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The Doom Patrol Archives #4
The Doom Patrol Archives, Vol. 4
They were outcast heroes, bound together by fate, led by their mysterious, wheelchair-bound Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man and Beast Boy, whose strange powers made them the objects of fear instead of hero worship. In the 1960s, they were the most unusual super-team comics readers had ever seen. In this fourth volume of their Archive series, the Doom Patrol faces such bizarre menaces as Mr. 103, Ultimax, and the Brotherhood of Evil, including the duo of the Brain -- a disembodied, super-intelligent brain -- and Monsieur Mallah, an evil, talking ape who speaks with a French accent.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2008
64 people want to read
About the author
Arnold Drake
323 books10 followersArnold Drake was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, among others.
Drake was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.
Drake was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 9, 2023
Nice Silver age collection of this 2nd tier team. Somewhat odd reads today with most of the cultural references so out of date but still a fun tread. Recommended
November 18, 2022
La cosa ha mejorado algo. Los momentos de vergüenza ajena son menos frecuentes (o quizá es que me he acostumbrado a ellos) y lo cierto es que en este tomo hay unos cuantos momentos divertidos y alguna historia un poco mejor construida.
También ayuda que les estoy cogiendo algo de cariño a algunos personajes y encontrándole algo de gracia al peculiar humor de Arnold Drake.
Aun así, para mi gusto no llega al aprobado, aunque se acerca.
Lo mejor de todo es que solo me queda un tomo para acabar esta etapa y llegar a la que me interesa, la de Grant Morrison.
También ayuda que les estoy cogiendo algo de cariño a algunos personajes y encontrándole algo de gracia al peculiar humor de Arnold Drake.
Aun así, para mi gusto no llega al aprobado, aunque se acerca.
Lo mejor de todo es que solo me queda un tomo para acabar esta etapa y llegar a la que me interesa, la de Grant Morrison.
September 24, 2017
Archives, Vol. 1 will probably win forever in terms of sheer ickyness, but vol 4 is definitely the most coherent and self-assured of the series up to this point. Starting with Vol. 3's surprisingly good "Bride of the Doom Patrol" (and followed, of course, with the equally strong "Honeymoon of Terror"), writer Arnold Drake makes the switch from self-contained stories and the occasional two-parter into full-blown long-form stories focused on the Addams-Family-esque domestic drama of life in Doom Patrol. The main focus in this book is, oddly, not its many beat-em-ups with foes like Mandred the Executioner and Zabrox-13, Emperor of the Cosmos (seriously though wut), but instead on a custody battle over Gar Logan, the extremely powerful jerk-orphan pre-adolescent Beast Boy.
This kind of plot is so totally Doom Patrol I don't even know what to tell you: the day-to-day extremes of fighting the Deeply Weird, contrasted with the gross complications of modern family life. It goes to show you that when Joss Whedon thought he was using Buffy the Vampire Slayer in order to write X-Men, he was really just writing Doom Patrol.
My only critique of this volume is the continuation of Drake's interest in long, irrelevant backstories (via backup feature) for his heroes -- this book sees the backstory for Negative Man ("The Private World of Negative Man"), which proves that when you've got a character with no inner life, best not to spend four issues looking for something that isn't there. The backstory for Beast Boy also begins here, and is not only sublimely bad (like Tarzan but with more problematic depictions of blackness), but I'm pretty sure this is the third time BB's backstory has been expanded upon already. I know he's a Teen Titan or whatever but holy crap, no one, not even Gambit, is that mysterious.
But mainly this book is really great -- Drake digs in on his depictions of characters we know (The Brotherhood of Evil, in particular, start becoming amazing) and brings in just totally bonkers ideas that 50% of the time are just lovelier and lovelier giant mechs. I swear to god when one robot's mouth is literally just a flame thrower I am in absolute nerd-mecca. (Mecha! omg hilarious)
The scripts, also, just stop giving a fuck, so that not only is there a soliloquy about sexy beards, but the book itself opens with the line, "This is the magazine that dares to ask the question, 'Can a 60-foot girl with a shape like a dreamboat find romance in the arms of the world's 5th richest snob who can also split mountains with one shot of his mental energy?'
I mean good lord the snark on these guys.
This kind of plot is so totally Doom Patrol I don't even know what to tell you: the day-to-day extremes of fighting the Deeply Weird, contrasted with the gross complications of modern family life. It goes to show you that when Joss Whedon thought he was using Buffy the Vampire Slayer in order to write X-Men, he was really just writing Doom Patrol.
My only critique of this volume is the continuation of Drake's interest in long, irrelevant backstories (via backup feature) for his heroes -- this book sees the backstory for Negative Man ("The Private World of Negative Man"), which proves that when you've got a character with no inner life, best not to spend four issues looking for something that isn't there. The backstory for Beast Boy also begins here, and is not only sublimely bad (like Tarzan but with more problematic depictions of blackness), but I'm pretty sure this is the third time BB's backstory has been expanded upon already. I know he's a Teen Titan or whatever but holy crap, no one, not even Gambit, is that mysterious.
