Doom Patrol

New Year, New Beginning

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

One of my extracurricular activities involves working with a little place known as Back to the Past. One of my cohorts there, Dave, did a pair of articles reflecting the end of 2011 and the start of 2012. He chose to focus on Doom Patrol, The Fugitive, and Captain Marvel. An interesting mix, to be sure, but a fun one nonetheless.

Of the beginning of the Kupperberg-Staton DP, Dave said:

The group even starts off fighting General Immortus…it really was old home week with the Doom Patrol.

Check out the links and enjoy the read. Here's the beginnings, and for all those completists in the crowd, here's the endings.

As for the beginnings (definitely prefer those to the endings) I'll be offering up some thoughts on the current My Greatest Adventure series soon.

Steele. Cliff Steele.

2011-12-21T05:25:00.000-08:00

In my spare time (yes, I'm laughing too) I like to check out the cool drawings and other assorted pieces of creative magnificence over on DeviantArt. On one recent expedition, I happened across this brilliant piece and needed to share.

Drawn by A.J. Jothikumar under the handle *hyperjack08, this piece speaks of a different Cliff Steele from another time. Maybe someday we'll see more of Cliff in a setting that would be in line with this image.

For now, however, be sure to check out some of A.J.'s other masterworks!

Beast Boy in the Top 100

2011-12-03T08:52:00.001-08:00

My other site (or one of them) on these here internets, CBR, has a Top 100 DC (and also a Top 100 Marvel) characters for 2011 on the Comics Should Be Good blog. Even with minimal exposure throughout the year (unless he popped up in one of the New 52 books I simply am not reading) good ol' Garfield Logan is weighing in at #100.

Snazzy little drawing of Gar from Mike McKone's "Teen Titans" days.

I'm interested to see if we get any more Patrolers on the list. Any thoughts in that direction?

Be sure to check the list out for more fabulous characters.

DP on DC Nation

2011-11-30T17:47:00.001-08:00

Hello again my friends! Busy, busy, busy. Yet, somehow, I keep finding ways to get even busier.

It's not that I don't still love the Doom Patrol, I'm just all over the map right now, reviewing for CBR, doing other stuff for Back to the Past, working, being a dad, y'know, stuff.

At any rate, a little while back, I caught the trailer for the DC Nation and thought I saw something Doom Patrolish.

I did.

Larry, Larry, Larry. Why, it's almost enough to bring back Negative Mondays, isn't it?!?

Then, while doing some reading of those wonderful sites over there (-->) I happened across this from Sue of DC Women Kicking Ass site.

Sorry, Sue, it was so Doom Patrolriffic, I had to snag it first and ask permission later (if at all).

Looks like the DP is going to be a regular bit on this new DC Nation.

Imagine Charlie Brown's happy dance. That's all me right now, my friends.

I'll be making a better effort to give you more. Soon. I promise.

MY GREATEST FOUR-STAR REVIEW

2011-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

My Greatest Adventure hit the stands last week and my review hit the internet shortly thereafter.

This time out, the tale is not only the lead in this anthology book, but it is also the only story of the three that is written and drawn by two separate creators. Matt Kindt narrates this new Robotman’s exposition through the words of Robotman, himself. He gives us a tight overview of Robotman’s personality but only eludes to Robotman’s past, choosing to grow the character over the course of the storyline.

To see the whole review, give a little click.

The First Issue

2011-10-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

For funsies, I thought I'd do some digging on the Interwebs to uncover what the first issue of the original My Greatest Adventure looked like, seeing as we're just days away from the newest go-round.

Feast upon this friends.

"My Cargo was Death." THAT sounds like one great adventure. I don't own any of the pre-DP issues, but I've always been curious to know how they hold up. How about you, my friends? Anyone a bigtime old-school MGA fan?

My Greatest Adventure #1

2011-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hey Patrolers! Don't forget that My Greatest Adventure returns to comic racks this week, bringing Robotman with it! The solicit goes a little something like this:

The adventures of WEIRD WORLDS’ Garbage Man and Tanga continue in MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, a new six-issue anthology-style miniseries. And this time around, they’re joined by the quirky and self-destructive Robotman.

Meet Robotman as he takes on a restaurant full of zombies. Follow Garbage Man as he makes his return to Gotham City and seeks out the only friend he has left. And watch Tanga suffer the consequences of defying King Za.

Robotman’s “Uncanny Valley, Part 1” is written by Matt Kindt and illustrated by Scott Kolins. “Garbage Man Returns” comes to you from Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan and “Tanga: Restrained” is by Kevin Maguire.

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #1 goes on sale this upcoming Wednesday.

DC's Source has a preview of the issue, including the Garbage Man and Tanga stories, but I'm sharing the Robotman preview right here with you.

AW YEAH, DOOM PATROL!!

2011-09-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

The day is finally here, my friends. Today we are treated to the Franco and Art Baltazar-crafted "Crosswalk of Doom" story in Tiny Titans #44.

As always, I read this issue before my youngest ran away with it, and I gotta be honest, I'm fighting the urge to sneak into her room and steal it back. This issue was fun, funny, and enjoyable. I laughed out loud more than once and loud enough that my dear wife, from upstairs, started asking my children what was wrong with me.

"He's reading Tiny Titans," was my youngest's reply.

"That's it?!" my wife asked, completely befuddled at the sheer entertainment this book provides. Go and get it my friends. Laugh a little and thank me later.

My Greatest Adventure - in December!

2011-09-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

The DCU relaunch continues in December with the continuation of My Greatest Adventure. Here's the solicits:

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #3
Written by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE and MATT KINDT
Art by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE, MATT RYAN and SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by RICK LEONARDI and DAN GREEN
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 40 pg, 3 of 6, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
From a giant snake smashing through Zanzibar – and through Robotman – and an ancient reptile stalking the alleyways of Gotham City, to the endless plague of titans attracted to Tanga on a faraway planet, our heroes are put to the test as they face off against their demons!

Robotman vs. a giant snake. . . hmmm. Not the most convincing and exciting comic plot I've seen solicited recently.

At any rate, the issue comes out almost two weeks before Christmas, and six days before Hanukah, but that doesn't mean that you can't get yourself a little DP present for the holidays, does it?

Also don't forget to grab the latest Tiny Titans this week for some Tiny Titan-ish Doom Patrol action.

The Return of MY GREATEST ADVENTURE!!!!

2011-08-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. That was a longer break than I expected to take. I’m getting back to the swing of things and will be explaining that here, sort of, which is the real reason for my absence here.

Got that? No?

OK. How about this: I simply bit off more than I could chew.

I’m pulling it all back on track now, and hope to have more for you real soon. In the meantime, maybe you’ve heard, DC has a planned relaunch in a matter of days now. One of the eventual fruits of said relaunch is a revisitation to the title that spawned not only this blog’s title, but the book that gave us the Doom Patrol.

That’s right, friends and neighbors, My Greatest Adventure returns to DC Comics’ publishing schedule. The first issue hits in October and features a story about the DC nu version of Robotman.

Here’s the solicits for the October and November issues.

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #1
Written by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE and MATT KINDT
Art by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE, MATT RYAN and SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by AARON LOPRESTI
On sale OCTOBER 12 • 1 of 6, 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
The adventures of Garbage Man and Tanga from WEIRD WORLDS continue – and now, these offbeat heroes are joined by the Robotman, who has a disturbing knack for self-destruction!

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #2
Written by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE and MATT KINDT
Art by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE, MATT RYAN and SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
On sale NOVEMBER 16 • 40 pg, 2 of 6, FC, • $3.99 US • RATED T
When Batman goes hunting for answers Garbage Man might be able to provide, things start to look up for the toxic man. Meanwhile, Robotman follows a zombie trail from Zanzibar to a strange island filled with even stranger creatures, and Tanga encounters an alien monster that might be too much even for her!

Once again, we're treated to a book with Cliff Steele in it AND Kevin Maguire art under the same cover. I, for one, am extremely enthused about this book.

For more about the book - specifically the Robotman segment from the very mouth (or keyboard) of Matt Kindt, here’s a link to an interview with Matt Kindt on CBR. Kindt, interviewed here by Josie Campbell, will be writing the story for Scott Kolins’ pencils.

That's what I've got for now, Patrollers. I'll be back soon. Promise.

Aw yeah, Doom Patrol!

2011-06-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long, my friends, but here I am. Where have I been? What have I been doing? I'll tell you. Later.

First, some important news: with the September crazy line-wide relaunch, the Doom Patrol is back! Sort of.

From the DC September Solicitations:

TINY TITANS #44
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Cover by ART BALTAZAR
It’s the issue of doom! Join the Tiny Titans as they – walk to school! Beast Boy takes a wrong turn when confronted by the crossing guards he calls The Doom Patrol. Plus, witness Beast Boy’s first encounter with the Crossing Patrol Boys of Doom! Crossing the street has never been so tough!
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E

Aw yeah!

Reviews for you

2011-03-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hi all!
The final countdown is on, but the book is still chugging along. Giffen opens the floodgates on this issue and the end result is a fun, entertaining read. Here's a link to my review over on CBR, where I say:

Giffen jams a lot into this book, from an appearance by the long-forgotten Arnold Drake and Bob Oksner creation, Super-Hip, to a return of one of the Doom Patrol’s oldest foes. At the same time, M.S.E. lurks in the background, seizing the opportunity to claim Oolong as their own and using that as a launchpad to further denigrate the Doom Patrol’s image.

I gave it four out of five, as it suffers from severe art multiple personality disorder. Matthew Clark's stuff is good, but few and far between, and when juxtaposed with Randall's work, the book just seems off. It works best in the spots where the artist changes are isolated, for example, Scott Clark's two pages hold their own and seem really strong partially because there's no direct conflict in style. Ron Randall's art is the most prominent in this issue, but this volume of DP will always be Matthew Clark's in my mind.

Our friend in Doom Patrollery, Petar, has a review of his own over at Doompedia, so make with the clicking and check it out.

So, my friends and followers, what did YOU think of this third-to-last issue of the Giffen-Clark era DP?

Negative Monday 38

2011-03-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Not to get too negative, but there are only three issues of this title left.

This Wednesday is the first of the those three and it looks a little something like this:

I'm thinking it's a bit chilly on that rock. Larry's gotta be a little freaked about the circling pelicans, too.

Continued DP Salvation Efforts

2011-02-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

Our pal in Doom, Petar, has provided a link on his Doompedia site to a blog known as Dangermart. Martin Gray, the proprietor of Dangermart has a call to arms of sorts for DP fans everywhere. You can check it out via Doompedia or right here.

Save the DP

2011-02-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Our friend in all things Doom Patrol and curator of the DOOMPEDIA, Petar, started a petition to save the Doom Patrol, and effectively, Keith Giffen's life as well.

