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Doom Patrol (1987)(Collected Editions) #5-6
Doom Patrol: Book Three
The Doom Patrol must face new challenges: the final fate of the Brotherhood of Dada, the rise of the unstoppable Candlemaker, Danny the Street meeting his cosmic destiny and Crazy Jane attempting to find her place in the world. Sound strange? Well, not as strange as the superhero team fighting them.
This exciting continuation from author Grant Morrison picks up in Doom Patrol: Book Three, with art by Brian Bolland, Richard Case, Philip Bond, Ken Steacy, Sean Phillips and more.
Collects Doom Patrol #51-63 and the legendary Doom Force Special #1.
This exciting continuation from author Grant Morrison picks up in Doom Patrol: Book Three, with art by Brian Bolland, Richard Case, Philip Bond, Ken Steacy, Sean Phillips and more.
Collects Doom Patrol #51-63 and the legendary Doom Force Special #1.
424 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
26 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,563 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 17, 2022
I thought the previous first two volumes were amazing. This one? The ending? I won't spoil, but just holy hell and hang on to your bonnets.
Again, Morrison takes these outcasts and forces you to examine them, rethink their place in this and your world. Are they really outcasts? Or are they these amalgam sums of most people's traumas that more of us have experienced but in general rarely admit, much less seek help on.
Despite the medium, Morrison has absolutely tackled some intense real-life traumas we experience with such a reverential, deeply thought out, exploration. For me, simply superb. The ending left me grieving, hoping, and in awe of the journey I took in 3 days' time.
Again, Morrison takes these outcasts and forces you to examine them, rethink their place in this and your world. Are they really outcasts? Or are they these amalgam sums of most people's traumas that more of us have experienced but in general rarely admit, much less seek help on.
Despite the medium, Morrison has absolutely tackled some intense real-life traumas we experience with such a reverential, deeply thought out, exploration. For me, simply superb. The ending left me grieving, hoping, and in awe of the journey I took in 3 days' time.
December 20, 2021
Doom Patrol: Book Three collects Doom Patrol #51-63 and Doom Force Special #1, written by Grant Morrison with art by Richard Case, Sean Phillips, Ken Steacy, Stan Woch, and Phillip Bond, among others.
I have arrived at the end of Grant Morrison's acclaimed Doom Patrol run. What a strange trip it's been. In this volume, the gang go up against The Brotherhood of Dada and their magic bus, the Candlemaker, and their biggest enemies, themselves.
A lot of big things happen in this volume, including an "Everything you know is wrong" revelation about the group's origin. Multiple fans are hit by multiple kilotons of shit. There weren't as many ideas for the sake of crazy ideas in this volume. Things were more focused, heading toward the conclusion like an out of control car.
Robotman, the angry, befuddled dad of the group, continues to be my favorite character by leaps and bounds. As usual, he's trying to keep things together while flying by the seat of his pants. I'd read a hundred issues of Robotman Team-Up if such a thing existed.
My complaint that the Doom Patrol are supporting characters in their own book from last volume is still valid, although not quite so much in this volume. Willoughby Kipling, the poor man's John Constantine, played a sizeable role in the conclusion, though Cliff and the gang did their part.
The way Morrison wrapped things up gives me little interest in reading the Rachel Pollock material that comes after. How do you drag the Doom Patrol back into action after what Morrison put them though?
Doom Patrol: Book Three is a great conclusion to Grant Morrison's run and my favorite in the series. Four out of five stars.
I have arrived at the end of Grant Morrison's acclaimed Doom Patrol run. What a strange trip it's been. In this volume, the gang go up against The Brotherhood of Dada and their magic bus, the Candlemaker, and their biggest enemies, themselves.
A lot of big things happen in this volume, including an "Everything you know is wrong" revelation about the group's origin. Multiple fans are hit by multiple kilotons of shit. There weren't as many ideas for the sake of crazy ideas in this volume. Things were more focused, heading toward the conclusion like an out of control car.
Robotman, the angry, befuddled dad of the group, continues to be my favorite character by leaps and bounds. As usual, he's trying to keep things together while flying by the seat of his pants. I'd read a hundred issues of Robotman Team-Up if such a thing existed.
My complaint that the Doom Patrol are supporting characters in their own book from last volume is still valid, although not quite so much in this volume. Willoughby Kipling, the poor man's John Constantine, played a sizeable role in the conclusion, though Cliff and the gang did their part.
The way Morrison wrapped things up gives me little interest in reading the Rachel Pollock material that comes after. How do you drag the Doom Patrol back into action after what Morrison put them though?
Doom Patrol: Book Three is a great conclusion to Grant Morrison's run and my favorite in the series. Four out of five stars.
June 13, 2018
How would you sum up Grant Morrison's writing in one word?
Crazy? Weird? Absurd? Bizarre?
Great? Phenomenal? Creative? Incredible?
Overrated? Metafictional? Rhyme-less? Self-absorbed?
How would I describe his writing, you ask?
Heartfelt. Humane. Touching. Beautiful.
I forgot that. Despite All-Star Superman and We3, I approached this final volume collecting the rest of Grant Morrison’s historic Doom Patrol run with trepidation. I've owned it for roughly a year now, yet it wasn't until last night I worked up the nerve to pick it up and read it (mostly on a whim, too). Granted, a significant bulk of Morrison's 44 issue run (I wouldn't say half, but I wouldn't say a few either) is schlocky tripe that's nigh impossible to follow that certainly seems like Morrison is solely being weird for the sake of being weird.
But more than any other comic he's written, Doom Patrol is a celebration of the weird and abnormal and the fantastic that's to be found in comic books. And it is perhaps Morrison at his most humane, all the more impressive considering you'll be hard-pressed to find superheroes who are bigger misfits and outcasts than Cliff Steele, Crazy Jane, Rebis, Dorothy Spinner, and Danny the Street.
I didn't realize this until the last few issues as Morrison masterfully built up a climax filled with twists and turns and tears fitting for a grand finale, capping it with perhaps the most heartfelt issue I've come across in comics.
So yes, Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is the craziest superhero story ever told.
It's also one of the most human superhero stories ever told.
No wonder every run that's come after his has been short-lived.
4 3/4 stars
Crazy? Weird? Absurd? Bizarre?
Great? Phenomenal? Creative? Incredible?
Overrated? Metafictional? Rhyme-less? Self-absorbed?
How would I describe his writing, you ask?
Heartfelt. Humane. Touching. Beautiful.
I forgot that. Despite All-Star Superman and We3, I approached this final volume collecting the rest of Grant Morrison’s historic Doom Patrol run with trepidation. I've owned it for roughly a year now, yet it wasn't until last night I worked up the nerve to pick it up and read it (mostly on a whim, too). Granted, a significant bulk of Morrison's 44 issue run (I wouldn't say half, but I wouldn't say a few either) is schlocky tripe that's nigh impossible to follow that certainly seems like Morrison is solely being weird for the sake of being weird.
But more than any other comic he's written, Doom Patrol is a celebration of the weird and abnormal and the fantastic that's to be found in comic books. And it is perhaps Morrison at his most humane, all the more impressive considering you'll be hard-pressed to find superheroes who are bigger misfits and outcasts than Cliff Steele, Crazy Jane, Rebis, Dorothy Spinner, and Danny the Street.
