John Byrne and the Doom Patrol! [Archive] - AlphaFlight.net

beetleblack

03-17-2004, 11:02 AM

Only just found out that apparently the man himself will be writing and drawing the all new-old Doom Patrol comic book coming to DC in June. Apparently it's a reboot of the original group so will have all the original members (The Chief, Robotman, Elasti-girl and Negative-man) plus some all new members.

Apparently Byrne is a huge fan of the original team who were all blown up dramatically in the doomladen final issue of their original series. The series was revived later on with Robotman leading them, eventually all the original characters came back from the dead bar Elasti-girl (Rita Farr) who - until now - has been one of the few comic-book characters to stay dead!

The group was revived in 1987 (I think) and when it failed to attract readers was given a revamp courtesy of Grant Morrison, after he left the award winning sci-fi writer (and Tarot card specialist) Rachel Pollack took over. Sadly the comic ended shortly afterwards but was recently bought back but also didn't last. Let's hope that with Byrne's name attached to the series this team will survive longer - the series starts in June, but the Doom Patrol are scheduled to guest star in JLA (currently written by Byrne and Claremont).

[I originally posted this in the General Discussion section but thought I would repost here where it's best suited.]

DelBubs

04-12-2004, 08:13 PM

I know nothing about Doom Patrol, but found this,

==================
DOOM PATROL #1

Written by John Byrne; art by Byrne and Doug Hazlewood; cover by Byrne.

The original World¹s Strangest Heroes are back, in the way that only the legendary John Byrne can deliver. Picking up in the wake of the events of "The Tenth Circle" saga in JLA, this series reunites Robot Man, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man and Niles Caulder with a host of edgy new super-heroes. They've defeated the vampire Crucifer...or have they?

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on June 30.

DOOM PATROL #2

Written by John Byrne; art by Byrne and Doug Hazlewood; cover by Byrne

The rebirth of one of DC's most=beloved super-teams by John Byrne and Doug Hazlewood continues. The newly formed DP springs into against several escaped "specimens" in Caulder's facility.

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on July 28.
======================

beetleblack

04-13-2004, 06:46 AM

Cool - I haven't read much about the new series, only that it seems to be ignoring EVERYTHING which has come before (in Doom Patrol terms) and is 'rebooting' (although apparently this was DCs idea and NOT Brynes). It all sounds very interesting so we shall see...

04-20-2004, 12:13 PM

Not too thrilled with the reboot part, but to have Byrne writing/ drawing the original DP is a fanboy dream come true.

Can't wait to see his take on the Brotherhood of evil!

beetleblack

04-20-2004, 02:58 PM

Yeah, not happy about the 'reboot' either - don't like the idea that all the issues I've actually read and LOVED (Morrison/Pollack) are now not part of continuity at all!!! So all the characters that I grew to care about, Crazy Jane, Dorothy Spinner, Kate Godwin etc never even bloody existed!!!!!

Oh well, I shall give the new book a shot anyway. Apparently it was DC who demanded a reboot of the whole series, not sure why, surely they could have just continued the story from the end of the last relaunch. If they'd needed to have the original team back I'm sure they could have come up with some way to bring them all back.

DelBubs

04-27-2004, 08:07 AM

Just a little more for ya, thats if you haven't read it already
http://www.diamondcomics.com/news/news.asp?ai=10452
http://www.diamondcomics.com/news_images/10452_24215_1.jpg

beetleblack

04-27-2004, 06:02 PM

Cool - thanks for the link.

It is as I fear - we are stuck with Nudge for the duration! I'm not sure if it's the name or the pained look on her face (I have only read two issues with her in JLA 94 & 95 - but she appears pained and tragic in BOTH!) but I have taken a bit of a disliking to this character. (I think it possibly IS the name.) Also, isn't THREE female brunettes on one team a little excessive? Nudge looks too much like Rita as it is.

