin seemingly rescued him from an overconfident Firestorm.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #7 by Guillem March