I didn't realize this until the last few issues as Morrison masterfully built up a climax filled with twists and turns and tears fitting for a grand finale, capping it with perhaps the most heartfelt issue I've come across in comics.
So yes, Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is the craziest superhero story ever told.
It's also one of the most human superhero stories ever told.
No wonder every run that's come after his has been short-lived.
4 3/4 stars
July 12, 2019
I write with no hesitation whatsoever, but by the end of this book I was in tears and I honestly can't remember when the last time was that a comic book made me cry.
This last chapter of Grant Morrison's run of Doom Patrol at first wasn't very enjoyable. The plot marks the end of this iteration of the Doom Patrol, which makes it an end, which means that the reader has certain expectations that may or may not be fulfilled. It's probably to the books benefit then that, by the time the reader picks up this book, they've abandoned trying to "expect" anything. This series has always been about exploring oddity and chaos and Morrison delivers on every page.
What's unique however is that Morrison gives his characters, Cliff, Danny, Dorothy, and most importantly of all, Jane and end that feels more than satisfying, it feels like a beautiful full-circle. These characters have endured so much, and not just the oddities of their villains and challenges. By the end of this book, we see these characters finally find some peace, and Jane's conclusion had me trembling and crying as I closed the book.
I can't think of a single book like Doom Patrol, and I can't think of anything that ends so beautifully as Doom Patrol does. I'm so glad that this book exists and I can't wait to read it again.
This last chapter of Grant Morrison's run of Doom Patrol at first wasn't very enjoyable. The plot marks the end of this iteration of the Doom Patrol, which makes it an end, which means that the reader has certain expectations that may or may not be fulfilled. It's probably to the books benefit then that, by the time the reader picks up this book, they've abandoned trying to "expect" anything. This series has always been about exploring oddity and chaos and Morrison delivers on every page.
What's unique however is that Morrison gives his characters, Cliff, Danny, Dorothy, and most importantly of all, Jane and end that feels more than satisfying, it feels like a beautiful full-circle. These characters have endured so much, and not just the oddities of their villains and challenges. By the end of this book, we see these characters finally find some peace, and Jane's conclusion had me trembling and crying as I closed the book.
I can't think of a single book like Doom Patrol, and I can't think of anything that ends so beautifully as Doom Patrol does. I'm so glad that this book exists and I can't wait to read it again.
December 21, 2024
Well, I finally finished Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol Run. This series has been a bizarre and enjoyable experience. I think that because I loved the show so much, that added to the experience of reading this. This was kind of like seeing the characters I already loved going on some adventures I hadn't known about yet. That being said, I don't think someone needs to watch the show before reading these. I think it's hard to appreciate how groundbreaking this must've been when it first came out. I've heard the Doom Patrol described as the X-men on acid. There is definitely a heavy psychedelic and surreal element to these books. If you're looking to take a trip down the Rabbit hole and get lost for a while with some strange but strangely relatable friends, Doom Patrol is a good place to start.
August 22, 2018
The adventures of the Doom Patrol come to a stunning conclusion in this third and final volume of Grant Morrison’s early Vertigo masterpiece.
As if issue 50 wasn’t enough page space, Mister Nobody and the Brotherhood of Dada continue to menace the Doom Patrol (and the USA in general) for the first few issues of this final volume as well. Nobody really has established himself as the Patrol’s most dangerous threat, since he’s managed to defeat them twice now, and he’s also the only recurring villain across all of Morrison’s run. The idea of him being basically the embodiment of insanity and nothingness makes him a great foil for a team that makes its living off of fighting craziness every day.
There’s an interlude issue after this that parodies the Fantastic Four/New Gods Jack Kirby era which is fun, and then Rebis takes the stage for one of the most out-there issues of the entire run as the Aenigma Rebis finally comes to fruition…I think. This one’s also one of the more impenetrable issues, since it’s full of symbolism and doesn’t really explain what the hell’s going on; I think this is the first issue that I actually felt completely lost reading, but 1 issue out of the whole run isn’t that bad, I suppose, especially when we’re discussing Grant Morrison.
From here we enter what appears to be the end of the Doom Patrol, as everything starts to fall apart. With Dorothy’s menace The Candlemaker on the warpath, Joshua mysteriously murdered, Crazy Jane AWOL and Rebis nowhere to be seen, it’s up to Cliff to try and hold everything together, but a betrayal from within puts everything they’ve worked for at risk. Given how the traitor is usually portrayed I’m not surprised that Morrison went with this kind of plotline, but it’s still a shock to the system. The fact that we get an extra-sized issue midway through the arc for no apparent reason other than the traitor loves to hear themselves talk is evidence of how important this is, and it’s really quite harrowing to see everything fall apart so quickly for all of these characters, especially given how said over-sized issue actually ends.
The final arc of the book is the Doom Patrol at their lowest, as they tackle the Candlemaker head on and reach the end of their journeys. This is possibly the most superhero-esque story that Morrison as written, with an almost straight forward resolution and some proper brawls between Cliff and the Candlemaker. This story leads directly into one final catastrophe to deal with, which is almost resolved off-panel. Initially I was surprised, but it’s actually in line with how the Doom Patrol have always worked – all the weirdness is on display, while the garden-variety disasters aren’t even worth devoting page space to.
The last issue or so acts as an epilogue, giving the characters the send-offs they deserve. Rebis is finally explained (sort of), Robotman gets his happy ending, and Danny The Street’s true purpose is revealed and it’s pretty wonderful. The only person who still has some horrible stuff to get through is Crazy Jane, but even she manages to come out better than she went in, with a hopeful future on the horizon. Given everything that these characters have been through, it’s a surprisingly light hearted ending, but I think they really do deserve it. They’ve saved the world multiple times, and each other, so a bit of happiness is the least they should get.
Bringing up the rear is the Doom Force Special, which is a parody of X-Force starring very different versions of the Doom Patrol. This issue’s far too long and doesn’t seem to capitalize on the joke of what it is – it’s not very good or particularly engrossing either, which is a shame after the rest of the series, but it’s included for completeness so I can’t be too angry at it.
Once again, Richard Case pencils the majority of these issues, while Ken Steacy handles the Jack Kirby issue with a valiant effort towards emulating the King himself. There are also contributions by Steve Yeowell and Sean Phillips, while the Doom Force issue is a menagerie of artists, including Walt Simonson, which is one of the most 90s looking comics I’ve ever seen, and I’ve read Rob Liefeld comics before.
The last volume of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is everything that the previous two volumes encompassed, turned up to eleven for the final two story arcs. It’s still crazy, but it’s still fairly straight forward to follow (bar that one issue about Rebis), and it actually has quite a nice ending to it. It’s not going to be for everyone, and it’s definitely not a superhero book in any sense of the word, but if you want something a little off-kilter, or a gateway drug into some of Morrison’s more out-there stuff, then this is definitely a good place to start.
As if issue 50 wasn’t enough page space, Mister Nobody and the Brotherhood of Dada continue to menace the Doom Patrol (and the USA in general) for the first few issues of this final volume as well. Nobody really has established himself as the Patrol’s most dangerous threat, since he’s managed to defeat them twice now, and he’s also the only recurring villain across all of Morrison’s run. The idea of him being basically the embodiment of insanity and nothingness makes him a great foil for a team that makes its living off of fighting craziness every day.
There’s an interlude issue after this that parodies the Fantastic Four/New Gods Jack Kirby era which is fun, and then Rebis takes the stage for one of the most out-there issues of the entire run as the Aenigma Rebis finally comes to fruition…I think. This one’s also one of the more impenetrable issues, since it’s full of symbolism and doesn’t really explain what the hell’s going on; I think this is the first issue that I actually felt completely lost reading, but 1 issue out of the whole run isn’t that bad, I suppose, especially when we’re discussing Grant Morrison.
From here we enter what appears to be the end of the Doom Patrol, as everything starts to fall apart. With Dorothy’s menace The Candlemaker on the warpath, Joshua mysteriously murdered, Crazy Jane AWOL and Rebis nowhere to be seen, it’s up to Cliff to try and hold everything together, but a betrayal from within puts everything they’ve worked for at risk. Given how the traitor is usually portrayed I’m not surprised that Morrison went with this kind of plotline, but it’s still a shock to the system. The fact that we get an extra-sized issue midway through the arc for no apparent reason other than the traitor loves to hear themselves talk is evidence of how important this is, and it’s really quite harrowing to see everything fall apart so quickly for all of these characters, especially given how said over-sized issue actually ends.
The final arc of the book is the Doom Patrol at their lowest, as they tackle the Candlemaker head on and reach the end of their journeys. This is possibly the most superhero-esque story that Morrison as written, with an almost straight forward resolution and some proper brawls between Cliff and the Candlemaker. This story leads directly into one final catastrophe to deal with, which is almost resolved off-panel. Initially I was surprised, but it’s actually in line with how the Doom Patrol have always worked – all the weirdness is on display, while the garden-variety disasters aren’t even worth devoting page space to.
The last issue or so acts as an epilogue, giving the characters the send-offs they deserve. Rebis is finally explained (sort of), Robotman gets his happy ending, and Danny The Street’s true purpose is revealed and it’s pretty wonderful. The only person who still has some horrible stuff to get through is Crazy Jane, but even she manages to come out better than she went in, with a hopeful future on the horizon. Given everything that these characters have been through, it’s a surprisingly light hearted ending, but I think they really do deserve it. They’ve saved the world multiple times, and each other, so a bit of happiness is the least they should get.
Bringing up the rear is the Doom Force Special, which is a parody of X-Force starring very different versions of the Doom Patrol. This issue’s far too long and doesn’t seem to capitalize on the joke of what it is – it’s not very good or particularly engrossing either, which is a shame after the rest of the series, but it’s included for completeness so I can’t be too angry at it.
Once again, Richard Case pencils the majority of these issues, while Ken Steacy handles the Jack Kirby issue with a valiant effort towards emulating the King himself. There are also contributions by Steve Yeowell and Sean Phillips, while the Doom Force issue is a menagerie of artists, including Walt Simonson, which is one of the most 90s looking comics I’ve ever seen, and I’ve read Rob Liefeld comics before.
The last volume of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is everything that the previous two volumes encompassed, turned up to eleven for the final two story arcs. It’s still crazy, but it’s still fairly straight forward to follow (bar that one issue about Rebis), and it actually has quite a nice ending to it. It’s not going to be for everyone, and it’s definitely not a superhero book in any sense of the word, but if you want something a little off-kilter, or a gateway drug into some of Morrison’s more out-there stuff, then this is definitely a good place to start.
June 24, 2019
Grant Morrison hit his stride in these issues. The first book you could see a talented dude cutting his chops and flexing for the readers. Once he had proven himself, the issues in book two seemed to reflect his desire to expand the breadth of the world in which Doom Patrol could operate. He wanted to see how far the fabric of their reality (unreality?) could stretch.
In this book the infusion of mythical elements grows more organic. The characters grow into their own. The stakes are raised (especially with the candlemaker storyline) and our expectations are toyed with. You get a bit of everything the series has to offer: Campy nostalgia, playful surrealism, a bit of parody, high-stakes drama, and a great payoff for those who stuck with the run. This is good storytelling from an author who has experimented with the genre and found a happy medium. Thank god that wasn’t the end for him. For many authors, what we get to see in Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol reflects a lifetime career.
I’m off to Invisibles now, some of which I read years ago. But I’m ready now to really absorb it.
In this book the infusion of mythical elements grows more organic. The characters grow into their own. The stakes are raised (especially with the candlemaker storyline) and our expectations are toyed with. You get a bit of everything the series has to offer: Campy nostalgia, playful surrealism, a bit of parody, high-stakes drama, and a great payoff for those who stuck with the run. This is good storytelling from an author who has experimented with the genre and found a happy medium. Thank god that wasn’t the end for him. For many authors, what we get to see in Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol reflects a lifetime career.
I’m off to Invisibles now, some of which I read years ago. But I’m ready now to really absorb it.
January 19, 2022
It’s worth it for Doom Force alone.
September 20, 2020
I liked it. The thing with the candlemaker is fun. It's always nice to see a villain that is basically unstoppable and heroes that have no idea what to do. I like that Grant was under minding your expectations by having it seem like the Candlemakers defeat was right around the corner, only to have him be the victorious one.
I do wish there had been more the team in this book though. It's the end of Grant's run, and it seems like we never really get everyone all together at once! They are all off doing their own thing, and then, BAM, Grant is writing something else.
I'm really curious to read the Rachal Pollack run after this, but it doesn't seem to be collected.
I do wish there had been more the team in this book though. It's the end of Grant's run, and it seems like we never really get everyone all together at once! They are all off doing their own thing, and then, BAM, Grant is writing something else.
I'm really curious to read the Rachal Pollack run after this, but it doesn't seem to be collected.
December 5, 2021
Este tercer tomo que cierra la etapa de Morrison en el grupo tiene el mismo nivel de ácido que lo anterior pero algo ya desgastado de ideas, un poco repetitivo aunque no es prescindible. La mayoría de las líneas narrativas se cierran aún dejando algunas sin responder.
El extra incluido al final del tomo sí creo es prescindible pero al ser escrito por Morrison quedaba redondo para incluir. Lo que aporta es reminiscencias de lo peor de los noventas. Un dibujo horrible con ojos cerrados y dentaduras apretadas de una veintena de colmillos por hilera bucal. Y piñas, mucha violencia porque sí. Eso creo terminó de bajarle el puntito para cerrar un run perfecto, fresco e innovador.
El extra incluido al final del tomo sí creo es prescindible pero al ser escrito por Morrison quedaba redondo para incluir. Lo que aporta es reminiscencias de lo peor de los noventas. Un dibujo horrible con ojos cerrados y dentaduras apretadas de una veintena de colmillos por hilera bucal. Y piñas, mucha violencia porque sí. Eso creo terminó de bajarle el puntito para cerrar un run perfecto, fresco e innovador.
March 9, 2020
Read this a while ago so I don't review. I remember it was way out there but also fantastic. The beard Hunter is one of my favorite single issues ever I think. And the one where they go into crazy Jane's mind is freaking phenomenal. 5 stars.
September 9, 2017
3.5/5
Wow. Grant Morrison is literally not even trying to hide the fact that he is ripping off Watchmen in this. I mean it's still good it's own unique way but seriously it's basically the same story just with the Doom Patrol.