And who out of the male characters are we meant to lust over???? Only the Chief is humanoid (and I'm afraid for me he'll always be a talking head on a tray of ice!)! I know we're meant to look at this team as a bunch of misfits but surely it's not too much to ask for one bit of male totty in the whole damn cast! They should have gotten Beast Boy to join, there's just something about that green skinned hunk, especially in his more hirsuite days... :oops:

I would rather have seen Bryne embrace the Doom Patrol in ALL it's incarnations and maybe used some of Morrison/Pollack characters on the roster. Imagine Crazy Jane and Coagula (Kate Godwin) fighting side by side with Dorothy Spinner! But I guess Byrne wants to make his mark on the team and so we're stuck with some Nudge, Vortex and the rest for the moment.

Richv1

05-19-2004, 11:31 PM

beetleblack

05-20-2004, 05:16 AM

I have been reading the JLA and I do not like the fact that the Doom Patrol seems to be a brand new team and they have completely forgotten about their past. Now John Bryne's art there is no doubt about it it is fantastic. Negative Man and Grunt the four armed gorilla are drawn exceptionally well. Now up dating Robot Man so he is as strong as Superman is also a good idea. But I don't know just forgetting about their past I think will not help it at all. Nudge and Vortex both do not seem good enough characters either to help maintain the book.

Yeah, I've been reading JLA also and have to admit that so far I'm not greatly impressed with the all new, the all different, but spookily familiar Doom Patrol! Nudge and Vortex seem strangely bland and boring - not sure how long they'll last (they are called the DOOM Patrol after all!).

The whole Rebooting of the series is just an awful idea and makes everything that ever been written involving the Doom Patrol completely redundant PLUS it's not as if there has been any explaination for the Reboot (e.g. when Legion was rebooted they used Zero Hour to wipe out the original series of Legion and all it's characters from the timeline *sniff*. Personally I'd like to give whoever decided a reboot would be a good idea a good booting myself!!! I'm sure a man of Bryne's creative statue could have come up with an equally exciting line up for the team rather than relying on the original characters with a few odd-bods thrown in.

Ah well, maybe he will just get bored of it and Grant Morrison will take over writing it, I can see it now: Dorothy Spinner awakens from her coma and looks up to see all her Doom Patrol friends around her bedside (Robotman, Crazy Jane, Kate Godwin etc) and mutters "I've just had the strangest and most of retro dreams!"

Richv1

05-20-2004, 09:21 AM

Somehow I think I agree the new Doom Patrol is DOOMED. They could have added a bit more fun to it even say with Elastic Girl in that skirt she used to wear and people being able to see up it might have been fun for a laugh.
The one thing I did like about the last JLA # 98 was that when the two teams did meet that they didn't get into a big fight they talked and decided to work together as a team. You know that in most cases when two teams meet they usually break out into a big fight. It was nice for a change not to see that happen. It seemed a bit strange to.

varo

05-30-2004, 09:39 PM

is it just me or did byrnes art in his jla run seem either not up to his best stuff or even a little dated. don't get me wrong, this guy had some of the best art i had ever seen when alpha flight was in it's prime and the x-men, but his art in the jla series seemed above average at best.

just a observation, please don't flame.

Weapon Omega

05-30-2004, 10:49 PM

I'm definately going to check out the new Doom Patrol series. Byrne is one of my favorites, both as an artist and writer. It should be interesting. How long it's going to last in today's comics market is hard to tell though.

Richv1

06-01-2004, 08:30 PM

Well I read JLA # 99 and it was ok. Both teams worked together against the vampires. Negative Man's skeleton looks great much better than just the black shadow. Grunt is drawn nicely to. But I wasn't overly impressed with the new Doom Patrol.

cmdrkoenig67

06-24-2004, 03:58 PM

Different people, different perspectives/opinions, Varo....I thought the artwork was fantasic(mostly because I saw some of the original pencils....the inking by Ordway however, left a lot to be desired IMHO). I don't think Byrne's talent has faded, in the least.

