THE DOOM PATROL #1 – Moving Forward

Creative Team – Darcy Van Poelgeest, Niko Henrichon, Lucas Gattoni

Published by DC Comics

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The Story

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Matt!

Megan – The Doom Patrol #1 brings a whole new look at the ragtag team of heroes. Each member is going through their own existential crisis of a sort and are going through the motions together. Now working as a hero for hire team, The Doom Patrol finds themselves on a case that seems a little beneath their skill sets, finding a lost cat. It’s certainly a bummer of a case, but actually proves to be much more than they bargained for. While that’s taking place, Dr. Caulder is having a situation of his own, one that could put The Doom Patrol in mortal danger.

Darcy Van Poelgeest brings the team to life in this new run absolutely knocking the first issue out of the park. While The Doom Patrol is busy on their job, you’re able to get to know the Robotman, Elasti-Girl, and Negative Man. This is a great comic to step into if you have no experience with the characters as Poelgeest uses this opportunity to reintroduce them.

Matt – The weirder DC and comics in general get, the more invested I get, and Doom Patrol has always had a close place in my heart because they aren’t afraid of being chaotic. Darcy brings our group of misfits in a constant crisis of sorts together once again, while doing odd jobs for regular folks. Finding cats, replacing cats, and even helping little old ladies. At the center of all of their problems is always their adopted father, Niles Caulder, against their will, and this is no different. Darcy captures the spirit and sarcastic banter between the trio perfectly and sets up some chaos perfectly.

Amidst it all is the duality between Larry, who is a tragic case of never being seen as who he is, and Negative Man, who is trapped inside of him as well. There are some endearing moments with him and another character before all Hell breaks loose. This is the perfect first issue for new and returning fans of this group of misfits.

The Art

Megan – I really love what Niko Henrichon and Lucas Gattoni did with The Doom Patrol #1! Henrichon’s line work gives you the feeling of old school comics in the details, while having the modernization that lets you feel this whole new story. Henrichon plays off the emotions of the story very nicely, allowing the character’s feelings to be worn on their sleeves. There’s also the added excitement of when things go from normal to chaotic, which the artist handles beautifully with a perfect flow. Lucas Gattoni handles the lettering and brings so much life to the characters through the dialogue. You’re able to feel the emotion behind the words and with the use of perfectly used sound effects, the story is perfectly laid out for any reader to understand.

Matt -The art is absolutely beautiful as Niko takes a dusty and duller tone in the background, which allows for the colors of our characters’ outfits and the foreground to pop out. Again, Larry stands out because, despite being wrapped up and wearing sunglasses, you get a true sense of sadness being expressed through the artwork. Lucas manages to bring the characters to life and capture their voices, nailing the humor within the dialogue. Everything flows from panel to panel, and every panel has something to stop and linger on, whether it be the line work, character details, or monsters of chaos!

Final Thoughts

Megan – 10/10. I have to admit that I was never that big of a Doom Patrol fan, but what this creative team did with The Doom Patrol #1 has me hooked!

Matt -10/10! This is my favorite issue of the week, hands down. I have loved The Doom Patrol, and having the team come back and do so well captured the heart and tone of the group instantly. The Doom Patrol #1 is a love letter to this group’s history while inviting new readers into the chaotic world of this group of misfits.

Overall Grade -10/10!

Let us know in the comments what you thought of The Doom Patrol #1!