Here's a link to the petition.

Here's a link to Petar's entry on Doompedia about said petition.

Go.

Sign.

Save.

Here's some more Doc Shaner stuff to inspire you to make with the clicking above.

An Appointment with "Doc"

2011-02-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

I've sung the praises of Evan "Doc" Shaner once or twice before in other parts of these here internets, and I'll continue to do so again and again. I dig the young fella's style immensely, and well, now you can too:

Check out the almighty Twart to catch the vibe. This is one of the best pieces I've seen on the Twart, of the DP, and from Doc Shaner in particular. It's awesome in a can. I especially dig the chalk-like drawings of the villains in the background. Great, great stuff.

How Shaner doesn't have a regular gig somewhere drawing something is completely beyond me. His style, to me, is timeless, in the way that Mike Parobeck's was. Check out more of Shaner's stuff. Thank me later.

Quick side note: I do not know the entire selection process that went into Chris Samnee declaring that the Doom Patrol would be the Twart selection of the week, but I find it stunning to see that the majority of these entries tie in to the "classic" Doom Patrol, without a Negative Woman, Celsius, Tempest, or Dorothy Spinner to be seen yet.

Andy Kuhn Twarted!

2011-02-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

The colors are the first thing I noticed on this Twart piece. It's a simple gradient, red-to-black, but it is applied to the line art rather than the background, so it presents a different vibe altogether. Pretty sharp!

This one's by Firebreather co-creator, Andy Kuhn. Kuhn's work, moreso than his fellow Twartists, tends to take the subject on from a wider angle. In this case, the DP are small compared to the beastie they're about to be consumed by. Looks like a fun tussle in the works. I'd like to see DP team up with Duncan, or at the very least make a journey over to Dinosaur Island. That's gotta be somewhere near Oolong, right?

Kuhn had this to say of his piece:

I don't know much about the Doom Patrol,but I always thought they were pretty cool characters.
I bought all the issues that Ted McKeever drew,
so that's something. Thanks for looking.

While we're talking Firebreather, I once interviewed Andy's co-creator on the book, Phil Hester, for Comicbloc.com. Among the questions I asked Phil was, "What's your 'holy grail' - what one thing do you have to do before leaving comics?"
Phil's answer, "As a writer, the Fantastic Four and Doom Patrol. As an artist, Ragman or OMAC (the real one). The Question would be cool, too." Think about that and take another look at the image above.

Doomed in May

2011-02-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

It's a balmy 40 degrees in Michigan as I type this, so thinking forward to May and sixty-degree weather sounds alright to me.

Unfortunately, it looks like May isn't going to be any too kind to our favorite freaks.

DOOM PATROL #22
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by RON RANDALL
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
It’s all been building to this! To retake Oolong Island, The Doom Patrol must face a pan-galactic array of foes, old and new alike. Hanging in the balance is the fate of the team, the island – and maybe even the world!
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, FINAL ISSUE • RATED T

The DP also make their presence known in this collection, reprinted yet again for your edification.

JUSTICE HC
Written by JIM KRUEGER and ALEX ROSS
Art by ALEX ROSS and DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover by ALEX ROSS
The best-selling 12-issue series illustrated by Alex Ross is now available as a single volume hardcover at DC’s standard trim size.
The villains of the Legion of Doom — led by Lex Luthor and Brainiac — band together to save the world after a shared dream that seems to be a vision of the Earth’s demise. They are confronted by the Justice League of America, who doubt their motives—and as their true plans unfold the two teams do battle.
On sale JULY 27 • 384 pg, FC, $39.99 US

Nuts. "It's all been building to this!" Seems to me like there might have been a little more waiting for us on the other side of issue #22, but sales are what drives this business.

Hmmm. Maybe a groundswell of support could save the book similar to what Spider-Girl enjoyed so many times. . .

Negative Monday 37 or Mike Hawthorne's Twart

2011-02-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday friends! Happy Valentine's Day too! I wish I had some DP Valentines to send you all. Those could border on creepy, couldn't they? A card with Mento on it, or one with Crazy Jane. . . hmmmmm. . . .I think I might be on to something here. . .

At any rate, the Twartiness featuring the DP continues on. Mike Hawthorne, who I have to admit I am painfully unfamiliar with save for his Twart endeavors, has added this little piece.

Mike's got some Conan, Star Trek, and Fear Agent experience, but I'm not a regular reader of any of those.

Regardless, I thought it was a nice Negative Monday addition, as Larry is featured so prominently.

Speaking of creepy, I'm not sure what's up with the fella holding the mic with the hoody and Dr. Doom-like mask, but there it is. Not too sure about the snake either, maybe that's supposed to be Gar? Let's pretend it is.

At any rate, Mr. Hawthorne's DP looks pretty snazzy to me, I like the oddity of the tech Cliff is sporting here, and the bands around the tops of Larry's boots are a nice element that plays off his belt. More Twartiness still to come, my friends. Have a great Monday!

Declan Shalvey

2011-02-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

More Twartiness from me to you.

Declan Shalvey's had a go at the Thunderbolts recently, and here's his masterful piece of DP loving.

Commentary and such are available here.

I love the movie poster vibe radiating off on this one.

Fowler Twart

2011-02-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

Tom Fowler dropped an awesomeness bomb on the ComicTwart Doom Patrol goodness for the week.

Check out the awesomeness and the comments via clicky.

Heroclix - Beast Boy

2011-02-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

I've got to admit, I'm enamored with Heroclix, but I have absolutely no clue how to play the game. The figure assortment allows for molded bits of plastic featuring characters who otherwise don't exist in the round. It also features tons and tons of characters that saturate the market otherwise, but it's a nice additional niche for comic fans to dip their collecting toes into.

I'll occassionally pick up a 'Clix (is that even proper slang?) or two at shows, and have amassed a nice collection of characters I like, including most of the Doom Patrol. Since we started talking about the role playing games with Gar, I think we'll start a Heroclix investigation with Salad Head, from the DC 75th Anniversary Heroclix set coming out that it includes a wide array of Gar.

While I don't have any of these new Beast Boys, I'm certainly keen on expanding the set I do have with, at the very least, the T-Rex. How awesome is that? I have less than no clue how to play this game, but that doesn't stop me from recognizing coolness. Hopefully some other Doom Patrollers will get some love in this 75th Anniversary set.

Here's a look at the first Gar Logan-related Heroclix, which branded the boy as "Changeling."

As I previously mentioned, I've got a pretty good cross-section of the DP, and it seems as though the Heroclix makers sought to make a cross-section rather than single out any one specific lineup. My Heroclix DP includes the Gar shown above, Elasti-Girl (sold as part of a Giants collection that included Chemo and Atom Smasher), Robotman, Mento, Chief, and Negative Woman. They'll all get a turn in the spotlight here eventually.

Salas' Doomed Twart

2011-02-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

Continuing my love affair with this week's topic over on the ComicTwart, here's the latest from over there.

It's by Ron Salas and you can check out what he has to say about it, right here.

Francesco Francavilla's Twart

2011-02-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

Francesco Francavilla delivered his Doom Patrol Twart piece today, and I love it!

I love it so much, I'm just going to tease it, just like Francesco did.

If you're not reading Detective Comics right now, you're missing out on some great Francavilla art in the Commissioner Gordon backup. Francavilla will also be handling the art for an entire issue coming up soon. Scott Snyder, of American Vampire fame, is penning the work over in Detective. Do yourself a favor, Patrollers, check that stuff out.

Francavilla's also working on Black Panther as well.

DP on DP

2011-02-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

This DP is from DP - Dan Panosian. I loved ComicTwart before, but this week has been something else entirely.

Again, I point you to the Twart.

I can empathize with Larry as he's depicted here. That's the way I certainly felt after the last time I had my car's oil changed.

TWART is Doomed! (with awesomeness!)

2011-02-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hey kids!
It's been a long, long time since I've posted, and I'm sorry. I've been very busy with work and busier still with extracurricular activities. But enough about me.

Let's talk about Comic Twart. For those of you that have never dared to click through some of the links I house to the right here, you've missed out - completely - on Twart. It's a collective of artists who draw characters and tweet the drawings. The artists choose a character and go from there, with each submitting their drawing. Check out the Twart to see the list of artists and the characters they've rendered to this point. There are some wonderfully fun choices, and some headscratchers, but the end result is enjoyable art all the way around.

Wellllllllllllllllllll, this week, Chris Samnee (I'm told it rhymes with "omni") stepped up and chose the Doom Patrol. I'm a big-time Chris Samnee fan as it is. His stuff was amazingly good on Thor: The Mighty Avenger, and his style is unlike many others. I've been patiently waiting to see what Chris does next, and given that he chose this week's topic, looks like he'll be doing THE DOOM PATROL! For a single drawing at least. Sorry, went all caps for the dramatic effect.

At any rate, the Twartists have started submitting their DP drawings, beginning with the newest Twartist of all: Dave Johnson. Johnson's no stranger to comics, but hasn't done much interior work of late (that I'm aware of, please let me know otherwise), opting for cover work. Naturally, he's a perfect match for the Twart.

I'll share the image with you here, but please, do yourself a favor and check out the site yourself. You will not be disappointed.

I like Johnson's work, especially his Freedom Fighters covers of late. Seeing him deliver Cliff Steele here is an amazing piece of work. Looks like it's going to be a good week.

Larry's Not Alone

2010-12-30T06:08:00.000-08:00

I saw this yesterday on the internet, and thought I'd share.

DP love on the Rama!

2010-12-08T04:41:00.000-08:00

Our pal in Doom, Petar, of yon excellent DP blog DOOMPEDIA, dropped a link down to Newsarama. Said link contained a Vaneta Rogers-powered interview with Gail Simone and Keith Giffen and included this little snippet:

And they'll move out into the DCU and start rubbing up against some of the other heroes as we try to establish just where their place in the DCU is.

While I'd be one of the first to say seventeen issues in seems a little late to me, I have to admit, Giffen set out to establish a tone for this book and has done so. Now seems like a great time to start kicking the tires and seeing how well it all holds together.

Feel free to follow Petar's link or make with a direct click right here.

Super Dinosaur

2010-12-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

I'm certain you've heard the rumblings and clatter about Robert Kirkman's and Jason Howard's new "Super Dinosaur." If you haven't click on over to CBR.

What's this have to do with the Doom Patrol you ask? Nothing. Save for the fact that without the DP, I doubt such an awesomely absurd concept would have percolated in the minds of Kirkman and Howard.

Negative Monday 36 - Front Page News!

2010-12-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned it more than once here, but in my spare time (ha!) I review for CBR. Why should you care? Well, the DP review is "front page" material.

