Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Doom Patrol, Volume 1: Brick by Brick

Doom Patrol, Volume 1: Brick by BrickDoom Patrol, Volume 1: Brick by Brick by Gerard Way
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A young EMT named Casey Brink witnesses Robotman being hit by a garbage truck and she's pulled into the maelstrom of weirdness that is... the Doom Patrol!

Here we are, another decade, another Doom Patrol book. The Doom Patrol went from being DC's version of the Fantastic Four in the 60s to being the book that put Grant Morrison on the map in the early nineties. There were a few more attempts at a Doom Patrol series after Morrison's but they weren't very memorable, although I still remember the landfill full of Robotman parts behind Doom Patrol headquarters during Keith Giffen's run.

Anyway, the weirdest super heroes in the room are back. And much like the Grant Morrison days, I was only half aware of what was going on. That being said, I did enjoy myself in a nostalgic sort of way.

Robotman is still the most normal member of the Doom Patrol and my favorite. He's like Moe of the Three Stooges, struggling to keep the group together. From being hit by a garbage truck to stomping off to go find some pants, Robotman is the hilarious grumpy uncle of the team. I also liked Negative Man getting back to something resembling the version I was familiar with, though Larry wearing Rebis' shades was a nice touch. And what the hell is up with the Chief, Niles Caulder? Hell, that alone makes me want to get the second volume.

Much like Shade, the Changing Girl, Volume 1: Earth Girl Made Easy, I felt like this book was laying the groundwork for the series, integrating Space Case with Robotman, Flex Mentallo, Negative Man, and Crazy Jane. However, I didn't find it nearly as accessible as Shade.

While it wasn't as enjoyable as I'd hoped, I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of the series. Three out of five stars.

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