DOOM PATROL!!

So Justice League #32 puts more than a little effort into giving us a story of the New 52 Doom Patrol. The preview offers hope or frustration. It's up to you to decide which applies to you.

Ugh. Change for change sake. I'll post some thoughts on the issue this Friday, for now, enjoy this page. Words by Geoff Johns, pencils from Doug Mahnke, inks from Keith Champagne, colors from Andrew Dalhouse with Nick J. Napolitano on letters.

You can catch more of the preview over at my other internets home on CBR.

Doom Patrol in the New 52. Finally!!

Alright, y'all, here it is! THE splash page for the end of Justice League #31. Sound off now and we'll discuss later. Enjoy!

PATROLLERS GO GET JUSTICE LEAGUE #31!!!

I'm not going to really spoil anything. Yet. Truly, there isn't much to spoil, as we only get one image, but that image is a DOOZY. I'll let things percolate over the weekend and post THE image on Monday.

Until then, I leave you with this:

Just a quick post with a fun image. . .

I'm working on a plan to get my stuff together. Hopefully this summer gives me a chance to do that. Until then, enjoy this image I found on Phil Postma's site.

Thanks to the Irredeemable Shag for raising my awareness on this one. Shag actually posted about Phil's Super Powers covers, including this beauty between Cyborg and Deadshot. . .

. . .and this one with Red Tornado and the Penguin. 

As you may or may not know (or care) both Cyborg and Red Tornado hold a special spot in my heart. I've tinkered (oh, so punny) with blogs devoted towards each of these mechanized men, but I'm more delinquent keeping those up than this one!

While I don't have my Super Powers Red Tornado figure any longer (never did get the Cyborg one) I do have a nice JLU version.

Luthor has DOOMed the Justice League

Justice League #30 hit the new comics racks this week and brought along with it another one-panel appearance from the New 52 Doom Patrol. Shrouded in shadow, this quintet - yes, QUINTET - seems philosophically opposed to the Justice League or, at least to Lex Luthor championing the Justice League.

The art for the issue is attributed to Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and Scott Hanna. The page with the DP on it looks to be a Reis page through and through.

It appears as though the membership includes Niles Caulder of Ravagers "fame" (upright and mobile, however) someone answering to "Trainor" and three other shady pseudo-silhouettes open to rampant speculation. One is almost certainly Robotman, although not immediately recognizable as the New 52 version as seen in My Greatest Adventure. He looks a little more like the "classic" version of Robotman, but is sporting a jacket with a patch that I can't quite make out. Anyone reading a digital version might have a better chance to decipher it and I'd love to read your speculations.



The other two are visibly female. Speculation I've come across is that the figure to the left of the image is Element Woman. Her addition to the team would help balance the genders a bit and also mix in a tie to Metamorpho's legacy (such as any legacy is in the New 52). Granted, Rex's membership is more tenuous than true, but he always seemed like a proper fit with the team of freaks.

The other female form between Caulder and Trainor could be anyone, from Negative Woman to Celsius to Elasti-Girl/Woman. I'm thinking it's going to be Rita, but I'd LIKE to see Celsius pop back up. We saw her in a few panels and Johns gave readers reason to believe she may have been a casualty of Forever Evil, but we never did see a body.

So there you have it, Patrollers. New 52 Doom Patrol in the wings. Are you excited? Scared? Inspired? Sound off.

Doomed in June: Doom Patrol-related solicits for June 2014

If you've been reading Justice League during Forever Evil, you've seen some peeks and received some teases about what the New 52 (it's been almost three years now, is it really still "new"?) has in store for the Doom Patrol. Well, my friends, keep reading Justice League! Why? Because it looks like the Doom Patrol just might be major players. Here's the solicitation text:

JUSTICE LEAGUE #32Written by GEOFF JOHNSArt and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADODC Collectibles Bombshells variant cover by ANT LUCIA1:25 Variant cover by HOWARD PORTEROn sale JUNE 18 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED TCombo pack edition: $4.99 USRetailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for details.Lex Luthor continues his acclimation to his life as a one of the world's greatest heroes as they search for the mysterious power threatening to unravel our world. But are his sights really set on the Dark Knight? And are the Dark Knight's set on him?Plus, someone else is targeting Luthor and his new allies – a man who believes himself Luthor’s superior in every way...and maybe he is! Here comes The Chief and his treacherous Doom Patrol to The New 52!This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

The Chief vs. Lex Luthor in a battle of the brains?! GAME ON!! I'm not so sure about the treacherous Doom Patrol, but I do supposed it would fit in with the darker and grittier DCU.

We've seen a few of the second/third generation Doom Patrol characters so far, including Karma and  Scorch. We've even seen glimpses of Celsius and Negative Woman. I'm looking forward to what Reis and Prado have in store for the rest of the DP this June.