Click on over and give it a look.

Keith Giffen Speaks - really!

2010-12-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

My other home on the internets, Comic Book Resources, posted an interview with Keith Giffen today. The interview is from NYCC a few months back, but it is still very relevant.

Check it out right here.

Mayfairstivus

2010-12-01T18:17:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, when video games were housed in upright coffins and cost a quarter to play, there were a slew of role playing games on the market. These role playing games encouraged the participants to use their imagination and to project themselves into the worlds of their favorite comic book characters (or other worlds, but this is a Doom Patrol blog. We've got priorities here).

My mom, citing my love for Spider-Man, bought me the Marvel Super Heroes game one year. I don't remember if it was for my birthday or Christmas, but I do remember playing the game darn near every time my buddy Brock came over. The two of us never really read the rules, but that didn't stop us from having a great time acting out our Marvel Universe faves. Brock was always using Daredevil and Sasquatch, I gravitated towards Nightcrawler and Beta Ray Bill. Yeah, even in the Marvel Universe I was a fan of the freaks.

What does all of this have to do with the Doom Patrol? Not a whole heckuvalot to this point.

The Doom Patrol eventually became available as characters over on the Mayfair DC gaming system. Growing up, I knew better than to press the issue with the folks and try to weasel another entire gaming universe from them, after all these things weren't cheap. The books were something like $6.99 or such. So long story short, I never had a chance to revel in the glory of the DC game, even though I was by and large a DC fan.

Frank - of more blogs than I can even think about managing (including Justice League Detroit and the Idol-Head of Diabolu) - provided me with a Doom Patrol-related scan to share with you all. The boxed game came with, as Frank referred to them, "75 amusingly cheesy character cards." One of said cards just so happens to feature Mr. Green Genes himself - Changeling a.k.a. Beast Boy a.k.a. Garfield Logan. Have yourself a peek.

Nice little drawing of Gar striking a pose and giving a little wave to you right over there.

Here's the back of the card with Gar's stats. Much like the modern-day Heroclix, these stats listed below leave me totally clueless. I presume the higher the number the better the stats, and that all of Gar's single-digit entries don't really add up to much for everyone's favorite green-skinned adventurer.

It is nice to see Robotman listed as an advantage though.

As I already mentioned, Frank of blogs aplenty organized a crossover of the Blogoverse to thrill all over the the course of what is collectively being referred to as Mayfairstivus. Maybe I'll celebrate by finally buying that Doom Patrol Sourcebook.

Be sure to check out these other blogs regularly over the next couple of weeks for more Mayfairstivus memories and awesomeness.

The Anti-Didio League of America

The Aquaman Shrine

Booster Gold: BOO$TERRIFIC
Comics Make Me Happy!

The Continuity Blog

DC Bloodlines

Diana Prince as The New Wonder Woman

Firestorm Fan

Flash: Speed Force

Girls Gone Geek

Green Lantern Corps: The Indigo Tribe

Hawkman: Being Carter Hall

Justice League Detroit

Martian Manhunter vs. The Idol-Head of Diabolu

Once Upon A Geek

Power of the Atom

Subject: Suicide Squad [Task Force X]

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary

Doom Patrol 17

2010-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

If you're in the States, this week sees comics delayed until Thursday due to last Thursday's celebration of Thanksgiving. It doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm fine with folks having a chance to get some time off, especially with how crazy the holidays can make everyone.

That said, Doom Patrol #17 hits the racks this week, and Newsarama has a peek into what you can expect to see. It looks a little something like this. . .

I, for one, am absolutely loving this "Easy Reader" recap page. It's Silver Age and Golden Books greatness all mashed up in one spot. Classic.

Our friend in Doom, Petar, has had some peeks and pokes into this issue on his DoomPedia DP blog, so be sure to check that out while you cool your heels waiting for the new comics this week.

Finally, I'll be reviewing this issue over at CBR, so please pop by over there and give the review a once-, twice-, or thrice-over. I'm not sure why you'd want to thrice-over any review, but it was certainly fun for me to type.

We Are All the Doom Patrol

2010-10-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

My kids and I have been devoted fans of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, so we tuned in last night to watch the episode.
Here's a snip:

My kids and my wife know I love the DP, but they haven't ever really bothered themselves with the full story of the DP. When the episode ended, my youngest was a little misty-eyed while my oldest proclaimed that the Brave and the Bold series has been a series of downers of late. Without spoiling the details of this episode, let's just say the episode was true to the DP's story.

Beyond that, however, there were a TON of nods, winks and nudges to Patrol fans, from the signs at the carnival to the clips used for the DP retrospective.

This was a great, great episode and further illustrates just how greatly this team translates to other venues. Now if they'd just work up a Doom Patrol video game.

Wooooooooooooooooo-hooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

2010-10-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

CBR broke the news this morning about the air date for the Doom Patrol episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This show has been a hit around our house since the debut.

I've DVRed the run of this show and the kids and I make time once a week or over the weekend and catch an episode or two. This Friday, however, just became must-see TV. We'll be DVRing, but I think we might also be watching live. Maybe pizza will be involved too.

Looks to me like there is a whole lot of DP love involved in this one.

Check out the posters in the background. Aw yeah, Beast Boy!

Negative Monday 35

2010-10-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Aw yeah, Doom Patrol!

Newsarama has a five-page preview of the latest issue of Doom Patrol set to hit the rack this Wednesday.

Courtesy of Newsarama, here's the colored version of yesterday's image.

And look! There's Larry! Matthew Clark's art is sooooooooooooo right for this crew.

Happy Negative Monday my friends.

MORE Matthew Clark!

2010-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Matthew Clark has just (as in yesterday) established a Matthew Clark Fan Page on Facebook.

Give it a look.

Also, for fans attending the New York Comic Con next week, MC will be at Artist Alley in Section A-10. He'll be signing at the DC Booth on Saturday from 3:00-4:00 and Sunday from 11:30-12:30.

I'll be at a prep football game on Saturday and in Cleveland watching the Browns lose to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Curses!

It is worth mentioning, however, that Doom Patrol #15 comes out this week and Matthew's fan page has an exclusive sneak peek. Well, pseudo-exclusive. You can see it here, too.

MC 5

2010-10-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a five minute Matthew Clark interlude for you. OK, well, since it's in the developmental stages, it might be five seconds, but at any rate, Matthew's got a new fan site up and getting ready to run.

Check it out!

Read This Too!

2010-09-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

So we've had this fun conversation bouncing around the Blogosphere about propping up the readership of some of our favorite, but less followed titles. I struggled with this one quite a bit. If you check the sales info month in and month out, there really aren't a whole lot of titles that fare more poorly than our pals in the Patrol.

I read so many darn books each and every month, that I really had to stop and think a long time about what books I would get if I weren't doing reviews. I know I'd be buying Booster Gold and Zatanna, but I have a little more to say about those two over at Tornado's Path. I'd also be buying Atlas, but that ends this week. I'd be getting Birds of Prey, regardless of any Brightest Day connection, simply because Hawk is one of my favorite comic book characters. Brightest Day is on the list. After that, however, the list of what I absolutely, positively must be is pretty thin. There are two standout ongoing series that would make the list, and would be among the Top Three on my list if I were to run through the exercise of numbering my absolute favorite comic books. I'm not going to do that, but I am going to share both of them with you here and implore you to check them out.

Marvel's Hawkeye & Mockingbird is one of the first titles that came to mind. Hawkeye was always around the Avengers when I started reading that title, and soon thereafter he moved west and claimed a team of his own. As years passed, Hawkeye became a character I found myself caring less and less about, until he "died" in Avengers Disassembled. When he came back as Ronin, I was non-plussed, and kept an eye on his adventures, but never put any coin in them. Then the announcement came through that there would be a Hawkeye & Mockingbird title as part of the Heroic Age that followed Dark Reign. Better still, it was going to be written by Jim McCann. I have to admit, I'd only read a story here or there from McCann, but the man had impressed me when I met him in Chicago in 2006 while he was working as Marvel's Marketing Manager.

I decided to make a mental note and check this book out. This is one of the most enjoyable reads that hits my reading stack month in and month out. The title is only four issues old, with number five hitting the streets in a matter of weeks here.Of the four issues that have been released, all have been reviewed by my Comic Book Resources and myself. The lowest the title scored was three stars out of five. More than once it has garnered 4.5 - by two different reviewers!

To this point, the entire series has focused on Hawkeye and Mockingbird reestablishing their relationship, but they encounter some difficulties with that in the form of Phantom Rider and Crossfire. This comic is fun superhero adventuring with an Avengeriffic twist that is able to stand all on its own. It's not Doom Patrol, but it is a fun, crisp read that consistently delivers month in and month out.

In the weekly T&A column on my internet homebase, Comic Book Resources, my cohort, Kiel Phegley processed a concern regarding H&M:

Finally, after seeing the new solicitations strathcona asked "Is 'Hawkeye & Mockingbird' canceled? Not is it on hiatus, or 'we'll see after Widowmaker is finished'... at the Marvel offices, is the book considered canceled or not?
Brevoort: Is it cancelled? No. Is it going through some changes? Yes. Might it be cancelled in a little while? That's always a possibility, I'm not going to lie to you. But right this moment, there's more to come after Widowmaker from those characters and that creative team.

I also thought about pimping up Freedom Fighters. Palmiotti and Gray are among my favorite writers right now, stemming back to their work on Hawkman and Monolith. On panel at the Baltimore Comic-Con this year, Palmiotti warned attendees to avoid this book if they didn't like reading. While only the first issue of Freedom Fighters has been released, it was filled with more story than multiple issues of many other titles. It's quirky and offbeat and will make a nice addition to plug that Atlas-sized hole in my reading each month.

Ultimately, the title I decided to really promote, though, is American Vampire from Vertigo.

One of my absolute favorite titles in recent memory is Blue Beetle. Yes, Jaime Reyes. Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner really brought their A-game with this character, but the book really caught fire for me when Rafael Albuquerque took over on art. Albuquerque jumped in and made Blue Beetle his own while remaining respectful of the designs Hamner crafted. Once that title ended, Albuquerque drifted around, doing some single issues, occasional storylines, and covers. Then it was mentioned that he'd be working on a new Vertigo series. Something about vampires. With some writer named Stephen King. Oh yeah, this was Stephen King's first original comic book work and he would be fleshing out characters and concepts with his co-writer and creator of American Vampire - Scott Snyder.

Snyder and King handled the first five issues as a split book. The first story, written by Snyder focused on Pearl Jones and her adventures in adventures in California during the 1920s. Pearl's adventures there would lead her to encounter Skinner Sweet, whose story was penned by Stephen King and featured the evolution of a species - the American Vampire.