Dana

EDIT: I'm really looking forward to the new/old Doom Patrol(because I'm a big DP fan) and it doesn't hurt that one of my favorite artist/writers is doing it. Yay!

Richv1

06-25-2004, 09:06 PM

You never know it might turn out to be a great series. If I had an unlimited amount of money I'd get to try. But I have to pick and choose which comics to get. I am currently getting 23 series. Plus I will be adding at least 6 more over the year. I might have to cancel some.

beetleblack

06-26-2004, 03:39 PM

Well for all my trepidation for the new/old Doom Patrol I will be getting it. I just think it's a shame that they had to reboot the title rather than come up with some other explanation for the original team to be back together and in come cases back from the dead.

Richv1

06-26-2004, 06:29 PM

Yes I agree if they did have the original team back with everyone remembering them it would have inproved it. But to just stick them there and say heres a new team that no one knows. What about all there rich history.

beetleblack

06-27-2004, 07:32 AM

What about all their rich history.

That's the saddest part of all. DC seem to enjoy 'rebooting' titles and wiping out history at the drop of a hat - they think it will encourage people to read the title. At the end of the day does it matter that the title may have a long sprawling history? If the writers are good then they shouldn't have to rely too heavily on the past, like when Grant Morrison wrote New X-Men for instance.

At the end of the day this sort of reboot ends up frustrating many readers and in a sense rubbishing/degrading what previous writers have done with the title. A lot of people have said, in defense of the reboot, that the Vertigo Doom Patrol were so far removed from who the Doom Patrol were anyway that it really doesn't matter that Morrison/Pollack's stories have been wiped away - however what they tend to forget is that when DC bought back Doom Patrol is was just plain AWFUL and was more or less cancelled - Morrison SAVED the title!

I'm sure that Bryne could have come up with something exciting and imaginitive to start the series off again without having to rely on the 'everything that happened NEVER happened scenario', shame the head honchos at DC demanded a reboot instead.

Sorry, I've probably started to repeat myself again now... it's not my fault, I've just been rebooted! ;)

Richv1

06-27-2004, 10:26 AM

I have an idea maybe Professor X crossed over into the DC universe and saw the Doom Patrol as to much competion for the X-Men and he used his vast telepathic powers to erase them from the minds of everyone in the DC universe. LOL

cmdrkoenig67

07-05-2004, 02:42 PM

Dropping continuity is not just a new thing for DC....

Check out the first(?) review for the Doom Patrol...

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/reviews/108891190961544.htm

Dana

Richv1

07-05-2004, 08:34 PM

Unfortunately it isn't new to both DC and Marvel.
That interview seems to ramble on and on about suff that has very little or nothing to do with the comic book they are reviewing. Which one was it now Scooby-Doo, JLA, Supergirl, Superman/Batman or was it an animated cartoon they were reviewing? I forgot now it took so long to get through all that.

cmdrkoenig67

07-06-2004, 01:46 AM

Silly boy.

beetleblack

07-06-2004, 01:00 PM

Cripes, are all their reviews like that? I'm not sure if they liked it or not or even read it!!!

Richv1

07-06-2004, 06:34 PM

I certainly hope all their reviews are not like that. I write reviews to and I'm far from perfect and I do use some comparisons but I do stick mainly to talking about the comic story and art and cover.

kozzi24

07-07-2004, 12:48 AM

That's the saddest part of all. DC seem to enjoy 'rebooting' titles and wiping out history at the drop of a hat - they think it will encourage people to read the title. At the end of the day does it matter that the title may have a long sprawling history? If the writers are good then they shouldn't have to rely too heavily on the past, like when Grant Morrison wrote New X-Men for instance.

At the end of the day this sort of reboot ends up frustrating many readers and in a sense rubbishing/degrading what previous writers have done with the title.