But mainly this book is really great -- Drake digs in on his depictions of characters we know (The Brotherhood of Evil, in particular, start becoming amazing) and brings in just totally bonkers ideas that 50% of the time are just lovelier and lovelier giant mechs. I swear to god when one robot's mouth is literally just a flame thrower I am in absolute nerd-mecca. (Mecha! omg hilarious)
The scripts, also, just stop giving a fuck, so that not only is there a soliloquy about sexy beards, but the book itself opens with the line, "This is the magazine that dares to ask the question, 'Can a 60-foot girl with a shape like a dreamboat find romance in the arms of the world's 5th richest snob who can also split mountains with one shot of his mental energy?'
I mean good lord the snark on these guys.
August 28, 2014
This is perhaps the strongest volume of the Doom Patrol Archives so far. The way each story builds on the one before it provides a continuity that was not the DC norm in those days, but it really works well here.
The primary plot line is the continued relationship between Gar (Beast Boy) Logan and his guardian, and whether said guardian is draining Gar's trust fund. Of course, we know he is, but writer Arnold Drake really provides some twists and turns to the drama.
The other major plot line involves the Brotherhood of Evil and the question of the feelings between Madame Rouge and the Chief.
We get more backups, this time featuring Negative Man and Beast Boy. I'm a bit disappointed Rita, as a founding member, has not had her own backup series as of yet. Hopefully in the concluding volume.
Easily a 4.5 out of 5. As always, I grade the comic independently of modern comics, or other comics that were published at the time. I try to envision what the author and artist were trying to tell, story wise, and whether it worked or not. So, even though Doom Patrol is a stronger book than, say, the Legion stories over in Adventure Comics, both may get the same grade based on how I view each story as a stand-alone unit.
The primary plot line is the continued relationship between Gar (Beast Boy) Logan and his guardian, and whether said guardian is draining Gar's trust fund. Of course, we know he is, but writer Arnold Drake really provides some twists and turns to the drama.
The other major plot line involves the Brotherhood of Evil and the question of the feelings between Madame Rouge and the Chief.
We get more backups, this time featuring Negative Man and Beast Boy. I'm a bit disappointed Rita, as a founding member, has not had her own backup series as of yet. Hopefully in the concluding volume.
Easily a 4.5 out of 5. As always, I grade the comic independently of modern comics, or other comics that were published at the time. I try to envision what the author and artist were trying to tell, story wise, and whether it worked or not. So, even though Doom Patrol is a stronger book than, say, the Legion stories over in Adventure Comics, both may get the same grade based on how I view each story as a stand-alone unit.
May 11, 2008
The comic book equivalent to "Mystery Science Theatre 3000", imagine the cheesiest science-fiction movie set to comics: There's Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl and Beast Boy, and don't forget Mento, who's alter ego is Steve Dayton, the Fifth Richest Man In The World.
When they're not beating the tar out of Garguax, they're fighting The Brain, which is a screaming brain in a plexiglas jar, then there's a genius gorilla scientist, and Madame Rouge, a French villainness who can stretch her face and assume the disguise of anyone she chooses. She's madly in love with the Professor, who has a closed-circuit camera installed in her bedroom, which he watches avidly.
I liked watching Cliff, Larry and Rita sipping champagne, or in their bathrobes drinking hot cocoa, or playing chess in their superhero outfits when there's nothing to do. Just a bunch of average guys, they're the Doom Patrol.
When they're not beating the tar out of Garguax, they're fighting The Brain, which is a screaming brain in a plexiglas jar, then there's a genius gorilla scientist, and Madame Rouge, a French villainness who can stretch her face and assume the disguise of anyone she chooses. She's madly in love with the Professor, who has a closed-circuit camera installed in her bedroom, which he watches avidly.
I liked watching Cliff, Larry and Rita sipping champagne, or in their bathrobes drinking hot cocoa, or playing chess in their superhero outfits when there's nothing to do. Just a bunch of average guys, they're the Doom Patrol.
April 21, 2018
At this point, the stories are growing stale and repetitive. No wonder it didn't last that long afterwards.
While the introduction of Beast Boy and Mento was a nice turn of events, it looks like creativity stopped there and they became too much the focus of the stories.
Oh, and the permanent presence of the Brotherhood of Evil didn't help much either.
While the introduction of Beast Boy and Mento was a nice turn of events, it looks like creativity stopped there and they became too much the focus of the stories.
Oh, and the permanent presence of the Brotherhood of Evil didn't help much either.
August 10, 2021
La Patrulla ha estado atascada desde hace unos cuantos números
En este volumen en especifico, podemos ver que por fin liberan de su tutor a Chico Bestia, pero antes de eso, el chico los tiene que ver morir
Fue una escena tan horrible, ver llorar a Beast Boy fue terrible, por suerte regresaron a la vida.
