‘Unstoppable Doom Patrol’ #4 Offers Up A Gripping And Insightful Look Into The Minds Of The Team

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #4 is an issue that acts as both a time-out from the last few tense and drama-filled issues, but also offers up a good deal of insight into the main cast of characters that make up this most recent reiteration of the Doom Patrol. Each of our world’s weirdest heroes takes it in turns to sit in with team therapist, Dr. Syncho (or Jerry as she’s rather be called). And while there is no conventional narrative to this done-in-one issue, it offers up potted histories of the lives of Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man and more that are concisely summarised by writer Dennis Culver and brought to life vividly by guest artist, David Lafuente, who creates dynamic, imaginative and beautifully constructed double page spreads that are a spectacle for the eyes as traditional panel borders are done away with for a more collage effect of each characters’ “greatest hits” of the past. They say a picture can paint a thousands words, and in Lafuente’s case – summing up decades of surreal adventures in just two pages – it’s certainly true. If you’re going to get a guest artist in to cover for Chris Burnham, I couldn’t think of anyone better. Lafuente’s style really suits this series and I do hope he’s called on for more in the future. Although this is only a seven issue series, so far. 

What this issue conveys to the reader is Culver’s love for these outcasts. In giving each member of the team, old and new, their moment with Jerry, Culver clearly gets these characters; he’s certainly has done his homework as both a writer and as a fan. He manages to not only capture the authentic voices of the more established and familiar characters, but also developed new voices on the team too, such as those of Beast Girl and Outrage. These are a team of worriers; flawed individuals who question themselves and their place in the world, and on the team. It’s a revealing issue that relies on the characters to carry the reader rather than traditional action set-pieces and one that landed effectively well with this reader. Culver realises that if you don’t care for the heroes, you ain’t going to invest your time in their escapades when they do have to resort to fisticuffs.

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #4 is a great bottle issue but its long lasting legacy – if a single issue can do that, and it can –  is in the various members now felling more human, more relatable as a result of them all revealing their insecurities and vulnerabilities. And out now from DC Comics.