Justice League of Bloggers - Steve Garcia Crossover

No, friends, it is not the work of the Shadow Thief, but rather the artwork of a fella named Steve Garcia. Everyone's favorite Firestorm Fan, Shag, happened across some art from this guy and decided to share. Of course, the way he decided to share was, "Hey! Everybody! Let's do a crossover with this awesome art!"

So what do the Justice League of Bloggers do? We cross over. More on that in a bit. First let's take a look at some of Mr. Garcia's stuff. While his Doom Patrol selection could use a little sprucing up, it is not completely absent. Sure, purists could complain of the lack of Rita, Larry, or Cliff, but then they'd be missing out on this piece:

With each silhouette, Garcia drops in a relevant gradient and a buzzword. In this case, Garfield Logan is associated to the word "Adapt." Appropriate, since Gar did adapt to the Red in the New 52.

Pre-New 52 gives us another member of the Doom Patrol. Sort of. Clearly Garcia had fun with this one.

And who wouldn't? "Nutcase." What more needs to be said? 

While Ambush Bug is making appearances in the back matter of the current lineup of DC Comics as part of the Channel 52 filler, it's his appearances with and at odds with the Doom Patrol that earn him a spot here. Well, that and his team-up with Cheeks, the Toy Wonder. 

Which leads us to the not-quite-so-Doom Patrollers. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Paul Kupperberg made a valiant effort to dovetail his iteration of the Doom Patrol with Power Girl. She teamed up with the DP for an issue, part of which turned sideways and certainly deserves some time here soon. 

I'm not so sure "personality" is the best fit for Karen Starr, but I suppose it works. 

After the Kupperberg-Morrison-Pollack Doom Patrol cooled off a bit, DC tried to bring the DP back from Vertigo into the DC Universe proper. Leading the charge on that was writer John Arcudi, who introduced a full flight of new kids to the Doom Patrol. Through the course of the series, the Doom Patrol brand and affiliated characters bounced around a bit, including a lineup that boasted a team of Beast Boy, Kimiyo Hoshi Doctor Light, Elongated Man and Metamorpho. 

Here's Ralph: 

Very perceptive! This one is quite fun and actually makes me a bit nostalgic for old Ralph Dibny! Maybe he'll show up in the New 52 soon, and while I'm being hopeful, maybe DC will actually do right by the character this time out. 

"Change" hits the nail on the head for Rex Mason's heroic identity. 

In my brain, there is no better spot for Rex than on the Doom Patrol. His appearances in the Arcudi series, in John Byrne's series and even in the Brave and the Bold written by Mark Waid with art by George Pérez illustrate that Rex simply fits in with the team. Who knows, since we haven't seen Rex or a newer incarnation of the DP, maybe the two will converge in the New 52 soon. 

The final piece I'm going to include here is Deadman. 

As I mentioned a little bit ago, Deadman and Doom Patrol both spring from the mind of Arnold Drake, so where better to celebrate Boston Brand? "Life" fits the bill as Deadman truly began living after he was already dead. 

Garcia also made a Brightest Day influenced Deadman image, but this traditional take on Deadman is a little more slick in my opinion. 

Wow. For not having any Doom Patrollers per sé, Garcia's work sure has a nice connection to the Doom Patrol. Who would you like to see him tackle from the DP? Negative Man seems like a given. Robotman of course. Crazy Jane could be fun. Sound off in the comments and let me know who you'd like to see. Maybe after he gets all the traffic from this crossover, Steve Garcia might do some more art. Here's some links to his stuff on the this here internet: 

http://stevegarciaart.deviantart.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SteveGarciaArt

http://steve-garcia-art.tumblr.com/

http://instagram.com/s_garcia92

Oh! Speaking of the crossover, check out my comrades in blogging and their pieces on Garcia's work: 

Firestorm and Killer Frost

Aquaman

Green Lantern

Blue Beetle 

Supergirl, Lois Lane, Vibe

Swamp Thing

Black Canary, Green Arrow, Huntress

Riddler

Flash

Daredevil, Hulk, & Captain America

Captain Atom

Plastic Man
My other blogs:
Cyborg
Red Tornado

Then there are some previously posted pieces of Mr. Garcia's featuring the following:

Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Wonder Girl, Zatanna, Black Lantern, Martian Manhunter, The Atom and Captain Marvel.

Check them all out. Come back and let me know what you think. Or maybe sound off on the new blogs after clicking through. Enjoy!

Arnold Drake Day!

March 1, 1924, the world got a little bit more creative, but no one quite realized exactly how much more at the time. Why? Arnold Drake was born.