Albuquerque has illustrated all of this title to date - six issues - and shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. Making it even better, Albuquerque uses a different style for each era of the story. Sweet's origin is rendered in a decidedly different style - but still recognizably Albuquerque - than Pearl's story. Issue #6 is drawn differently still as the scene shifts to Las Vegas in its early days.

This book has become one of my favorite titles month in and month out. King was only onboard for the first five issues, but I honestly find Snyder's work compelling enough in its own right. Sure, it's nice to say you're reading an original Stephen King comic, but it's nicer still to read a comic that is original, classic, exciting, and just so happens to have some parts written by Stephen King. Issue #6 was released recently, written solely by Snyder. Additionally, the title maintained its $3.99 pricing. To further stack the deck, Snyder changed locations, moving forward in the history of the American Vampire. Frankly, this issue is one of the most enjoyable and compelling to date.

I find myself enthused about this title, a title I probably would have (hideously) overlooked had it not been for the artwork of Rafael Albuquerque. Albuquerque is a modern master on the ascent. He can shift gears like no other and doesn't hesitate to bring his absolute best each and every issue. I would pay $3.99 each month just for Albuquerque's art. Of course Snyder's anything-can-and-often-does-happen stories bring some wonder to this title.

All six issues of this title have been reviewed over at Comic Book Resources, where it has earned 4 stars (out of 5) only twice while garnering 4.5 stars for the other four issues.

Month in and month out, American Vampire delivers a comic that is sassy and savage, exciting and exhausting. This Read This Too! event happens at a spiffy crossroads for American Vampire. This week sees the release of the first hardcover collecting the first five issues, with some bonus extras, and priced at an affordable $24.99. To make things even better, and much more convenient for those of you thinking about jumping on board, issue #7 comes out next week.

I'm sure you might be resourceful enough to find yourself a copy of issue #6. If not, let me know. As a matter of fact, let's have some fun with this. The first two emails that I receive with a photo of you holding the American Vampire hardcover will receive a copy of American Vampire #6 in the mail. I cannot guarantee that the copy of #6 will reach you before American Vampire #7 hits the stands, but there you have it: free comic. Unfortunately, due to budgetary concerns, I'm going to restrict this to the United States only and only for readers who are over eighteen. American Vampire deals with some adult situations and it doesn't pull any punches in doing so.

So there you have it, check out American Vampire. Buy the hardcover, send a photo of you with said hardcover to mygreatestadventure80@gmail.com and get a free copy of issue #6. Just like that you'll be caught up on one of the greatest reads on the new comic racks today.

Honorable Mention: Taking the consolation prize in this Read This Too! is another title I cannot recommend more highly. The Stuff of Legend, published by Th3rd World, features the story of a set of toys set out to find their boy. Yes, I thought it sounded overly like Toy Story when I first read about it too, but it's not just a Toy Story knockoff. Stuff of Legend is a tale with the heart of Toy Story, the brains of Starman, and the sense of adventure of Drake and Premiani era Doom Patrol. It's written by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith with incomparable art by Charles Paul Wilson III.

Mad love and props to Kelson Vibber from Speedforce.org in organizing this wonderful celebration of the obscure and overlooked. Siskoid deserves high-praise for his hand in crafting the banner flying overhead and Walter of Boosterific helped set up this wonderful list below:

Interested in reading more? Good! Check out the lesser-known titles reviewed in these other blogs and "Read These Too!":

Adam Strange at It's A Dan's World

Astro City at Speed Force

Essential Man-Thing at Firestorm Fan

Forgetless at Girls Gone Geek

Franklin Richards digests at Once Upon a Geek

Glamourpuss at Being Carter Hall

Peter David's Hulk at Fortress of Baileytude

Jonah Hex at Boosterrific

Scott Pilgrim at Toyriffic

Son of Tomahawk and Thor the Mighty Avenger at Aquaman Shrine

Spelljammer at HeroPress

Spire Christian Comics at Mail It To Team-Up

Strange Science Fantasy at Siskoid's Blog of Geekery

R.E.B.E.L.S. at Indigo Tribe

The Unwritten at K-Squared Ramblings

Welcome to Tranquility at Girls Gone Geek

Beast Boy at Dragon Con!

2010-09-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, here's another entry in the case for Beast Boy Week.

Courtesy of Shag from Once Upon a Geek and Firestorm Fan, here's an image of Beast Boy. Shag went to Dragon Con this past weekend, and brought back a TON of photos to share with all of his internet friends.

Be sure to click on over to Shag's site and check out more of the photos. Not only are most of the DC characters covered, but Shag did a great job capturing the cosplayers.

Giffen Speaks. We Listen. Or Read.

2010-08-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Vaneta Rogers is bringing the good interviews again. She had a chance to sit down and discuss some things with Keith Giffen.

I couldn't pencil the projects I have coming up, and I couldn't do what I'm doing on the Doom Patrol and Outsiders, while doing breakdowns for a book that were going to keep hitting me in this white heat. So it came down to, "OK, if you have to give up something, what do you want to give up?"

I'm not going to give up Doom Patrol. They'll have to pry that out of my cold, stiff fingers.

You can check out the rest of the interview through the magic of clickiness.

Doom Patrolling at the Comic Shop

2010-08-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

No, you didn't miss an extra-szied, double-gatefold, foil-covered issue of Doom Patrol this week, but you may have missed some Doom Patrol goodness of a Silver Age flavor.

DC released the second volume of the Showcase Presents Doom Patrol yesterday. I personally passed on it for now, as I only recently got the fourth Archives volume.

Additionally, the DP makes an appearance in the fourth issue of the DCUniverse Legacies series, written by Len Wein and drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.

I'll be reviewing the latter over at CBR.

Elasti-Girl Friday 23

2010-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some things in life are true: the sky is blue, summer is hot, work is a four-letter word and "Girl Friday" has more of an air of fun about it than "Woman Friday." That said, Elasti-(blank) Friday is returning to "Elasti-Girl Friday as of right now. See? Right now.

Happy Elasti-Girl Friday to you.

Sure, Rita may be referring to herself as Elasti-Woman and a certain Mrs. Parr may have had a swipe at the Elasti-Girl moinker, but Elasti-Girl Fridays on My Greatest Adventure 80 will be devoted to Rita, regardless of her codename.

So what happy gem do I have for you on Elasti-Girl Friday 23? How's about a nice sneak peek at Matthew Clark's art for Doom Patrol #13, due out next week? Sound good?

Sure it does.

Matthew Clark refers to this image of Rita as, "quite possibly my favorite shot of Rita to date." Props to Matthew, this one is very nice. Rita's rocking the sunglasses and has a look about her.

I am really looking forward to this issue next week. How about you kids?

Maybe I need a Beast Boy Week. . .

2010-07-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

All of these ideas and no time to deal with them!

J. T. Krul is taking over the writing chores on Teen Titans and bringing Nicola Scott with him to handle the art. The Source covered this in greater detail last week, and you can read about it there.

Nicola Scott popped by Newsarama and had a conversation with Vaneta Rogers. Over the course of their conversation, Nicola mentioned

And I love Beast Boy's little tooth that sticks out. Some artists do the tooth but others don't. And the artists that do it sometimes don't do it in every panel. But I'm quite big on consistency. I like to see the same face on the same characters over and over again.

I'm with Nicola on this one. It's a nice variation to the character and it helps keep Gar from being just a green-colored kid. The Teen Titans cartoon from a few years back is the first place that I recall seeing this look for Gar, and Nicola's drawing of him seems like a natural progression of where that character might be nowadays.

I know this is, at best, a tangential connection to the Doom Patrol, but Gar is still family, whether he's in this book or not.

Personally, I've been down on Teen Titans for at least a few years now, but that looks like it might change, if Nicola Scott's enthusiasm makes it through to the printed page.

Negative Monday #34

2010-07-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

I told you all to come back and check in on the Doom Patrol related goodness from the October solicits today. If you're back because of that, welcome back!

Except we covered all the DP stuff with the last post.

You can still check out the DC solicits for October over at CBR. Looks like there's some interesting stuff in the the month of Halloween there. I'm especially keen to the Ragman one-shot.

To ease your pain and (hopefully) get things back on (some sort of) track, here's a Negative panel for you:

Negative Man at his best. Art by Ron Randall.

Doom Patrol #12 was a nice offering from the DP creative crew. It gave us a story of the Patrol's failure that will certainly have some marked impact on the team's future. Good stuff and a nice switch to see the good guys lose without anyone getting their arms ripped off or heads punched off from the rest of their bodies.

Doomed in October - a sneak

2010-07-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Per usual this time of the month, Newsarama's got the goods. They have their standard-issue Super-books and general DCU sneak peek, teasing us for the teasers to come on Monday.

Preview solicits conflict me terribly - I want to know what's going to happen, but I really don't like wishing away months to come - especially the rest of the summer!

Looks to me like Matthew Clark is having a blast drawing this stuff!

DOOM PATROL #15
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by MATTHEW CLARK with RON RANDALL
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
Ever wonder what would happen if the Doom Patrol went up against Superman? Well, keep wondering...but we've got the next best thing!
On sale OCTOBER 6 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Spin on back Monday and I'll highlight the Doom Patrol related items for the month of October.

Silver Age Flavored Doom Patrol goodness today!

2010-07-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

Even though Doom Patrol doesn't come out this week, you can still scratch that Doom Patrol itch. The Brave and the Bold #35 hits the shelves today, and while the cover depicts a team-up between the Legion of Substitute Heroes and the Inferior Five, rest assured it does continue the story that was started last issue when the Doom Patrol joined up with the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Check out the preview over on CBR.

The Doom Patrol makes their presence known on page 5. As for what happens afterward, well, get thee to a comic shoppery and find out!

Be sure to come back here after you've read the issue and let me know what you think. Like JMS's take on the Patrollers? How about Saiz's art?

There, but for the grace of God, go we. . .

2010-07-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

Longtime followers (c'mon! It's been almost a year and a half!) of this blog (or my reviews over at CBR) know I have some mad love for the Agents of Atlas.

Sadly, word has come down from on high (well, actually from over at Comics Alliance) that Atlas is being cancelled with issue #5. Well, not cancelled. It is going to cease being published though.

Parker got in what seems like a dig on DC by saying,

Anyway, our orders for ATLAS 1 started off in the low 20ks, which isn't surprising because a lot of things are coming in low right now, and we've always been on the fringe. Atlas has actually always sold better than a lot of books that get to go on much longer- a good bit of DC's line.

The DP's numbers, however, aren't that great. According to the Comic Chronicles, May's numbers for Doom Patrol #10 were 12,334, putting it in spot #140, 52 spots below Atlas #1. Interesting to me that this is enough for a DC title (DP was a few slots above Jonah Hex, which is still pumping out month after month) but deemed a borderline failure for Marvel.