Rita y Mento se encargaron de liberar a Beast Boy, y asumirán un rol de padres para el, me encanta la dinámica entre Rita y Beast Boy, son tan tiernos juntos
De igual manera se pudo ver como Robotman y Beast boy de verdad se quieren, a pesar de que no pueden dejar de pelear
Fuera de lo positivo, tienen que derrotar ya a la hermandad del mal por que se han convertido en sujetos tremendamente aburridos y repetitivos, no quiero seguir leyendo ni una sola gota de ellos.
Este número definitivamente se lo lleva Chico Bestia, gracias a él la lectura es más agradable.
En este volumen en especifico, podemos ver que por fin liberan de su tutor a Chico Bestia, pero antes de eso, el chico los tiene que ver morir
Fue una escena tan horrible, ver llorar a Beast Boy fue terrible, por suerte regresaron a la vida.
Rita y Mento se encargaron de liberar a Beast Boy, y asumirán un rol de padres para el, me encanta la dinámica entre Rita y Beast Boy, son tan tiernos juntos
De igual manera se pudo ver como Robotman y Beast boy de verdad se quieren, a pesar de que no pueden dejar de pelear
Fuera de lo positivo, tienen que derrotar ya a la hermandad del mal por que se han convertido en sujetos tremendamente aburridos y repetitivos, no quiero seguir leyendo ni una sola gota de ellos.
Este número definitivamente se lo lleva Chico Bestia, gracias a él la lectura es más agradable.
April 15, 2022
I am aweary of the Doom Patrol, their insulting banter, the fake-hip language in Arnold Drake's narration, and the sameness of the stories. I'll read more, but only because I have the next volume and I want to get to that last issue.
June 24, 2019
Well, that was silly. Enjoyable. But silly.
March 31, 2016
This book of D.C.'s most off-beat and Marvel-like Superhero team continues with its fourth volume which collects Issues 106-113.
The main adventures center around several key plot points. First, is the Doom Patrol's efforts to free Beast Boy from his unscrupulous guardian, who in term is hiring supervillains to kill Beast Boy before it can be discovered that he's been embezzling funds. (Because what else would an evil guardian do.) There's also a plot involving their archenemies, "The Brotherhood of Evil," who actually team up with the Doom Patrol to stop an alien invasion. And then there's something going on between the Chief and Madam Rogue of the Brotherhood of Evil.
Overall, the Doom Patrol at this point was hitting on all cylinders. There's a good balance between action and plot. In addition, the back up features telling the stories of Larry Trainor's origin as the source of Negative Man and Beast Boy's origin are both compelling. The balance between plot and action is right and it's probably better written the Fantastic Four stories of the same era, in part because of its limits interaction with the rest of the DC universe and the way writer Arnold Drake is able to just do his own thing. The book also includes a very charming self-deprecating intro by Paul Kupperberg whose Doom Patrol revival didn't measure up in the eyes of many (including Kupperberg and Drake.)
Overall, the penultimate Doom Patrol Archive is another great entry in one of the great underrated series of the Silver Age
The main adventures center around several key plot points. First, is the Doom Patrol's efforts to free Beast Boy from his unscrupulous guardian, who in term is hiring supervillains to kill Beast Boy before it can be discovered that he's been embezzling funds. (Because what else would an evil guardian do.) There's also a plot involving their archenemies, "The Brotherhood of Evil," who actually team up with the Doom Patrol to stop an alien invasion. And then there's something going on between the Chief and Madam Rogue of the Brotherhood of Evil.
Overall, the Doom Patrol at this point was hitting on all cylinders. There's a good balance between action and plot. In addition, the back up features telling the stories of Larry Trainor's origin as the source of Negative Man and Beast Boy's origin are both compelling. The balance between plot and action is right and it's probably better written the Fantastic Four stories of the same era, in part because of its limits interaction with the rest of the DC universe and the way writer Arnold Drake is able to just do his own thing. The book also includes a very charming self-deprecating intro by Paul Kupperberg whose Doom Patrol revival didn't measure up in the eyes of many (including Kupperberg and Drake.)
Overall, the penultimate Doom Patrol Archive is another great entry in one of the great underrated series of the Silver Age
September 16, 2013
This is really fun and light, despite the main tenet and name of the team. I took a star off because some if it is a bit dated, but it doesn't render it any less enjoyable...just sometimes overly verbose.
April 8, 2014
Another excellent Doom Patrol volume. It's impossible to go wrong with the talents of Arnold Drake, Bruno Premiani and Bob Brown telling good, strong, and weird comic stories. This volume also features the Negative Man and Beast Boy solo stories. Definitely a good addition to any reprint library!
August 29, 2016
I love it more with each volume.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews