Written by Gerard Way
Illustrated by Nick Derington
and Jeremy Lambert
Published by DC Comics
I want to tell like this issue so much. It sounded like something that was right up my alley.
I enjoyed the previous issues of the Gerald Way Doom Patrol. It is one of my favorite series of the last few years. I was excited to crack it open in delve into it.
So then I actually started to read it.
And I found the whole issue to be absolutely impenetrable. I understand what Way was going for but it was just a bit too much for this old reader.
That’s not to say that it’s so bad that some people may obtain some enjoyment out of the issue. The story has to do with some weird force that is rewriting the team’s history.
And the creative team turns the Doom Patrol into a role playing Dungeon and Dragons type of team. They are living it out on the comic book page.
So that’s the story.
Or it’s as much as I can ascertain out of it. The team is transformed into variations of themselves. They spend the issue trying to get out of this wacky realm and back to a normal type of place. I got lost and frustrated and I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on after awhile.
It goes on and on. There are some Tolkien references. There are some nice creature designs and some good art by Derington. But that’s all there is. At the end, you’re left scratching your head and asking “what the hell was the point of this?” And I’ll be honest, I couldn’t find one.
Maybe there will be future issues of this series that will give us something more substantial. The first 11 issues are great. This one just feels empty and forgets what the audience has responded to. Hopefully it picks up. This comic book series has been a a great and reliable title. This issue is not.
RATING: C