Don't let this happen to the Doom Patrol. Spread the word. Buy an extra copy. Start a blog. Donate a copy of the trade to your local library. Do something. Like, maybe check out Atlas in one of the myriad of trades that title has garnered over its distinguished existence. The come back here and let me know what you think.

Check out Jeff Parker's page for some more thoughts on the matter from the man himself.

Negative Monday 31

2010-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Newsarama's got a fun little interview with Mr. Giffen.

Over there he says,

"And all of that counts. Ever since the beginning."

Make with the clicky and read more for yourself.

Mad props to Vaneta Rogers for getting Giffen to sit down long enough for an interview.

Doom Patrol #12 preview

2010-07-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got to get through the work day before I can snag my new comics. Makes those late comics all the later. This seems to be a pretty big week for me, too. Brightest Day, Doom Patrol, Thor the Mighty Avenger, Hawkeye & Mockingbird. Good stuff to look forward to in the sweltering July heat.

When I was a kid, we lived in a colonial and didn't have air, so we would use box fans to cool down. More than a few summer days and evenings were spent laying on the floor (or the bed, depending on just how late it was or how obnoxious my brother was being) reading comics. I would have to hold the pages down against the breeze from the fan, but it was part of the experience for me.

Some of these books look like summer reading to me, especially this week's DP.

That said, here's a link to Newsarama's sneak peek at Doom Patrol #12.

Looks like Ron Randall's onboard for a large chunk of the art again. Fair warning, though, there appears to be a surprise reveal in this preview. Good stuff. C'mon 5:00!! Hurry up!

Stop by and let me know what you think about the latest issue. Also feel free to share your tips for keeping cool while reading.

Doom Patrol #12

2010-07-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, Canadians, you ge tthe drop on everyone else this week. Comics are delayed in the States this week, thanks to our celebration of Indpendence Day.

That said, don't forget to pick up Doom Patrol #12 Wednesday (in Canada) or Thursday. We'll discuss more later.

Written by KEITH GIFFEN • Art by MATTHEW CLARK & RON RANDALL • Cover by MATTHEW CLARK

The Doom Patrol finally learn exactly whom they're up against as the Front Men attack! But will the team have time to figure out why they're fighting before this very public battle takes a massive toll?

Doomed in September - a sneak

2010-06-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Newsarama has a sneak peek into September's solicits. That peek includes this little ditty:

DOOM PATROL #14
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art and cover by MATTHEW CLARK with RON RANDALL
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
The Chief has been experimenting on a captured Kryptonian in his spare time, and he just figured out the method by which Kryptonian cells process yellow sun radiation. The next step: using that method on himself!
On sale SEPTEMBER 8 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Stop by tomorrow for more.

More DP #11 coverage

2010-06-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

So I posted a bit about the issue coming out on Wednesday and included this cover image.

Then I posted a link to the Source's preview of this issue. They used this cover image.

Where'd Rita go?!?

Once you read the preview (and/or the issue itself) it'll become clear where Elasti-Woman went.

Finally, being a picky former art director (operative word there being former) I'd like to gripe about the background being so close in tone to the T-Rex side of AVM Man's noggin. Poor planning there.

Come back a little later for my latest hare-brained theory on Thayer Jost. . .

Doom Patrol #11 from the Source

2010-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

So DC's Source has propped up a six-page (well, ok, five-page with cover) preview for this week's issue.

Here's a little bit to tease you and a link for the rest.

Doom Patrol #11 - this Wednesday!

2010-06-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

The eleventh issue of Doom Patrol hits the new comics racks this week.

Here's the solicitation text straight from DC's site:

Written by KEITH GIFFEN • Art by MATTHEW CLARK & RON RANDALL • Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
What kind of people call themselves "The Brotherhood of Evil"? Not this group; not if a certain pan-dimensional business tycoon has anything to say about it. After all, image is everything. But it doesn't matter how they rebrand themselves – the Doom Patrol has found them, and it's not going to be pretty. DC Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US

Looks like we might get some answers about just what is going on with "Thayer Jost".

For those Doom Patrol fans who are trade-waiters or late joiners, the collected edition of the first few issues of this volume of Doom Patrol also hits the streets. Titled We Who Are About to Die, this book weighs in at 144 pages and carries a $14.99 cover price. It looks like this new trade collects issue 1-7. I can't guarantee it, but taking into account that the trade is solicited at 144 pages, and the original issues feature twenty pages of Doom Patrol story while Metal Men was running back-up. That would include the Blackest Night two-parter featuring art from Justiniano.

I haven't seen any indication of the "final art" for the cover, but when I do, it'll be here for you. Here's hoping Matthew Clark was able to do something new.

Another book coming out this week that you all might be interested in is Neil Young's Greendale from Vertigo. It's written by Joshua Dysart with art from Cliff Chiang. It's an original hardcover graphic novel, and as such carries a slightly higher price tag, but it's got Cliff Chiang art!

Doomed in August 2010

2010-06-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but here's a quick look at what's coming up from the Doom Patrol in August.

DOOM PATROL #13

Written by Keith Giffen

Art and cover by Matthew Clark

Mento’s back, and Rita’s got him in a death grip! When her ex takes things one step too far, he learns a hard lesson about ticking off a 50-foot woman – and we learn some secrets about Rita!

On sale August 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Great cover from Matthew Clark. He drops in bits of homage to both Diana Rigg and Louise Brooks. More Rita's a good thing in any issue of Doom Patrol as far as I'm concerned.

DC Universe Legacies #4

Written by Len Wein

Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Dave Gibbons and Joe Kubert with Scott Kolins

Cover by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Dave Gibbons

The DC Universe moves forward and evolves when a new generation of heroes inspired and mentored by the Silver Age’s greatest come together to fight the good fight. Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy, Wonder Girl and Aqualad – the Teen Titans hit the scene! At the same time, heroic humans without powers reunite to remember Sgt. Rock in a story by Joe Kubert!

On sale August 18 • 4 of 10 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez drawing the DP? Awesomeness awaits.

Since it is a rather slow Doom month, I'll include Teen Titans as well, since Beast Boy is still hanging around over there.

TEEN TITANS #86

Written by Felicia D. Henderson

Co-feature written by Rex Ogle

Art by José Luís & Mariah Benes

Cover by Joe Prado

Co-feature art by Ted Naifeh

1:25 “DC Anniversary” Variant Cover by Michael Allred

“The Hunt for Raven” continues! The Titans have found their friend, but will the Wyld be able to let her go? More important, is Raven still their teammate — or has she become something greater than ever?

Plus, The COVEN OF THREE have found their answers, but restoring their world may not be a shared goal. How far will they go for ultimate power?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale August 25 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Brave and the Bold Reviewed

2010-05-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

So I read it. I reviewed it. I liked it for what it was - a Silver Age-flavored story with a shoe-horned team-up.

Saiz draws a magnificent book no matter who is in it, but his Doom Patrol is stunning. He captured the original essences of the team while giving them a high-polish Silver Age chrome coating.

Good stuff there. From the way this issue ended, it seems as though we may see the DP return next issue, apparently on June 23, alongside the Inferior Five and the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

More Silver Age goodness coming up!

Brave and the Bold #34 Preview

2010-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Source has a preview of the issue of The Brave and the Bold that came out today. Of course the preview doesn't include the DP at all.

I haven't read it yet, as I've been working on some CBR reviews, but I will be reading it Thursday and reviewing it as well.

Look for more here soon.

Negative Monday #33: The Brave and the Bold #34!!

2010-05-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hey kids!
Just a little public service reminder that a new issue of the wonderfully enjoyable Brave and the Bold is set to hit the stands this week (at least here in the States).

Here's the solicit text:
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI • Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ

Don't miss this first chapter of a most unexpected two-parter! This wouldn't be the first instance where the Legion of Super-Heroes have gone back in time looking to add to their ranks. But the sheer craziness the Doom Patrol will bring into their lives just might make that it the last time... and the Legion's mission will lead to some rather unexpected consequences next issue!

DC Universe
32pg.
Color
$2.99 US

and here's the cover (or a spiffy approximation thereof.

Really looking forward to seeing Saiz's DP in action. He has a mastery of comic book figures that seems stripped from the very pages of the Silver Age, but gussied up in modern technique.

What say the rest of you?

We interrupt this blog. . .

2010-05-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

Brad Meltzer may not be everyone's favorite writer, but his upcoming book, Heroes for My Son, is already an inspiration to me.

Negative Monday 32

2010-05-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Doom Patrol #10 hits the stands this week, and Newsarama has a little sneak peek for you. They mislabeled it as Doom Patrol #1, but I suppose every issue s SOMEBODY'S first issue as Geoff Johns says.

Here's a peek of the peek, or at least a little bit of Larry to tide you over until Wednesday.

It appears as though this is a Ron Randall page, which is interesting to me as I thought Matthew Clark had dibs on the Crazy Jane pages. We'll learn more on Wednesday, I suppose.

More Drake

2010-04-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Comic Book Resources - my homebase on these here internets - hosts a myriad of other comic-related content beyond my weekly reviews. One such beloved column is Comic Book Legends Revealed - a MythBusters of the comic scene. This week's column features information about the late, great Arnold Drake.

Give a click and enjoy.

Ambush Bug

2010-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

So Danny the Bungalow welcomes Ambush Bug!

Here's the original pencil art for that final page. Matthew Clark was kind enough to hit me with a super-secret sneakie peekie when he confirmed the Bug's appearance, and now I share that with you.
POP!

Not Doom Patrol Again!!

2010-04-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hey all!
Sorry for the long break. Busy-ness leading up to a wonderful family vacation, but now I'm back!

I'll be adding some more of my standard Doom Patrol fare in the next couple days, but first I wanted to direct your attention to Brightest Day #0 hitting the racks on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. It doesn't feature the Doom Patrol, but it does feature another creation of Arnold Drake's: Deadman.

There's Blackest Night related spoilers after the break

DC has a nice preview on their Source blog, but here's a very Deadman-centric cover.

Ivan Reis' variant cover for Brightest Day #0

Farewell Dick Giordano!

2010-03-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

One of the greats of the industry passed away at the age of 77 on Saturday.

Newsarama has a nice article about Giordano, and CBR has one as well.

Personally, I never had the pleasure to meet Mr. Giordano, but he sure made an impression on the comics I grew up enjoying, whether it was as a writer, inker, or editor.

Rest in peace Dick Giordano, and thanks for all the great comics!

Elasti-WOMAN Friday 22

2010-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

This will be my last Elasti-Woman post from Doom Patrol #8. It could also be considered a Negative Monday worthy post.