Arnold Drake, co-creator of Stanley and His Monster with Win Mortimer, Deadman with Carmine Infantino, Guardians of the Galaxy with Gene Colan and our very own Doom Patrol with Bruno Premiani.

I lifted this photo from CBR, but found another one on the internet that has a much more clear shot of the image on his shirt. Attributed to Edward Liu, the image shows Drake's shirt from the front. On it is an image of Boston Brand in his Deadman get up. Below that bust is the caption, "I'm Deadman's Daddy."

Without Drake, there would be no Doom Patrol, no Deadman and no Guardians of the Galaxy*. The latter two have experienced differing results from Hollywood dalliances, while DP and Deadman have found glorious opportunity in animation. Regardless of their success to translate to other media, there is no denying many of these characters have captured the attentions, imaginations and hearts of fans everywhere. For that, Mr. Drake, I say THANK YOU!

*The Guardians of the Galaxy that Mr. Drake co-created DOES NOT include Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Star-Lord, Drax, and Gamora. Drake crafted the original roster of Charlie-27, Vance Astro, Martinex, and Yondu.

Justice League #27 Review

So I read that Justice League book and reviewed it for CBR. 

"Forever Doomed" is somewhat predictable with regards to the appearance of the Doom Patrol and the motions Cyborg goes through, but "Justice League" #27 is nowhere near boring. This comic book serves very well as "Doom Patrol" #0 or even "Cyborg" #0 (maybe now Vic Stone will be able to find his way to a solo series) or a companion piece to "Forever Evil," but lacks the Justice League for which this comic is branded. All the same, this is a fun, adventure-filled, character-driven study certain to please fans of Detroit's greatest hero or DC's strangest team of misfits. As a fan of both, and a resident of metro-Detroit, I found a lot to like in this comic. No, it isn't the world's greatest comic book, but it is a damn fine read filled with bombastic fun and plenty of nods and winks for longtime DC readers.

Doom Patrol? Check. Cyborg? Check. Sweet Ivan Reis art? Check. Sweet Rod Reis colors? Check. Unnecessary death and destruction? Check. Looks like the DP is coming back to the DCU. Where they go from here and how they come back from this, I don't know, but I'm hoping it's good. 

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one, Patrollers! 

DC Nation Doom Patrol Chapter Six

So the hits just keep coming. This episode - Chapter Six - takes on Doom Patrol #86, the first issue with the DP brand flying on the cover. Naturally, this has been moderned up a bit, but it's enjoyable as all heck -- and less than two minutes long!

Check it out, Patrollers. 

How about that incredible intro? I could watch that ALL DAY. 

Here's my problem, my friends. I've seen the first episode and this one, but I cannot for the life of me enter the right alchemic mix of search terms in YouTube to uncover Chapters 2, 3, 4 or 5. For all I know there's a Chapter Seven and so on. I don't watch the current DC Nation, so I don't catch these "live," but I'm considering taking up some space on the ol' DVR. 

Meanwhile, sound off about this latest chapter. Personally, I'm digging the retro awesomeness of it all. 

Doom Patrol by Chris Samnee OR Gal Friday 4

One of my favorite current artists, Chris Samnee, has a wild assortment of sketches up for sale tomorrow (February 1, 2014) morning (relative time to his location).

Check it out.
http://chrissamnee.bigcartel.com/

It even includes the full version of this piece:

Not actual size. Object enlarged to show texture. 

http://chrissamnee.bigcartel.com/product/doom-patrol

If anyone was wondering what to get me for my birthday, Christmas or just because that $300 is burning a hole in your pocket real bad, here you go. If you want it for yourself, good luck and please post a photo once you get it!

New 52 Doom Patrol - FINALLY!!!

Or maybe the title of this post should be A NEW POST! FINALLY!!!

Happy New Year friends! It's been teased for a while, but it looks like we FINALLY get a chance to meet the New 52 version of the Doom Patrol in Justice League #27 coming up on January 22 from DC Comics.

I drafted the book in our weekly review draft on Comic Book Resources, so I decided to see if there was a preview out there. After all, some of the Forever Evil-related stories have been less than inspired and nowhere near inspiring.

Sure enough on Nerdist, I found a sweet little preview that includes this fine page. I redacted out a bit of a spoiler, so be warned if you go to Nerdist.

Looks like Justice League #27 is going to include Scott Fischer and Karma. Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Rod Reis on the visuals, Geoff Johns on the words. Looks pretty slick to me. Hopefully the DP is able to hold their own against Atomica and Johnny Quick. I'd hate for their first appearance to be their last. Of course them surviving would be more unexpected than any pending mutilations and murders given the current state o DC Comics.

So Patrollers, what say you? Find out what I think of Justice League #27 on Wednesday, January 22 at CBR.