Wow. Grant Morrison is literally not even trying to hide the fact that he is ripping off Watchmen in this. I mean it's still good it's own unique way but seriously it's basically the same story just with the Doom Patrol.
February 21, 2019
This concludes Grant Morrison's run on the title, and he goes out like a slowly deflating balloon - yes there's still some life in the title, but you can hear the air escaping. The Candlemaker is not an ideal villain for this team as he's a little too physical. Much of his storyline is the characters retreating and the team losing over and over, which wasn't particularly enjoyable to read. There are several single issues in here that are over the tipping point on the balance between weird and interesting - Negative Man's issue on his metamorphosis just left me confused, and some of the wrap-up issues felt a little disheveled, with some of the endings for characters feeling unearned or out of left field (Danny the Street in particular just left me going 'what?' I mean it's nice, but it doesn't seem to stem from anything that happened previously). There are deaths, betrayals, sacrifices, and cop-outs, and it edges over from weird to near-incoherent.
And then there's the Doom Force issue. This closes out Doom Patrol on an utterly random note, as it's a one-issue parody of the Image titles/90's era super-heroes (it honestly feels like it could have been part of the Wildstorm universe) that is over-the-top with no redeeming value. I kind of get what it was going for, but I don't think it served its purpose and it left me with a bad taste.
Is this worth reading? Yes. In spite of all its issues, it does complete the story Morrison was telling. While I think it's all downhill from the earlier volumes, there's still some interesting stuff here that's enjoyable. But I would recommend just skipping the Doom Force issue. Life's too short for another Image satire, especially one from so early in the era it's trying to satirize.
And then there's the Doom Force issue. This closes out Doom Patrol on an utterly random note, as it's a one-issue parody of the Image titles/90's era super-heroes (it honestly feels like it could have been part of the Wildstorm universe) that is over-the-top with no redeeming value. I kind of get what it was going for, but I don't think it served its purpose and it left me with a bad taste.
Is this worth reading? Yes. In spite of all its issues, it does complete the story Morrison was telling. While I think it's all downhill from the earlier volumes, there's still some interesting stuff here that's enjoyable. But I would recommend just skipping the Doom Force issue. Life's too short for another Image satire, especially one from so early in the era it's trying to satirize.
January 30, 2023
(Zero spoiler review for the omnibus, collecting this volume) 3.75/5
On more than one occasion, I've started a review by mentioning how conflicted I am by the story, or the score I've had to give it. Well, I think I can safely say that never has that statement been more true than it is here. For Morrison's run on Doom Patrol has to be one of the most rewarding, exhilarating and beautifully crafted runs, yet continuously falling down the usual Morrison 'weirdness' rabbit hole. Inviting endless confusion and frustration.
The most important thing first: Despite Morrison's frequent brilliance here, the true plaudits need to go to Richard Case, whose art is some of the most sublime, imaginative and downright exquisite I've ever seen. This late 80's early 90's Vertigo era clearly was the halcyon period when it comes to art and artistic expression, at least in my opinion. The true Woodstock for the comic book industry. The designs, the line work, the colours... so bloody good. This man does all but 2 issues here, and the results are truly phenomenal. Quite how he managed to bring Morrison's wacky and wonderful vision to life is beyond me.
So, back to Morrison. If the man could just dial it back a little bit here and there, this would have been a run to rival any in the industries history. When he is firing on all cylinders, which happens frequently, it is a thing of near perfection, as the strange, absurd and astonishing seamlessly blend into something that an acid trip of unbridled creativity. Sadly, when it doesn't work., which is all too frequently, too, it comes across like alphabet spaghetti thrown at the wall. In short, absolute gibberish. Panels don't run together. Narration is a random conglomeration of words that have no business being next to each other. Stories come across like the disjointed ramblings of a toddler, whose vocabulary isn't up to the task his furious little mind requires. No, wait. The toddler actually makes a great deal more sense than Morrison when he goes off reservation. Cut a third of the issues out here, and you have one of the greatest runs ever. Leave them in, and you have a guaranteed recipe for a headache and a severe case of 'what could have been'.
That said, Morrison ended it achingly well, even if it may have gone one issue too long. Inviting in those wistful hints of nostalgia and sadness as something pretty special (and annoying) comes to a nice little end. Not many comics have dragged these feelings out of me when it was all said and done. The final arc showing epitomising Morrison's extraordinary talent, when he is focused on telling a mostly cohesive narrative.
If you can suffer through the nonsense, the beautiful moments and Richard Case's magnificent artwork make this something to behold. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
On more than one occasion, I've started a review by mentioning how conflicted I am by the story, or the score I've had to give it. Well, I think I can safely say that never has that statement been more true than it is here. For Morrison's run on Doom Patrol has to be one of the most rewarding, exhilarating and beautifully crafted runs, yet continuously falling down the usual Morrison 'weirdness' rabbit hole. Inviting endless confusion and frustration.
The most important thing first: Despite Morrison's frequent brilliance here, the true plaudits need to go to Richard Case, whose art is some of the most sublime, imaginative and downright exquisite I've ever seen. This late 80's early 90's Vertigo era clearly was the halcyon period when it comes to art and artistic expression, at least in my opinion. The true Woodstock for the comic book industry. The designs, the line work, the colours... so bloody good. This man does all but 2 issues here, and the results are truly phenomenal. Quite how he managed to bring Morrison's wacky and wonderful vision to life is beyond me.
So, back to Morrison. If the man could just dial it back a little bit here and there, this would have been a run to rival any in the industries history. When he is firing on all cylinders, which happens frequently, it is a thing of near perfection, as the strange, absurd and astonishing seamlessly blend into something that an acid trip of unbridled creativity. Sadly, when it doesn't work., which is all too frequently, too, it comes across like alphabet spaghetti thrown at the wall. In short, absolute gibberish. Panels don't run together. Narration is a random conglomeration of words that have no business being next to each other. Stories come across like the disjointed ramblings of a toddler, whose vocabulary isn't up to the task his furious little mind requires. No, wait. The toddler actually makes a great deal more sense than Morrison when he goes off reservation. Cut a third of the issues out here, and you have one of the greatest runs ever. Leave them in, and you have a guaranteed recipe for a headache and a severe case of 'what could have been'.
That said, Morrison ended it achingly well, even if it may have gone one issue too long. Inviting in those wistful hints of nostalgia and sadness as something pretty special (and annoying) comes to a nice little end. Not many comics have dragged these feelings out of me when it was all said and done. The final arc showing epitomising Morrison's extraordinary talent, when he is focused on telling a mostly cohesive narrative.
If you can suffer through the nonsense, the beautiful moments and Richard Case's magnificent artwork make this something to behold. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
November 25, 2019
Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol has become one of my favorite runs of anything, period. The sheer insanity of this comic is something else. I’m not sure just what drug Grant Morrison was on when he wrote this, but I think it was “every”. Obviously there was some altered consciousness involved, but I think it came to the benefit of the story.
Dada, the early 1900’s art movement, has a lot to do with this comic. The anarchic group that faces the Doom Patrol is the Brotherhood of Dada, and its leader, Mr. Nobody, is my favorite comic book villain. This group stands for nothing, because that’s what Dada is about. Maybe an argument could be made for the freedom of expression or the right to live in a world of one’s own choosing. Personally, I think the Brotherhood wants everything to be groovy. But it doesn’t always turn out that way....
