Letters to Doom Patrol #5

I have been waiting all day to leave feedback for this issue--- and find myself a little bit speechless. First off, it's awesome to see Brandon writing again for the DC2. His artistic talents are well recognized, but sometimes we forget he is probably also the most novel and imaginative fan fic writer on the web (I need point only to the classic Doom Patrol #4--- from which my mind is still reeling--- but also his Flash issues and definitive run on Aquaman).

This issue not only has all the earmarks of a Herren masterpiece (sly humor, clever ideas and gothic almost macabre action: I mean, Robotman reassembling himself as the rain patters on the mullioned window, lamenting: “It ain’t ever easy is it?”), but demonstrates a mature and sophisticated storytelling style that grips the reader to the last sentence (and what a shocker that one is!).

And of course, this is classic Doom Patrol wackiness all over! Like no other superteam, this is a crazy, dysfunctional family, facing dire, mortal threats. I don't know why exactly, but the Brotherhood of Evil has always scared me, and their game-changing appearance here is no exception. The Brain is no cardboard cut-out baddie, he's creepy and unnerving--- as a villain should be! And his evolution into Monsieur Cerveau was absolutely brilliant, illustrating more about his character than anyone has ever done before (I mean, could the DCU proper have pulled this off? Would they have dared?). In an issue full of compelling characters, Monsiuer Cerveau is near the top of the list.

But I have to give my vote to Robotman as my favorite. I mean, this guy just doesn't stop! He gets all-but destroyed, puts himself back together, then pretty much saves the day! Plus, he has the best moment in the issue: “Let’s go freak show.” I spewed coffee! I could almost hear Bruce Campbell saying it!

But not only does this issue pack in the action (I love a good old fashioned brawl between these two archenemy teams, in many ways antitheses to one another), but the mindblowing stuff comes, too! Rita's scene with Steve is jam-packed with portents for the future, and glimpses at the writer's bigger plans. I love how this ties into Earth 2, referencing DC2 continuity, and what else can be said about a title that has this line:

Rita pushed the comic back into Steve’s hands. “It's unusual, yeah, but you realize we have a painting in the castle that eats cities right?

And this issue doesn't stop, right up to the subtle shocker of the last sentence (I had to read it twice to make sure it said what I thought it said ). The Chief is another complex character, difficult to peg. And that's what makes the Doom Patrol so much fun. You don't get what you expect in this book, and under Brandon's masterful direction, I hope it will continue to entertain and challenge us for a long time!

As for the art, some truly beautiful stuff! That cover is wild, and the Mignola-inspired piece was a neat treat. But the pin-up of Monsieur Cerveau as a fabulous s/f gorilla gangster has got to take the cake!

This is the kind of writing that gets my own creative juices flowing, opening windows of storytelling possibility--- and that doesn't happen too often!

It doesn't get any better than this issue. Five stars.

Thanks for reading guys and sorry I couldn't follow up sooner. We were hit by a particularly nasty winter storm here in Midwest and I've been powerless and de-internetted for several days now. My normally quiet little town looks like a war-zone. You don't realized how very dangerous trees can be until they are caked with better than an inch of ice and start crashing down all around you.

Dave:
Sir, thank you so much for the encouraging words. My first fan fiction was for this site when it started several years back now and I've only written just over a dozen stories on a handful of titles here, so I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing when I turn in these stories. I have to keep asking myself, is this going to make sense to other people? Ha. So comments like this mean more to me than you know. I have discovered however that I have an absolute blast writing these characters. You mentioned Cliff and I'll admit to the guilty pleasure of seeing just how badly I can mess him up and still have him standing in the end. And the Chief is another interesting one because I can walk a line where's it hard for people to tell which way he's coming from. I don't think this is entirely the team we've seen recently in the DCU so it's fun to mess around with them finding out where they stand exactly. I'm so excited about next issue's story I want to start on it right away but I have a few other commitments that have to come first. It will be my most ambitious project yet for the site so I may fail miserably, but it should at least be fun in the making.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and comment, Dave. Now, as soon as I can get things a little more lined out here in the disaster zone I'm heading over to read the newest issue of JSA. I wanted to read it the first night it was posted but Mother Nature struck me down!

Awesome Art and amazing story! Dave is right, it's been way too long to see your work back here, but man was it worth the wait. The influence of Morrison is here, but with a much more enjoyable and linear story.

Robotman is all that and a bag of chips! And when it comes to villain groups, I love the Brain and his team.

Now just don't make it longer for the next issue. ;D