I know this take on Negative Man is wearing thin on some folks, but personally, I'm rather enjoying it. Having met Keith Giffen once or twice, it's very easy for me to see where this character comes from.

"Rita. . .annoying person. Annoying person. . .Rita."

Matthew Clark and the Ambush Bug

2010-03-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

So I dropped a tease about the Bug the other day. I've got some art from Matthew Clark with Ambush Bug in it.

It's right here.
See?

Here.
Clark drew this Mark Millar-penned story for the DCU Heroes Secret Files & Origins from 1999. It was fun little comic where Captain Marvel met Cameron Chase and was given a team-up pin-up with Wildcat among other oddities.

The issue was very Department of Extranormal Operations-centric, which made it that much more interesting to me.

This particular story features a double-cross courtesy of the master of the double-cross: Lex Luthor. All in all a decent read. This was when the whole Secret Files & Origins thing was starting up and being wonderfully handled. This issue, however, was a seemingly random hodge-podge of pieces that they just couldn't fit anywhere else.

There's even a very rough timeline in the back of this issue that offers some ideas of the histories of the characters in this issue.

Ambush Buggery

2010-03-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

As noted by Petar on his DOOMPEDIA blog, Giffen has gone on the record over at the DC Message Boards to set the story straight regarding Ambush Bug.

For those of you who don't like to make with the clicky, here's what Giffen had to say on March 20:

Just to set things straight here before supposition runs wild...
Yes, that is Ambush Bug's eye.
Yes he is joining the DP book BUT as a supporting player.
No, he will not join the core team and finally...
Yes, bouncing him off of Larry is more fun than I should be allowed to
have.
I now cede the floor to wolfspider...
K-

Wolfspider is a poster on the DC Message Boards who has made no secret of his contempt for Giffen's current handling of the DP.

Now all we have to wait for is some art from Matthew Clark showing Mr. Bug. . . or do we?

Negative Monday 31

2010-03-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I'm a latecomer to the DC Comics Presents party, but better late than never I always say! I was more of a Marvel Team-Up kid growing up. After all, Spidey was my first favorite superhero, so he always remained near and dear to me, and MTU always gave you a second cool character. Besides, the DC characters I really liked were in Justice League of America. Firestorm eventually got a second series, so I could follow him there.

DCCP never apppealed to me mainly because I wasn't a huge Superfan. When I was working on the Hawkman Companion, however, I tracked down a few issues of DC Comics Presents and enjoyed them enough to track down a few more. I found the issues with Firestorm. I bought the one with Vixen. Aquaman was a must. Imagine my surprise, however, when I picked up this issue, cover dated December of 1982 and found that it co-starred the DP and also introduced Ambush Bug! I didn't know that - or perhaps I did, but didn't realize it - when I was hunting this issue down.

How much did this gem set me back you ask? One crisp dollar. Worth ten times that in my opinion. And more of my opinion (along with more than a few images from the inside) follows later this week. For now, enjoy the cover drawn by some "Giffen" guy.

Doom Patrol #11 - June

2010-03-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

As usually happens this time of the month, Newsarama sneaks some of the solicits out for us. As if knowing what's coming up three months in advance, we now know three months and TWO DAYS earlier in some cases.

The DP steps aside from appearing in The Brave and the Bold, but they do still have their book.

DOOM PATROL #11
On sale JUNE 9 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN Art by MATTHEW CLARK & RON RANDALL
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
What kind of people call themselves "The Brotherhood of Evil"? Not this group; not if a certain pan-dimensional business tycoon has anything to say about it. After all, image is everything. But it doesn't matter how they rebrand themselves - the Doom Patrol has found them, and it's not going to be pretty.

All I have to say after seeing that image is more Matthew Clark drawn dinosaurs, please! (Before the flurry of comments berating me for being an oaf even have a chance to appear, I KNOW that's Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, but he DOES have a dinosaur for a face - or at least part of it!)

Elasti-WOMAN Friday 21

2010-03-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

In what is sure to be a pivotal moment for the Doom Patrol - and Rita in particular, the sniffer expels itself from Rita's giant-sized hand. Not much of the hand remains intact following this episode. How this all plays out in next month's issue remains to be seen.

I really like Clark's layout for this page. He does a nice job of giving pages a unique feel by dropping seemingly unrelated shapes in to add contrast and fight negative space.

Doom Patrol and Ambush Bug

2010-03-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

So I asked Matthew Clark if Ambush Bug would indeed be in the next issue of Doom Patrol.

He answered me, one single word, three little letters. That's all I'm going to say about that.

If the "he" were to equal "Ambush Bug" (hypothetically) then what would the "it" be?

Conversely, if "he" is not "Ambush Bug", does "it" not exist?

Tune in next time* as I take us way back to another time when "Doom Patrol" and "Ambush Bug" were mentioned in the same comic. . .

* yes, this is, indeed, going to further delay the already delayed analysis and/or review of Showcase #94

2010-03-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Public Service Announcement

2010-03-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

You loyal followers of this lovely Doom Patrol blog may wonder where it is that I disappear to when not blogging. As my profile says, I'm the father of three and the husband of one, so there's where some of my time wonderfully fades away to, moreso lately as nice weather creeps onto the scene.

I've also got a day job. Beyond that I'm writing a Red Tornado blog (yes, seriously) and I do reviews for Comic Book Resources.

In advance, and with that said, I apologize for not posting every day, but there's some other options of where you can get a dose of Doug.

Negative Monday 30

2010-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Phillip Sloan-Thomas Munroe-Larry Trainor is being stalked. By a pelican.
The exchange between Larry and Cliff - and the signpost behind Cliff - are absolutely priceless!

Of course, whenever a moment like this pops up in DP, there's an explosion, alien invaders, or repo men from another dimension right around the corner.

Elasti-WOMAN Friday 20 Special Saturday Edition

2010-03-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

So it's not Friday, but it is another Elasti-Woman entry for y'all!
I had every intent to post this last night, but spent some time with the family hound at the vet, which is no way to spend a Friday evening.

Anyway, here's one Rita page from the issue that just came out Wednesday.
The art on this one is clearly from Ron Randall as opposed to Matthew Clark, but Livesay, in my opinion, did a fabulous job providing the visual glue to hold this issue together.

After the events of Blackest Night (which is in our future, two weeks or so from now) the Patrol retruns home, and Rita has a score to settle with a certain Mr. Steve Dayton. Lucky for Mento, there's an explosion that brings the core DP running to the Oolong airfield. We've seen the preview at the end of issue #6, Rita's destined to have it out with Dayton. How that all plays out remains to be seen.

One point of interest - at least to me - is the color shift in Rita's eyes. They were very green to start this series, but now they're rather olive, almost gray. Keith Giffen made mention that there was some significance behind this, but what it truly is remains to be seen.

Doom Patrol reviewed

2010-03-12T06:01:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday fellow Patrollers!

I reviewed DP #8 and it's now up over at Comic Book Resources.

Giffen promised to introduce a new character or concept per issue throughout the
first year (at least) on "Doom Patrol," and so far, he's a man of his word. This
issue gives us a closer look at Jane (formerly and still Crazy after all these
years) and her favorite brick. The brick, naturally, happens to be sought after
by an invading force. That invading force brings in a sniffer, which gives the
DP a rather difficult time.

Feel free to check out the review (among many, many others) over at CBR.

Overall, for the first issue without a "second feature," I thought this issue did a good job of plowing into action. Negative Man is in top form and the rest of the crew isn't so bad either.

Check back later today for the regularly scheduled Elasti-Woman Friday.

More with Matthew Clark

2010-03-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

Once again, the ever-accomodating Matthew Clark took some time to answer my ponderances.

Which got me to thinking, I need a fun little tag for my semi-regular sessions with Mr. Clark. Any of you have any creative labels to throw on it? Pin them up in the comments section if you do, please.

Without further ado, here's the latest:

MGA: Why did the cover art change for issue #7?

MC: It was an editorial decision made at the last minute, they were looking over the issue and the tone of it, and felt that the cover which EVERYONE loved wasn't the right image. It was a bit too cutesy. I was told its a great cover but with this being the first issue after Blackest Night the DP needed to be on the cover so I had the promo all inked and colored and ready to go. I saw the final mock-up with all the New York Post fonts and they did a fantastic job there in production. Kenny Lopez did it and it looked so awesome.
MGA: The first collection of issues from this series has been solicited. To the best of your knowledge, will it have any extras from you?

MC: I have no idea. They didn't ask me for any sketches or what-nots but then again they have a lot of that stuff since i sent them jpegs. I don't imagine but you never know.

MGA: You mentioned Porcelain Doll the last time we talked, since then she's popped up, both in issue #7 and in the "looking forward" page at the end of #5 where she was labelled "The Porcelain Assassin". What is the character's name? What more can you tell us about her?

MC: From the first time I drew her and sent her to Keith [Giffen] and Liz [Gehrlein] she had the name Porcelain Doll. Right now no one has asked here her name in the book and we want everyone to know she's a assassin It's a cool title.
Keith came up with a cool background after I showed him my design for a new villain. More of her tale is coming up. So no teaser except that she will have a famous grandfather.

MGA: What is the current situation like in sharing issues with Ron Randall? How are the two of you deciding how to split work?

MC: I pick the pages I want to draw, Crazy Jane and Porcelain Doll are all mine. Last page, so I can make sure the caption box is incorporated. It's sometimes a very difficult process and when we're behind the eightball and I've been ill and having to give up more pages than I'd like too.

MGA: What are your thoughts on the new editorial/publisher announcements for DC Entertainment?

MC: Will answer later

MGA: Any convention plans this year?

MC: Doing a show in NYC this weekend [that being the New York Comic Book Marketplace on Feb 28 I believe - DZ], Emerald City in March [this coming weekend] then New York Comic Con in October if everything goes well. I'm not a convention person for the most part. I like them but I'm not much of a traveler.

MGA: If you had to explain - in one sentence - who Crazy Jane is to readers, what would you tell them?

MC: 87 unique super powers wrapped into 1 person badly.

As always, thanks goes out to Matthew! He's been a pleasure to work with on these interviews, and I've been enjoying the passion he's been bringing to his work on Doom Patrol.

Feel free to post your thoughts for the "regular" column with Matthew Clark in the comments.

Reminder - Doom Patrol #8 today!

2010-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hey kids! DP #8 hits the stores today! It's the first "all-Doom Patrol" issue of this run, so it'll be interesting to see how it holds up.
I'll be reviewing it for CBR.

