Noteworthy Issues: Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1 (March, 2023)

OK, maybe the fun and funny HBO Max series Doom Patrol is coming to an end soon, but that doesn’t mean DC can’t try another Doom Patrol series, this one spinning off the Lazarus Planet event thing.

I really should finish Lazarus Planet.  In the meantime, I did read the first issue of Unstoppable Doom Patrol.

Issue:  Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1, March 2023

Writer:  Dennis Culver

Artist:  Chris Burnham

The Plot:  The Doom Patrol is back to help metahumans!  Too bad the Brotherhood of Evil is also out there somewhere.

Commentary:  Well, that was pleasant.  There’s a new Doom Patrol, mostly made up of familiar members.  Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Woman are there with Crazy Jane, using a “Chief” persona, to act as their team leader.  There’s also new member Beast Girl who, despite appearances, mostly taps into the deeper recesses of the human mind to provoke a fight-or-flight response according to her preferences.  There’s also a fellow named Degenerate, a new metahuman who is the issue’s adversary, but the cover and issue solicitations say he’s going to join the team too.  He’s kind of like the Hulk, only he gets stronger (and less human) the meaner he gets instead of angrier.

The mission, as explained to Batman, is that this Doom Patrol is there to help metas who might otherwise find themselves in trouble for one reason or another.  Jane, acting as spokesperson, is quick to point out that the Justice League has only one actual meta, the Flash, and he doesn’t tend to stick around long.  Batman clearly doesn’t like being lectured like this–the team did come to Gotham after all–but Robin is pretty darn amused by the whole thing.

Anyway, the team’s mission was laid out pretty well.

But then there’s a Brotherhood of Evil subplot that is setting up something big for down the road.

Nothing great here, but it was a lot of fun with something like a Silver Age feel to it.

Grade:  B