Another fascinating element of this run is how Morrison characterizes mental illness. Crazy Jane, a woman with 64 super powered personalities, was sexually abused as a child, and we see her consciousness struggle to put itself back together. By the end of the run, every main character is in a very different place. The most optimistic aspect of this book is how it reassures that the crazy times will pass, and one can get through the insanity of life (or a superhero team) with the support of friends and by being a good person.
I guess, despite its name, Doom Patrol isn’t about cynicism. It even sends up some of
The prevalent trends in 90’s comics, like the Beard Hunter one-shot in Book Two that parodies the Punisher and characters written by Frank Miller. Willoughby Kipling, created by Morrison, takes John Constantine and his Liverpool-ness to the extreme. The “Doom Force Special” displays the anatomically-incorrect norm of comics at the time, making fun of Rob Liefeld and his X-TREME Marvel superheroes. These comics featured really big guns and skimpy costumes, and all of these infamous elements factor into the Doom Force and it’s not-so-subtle satire.
For me, this iconic run of Doom Patrol will go down as one of those I’ll revisit when I’m reminded of its greatness.
Dada, the early 1900’s art movement, has a lot to do with this comic. The anarchic group that faces the Doom Patrol is the Brotherhood of Dada, and its leader, Mr. Nobody, is my favorite comic book villain. This group stands for nothing, because that’s what Dada is about. Maybe an argument could be made for the freedom of expression or the right to live in a world of one’s own choosing. Personally, I think the Brotherhood wants everything to be groovy. But it doesn’t always turn out that way....
Another fascinating element of this run is how Morrison characterizes mental illness. Crazy Jane, a woman with 64 super powered personalities, was sexually abused as a child, and we see her consciousness struggle to put itself back together. By the end of the run, every main character is in a very different place. The most optimistic aspect of this book is how it reassures that the crazy times will pass, and one can get through the insanity of life (or a superhero team) with the support of friends and by being a good person.
I guess, despite its name, Doom Patrol isn’t about cynicism. It even sends up some of
The prevalent trends in 90’s comics, like the Beard Hunter one-shot in Book Two that parodies the Punisher and characters written by Frank Miller. Willoughby Kipling, created by Morrison, takes John Constantine and his Liverpool-ness to the extreme. The “Doom Force Special” displays the anatomically-incorrect norm of comics at the time, making fun of Rob Liefeld and his X-TREME Marvel superheroes. These comics featured really big guns and skimpy costumes, and all of these infamous elements factor into the Doom Force and it’s not-so-subtle satire.
For me, this iconic run of Doom Patrol will go down as one of those I’ll revisit when I’m reminded of its greatness.
August 5, 2019
Grant Morrison fires on all surreal cylinders in the final volume of Doom Patrol.
In volume 2, the overall story felt like it was meandering a bit. Not to say that it was bad, but it seemed that it was a bit more unfocused. This volume is much more zeroed into the grand idea of Doom Patrol, but sacrifices none of the "weird" elements that make it great. After this volume, you can see the huge plan Morrison had in mind for this series, and to think of the way he got there, ...amazing.
Case once again provides most of the art for this volume, but there are a few fill in issues here and there. But all the artists are fantastic, and they all provide their own spin on the characters and their surroundings to great effect.
Morrison pulled out all the stops for this final volume as there are surprises, twists, turns, and of course, plenty of weirdness to make this one of his very best runs. The ending comes too soon, and that is saying a lot as the book is 400+ pages! But it goes by so quickly as we are invested in the characters and want to see how it all turns out in the end.
If you haven't read this book, go back and start from volume 1. The whole thing is a giant story, and you will not be dissapointed by the multiple layers, meanings, and allegories that the story has. A classic in its own right, but in a class all its own.
In volume 2, the overall story felt like it was meandering a bit. Not to say that it was bad, but it seemed that it was a bit more unfocused. This volume is much more zeroed into the grand idea of Doom Patrol, but sacrifices none of the "weird" elements that make it great. After this volume, you can see the huge plan Morrison had in mind for this series, and to think of the way he got there, ...amazing.
Case once again provides most of the art for this volume, but there are a few fill in issues here and there. But all the artists are fantastic, and they all provide their own spin on the characters and their surroundings to great effect.
Morrison pulled out all the stops for this final volume as there are surprises, twists, turns, and of course, plenty of weirdness to make this one of his very best runs. The ending comes too soon, and that is saying a lot as the book is 400+ pages! But it goes by so quickly as we are invested in the characters and want to see how it all turns out in the end.
If you haven't read this book, go back and start from volume 1. The whole thing is a giant story, and you will not be dissapointed by the multiple layers, meanings, and allegories that the story has. A classic in its own right, but in a class all its own.
July 22, 2019
3.5 stars. This series became progressively weirder the longer it ran, to the point where it became hard to follow what was going on sometimes. It also was a shame the author decided to have Caulder be the mastermind villain THE ENTIRE TIME; have superpowered Josh do practically nothing and then kill him off; and make "Crazy Jane" constantly have internal struggles that have no impact on the main storylines and then take away her superpowers and suggest that she may have killed herself, rendering her character arc almost pointless. I liked when Mr. Nobody was brought back - his running for President storyline was strangely similar to the "Joker runs for Councilman" storyline I just read in "Batman: White Knight," which was published almost 20 years after these comic books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2020
Probably my favorite of Grant Morrison's comics. First read this run when I was in high school and it's nice to finally actually own copies of it. This run is huge on something I've believed in: "let your freak flag fly". This is a comic about the weird, the macabre, the surreal, etc. It's also at times highly satirical and super smart. I forget how powerful the final issue is.
Highly recommend this to anyone. Grant Morrison is what made me really fall in love with comic books, and this run really illustrates why. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my newfound appreciation for the artwork of Richard Case. What a man with a brilliant, twisted imagination, and linework that matches the tone of series perfectly.
Highly recommend this to anyone. Grant Morrison is what made me really fall in love with comic books, and this run really illustrates why. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my newfound appreciation for the artwork of Richard Case. What a man with a brilliant, twisted imagination, and linework that matches the tone of series perfectly.
April 1, 2019
I'm really satisfied with Morrisons conclusion. The last issue was quite sweet between Cliff and Jane.
Overall I'm so glad I gave this run another try. Between Doom Patrol and Animal Man I think I've changed my mind on Morrison's writing. Yeah it might be bonkers, but there's a lot of humanity to his characters.
I recommend this run to anyone who can handle the weirdness 🤯
Overall I'm so glad I gave this run another try. Between Doom Patrol and Animal Man I think I've changed my mind on Morrison's writing. Yeah it might be bonkers, but there's a lot of humanity to his characters.
I recommend this run to anyone who can handle the weirdness 🤯
January 20, 2018
One of the greatest comic runs in human history. Sad for it to end, grateful to of read it. Will always remember this series by Grant Morrison.
September 30, 2025
Grant Morrison is one of those writers whose work makes me wonder what the fuck I'm doing with my life. I've been meaning to read his Doom Patrol run end-to-end since the 1990s but had not gotten around to actually doing it until now. I'd occasionally tried reading an issue or two, realized I had no idea what was going on, and put it down again. The series really needs to be read in sequence, with the understanding that you're going to feel lost anyway... and that's intentional.
