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Noticed ,maybe,I have slowed down again here at the blog. 2 entries a month instead of 4. Big part of that is I have been going through my comic collection and reading stuff I have had for years. While doing this I found my full run of Vol 2 of Doom Patrol. Wanted to re-read the run written by Grant Morrison,issues 19-63. Didn't want another big stack of loose single issues laying around. Saw I could get it all in TPB in 6 vols for a bit under 8 bucks a volume. Maybe the order and a week later got them in.Since if I can sleep I will read some from this run. A run I was reading as it happened decades ago.
Doom Patrol was a team I heard about from my Uncle. So when that 70s return happened,and quickly fizzled out,I was there. Enjoyed it and wanted more. Then vol 2 is announced. I grab it and like it but after about 8 issues it dropped lower in my reading stack. Back then I read every comic I bought,wish i still did that,just I would stack them in how much I wanted to read something.
Issue 19 came out I bought it and added it to the stack. Not even noticing it had a new writer. Maybe 2 weeks later was in a comic shop that I wasn't in often. Heard the cashier telling someone they needed to read the new DP issue. Got up to the counter with my huge stack of 80s indies from the quarter bins,asked the cashier what was up with DP and just got told "Go home read it next". I did and yea I saw why he told me that.
Grant Morrison took this team that many at the time saw as DC's xerox of the X-men and made it a book about identity. About mental illness and dealing with chronic illness. The stories got weird,like when the Brother Hood of Dada ran Mr Nobody for President. We lost a pile of the 70s team members. Tempest hung around but didnt use his powers and was the team medic. Cliff Steele ends up in a mental hospital and meets Jane,a lady with 63 personalities and each has super powers.
The Doom Patrol gains what has to be the most unique Headquarters/transportation in Danny the Street. A living street that is connected to everywhere at once.
After all this just weird stuff ,but even with all that the light tone of the book stayed,there is a twist. One I hate spoiling,so maybe skip the rest of this post, While Cliff,Jane,Rebis(which is Negative Man and Negative WOman combined into one being) fighting some odd villain Joshua(the former Tempest) is back at the base with Dorthy Spanner(who can bring her imaginary friends to life) and the Chief. Oh the Chief,he was cranky in the old Silver Age stories and over the course of Morrison's run he is shown to be an asshole. The Chief shoots Joshua,and when this is discovered by Cliff we learn that all the accidents that created the Silver Age Doom Patrol were caused by the Chief. All part of his big plan to take over the world. With nano bots.
That gets prevented. Thanks to this evil being called the Candle Maker,who is connected to Dorthy,but in this happening Crazy Jane is sent to Hell. By this time it is obvious Cliff (Robotman) and Jane are in love.
The final issue of Morrison's run,issue 63 up at the top,is the perfect ending for this series. Jane is in the real world. She is in a mental hospital and keeps telling everyone that she must get back to stop the Candle Maker. One doctor wants to help Jane another just wanted to give her shock treatment. The one wanting the shock treatment gets his way. Jane gets shocked. Leaves the hospital and goes out.Works a normal job and goes home each day.
Till one day she leaves a note. Goes to a nearby bridge and is about to jump. When Cliff appears. He has been using Danny the street to travel the multiverse to find Jane. And we end with them going onto Danny and leaving.
Like Preacher,like Swamp Thing,after all the craziness and violence the story ends with our two leads finally together and off to live a happy life.
Got read this run. Go see the 4 season tv show that is semi-based on this run.