Negative Monday 29

2010-03-08T01:09:00.000-08:00

Another quick one as I try to get things back on track.
Dan Schoening - aka Dapper Dan - artist extraordinaire and sole proprietor of Dapper Dan's Pomade drew this nice collection of the Doom Patrollers for me a while back. The version above is his first pass, the version below is a more recent follow-up.
Dan's art is one of a kind, mixing Don Bluth sensibilities, Bruce Timm dynamics and a modern flair. This guy does some phenomenal stuff. Be sure to check out his site when you get a moment or two of free time.

Dan's done work for LeapFrog and DC. Speaking of DC, I just now - as in right now as I'm typing this found another blog from Mr. Schoening - Dapper Dan's DC Moleskin(e)! After doing a little happy dance, I've linked it right here.

I've also got another sketch from Dan that will be posted over at Red Tornado's Path tomorrow.

Negative Monday 28

2010-03-01T17:49:00.001-08:00

Consider this the MGA equivalent of a fill-in issue.

Once upon a time, there was a young man who wanted to draw comics. By once upon a time, I mean in the late 1980s. And by young man, I was maybe 16 at the time. . .
Yes, that is some really bad anatomy.

I'm still hoping to get back to that Showcase issue from last week's Negative Monday.

Elasti-Girl Friday 19

2010-02-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Some of you may or may not know, but Cliff Chiang drew the cover for my Hawkman Companion published by TwoMorrows. Long before I asked him to do it, I admired Cliff's uncommon art style. When I initially talked to Cliff about MY ideas for the cover, he politely told me that he had different ideas. He didn't say mine was stupid or bad, he just said he had something different in mind.

I'm glad he did.

Cliff admitted to me that he hadn't drawn Hawkman before the cover, but honestly, you'd never know by looking at this.

Since then, I've followed Cliff's work - Spectre, Green Arrow/Black Canary, and his recent Supergirl story in Supergirl #50. He's got some stuff coming up, such as an original Vertigo graphic novel centered around Neil Young's Greendale album, written by Joshua Dysart and an issue of The Brave and the Bold coming out in April.

As for what Cliff Chiang has to do with Elasti-Girl Friday, well, there's this:

A commission for some lucky fan who attended Baltimore Comic Con last year. Of course, this was the first year I haven't attended Baltimore, so I didn't see this live. For those of you burned out on the "mega" cons, Baltimore is a nice, relaxing con that draws an incredible amount of great creators (like Cliff!) each and every year.

I asked Cliff's permission to post this image, and he graciously (which is how Cliff does everything) agreed, saying, "Sure, feel free to post the Elasti-Girl sketch. I love Bruno Premiani and think he doesn’t get enough recognition."

So there you have it, Cliff Chiang and Elasti-Girl Fridays! You can check out more of Cliff's work over at www.cliffchiang.com

Quick update:

Cliff along with the Doom Patrol's very own Matthew Clark, among others will be at the New York Comic Book Marketplace this weekend. Looks like it's a Saturday only event. I've never been (not even sure if it's an annual deal) but it sure looks like a great assemblage of talent! If you go, please let us all know how it was.

Negative Monday 27

2010-02-22T00:03:00.000-08:00

It's Monday, so let's get negative. . . . !

This week I want to share a page with you from Showcase #94. I hear you out there, "Showcase #94? Why should I know that, I know I KNOW that. . . " and so on.

Here's why:

Got it? Good. Showcase #94 from 1977 was the first time we saw the "new" Doom Patrol under the pen of Paul Kupperberg and drawn by Joe Staton. Right here is the first time we get to meet Tempest, Celsius, and Negative Woman. You know, the Doom Patrol that was recently resurrected as Black Lanterns? First appearance right here.

I'm going to leave you with Cliff's re-introduction to the Negative being and we'll pick up a little more about this later this week.

Elasti-WOMAN Friday 18

2010-02-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

The next few Elasti-Woman Fridays are going to be simple one panel randomly (well, as random as I can get) selected with some commentary.

YOUR commentary is encouraged and appreciated.

For starters, I grabbed the first John Byrne issue I could lay my hands on. I grabbed this panel from Doom Patrol Volume 4 Issue #14.

Re-reading this issue I found it was actually a bit of fun, so without further ado:

Yes, I am aware of the firestorm (gotcha Shag!) this could create since Byrne is either revered or not-so-much.

Personally, I am quite fond of Byrne's rendition of the original patrol such as he submitted int he original Who's Who decades ago. His turn of DP was decent, but far from my personal fave. The bondage Larry outfit just bugged me. . .

Discuss. . .

Doomed in May 2010

2010-02-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

Looks like we're in for an extra treat or two in May.

As my friend, Petar, covered on the Doompedia earlier (like yesterday) the Patrol will be in the May issue of The Brave and the Bold #34. This is their second time appearing in this current incarnation of the series. Here's the cover and solicit:

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #34
On sale MAY 19
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
Don’t miss this first chapter of a most unexpected two-parter! This wouldn’t be the first instance where the Legion of Super-Heroes have gone back in time looking to add to their ranks. But the sheer craziness the Doom Patrol will bring into their lives just might make it the last time... and the Legion’s mission will lead to some rather unexpected consequences next issue!

I've been really enjoying JMS's run on B&B. It's been fun so far.

Then there's

DOOM PATROL #10
On sale MAY 5 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN Art by MATTHEW CLARK & RON RANDALL
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK & LIVESAY
What looks like a life-size statue washes up on the shore of Oolong Island and all hell breaks loose – the Porcelain Assassin has arrived! The Doom Patrol focus all their efforts on fending her off, but the fight isn’t nearly as brutal as the revelation of who sent her!

"The Porcelain Assassin" - cool! One of Matthew Clark's contributions to the book front and center.

And also the first of the trade paperbacks for the new DP.

DOOM PATROL: WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE TP
On sale JUNE 9 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN Art by MATTHEW CLARK, JUSTINIANO & LIVESAY
Cover by MATTHEW CLARK
The first issues of The Doom Patrol’s new series are collected as the team deals with a black hole and comes face to face with death in a BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in.

. . . and some more reprinty goodness featuring the Doom Patrol (albeit it's a former DP). Good stuff here, all in black and white!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUICIDE SQUAD VOL. 1 TP
On sale JUNE 16 552 pg, B&W, $17.99 US
Written by JOHN OSTRANDER, KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS Art by LUKE MCDONNELL, ERIC LARSEN & OTHERS
Cover by LUKE MCDONNELL
Captured villains are offered an ultimatum: Go on near-impossible covert missions or rot in jail. For the first time, DC collects SUICIDE SQUAD #1-19, DOOM PATROL/SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL #1 and JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #13.

I pulled the info straight from Comic Book Resources, if you want to check out the rest of the solicits for DC in May.

Along those lines, Giffen is starting his run on Booster Gold with J. M. DeMatteis and Chris Batista. It looks like it's going to cross over with Giffen and Judd Winick's biweekly extravanganza Justice League International: Generation Lost. For some odd reason, I've seen more than a few people point out how much Booster looks like Michael Keaton on this cover, but no one mentions that Ice looks like Teri Garr.

Magog also continues under Giffen's writing. Additionally, DP alum Beast Boy continues to serve alongside the Teen Titans.

Completely unrelated to the Doom Patrol is the release of Brightest Day. Rather than go with one weekly series for the summer, DC is running two biweekly series. Kiss your wallets goodbye my friends!

While we're throwing money away, in the interest of fairness to both of the big two, and of (potential) particular interest to Doom Patrol fans, Marvel brings the Agents of Atlas back in May under the title of Atlas. If you haven't checked out any of the previous (the six-part mini or the eleven issue series or the Versus minis featuring the X-Men and Avengers) Atlas stories by Jeff Parker, you really should. They're good, clean, Silver Age fun - and they even have a talking gorilla.
Check out Marvel's May solicits here.
So what are y'all looking forward to in May?

Coming soon DP May Solicits

2010-02-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

Check back in about 10 hours or so for a brief recap of the DP-related May-solicited product.

Of course, CBR and Newsarama will have the solicits up around 5:00 EST, but my witty banter (it's ok to laugh, I'm laughing too) can only be found right here.

Doom Patrol #7 Reviewed

2010-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't had the chance to even crack the cover of this issue yet. I'm a "best/favorites for last" type of reader, so I'll get to it, but it may be Friday or Saturday when I do.

My CBR-reviewing cohort Greg McElhatton had a go at the book for CBR. He gave it two stars, saying

When Keith Giffen's revamp of "Doom Patrol" was first announced, I remember a
lot of promises that it would somehow encompass all versions of the team over
the years. Aside from killing off some members of the John Byrne iteration of
the team and some brief appearances of Bumblebee, though, that promise has gone
mostly unfulfilled. Well, at least until now, where Giffen seems to be doing
everything in his power to make up for lost time on that front.

He seems concerned for the future of the title, which I can understand in today's fickle marketplace, especially when you throw a crossover in early.

I've read some feedback posted here by Nathan on the comments page and it sounds like Greg might not be the only one with concerns.

What do the rest of you think?

Doom Patrol #7 out today

2010-02-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Over at the Source, DC has dropped a preview of today's issue of Doom Patrol. This makes for a nice appetizer to the full issue if, like me, you're trapped at work without your new books for a little while longer yet today.

They've also changed the cover up a bit, using an image that Matthew Clark had previously shared with me (and countless others through his MySpace page).

Here's the new image.

And the solicited one.

Not sure why DC decided to go with this other cover as opposed to the Crazy Jane one, but I'd be willing to guess it was deemed to be "more iconic" or some such.

Crazy Jane Again!

2010-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Gearing up for tomorrow's visit from Crazy Jane as she tries to find her old pals on Oolong Island, here's a character sketch.

Crazy Jane as rendered by Matthew Clark. Personally, I'm none too keen on the oversized applejack cap, but then again, I know zip about fashion. Maybe it'll grow on me. . .

What do you all think of what you've seen so far?

Crazy Jane!

2010-02-02T01:03:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow brings the return of Crazy Jane!
Here's the solicit from DC.

Written by Keith Giffen • Co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; Art and cover by Matthew Clark Co-feature art by Kevin Maguire
Oolong Island is picking up the pieces after the Black Lanterns' devastating attack. Former Patrol member Crazy Jane finds the island first, bearing terrifying news of what's to come… Plus, more Metal Men!
DC Universe
32pg.
Color
$3.99 US

On Sale February 3, 2010

If I'm not mistaken, this issue might be the last installment of the Metal Men backup.

Come back a little bit later today for a little more Jane. . .

Negative Monday 26

2010-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's "Larry"!!!

Original pencil art by Matthew Clark. "Oooooooo!" and "Ahhhhh!" at your leisure.

Not Doom Patrol Again!

