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

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1 - DC Comics

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL No. 1, May 2023

Unashamedly tying into Jeremy Carver Productions’ Primetime Emmy Award-nominated television series, as well as Dennis Culver’s desire to make Doom Patrol “its own pillar in the DC Universe”, this opening instalment to a six-issue limited series surely must have successfully landed with any comic book collectors familiar or not with Arnold Drake and Bob Haney’s Silver Age creation. True, the brazenly bizarre super-team’s roster is somewhat different from that which made its first appearance way back within the pages of “My Greatest Adventure” in June 1963. But part of this enchanting publication’s success arguably lies in its intriguing introduction to new members such as Beast Girl, Crazy Jane’s incarnation of the Chief and Subject 99.

Furthermore, the sheer pace achieved via the American author’s penmanship is absolutely top-notch, with the inevitably grumpy Robotman driving his comrades-in-arms straight into the action via a poorly parked bus. This rather tongue-in-cheek attempt to enter Gotham City keeping “a low profile” immediately establishes a genuinely palpable sense of apprehensive with the storytelling, and coupled with the gun-toting insanity on show with Monsieur Mallah and the Brain battling decaying cadavers on Monc Blanc in Switzerland, sets the rest of the narrative up for a series of shocking surprises.

One such revelation undoubtedly arrives in the guise of the Caped Crusaders, who swoop down from the skyline to add even more mayhem to Metagen Incorporated’s messed up machinations. Doubtless some bibliophiles won’t be too startled to see Batman and Robin make an appearance in a tale set within the confines of their celebrated conurbation. However, their presence comes unfashionably late considering the wanton devastation already caused by a writhing mass of squishy, pink-hued insectoids, and at a time when the Doom Patrol are actually handling things pretty well considering that their new Chief originally underestimated the size of the threat they faced; “I don’t care who you are. This is my city. He’ll be taken care of. Arkham Tower is preparing a special holding cell until --”

Definitely demonstrating that this is exactly the “type of comic I love drawing” is Chris Burnham, whose layouts, competently coloured by Brian Reber, are unconditionally crammed full of dynamic action and mass-destruction. Of particular note is the Connecticut-born artist’s ability to pencil the Dark Knight and Kay Challis with all the barely repressed frostiness that might be expected from two protagonists fighting alongside one another against numerous foes. Yet coming at the problem of tackling a super-powerful, meta-human threat from polar opposite positions.

The regular cover of "UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL" #1 by Chris Burnham & Nick Filardi