The reader finds an anchor point with poor Cliff Steele - a literal brain-in-a-jar whose "jar" is a powerful but not remotely indestructible robot body. (He gets ripped apart so many times that it becomes a morbid running joke.) Cliff has been the Doom Patrol's one constant; under Morrison, he's also by far the most "normal." Morrison and his collaborators spin Cliff and their readers through a bizzarescape so surreal that its nemesis the League of Dada is actually one of the Doom Patrol's more coherent antagonists.
Like the series' contemporary work from David Lynch and the Brothers Quay, Doom Patrol doesn't attempt to present any form of rational explanation; irrationality and lack of explanation are the point. Like Morrison's mystic counterpart/ nemesis wizard Alan Moore, Grant employs comics as a magickal instrument to influence pop culture. Where Moore employs ritualistic formalities and logical constructions, however, Morrison favored (in his 1980s-1990s work; he's far less contrary these days) ecstatic improvisation. In his book Supergods, Morrison writes of the psychotropic endeavors he used to craft his work on Doom Patrol, The Invisibles, and Animal Man. Those "derangements of the senses" may be most obvious in Doom Patrol, where Cliff Steele remains perpetually befuddled by his group and their adventures, both of which function more on dream-logic than on anything as mundane as physics or rationality. I love the hell out of this series, but also see why it may be Morrison's least-appreciated title on a mainstream level... aside, of course, from Animal Man, which (good intentions aside) may be his weakest work notwithstanding the sublime one-issue story "Coyote Gospel."
Recommended, with reservations for unhinged weirdness and some very dated treatment of psychological/ neurological conditions.
The reader finds an anchor point with poor Cliff Steele - a literal brain-in-a-jar whose "jar" is a powerful but not remotely indestructible robot body. (He gets ripped apart so many times that it becomes a morbid running joke.) Cliff has been the Doom Patrol's one constant; under Morrison, he's also by far the most "normal." Morrison and his collaborators spin Cliff and their readers through a bizzarescape so surreal that its nemesis the League of Dada is actually one of the Doom Patrol's more coherent antagonists.
Like the series' contemporary work from David Lynch and the Brothers Quay, Doom Patrol doesn't attempt to present any form of rational explanation; irrationality and lack of explanation are the point. Like Morrison's mystic counterpart/ nemesis wizard Alan Moore, Grant employs comics as a magickal instrument to influence pop culture. Where Moore employs ritualistic formalities and logical constructions, however, Morrison favored (in his 1980s-1990s work; he's far less contrary these days) ecstatic improvisation. In his book Supergods, Morrison writes of the psychotropic endeavors he used to craft his work on Doom Patrol, The Invisibles, and Animal Man. Those "derangements of the senses" may be most obvious in Doom Patrol, where Cliff Steele remains perpetually befuddled by his group and their adventures, both of which function more on dream-logic than on anything as mundane as physics or rationality. I love the hell out of this series, but also see why it may be Morrison's least-appreciated title on a mainstream level... aside, of course, from Animal Man, which (good intentions aside) may be his weakest work notwithstanding the sublime one-issue story "Coyote Gospel."
Recommended, with reservations for unhinged weirdness and some very dated treatment of psychological/ neurological conditions.
October 11, 2022
... I prefer the TV show.
YEAH, I SAID IT.
This volume contains both the best and worst (or, I suppose I should qualify, MY favorite and least-favorite) qualities of Grant Morrison as a writer. As usual, their imagination is BOUNDLESS, and the scope of the narrative they weave feels huge (the dangers, in particular, feeling insurmountable). But there's also a degree of pretention and unnecessary abstraction to the storytelling that can be REALLY off-putting if you're not into, say, reading a full issue narrated in beat poetry.
And mind you, I understand that that's largely the POINT of this run; Morrison isn't being subtle with their aims to create a surrealist comic here, including a cubist supervillain who literally leads a group called the "Brotherhood of Dada". I get it! But I simply find their use of poetics and abstract symbolism counter-productive as a storytelling style more often than not (especially when they decide to devote entire ISSUES to the approach).
Also, many of the characters suffer from being more conceptual templates than being people. Rebis, in particular, seems more intriguing to Morrison as an elevated representation of the masculine/feminine duality of nature and the ouroboros of life and death than as a real, intersex person. They're presented as aloof, alien, detached and unknowable... yet shouldn't they evince SOME qualities of the two human beings that merged to create them? It bugs me.
Now, having said all that, I have to acknowledge that the volume DOES culminate Morrison's run in spectacular, and yet poignant, fashion. The final issue with Crazy Jane is heartbreaking and moving, bringing the book to an edifying close... (Even if I DO fundamentally disagree with Morrison's philosophical summation: an outright rejection of reality in favor of the infinite possibilities of fantasy and the mindscape. It's a flowery and appealing ideology that, in practice, does nothing to make the actual world a better place, but at least makes you feel better.)
Oh, and then at the very end, we get the absolutely brilliant satire of '90s comic books that is Doom Force! It's good stuff.
So in conclusion: Doom Patrol is a land of contrasts.
YEAH, I SAID IT.
This volume contains both the best and worst (or, I suppose I should qualify, MY favorite and least-favorite) qualities of Grant Morrison as a writer. As usual, their imagination is BOUNDLESS, and the scope of the narrative they weave feels huge (the dangers, in particular, feeling insurmountable). But there's also a degree of pretention and unnecessary abstraction to the storytelling that can be REALLY off-putting if you're not into, say, reading a full issue narrated in beat poetry.
And mind you, I understand that that's largely the POINT of this run; Morrison isn't being subtle with their aims to create a surrealist comic here, including a cubist supervillain who literally leads a group called the "Brotherhood of Dada". I get it! But I simply find their use of poetics and abstract symbolism counter-productive as a storytelling style more often than not (especially when they decide to devote entire ISSUES to the approach).
Also, many of the characters suffer from being more conceptual templates than being people. Rebis, in particular, seems more intriguing to Morrison as an elevated representation of the masculine/feminine duality of nature and the ouroboros of life and death than as a real, intersex person. They're presented as aloof, alien, detached and unknowable... yet shouldn't they evince SOME qualities of the two human beings that merged to create them? It bugs me.
Now, having said all that, I have to acknowledge that the volume DOES culminate Morrison's run in spectacular, and yet poignant, fashion. The final issue with Crazy Jane is heartbreaking and moving, bringing the book to an edifying close... (Even if I DO fundamentally disagree with Morrison's philosophical summation: an outright rejection of reality in favor of the infinite possibilities of fantasy and the mindscape. It's a flowery and appealing ideology that, in practice, does nothing to make the actual world a better place, but at least makes you feel better.)
Oh, and then at the very end, we get the absolutely brilliant satire of '90s comic books that is Doom Force! It's good stuff.
So in conclusion: Doom Patrol is a land of contrasts.
September 8, 2024
"How must it feel to have saved a world you don't really believe is worth saving?"
This might just be the crux of Morrison's Doom Patrol run, a run that concludes in this third collected volume. This wasn't the story of heroes saving the day, or flawed characters finding redemption, or anything in that vein. No, this was the story of deeply damaged people with special abilities that came together and somehow saved the world many times at often high costs.
