Fearsome Five: The Top Western Comic Book Series Adaptations of 2020

So we are near the end of another year, and I can’t help but write this article as it ends. Makes me wonder why I haven’t written anything like this before, but that’s water under the bridge. I present to you my top five best comic book series adaptation of 2020. As the title suggests, this is for comic books meaning WESTERN material. Otherwise, I’d have have included manga adaptations, and other material from the eastern part of the world. In making the list I did not distinguish between animated or live action features. If it’s good then it’s good. Period. Another caveat is that these include series that I was watching. So, if your favorites aren’t in here I probably dropped them or wasn’t interested in viewing them. That’s enough of my disclaimers. We begin my list with…..

At number five, we have Harley Quinn. When Harley Quinn first came out, there was a lot of uproar for making it an R-rated show. Surely, there are children who would love to watch the show, right? When you view the material, you’ll understand why this is the case, and the show is better for it. Even in the comic books, Harley had themes bordering on PG. This is not Young Justice. The rating just allows Harley and its show runners to tell its stories the best way that it can. And tell it well they did. From the saving of the world to Harley and Ivy’s budding relationship, this series captures the essence of a Harley Quinn story. Naysayers be damned. Yes, the series is not for children, but fans of the material will understand that this series provides elements of storytelling that could not have been done without the R rating. Sorry kids, this show isn’t for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great show. Speaking of R-ratings…

At number four we have Doom Patrol. Now this series was R-rated from the onset, taking its lead from the former Vertigo title from DC while incorporating elements of stories from other iterations of the comic book. In the aftermath of the group’s battle with Mr. Noboby, the Doom Patrol meets and now lives with Dorothy Spinner, The Chief’s daughter. Arguably one of the most powerful characters in the story, the second season shows us her powers, and the cost of having them. This is a weird horror science fiction dark comedy which fits well with the comic books Vertigo roots. Unfortunately, the season finale’s cliffhanger is the reason why this series is not higher in the list. Even still, the show is an excellent view to make my list.

At number three is Stargirl. Geoff Johns’ creation comes to life courtesy of well…Geoff Johns. This is not the only show Geoff Johns has executive produced, but this is one with his own original comic book character taking the titular role. What makes this show so special? It reintroduces the Justice Society of America in a way that not even the comic book does. Yes, it’s Americana at its finest. Look at Stargirl’s costume. You will also notice it in a lot of thematic elements of the show. But, it’s an excellent show with excellent storytelling. There is a lot of youthful exuberance that is balanced with discovery, and the measure of experience. Plus, those action scenes are pretty entertaining. This is a show that everyone can watch. Unlike this next one…

At number two, we have The Boys. I love Garth Ennis, and I love this adaptation. This second season is a lot better than season one. and it closes a lot of plot points left unresolved in the previous season. This satire and parody of the comic book superhero genre is bloody, graphic, foul-mouthed and all the more better for it. Unlike the other series on this list, there is no other way to tell The Boys that would be consistent to its source. Amidst the violence and graphic content, there are a lot of relationship themes and social commentaries reflective of our current real life situations. This would actually be number one on my list if not for a series from a galaxy far far away…

The Mandalorian is at the top of my list and is THE BEST comic book series of 2020. I have to be honest with you. This show was number two on my list, and I was ready to give The Boys the top spot. But, and this is a big BUT, episode 8 of season two put this show over the top. I was teary-eyed even before the end credits (and brought to tears AFTER the credits). This show has grown from a space western version of Lone Wolf and Cub to a rallying cry that unites the Star Wars fandoms, and invites everyone else to join in the fun. For a while now the fans have been divided due to recent moves by Disney on storytelling elements of the much-loved Star Wars franchise. What The Mandalorian was able to do was calm everyone down, and invite everyone back in. Hats off to Jon Favreau and Dave Filioni for masterfully showing us that you actually can create material that caters to long time fans while also opening Star Wars to a newer audience. May the Force continue to be with you both. This is the way.

Do you agree with my list? Share with me your comments.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 15

This post contains spoilers for ‘Ezekiel Patrol’, the final episode for DOOM PATROL’s first season. Let the narration begin.

Who is Ezekiel? If you remember a few episodes back, Ezekiel is the talking cockroach spouting doomsday forecasts. He appears in this episode along with Admiral Whiskers to form a trinity coined by Mr. Nobody as the ‘Brotherhood of Dangerous Animals’. They were to bring death and destruction upon humanity aside from getting revenge on Niles Caulder, something Mr. Nobody can’t seem to get enough. What of the Doom Patrol themselves after last episode? They decide to abandon Niles, and Mr. Nobody does them a favor by sending everyone back to their earthly dimension away from the White Space. Mr. Nobody had gotten what he wanted: revenge on Niles Caulder by destroying all his worldly relationships. Or so he thought.

Six months later, he teams up with the aforementioned cockroach and rat to exact final revenge on The Chief by targeting his daughter. So, we also find out that Niles has a daughter who is actually in hiding on Danny the Street. As a result, Mr. Nobody and his newfound comrades Ezekiel and Admiral Whiskers capture Danny the Street along with Niles’s daughter. This is his last stroke of revenge on a person he despises so much. Or so he thought again. Later we find out that he, Danny and the rest of the ‘Brotherhood of Dangerous Animals’ are trapped in a painting caused by Niles’s daughter. She also transforms Ezekiel and Admiral Whiskers into giant versions of themselves causing a rampage on Danny the Street. I’m loving the Kaiju(Guillermo del Toro) and Godzilla references in this episode when talking about the giant Ezekiel and Admiral Whiskers. Is it coincidence that the Godzilla movie is coming out next week?

