I'll start off by saying that there are only two things I didn't like about the new Doom Patrol series. One being that during the Metal Men co-feature, writers Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteris take a severe low blow at Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is always unnecessary. On a more serious note, my second gripe comes in the art department, but strangely, only in the first few pages. There are certain panels by penciller Michael Clark that come off as jarring, mostly due to the positioning of characters in their environment. For example, a character will seem to be standing next to an open space next to nobody, and then all of a sudden that is no longer the case. It's not a huge deal, but it did cause me to have to slow down my pace and retrace my steps. Fortunately, as the book goes on, the art becomes more consistent. Luckily, neither of these issues are truly detrimental to the experience.
Coming into Doom Patrol #1 without having read any previous issues of a Doom Patrol series will not be detrimental to new readers in any way. Giffen has set up a sort of omnipresent, all knowing being that appears to be watching and analyzing members of the Doom Patrol, from their origin to their mental weaknesses, all adding up to the best way to defeat them in battle. In doing this, Giffen has given an easy way for readers unfamiliar with many of the characters to get a grip on just who they are. It helps, also, that a member of the team is essentially blown to pieces near immediately, which helps to set up the rest of the story, as well as the tone the book takes.
In light of the recent loss of said team member, The Cheif sends the team to Oolong Island to be evaluated by priest and former Challenger of the Unknown Rocky Davis. In doing so, the action of the first half of the issue disappears, and we are left to discover these characters and their personalities. Though admittedly, using a therapist as a way to exploit the personalities of your characters is a bit of a cheap writer's trick, it is certainly effective, particularly when it's done by Giffen. Though the plot that is merely hinted at within this first issue seems to hint at a lot of political intrigue and espionage, at this point I can safely say that it is the characters that have drawn me in. Hopefully, Giffen manages to keep the plot interesting, but not intrusive to his great character moments and relationships.
As far as Michael Clark's art goes, there are some odd quirks here and there, but overall I found it to be satisfactory. There is certainly nothing elaborate or original here, but it gets the job done and tells the story well. His layouts are incredibly simple, usually sticking to the standard 6-panel layout page after page, or at least some variation of it. In fact, the one two page scene where he breaks this mold with an overlapping panel or two is quite jarring. Clark's strengths are obviously action scenes, and I think it would be pretty safe to say that this book will have plenty of it down the line.
Of course, Doom Patrol is a $4 book with one of DC's new co-features, this time starring the Metal Men and Dr. Magnus. Metal Men is a very light hearted romp through the lives of the characters, and Kevin Maguires art fits perfectly. This installment is titled "A Day in the Life" and pretty much explores that very concept. What is Dr. Magnus doing while the Metal Men are on assignment? How do the Metal Men interact? It's enjoyable to see these underused characters get some semblance of limelight, first in Wednesday Comics and now here.
If you are looking for something different in the DCU, away from all the Blackest Night madness, this is it.