Couldn't this be applied to the current Alpha Volume? It's also being said about the forthcoming Black Panther title.
Didn't Byrne do a similar thing with Spider-Man? The biggest of that particular sin was wiping all of the very fine Kurt Busiek Untold Tales that had been painstakingly put into continuity with the original early issues of AMAZING. Nothing new to DC, or Marvel, or Byrne

Nalyd Psycho

07-07-2004, 04:56 AM

How has Alpha Flight destroyed continuity?

kozzi24

07-07-2004, 10:34 AM

Who said anything about "destroyed"?

Richv1

07-07-2004, 10:50 AM

Alpha Flight's continuity seems to have been handled pretty good. You might have to get their guest appearances to follow everything that has happened but otherwise its good.

syvalois

07-07-2004, 11:13 AM

Alpha Flight's continuity seems to have been handled pretty good. You might have to get their guest appearances to follow everything that has happened but otherwise its good.

huh?

kozzi24

07-07-2004, 11:24 AM

Alpha Flight's continuity seems to have been handled pretty good. You might have to get their guest appearances to follow everything that has happened but otherwise its good.
Except for tha mass of characters who have gone MIA inexplicably since AF#130.
Except for Snowbird being alive despite the fact that Walt's got her body.
Except for all the unresolved subplots from Volume 2.
Except for Walter having shown no concern for Aurora's disappearance.
Except for 2 separate Brass Bishop stories (the 2nd was better IMO)
Except for Sasquatch needing Juggernaut-busting armor when he's capable of holding jets back with his bare hands.
Except for a baby with no name
Except for traditionally aquatic plodex turning human
Except for the fact that I would have liked to have seen how original team got captured.
Except for all the ones not running into my mind right now.
Before I get bashed, I do have the patience to give S.L. time to deal with some of the ones that most obviously need to be dealt with.

Richv1

07-07-2004, 05:51 PM

Well no comic is perfect if you look to closely you can always find something to nit pick about. You should though be spending your time just enjoying the comic.

DelBubs

07-07-2004, 06:26 PM

Wel no comic is perfect if you look to closely you can always find something to nit pick about. You should though be spending your time just enjoying the comic. =D> Pearls of wisdom.

kozzi24

07-08-2004, 07:52 AM

I do enjoy, and don't read what I don't enjoy: I'm not an investment only buyer. But showing disregard for continuity approaches or becomes disrespect for long time readers and for the creators who went on before any current team.

I've seen a really disrespectful remark about this recently on Tom Brevoort's forum ay Comic=X fan. One poster was upset that the new forthcoming Black Panther title had no plans to reveal how the mantle of B.P. came back to T'Challa from Killmonger.

A positive example of this is provided by Brian Vaughn (sp) in Runaways when he used Cloak & Dagger. When last seen in Marvel Knights, Cloak had lost his powers. Did Vaughn go into a lengthy explanation? No. But he did acknowledge that something had had happened, and even gave it a place of happening, outside NYC (I think Cleveland or Detroit, but don't remember for sure.) This took, what, a WHOLE PANEL to do, and gave a tabula rasa for a future story--a villain involved? someone else with Darkforce powers? a darkforce dimension rift that pulled C&D unwillingly from NYC?--that can be told.

All the things on the list of AF continuity gaffs I gave have been raised in this forum--and only 1 of those by me, so obviously these things are important to many readers past and present of AF titles.

Basically the post was polite disagreement with the statement

Alpha Flight's continuity seems to have been handled pretty good. You might have to get their guest appearances to follow everything that has happened but otherwise its good.

and Sylvie's "huh?" would seem that I'm not alone in that disagreement.

Sorry if well thought out examples can be found offensive.

Richv1

07-08-2004, 07:48 PM

Yes I didn't say any of the points were not valid. And when I read comics if there is something really noticable that is wrong I'll mention it.
But since we have mentioned some points about Alpha Flight that are not liked are there any points that are liked?

kozzi24

07-09-2004, 10:46 AM

Yes, in the Alpha Forums, not the JB's DP one.

kozzi24

07-09-2004, 10:54 AM

Nalyd Psycho

07-09-2004, 08:20 PM

cmdrkoenig67

10-22-2004, 01:49 AM

Who said anything about "destroyed"?

