Ahhh…the Doom Patrol, my all-time favorite team…a team of misfits gathered together to learn to deal with their powers, and led by a brilliant man in a wheelchair…(no, not the X-Men). The original series, begun in My Greatest Adventure and continued in its own title, was written by Arnold Drake and drawn by Bruno Premiani. What a masterpiece! This was a weird comic…different from your average Superman or Justice League book. Yet it was fascinating. Even more fascinating was the final issue (#121) where the Doom Patrol members were blasted to smithereens and killed. Things like this just didn’t happen much in the 60’s.
Years later, in an issue of Showcase, the Doom Patrol was re-formed with a brand new team. Robotman, who survived the explosion, teamed with Celsius, Tempest and Negative Woman. This led to a new Doom Patrol series in the 80’s by Kupperberg and Lightle. Erik Larsen took over as artist after Steve Lightle left. A few issues later, Grant Morrison and Richard Case began their legendary run, creating new characters, and turning the team on its head. By the time Morrison left and Rachel Pollack took over as writer, The Chief was literally a talking head, and the book was at an all-time weirdness.
So, a few years ago, Robotman formed a new team. Written by Arcudi and drawn by Tan Eng Huat, this series was fantastic. Unfortunately, no one read it, and it ended after a little less than two years.
Shortly after that, DC decided to bring back the original team in a retro-style book written and drawn by John Byrne. They made their first appearance in a Justice League arc written by Claremont and drawn by Byrne. And this was the first DC universe appearance of the Doom Patrol. Huh? You mean, every Doom Patrol appearance previously never actually happened?
You bet. Here’s where I have a HUGE problem with re-imaginings. Forty years of continuity down the drain. And for what…Did DC think their previous history was too confusing and cluttered? Maybe so. But to wipe it all out of existence without any explanation as to why none of the DC heroes remembered the original teams??? The new title also featured new members. One of them was an ape called Grunt. Did anyone expect Byrne’s series to actually last? No offense to Byrne. He’s a legend. But his recent series simply don’t draw tons of readers anymore.
Boy, was I excited that DC at least explained why the previous teams never existed. Superboy Prime altered continuity while trying to punch his way out of his prison in Infinite Crisis. Okay, so I wasn’t excited. But at least there was SOME explanation.
Since then, Geoff Johns has created another Doom Patrol team, closer to the original, and even stated recently that he’d like to write a Doom Patrol book. I’ve wet my pants if he did! Well, maybe not…but if I did, it’d be worth it.
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