Those who sigh that comic cover images today bear little resemblance to the interior stories should like this comic. Because that’s a very sombre Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man and the Chief on Niko Henrichon’s cover of this latest Doom Patrol series, and that’s a fair reflection of the contents. The World’s Strangest Heroes have become the World’s Saddest Heroes, reduced to finding missing cats for money.
What’s brought them to this point, we aren’t told. Having found the cat of one Mrs Green in less than pristine condition – see carrier bag – Rita suggests they try to swap in a living replacement. That way, the near-blind old lady swerves the sadness, and they get paid. An unimpressed Larry is tasked with delivering the new ‘Milo’.
Concerned by how long Larry is taking in the house, Cliff heads for the modest home, leaving Rita to answer a call from the Chief.
Did I mention Ms Green was convinced Milo had been taken by space aliens?
I liked this comic a lot. The full-colour art by Niko Henrichon gives it a distinct visual identity. Robotman suits being drawn a tad larger than usual, former starlet Rita has a cute Louise Brooks bob, and Larry’s Negative Spirit gets an upgrade… maybe. The scenery is first rate, this is a world I can believe in. There’s an interesting space where the gritty urban milieu meets the melancholy of our heroes as laid down in Darcy Van Poelgeest’s script.
I don’t know if Henrichon and Van Poelgeest have worked together previously, but in these pages, they gel. There’s an omniscient narrator, something rare at DC these days, and I like the tone. As for the character voices, they sound like the heroes I know. And it’s a bit of a relief that the creators aren’t trying to emulate the Grant Morrison atmosphere, which too often results in self-conscious random wackiness.
The simplicity of the team’s mission clears space for the heroes to be introduced to newcomers.
The moment with Larry and Ms Green gave me a lump in my throat; he’s been stuck in bandages for decades, taking them off only in private or when adventure calls, and I guess he wants to be seen.
Rita’s suggestion they dupe Ms Green about her cat’s status disappoints, but we don’t know how desperate the Patrol is – I always thought Niles Caulder had bags of money.
Cliff is Cliff – stoic, sympathetic, mildly grumpy, the spine of the team.
As for the Chief, he’s dealing with a woman in black.
How does this story fit with current DC continuity, which would have the Doom Patrol members of Justice League Unlimited? Where are the various members seen in the most recent series? Honestly, I don’t care. Just give me a good Doom Patrol story, and I’ll tell myself it fits somewhere.
And so far, this looks to be a good Doom Patrol story, acknowledging their history on the way to somewhere different.
I’d be remiss not to note Lucas Gattoni’s lettering, it’s understated, perfectly suited to the world Van Poelgeest and Henrichon are creating.
The issue ends on a quietly dramatic note, one that doesn’t bode well for DC’s original hard-luck heroes. I don’t doubt the Doom Patrol will rise to the occasion.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 