Doom Patrol's has been, so to compair the two, you're saying that Alpha's has been as well. Alpha Flight has fit the marvel model of not wasting time with continuity but not flagrantly contradicting anything.

Scott has contradicted AF continuity...in saying that the Plodex ship came to Earth about 3000 years ago, while in the original Byrne story it was about 40,000 years ago...big difference. Wasn't Marrina's one panel origin also a contradiction(her egg being found on the ice, instead of the ocean floor...again...a big difference).

Any way....I'm digging the new/old Doom Patrol, the stories seem to be getting better with each issue. I enjoyed the alien infestation two parter in #'s 3 and 4, and the upcoming Robot-fighter arc looks fun(plus we'll get info on Cliff's origin)in 5 and 6.

Dana

cmdrkoenig67

10-22-2004, 01:53 AM

And also notice that when a comic seems satisfying, people don't talk about it as much. AF #4 was well received all round, and there wasn't much conversation. AF #3, with its faults, maintained a much longer go-round.
After all, what else is there to say if you say I like that and I say I agree?

Kozzi, I was one of the folks that didn't like AF#'s 1-6. I thought those issues were far too slow-paced, meandering, and made the original team look innept and useless. Not a good way to get on the good side of an old AF fan. That said, can we get back to talking about the DP?

Dana

beetleblack

10-31-2004, 03:03 PM

That said, can we get back to talking about the DP?

Well, IMO Doom Patrol is just plain bad! Although I hated the idea of the team being totally "rebooted" I was completely willing to give it a chance and now after a few issues of the actual series, as well as their showcasing in the pages of JLA, I am on the verge of cancelling.

Richv1

10-31-2004, 06:45 PM

cmdrkoenig67

11-20-2004, 12:54 AM

Well I read those issues of the JLA and the first issue of DP. And I was convinced I did not want to waste my time reading any more of it. Probably cause I am so used to the old version I don't like seeing this new version just stuck into the DC Universe and the old one forgotten about. The original DP wasa great comic its to bad that has not carried over.

Of course it was a great comic, Rich....I don't think it CAN be done any better than by the creators(Drake and Premiani). What's past is past....any revival of the original team would have to be a reboot....period. the original members have been altered, maimed, killed and desecrated beyond repair....there was no coming back from what was done to them, without it being totally unbelievable. I'm not saying John byrne's version is great(or even "very good"), but I do think it's improving with each issue. Do I think the reboot could have been handled better?...yes....much better, but it will NEVER be the Drake and Premiani Doom Patrol again....ever!

Dana

RodOdom

11-22-2004, 10:06 AM

Don't miss Doom Patrol #6 this 11/24, concluding the 2-part "Robot Wars" story.

http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/2162_400x600.jpg

Also, according to Byrne, DC has guaranteed that Doom Patrol will be published into a second year, up to at least issue 18.

cmdrkoenig67

11-23-2004, 08:46 PM

Hi Rod.
:D
Dana

RodOdom

11-23-2004, 11:00 PM

Hey there. Are your initials D.S. ?

cmdrkoenig67

11-24-2004, 08:25 AM

D.S.....Dana Smith....yes, that's me. Are you an Alpha Fan too, Rod?

Dana

RodOdom

11-25-2004, 11:07 PM

Hey Dana. It's Joe Z. from the Byrne board.

RodOdom

11-29-2004, 07:46 PM

Three reviews for Doom Patrol #6

"The nice thing about this book is that it’s simply fun. It doesn’t try to be anything other than a superhero comic book, which is a good thing."

http://www.fourcolorexplosion.com/review.php?m=11&d=24&y=2004&rt=mainstream

"Byrne takes no easy story shortcuts in his Doom Patrol series. There are no "capes and cowls" regularly in this book. Byrne should be commended for delivering something unique in a "mainstream" DC book. "

http://comicsnexus.insidepulse.com/article.php?contentid=29560

And also:

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/reviews/110161148577139.htm