Morrison reveals the two Big Bads, one monstruous in the Candlemaker and one a surprise that reframes the entire history of the Doom Patrol. Morrison pays homage to the past whilst simultaneously throwing it out the window and it's pretty amazing how they balance that feat without it reading gimmicky.
"Listen: if you want to destroy a people, first destroy its dreams." Morrison leaves all these characters in dire places, in broken status, in an uncertain future. I'm excited to see where the next writer takes up the arcs and runs with them. However, this feels complete and finished. Morrison got to tell the story they wanted to tell, I think.
The art continues to be stellar, fitting the surreal nature of this story perfectly. In fact, the art contributed heavily to elevating the three issues that stood out most to me in this volume. "And Men Shall Call Him--Hero!", #53, was an entire homage to the classic Kirby and Lee comics of the 60s. It was goofy and fun and visually stunning. Yet, still had that Morrison snark. "In the Wonderful Land of Clockwork", #58, was a psychological, visual tour de force by Sean Phillips. A great examination of RobotMan (Cliff Steele) with nightmarish illustrations. And, surprisingly, the Doom Force #1 Special, which I thought was a hilarious parody of the "extreme" versions of the X-Men and Image comics of the time. Both overt and clever jokes that send up the ridiculousness of that era well. It wouldn't work beyond an issue, and Morrison smartly contains it to one.
In the end, I enjoyed the whole Morrison run very much. It will not be everyone's jam, and it has some very high concepts, especially from a 90s Big Two publisher. It was always intriguing, thought-provoking, and different. And, for all that, it was awesome.
This might just be the crux of Morrison's Doom Patrol run, a run that concludes in this third collected volume. This wasn't the story of heroes saving the day, or flawed characters finding redemption, or anything in that vein. No, this was the story of deeply damaged people with special abilities that came together and somehow saved the world many times at often high costs.
Morrison reveals the two Big Bads, one monstruous in the Candlemaker and one a surprise that reframes the entire history of the Doom Patrol. Morrison pays homage to the past whilst simultaneously throwing it out the window and it's pretty amazing how they balance that feat without it reading gimmicky.
"Listen: if you want to destroy a people, first destroy its dreams." Morrison leaves all these characters in dire places, in broken status, in an uncertain future. I'm excited to see where the next writer takes up the arcs and runs with them. However, this feels complete and finished. Morrison got to tell the story they wanted to tell, I think.
The art continues to be stellar, fitting the surreal nature of this story perfectly. In fact, the art contributed heavily to elevating the three issues that stood out most to me in this volume. "And Men Shall Call Him--Hero!", #53, was an entire homage to the classic Kirby and Lee comics of the 60s. It was goofy and fun and visually stunning. Yet, still had that Morrison snark. "In the Wonderful Land of Clockwork", #58, was a psychological, visual tour de force by Sean Phillips. A great examination of RobotMan (Cliff Steele) with nightmarish illustrations. And, surprisingly, the Doom Force #1 Special, which I thought was a hilarious parody of the "extreme" versions of the X-Men and Image comics of the time. Both overt and clever jokes that send up the ridiculousness of that era well. It wouldn't work beyond an issue, and Morrison smartly contains it to one.
In the end, I enjoyed the whole Morrison run very much. It will not be everyone's jam, and it has some very high concepts, especially from a 90s Big Two publisher. It was always intriguing, thought-provoking, and different. And, for all that, it was awesome.
May 17, 2025
In our rush to become the inheritors of the scientific revolution of the past few hundred years or so, the modern world plunged into the realms of psychology as never before in human history except perhaps the realms of philosophers. Ours was believing we’d finally cracked the code of the average man. We kind of exploded it in the process, and it’s shattered its eggshell fragments quite artfully in our collective faces ever since.
Doom Patrol, as re-envisioned by Grant Morrison, ends on this note, this idea that we gleefully lost ourselves in the psychoses of psychology, in an attempt to escape the real world. And we’ve only fractured ourselves in the aftermath. We certainly had great motivation, first in a Great War and then in two cities bombed spectacularly in its sequel, and the Cold War that followed, and the interminable gap that followed that. Technically Morrison’s Doom Patrol played out in the very earliest of those gap years (where we still find ourselves), but that’s okay. There hasn’t been any escaping. We escaped into the wild. Back to where things started, really.
That’s all there, in this material. It’s very much the successor of Gaiman’s Sandman (which absolved itself of the real world well before the end) and Moore’s Watchmen (which absolved itself of solutions from the start). It’s really the ultimate superhero fever dream. It’s Cliff Steele as Ben Grimm, whose Thing is a robot who finally loses the scrap of humanity but then just keeps ticking, like Baum’s Tin Woodsman about a hundred years earlier, Danny the Street admitting its origins, Crazy Jane going sane, then killing herself…
The end. And Grant Morrison’s glory days weren’t even beginning yet. The grand old days dominating the mainstream, the eventual popular downfall, and not one soul being brave enough to remember Morrison never cared about what anyone thought. This was a direct distilling of the age. Today where is Morrison to be found? Apparently new Batman, soon. Well, of course. Inscrutable, ever mutable Batman, whose iconic status can be reshaped so easily, a comedy act in the ‘60s, the Dark Knight, later…
Anyway, essential reading.
Doom Patrol, as re-envisioned by Grant Morrison, ends on this note, this idea that we gleefully lost ourselves in the psychoses of psychology, in an attempt to escape the real world. And we’ve only fractured ourselves in the aftermath. We certainly had great motivation, first in a Great War and then in two cities bombed spectacularly in its sequel, and the Cold War that followed, and the interminable gap that followed that. Technically Morrison’s Doom Patrol played out in the very earliest of those gap years (where we still find ourselves), but that’s okay. There hasn’t been any escaping. We escaped into the wild. Back to where things started, really.
That’s all there, in this material. It’s very much the successor of Gaiman’s Sandman (which absolved itself of the real world well before the end) and Moore’s Watchmen (which absolved itself of solutions from the start). It’s really the ultimate superhero fever dream. It’s Cliff Steele as Ben Grimm, whose Thing is a robot who finally loses the scrap of humanity but then just keeps ticking, like Baum’s Tin Woodsman about a hundred years earlier, Danny the Street admitting its origins, Crazy Jane going sane, then killing herself…
The end. And Grant Morrison’s glory days weren’t even beginning yet. The grand old days dominating the mainstream, the eventual popular downfall, and not one soul being brave enough to remember Morrison never cared about what anyone thought. This was a direct distilling of the age. Today where is Morrison to be found? Apparently new Batman, soon. Well, of course. Inscrutable, ever mutable Batman, whose iconic status can be reshaped so easily, a comedy act in the ‘60s, the Dark Knight, later…
Anyway, essential reading.
June 10, 2023
Un volume meno soddisfacente rispetto ai primi due, per i miei modesti gusti.
Assistiamo al ciclo dell'origine di Flex Mentallo ed alla lotta contro il Pentagono e ciò che cela nei suoi abissi, con la giovane Dorothy che risolve la situazione con il suo oscuro ed incomprensibile potere.
Segue una feroce parodia del Punitore, il Cacciatore di Barbe, alla caccia del Capo, Niles Caulder, noto per la sua barba. Storia divertente ma anche profonda critica di certi modi di vedere della destra radicale USA di ieri e di oggi.