2010-02-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hey all!
Wanted to let you in on some wacky fun going on in the Blogosphere.
I'm going to point you straight to the source, which is the Idol-Head of Diabolu. Frank got the ball rolling over there for a DC Challenge-related blog crossovery thing. Check it out.

The Blogroll of sites involved:
For More Challenges, visit these fine blogs!

The Aquaman Shrine
The Atom: Tiny Titan
Being Carter Hall
Comics Make Me Happy
Crimson Lightning
Dispatches from the Arrow Cave
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Firestorm Fan
Girls Gone Geek
I Am The Phantom Stranger
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Justice League Detroit
...nurgh...
Once Upon a Geek
Pretty, Fizzy Paradise
random picture day
Reilly2040's Blog
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Toyriffic
when is evil cool?

Not Doom Patrol!

2010-01-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

This is a quickie for you to give you a heads up about a book I think many DP fans might dig. It's called Lola - a Ghost Story. It's written by J. Torres - our friend from the Batman: the Brave and the Bold issue featuring the Doom Patrol - with art by Elbert Or. You can learn a little more about it on J.'s own blog.

You can read my review of it.

Or you can order your own copy.

If Jesse lived in the same world as the DP, I'm pretty sure Niles Caulder would take a vested interest in the young man. . .

Negative Monday 25

2010-01-04T00:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I trust everyone made it through safe and (mostly) sound.

Just a quick reminder to fill this spot for this week. No better way to start the first new comic day of the New Year than with an issue of Doom Patrol, right?

Here's the pencils for the cover, the solicited cover, and a little something extra.

Written by Keith Giffen; co-feature written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; Art by Matthew Clark; co-feature Art by Kevin Maguire; Cover by Matthew Clark
This month, we spotlight Negative Man, who's going to knit the history of The Doom Patrol into one cohesive whole. Cohesive to him, anyway.

Plus, The Metal Men find another gag that those three old geezers doing the feature can run into the ground.

DC Universe | 40pg. | Color | $3.99 US

Happy Negative Monday y'all!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Doom Patrolers have a very Merry Christmas! Keep warm, enjoy any time off from work you get and thanks for checking in.

I'll be back hopefully over the weekend for a post or two.

Until then, here's some pencils (and inks!) from Matthew Clark for the last page of the last issue.

Enjoy:

Yeah, it kinda is a re-gift (Thanks Matthew!!!), but would you have seen it elsewhere? Only here, Patrolers, only here.

Negative Monday 24

2009-12-14T11:55:00.001-08:00

Two dozen Negative Mondays already? Sheesh. Imagine where we'd be if I actually kept a regular schedule!

Negative Monday, today, is going to focus on the Negative being(s?) in the most recent issue - Doom Patrol #5. Giffen could have gone in so many different directions with the Black Lantern DP going against the living, but he decided to put the seemingly logical connections together. In this case, Larry Trainor was challenged by the reanimated Val Vostok, who, somehow, brought along a semblance of the negative being with her.

The static between Vostok and Trainor is nothing new - Kupperberg touched on this in his take way back in Volume 2 - but here, Larry exerts his control of the negative energy in a surprising manner, especially considering "Vostok" took Larry out in a hurry in the last issue.

Rather than blather on, I'm going to share the confrontation with you. Read on to see what happens when two Negatives enter into the equation.

Larry maintains his personality all the way through, even as Black Lantern Vostok seems to have the upper hand.
A few of you have wondered aloud in the comments section why Cliff was referring to Rebis. Honestly, I don't know. the best I can hypothesize is because the two negative beings have seemingly merged, but I truly suppose we'll only find out more next month with the return of Matthew Clark when the spotlight shines heavily on Larry in

I quite enjoyed the Blackest Night issues. Sure, it is a little disappointing that the DP couldn't wrap up the challenge in these pages, but it appears as though the Patrollers - with Cliff not really registering in the Black Lanterns emotion spectrum vision and Larry single-handedly defeating one of the Lanterns - might help turn the tide and win the war against the Black Lanterns.

I guess we'll find out more about the DP and their involvement in this struggle on December 30 with the release of Blackest Night #6.

Blackest Night Doomed

2009-12-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

So the second issue of the Blackest Night crossover is here and gone. I reviewed it for Comic Book Resources, so here's a link for that. I didn't say so in my review, but to me, this issue is worth the price of admission for the cover alone. Of course, next issue's Maguire-inspired, Matthew Clark-drawn cover is just as worthy.

If you're not feeling linky, well, here's a small excerpt.

Giffen handles the "Blackest Night" crossover delicately. In these pages, the encounters with the Black Lanterns are loud and gory, but the conclusion to the Black Lantern story doesn't happen here. Apparently it'll happen back in the main pages of "Blackest Night." To be sure, some readers will cry foul over that decision, but in doing so, Giffen focuses on the Doom Patrol and their dead demons and closet-based skeletons. Rounding out the Doom Patrol part of this title is a teaser page that is handled like a movie poster. A nice fun way to wrap up this issue and entice temporary Doom Patrol readers into coming back next issue.

Tomorrow will be another Negative Monday (which won't be negative for me at all, as I'm taking a day off from work!) and Tuesday I've got another nice little surprise for you. Beyond that, well, let's just see what happens together.

Holiday Gift Idea for Your Favorite Doom Patrol Fan

2009-12-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

You guys are so kind and patient. I'm recovering nicely, work is getting back on track, housework is shaping up, so I've got a bit of spare time to dedicate to this blog. Spare time and something cool to share.

You may have seen, you may not have, but here's a link to Popfunk.com, an online store with only the most uber-cool apparel. Including a Robotman t-shirt. Aw, yeah, Robotman!

The art looks like an extremely enlarged image (that was enlarged so much it lost all of the Pérez-panache) from George Pérez's Teen Titans run to me. What do you guys think?

At any rate, there's a wonderful idea for your favorite DP fan, who just may happen to be yourself.

Four on the Eighth with Matthew Clark

2009-12-08T00:24:00.000-08:00

Hey all!
I promised it a bit ago, and here it is: four more questions - complete with answers! - from Matthew Clark. Well, the questions are from me, then answers are from Mr. Clark.

Without further ado, read on, Freak Fans, read on.

MGA: What was the first order of business once you came onto the title? Was it character designs? Talking to Giffen about who should and shouldn't be in the book? Running around the house, screaming in sheer joy?

MC: My first thought was to just do some sketches not with the intention of re-designing them just start drawing them and let them come about organically. Then a chat with Keith about his intentions, along with general ideas. Then back to the drawing board, I knew after the chat and meeting with DC during a con about the approach. I asked to tweak the core group. Robotman I wanted to get closer to the BP [Bruno Premiani] look but still add a bit of my flavor. Negative Man I ditched the trench coat I wanted him to stand out more, and Rita, after the talk she needed a full body suit. More on that later. From my opinion the new designs need to reflect their origins and personalities/vocations of who the were. So when I did Cliff's new look I needed something that said "sportsman" and the biker shorts did just that. Larry was a test pilot so he need to look like a flyer. Rita was a bit tougher because she was a actress so her look when I was doing the inital sketches were that of a silent film star. But after a bit I couldn't make it work, then I was watching The Avengers with Emma Peele and it just clicked for me.

MGA: We've seen some of the character designs and sketches on your MySpace, what is your creative process surrounding coming up with a character's look? Any more concepts you want to share (I'm thinking additional designs of characters John Q. Public has already seen, not any spoilers, unless you prefer it)?

MC: Nothing I can share at the moment. First thing is I established a sense of past with the look of the book. All the characters designed for the book are from different periods in time. Cliff, if you look at the concept of the piping design on his face and chest, is very much in the 50s style Rita is loosely the 60s female spy. Larry is a 1914 RAF pilot. Dusty, the pilot for the team, is the Red Baron. The Chief is turn of the century Edwardian/Steampunkesque. Cale's main Body guard, Colt - seen in issue #2 - is a French Soldier from 1812. So on and like that so when I get the script or when Keith and I talk about someone new I try to come up with an era to base the look on. Once that is decided then I check for reference and begin the research. I'll start to send off designs to Keith and Liz [Gehrlein] to get comments. I'd send a image of a returning character [ to me - DZ] but that would spoil things.

MGA: If you were completely in charge of this title, what Doom Patrollers would be on your team? Anyone you would add who hasn't been a Patroller before?

MC: I have all the Patrollers' I've been wanting to draw. I'd add Beast Boy, but I understand why we don't have him. He was a part timer in the original series along with Mento and that's what he'd be in our book and he's a Titan now, so let him shine there. I'm sure he'll be in our book soon.

MGA: How has working with Keith Giffen on this title been? Does he give you room to breathe a bit?

MC: It's been a complete pleasure working with Keith on DP. I'm not just blowing smoke. This has been a dream come true for me. I'm a fan of his from way before I wanted to draw comics. I have a similar sense of humor and he's very open to my ideas. He wants the artists that work with him to give him suggestions and input. Heck, I sent him a design and the next thing I know she's [the character Clark designed] front and center and he added a bit to who she is and her background. He didn't have to, but Keith saw something in the design that worked for him. The character is Porcelain Doll and she makes a cameo in issue #5. We went so far as to have Keith do layouts like the old JL book with J.M. [DeMatteis] and Kevin [Maguire]. I want DP to have a Giffen flavor. He loves these characters and I want that to reflect in the book.

We love these characters too! Thanks again, Matthew, for more fabulous insight!

Negative Mondays 23

2009-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

OK, so this one's gonna be short and sweet.

I was sick. I'm getting better. More later.

What? Not good enough? OK.

November 9 was the start of the busiest week I've worked at my current job. Throughout the week, I was wearing thin, and by Friday I was done. I cashed out and hit the hay by 8:00 Friday night. Went to the doctor the next day and was diagnoased with the flu.

Turns out it was H1N1, as the "seasonal" flu has yet to hit Michigan.

From there, I spent Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in bed. Woke up long enough Tuesday to know something wasn't right and my lovely wife decided to take me to the hospital. Three IV bags, one antibiotic bag, and a painkiller that could have stopped an elephant's toothache, I went home, with a new diagnosis - pneumonia.

So I've been a little under the weather, which has been unseasonably mild for Michigan - and should be back in action soon.

In the meantime, I'd like to mention that the Blackest Night issue of DP sold out and a second printing should be hitting shops this week.

Also worthy of a mention, Mattycollector.com has the Justice League Unlimited style DP figures for sale. Haven't ordered mine yet, but soon. I'll track the process here for everyone's edification.

Also to keep you coming back, I've got the second part of my chat with Matthew Clark coming up.

Glad to see you all got along nicely while I was gone. Some advice was asked, given, and appreciated. Good times.

This may not be the most frequently updated blog out there, but the folks here are nice and friendly-like. Makes me happy.