Poi c'è una serie di storie insane, quelle dell'Ombroso Evans, con riferimenti biblici e cabalistici in abbondanza e l'annuncio dell'Apocalisse.
A seguire la coppia di storie che porta al numero 50 con l'evoluzione di rebis ed il ritorno della Confraternita del Dada, che stavolta punta alla presidenza degli USA con una campagna elettorale che è la feroce satira di quella di Trump, solo che Trump ha svolto la sua campagna elettorale quasi un paio di decenni dopo.
Chiude il volume un sogno di Danny La Via, in cui si parodizza l'opera di Jack Kirby, anche come tratto artistico, specialmente i Fantastici Quattro ed il Quarto Mondo.
Nel complesso ho trovato le storie più assurde e confuse rispetto ai primi due volumi. Le citazioni dotte e le ispirazioni da Borges ed altri autori del realismo magico sono sostituite per lo più da satira sociale e politica.
Dal lato grafico trovo anche i disegni abbastanza in peggioramento, spesso diventano illeggibili o comunque troppo confusi.
Non mi sento di dare più di 2 stelle e mezza a questa lettura, anche perché tutto sommato non fa venire voglia di sapere come continueranno le avventure di questo sconclusionato gruppo.
Assistiamo al ciclo dell'origine di Flex Mentallo ed alla lotta contro il Pentagono e ciò che cela nei suoi abissi, con la giovane Dorothy che risolve la situazione con il suo oscuro ed incomprensibile potere.
Segue una feroce parodia del Punitore, il Cacciatore di Barbe, alla caccia del Capo, Niles Caulder, noto per la sua barba. Storia divertente ma anche profonda critica di certi modi di vedere della destra radicale USA di ieri e di oggi.
Poi c'è una serie di storie insane, quelle dell'Ombroso Evans, con riferimenti biblici e cabalistici in abbondanza e l'annuncio dell'Apocalisse.
A seguire la coppia di storie che porta al numero 50 con l'evoluzione di rebis ed il ritorno della Confraternita del Dada, che stavolta punta alla presidenza degli USA con una campagna elettorale che è la feroce satira di quella di Trump, solo che Trump ha svolto la sua campagna elettorale quasi un paio di decenni dopo.
Chiude il volume un sogno di Danny La Via, in cui si parodizza l'opera di Jack Kirby, anche come tratto artistico, specialmente i Fantastici Quattro ed il Quarto Mondo.
Nel complesso ho trovato le storie più assurde e confuse rispetto ai primi due volumi. Le citazioni dotte e le ispirazioni da Borges ed altri autori del realismo magico sono sostituite per lo più da satira sociale e politica.
Dal lato grafico trovo anche i disegni abbastanza in peggioramento, spesso diventano illeggibili o comunque troppo confusi.
Non mi sento di dare più di 2 stelle e mezza a questa lettura, anche perché tutto sommato non fa venire voglia di sapere come continueranno le avventure di questo sconclusionato gruppo.
June 16, 2025
Concludes one of the best comic book runs I've ever read, hands down. Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol is creativity unleashed, a love letter to the human mind: all its delusional insanity, unbounded imagination, and incredible resilience. It's an endearing appreciation to the outcasts of the world and redefines what it means to be "crazy." Are these characters crazy or are they just not falling in line with societal norms? The line that divides the genius and insane is a thin one. In this series, Grant Morrison's plays with two major antagonistic forces: the oppressive bureaucratic figures that seek to eliminate quirkiness, and the anarchist horrors that seek to destroy normalcy completely. One aims to conform to society at all costs and the other aims to detach from it. The answer is somewhat in-between. The answer is empathy, love, diversity, and community. Morrison's Doom Patrol is a unique combination of abstract surrealism, mental health, and superheroes. Richard Cases's art is mind blowing and captures the intangible incredibly well. What other superhero comic can boast "Meshes of the Afternoon" and Czech New Wave as some of its many major influences?
10/10, also one of the most emotionally impactful endings I've read in a comic in awhile.
10/10, also one of the most emotionally impactful endings I've read in a comic in awhile.
November 19, 2018
Depois do tour de force que foi o volume intermédio, este volume final da Doom Patrol do Grant Morrison acaba por não conseguir suster a qualidade, apesar de continuar a valer bem a pena. No fim de contas, o climax do run de Grant Morrison acaba por ter demasiados paralelos com o plot de Watchmen (como outro reviewer aqui aponta e bem), e, ao mesmo tempo, é o mais perto de uma história típica de super-heróis que este run chega. Juntando a isto uma dupla de paródias (uma ao estilo Lee-Kirby e a outra aos heróis Liefeldianos) que não achei que acrescentassem grande coisa, ainda pensei em descer para as 3 estrelas, mas há momentos realmente bons e o final (que, na verdade, é o epílogo, e que resolve a história da Crazy Jane, que passa uma boa parte deste trade como uma figura secundária) é bem bonito, e acaba com uma citação, também bem bonita, ainda mais em contexto, do "Asleep" dos The Smiths, qu'é coisa que me cai bem.
"There is another world. There is a better world. Well, there must be".
"There is another world. There is a better world. Well, there must be".
July 11, 2019
4.5
The stuff with the Candremaker and the Magic Bus were fantastic. Mr. Nobody was easily one the best parts of this entire run. It was great to see him having a big role again. Another highlight of this run was Danny the Street, so I was happy to see more of it. I wish there’d been more of the Doom Patrol as a team in this volume, but that’s okay. I really wasn’t expecting the direction this took, but I can say I’m satisfied. This was a solid ending. Artwork was mostly great and more consistent than the previous volume I feel like. I really wish there was more of this. This was such an amazing series. So weird and bizarre, but more important mostly great.
The stuff with the Candremaker and the Magic Bus were fantastic. Mr. Nobody was easily one the best parts of this entire run. It was great to see him having a big role again. Another highlight of this run was Danny the Street, so I was happy to see more of it. I wish there’d been more of the Doom Patrol as a team in this volume, but that’s okay. I really wasn’t expecting the direction this took, but I can say I’m satisfied. This was a solid ending. Artwork was mostly great and more consistent than the previous volume I feel like. I really wish there was more of this. This was such an amazing series. So weird and bizarre, but more important mostly great.
May 17, 2020
Para mi después de los números de Nobody For President la cosa pierde algo de fuelle y de coherencia. Parece que se busca cerrar de algún modo a los personajes y hasta cierto punto es interesante lo de Crazy Jane y el Candlemaker pero para mi gusto acaba estando demasiado desdibujado. Pero ea, es la Doom Patrol, weird shit happen.
Mención a parte para el número especial de Doom Force. Genial parodia de las series noventeras que lo petaron y nos trajeron horrores inimaginables y también a Image Comics con lo que todo en paz.
Mención a parte para el número especial de Doom Force. Genial parodia de las series noventeras que lo petaron y nos trajeron horrores inimaginables y también a Image Comics con lo que todo en paz.
June 2, 2020
Maybe I liked this collection just a little less than the first two - maybe because I feel that the strange world Morrison created for these characters didn't require any sort of closure (especially of the sort that may have seemed wild and unexpected 30 years ago but feels a bit less innovative today). Whatever - even when the strangeness verges on the arbitrary, these surrealism-inflected stories beat out the vast majority of superhero comics any day.
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