Where are the Doom Patrol while this is all happening? They have left The Chief to live alone in Doom Manor while they take on their own lives separate from him. Larry and Rita are living together, while Cliff visits Crazy Jane who lives in an abandoned school bus to give her food. Larry has some un-bonding moments with his negative energy self to allow it to roam. Rita tries and fails miserably as an acting teacher. Crazy Jane gets an opiate from Joshua Clay to numb her emotions, which also fails miserably. She does get cold treats from Cliff though, so that has to count for something.

Also, we get some flashbacks involving Niles Caulder which include Joshua Clay. Here we discover The Chief’s darkest secrets. He was actually part of the Ant Farm. The Doom Patrol were part of what he calls the Immortus Initiative. He worked with Foresythe. This all confirms his confession previously that he had everything to do with the current state of the Doom Patrol. However, he explains to them as they all make their way back to Doom Manor via a Chumbawanba song sent out by Danny in the painting. Niles says that he did all the experimentation to them in order to take care of his daughter. A daughter he now reveals is captured by Mr. Nobody in the painting. Niles asks for help from the Doom Patrol to rescue his daughter.

No choice, right? The group decides to do it for The Chief’s daughter and not for him. So, into the painting they go. This painting scenario is once again another Grant Morrison reference taken out of the pages of the Doom Patrol comic books. When they arrive inside, they find the source of the music is the Beard Hunter who is singing in the pub. Additionally, they find out that Mr. Nobody has been upstaged by Niles’s daughter. Apparently, she can alter reality and is the reason why we have a giant rat and cockroach roaming Danny’s streets. Fortunately, Flex was able to transport all Dannyzens before the rampage occurred. Everybody is trapped in this painting thanks to the leanings of a The Chief’s little girl. The Doom Patrol now scramble to find her. This is where it gets funky. Mr. Nobody loses all confidence in his powers, and it takes Rita to convince him to help them all out. He then uses his narrative power ability to create a scenario that’ll save everybody from this painting. Part of the plan is finding an exit. Larry’s negative energy form finds it, and later Larry uses his irradiated hands to open the portal later.

There’s still a problem. The intense radiation from the portal will kill the Doom Patrol except for Larry. So, everyone had to get swallowed whole by Ezekiel (the cockroach) to protect them from the radiation to get back home. This is hilarious. What’s even funnier is that Cliff had already been swallowed by Admiral Whiskers. Then it gets weirder. Mr. Nobody, in order to make sure Cliff makes it out alive, narrates a scenario where Ezekiel and Admiral Whiskers, I believe, French kiss allowing Cliff to run along Admiral Whiskers’ tongue into Ezekiel. That’s right: a giant cockroach French kissing a giant rat. I cannot unsee this in my head, and now you can’t too!

While this is all happening, Crazy Jane and The Chief find Niles’s daughter. Here we have the revelation of a new character: Dorothy Spinner. This is The Chief’s daughter, a Paul Kupperberg creation during the Doom Patrol’s second comic book series. This is a powerful character with reality altering abilities. And it appears that her powers are far more overwhelming than Mr. Nobody realized. With Dorothy in hand, all is set for everybody’s escape.

To escape the painting, Larry activates the portal with his unbandaged hands, and Danny the Street makes the trip back along with Ezekiel (and everybody inside him). Good for the Doom Patrol. Bad for Mr. Nobody and the Beard Hunter. In the middle of his narration, Mr. Nobody realizes too late that he made no narration for him and Beard Hunter to escape the painting. The two remain trapped in the painting as everyone else escapes via the portal.

But, it isn’t so cut and dry for the Doom Patrol. First, Vic had to blast Ezekiel in order for them to escape his body. Second, Ezekiel gets transported back in his normal cockroach size. Second, Ezekiel gets transported back in his normal cockroach size. That means, everybody is miniaturized including Danny the Street who gets transported back as a brick. That brick transformation is dead pan humor at its finest. Of course, Larry gets transported back in his normal size, and he discovers everybody in their shrunk size. What happens next? How will these characters get back to normal size? We’ll just have to wait and see next season. For now, that is the end of the narration(Ha!).

‘Ezekiel Patrol’ is the last episode of DOOM PATROL’s first season. Consistent with the entire series, it is weird, it is funny, and it is dark. Secrets are revealed, and the motivations for actions taken become clearer. ‘Ezekiel Patrol’ introduces probably the team’s most powerful character. We get a glimpse of what this character can do, and it’s something to look forward to in the next season. DOOM PATROL is a breath of fresh air on how comic book series are written. If you take it too seriously, then you’re missing the point. That’s not to say DOOM PATROL doesn’t tackle serious issues. There is no comic book series that is as self aware of its voice than DOOM PATROL. With the first season done, there is still a lot more story DOOM PATROL has to offer. This is a beautiful series. It’s not too late to join the narration.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 14

This post contains spoilers for ‘Penultimate Patrol’, episode fourteen of DOOM PATROL. Turn away if you don’t want to read Mr. Nobody’s narrative.

Two events come into fruition in ‘Penultimate Patrol’. The first is that the team finally gets to find Niles Caulder in Mr. Nobody’s hideout. The second, Vic finds out the truth about his mother’s death.

After Rita revealed that she knows of Niles’s location, the team minus Vic but with Flex Mentallo goes on the road to find him. They follow Vic’s tracking beacon on the Beard Hunter which leads them to Danny the Street. They catch up to Beard Hunter only to find out that he is no longer interested in finding The Chief. We also find out that Danny the Street knows where Mr. Nobody is, but was too afraid to reveal his location before. Danny says they can find Niles and Mr. Nobody in the White Space. Flex explains that the White Space is the space between the panels and pages of comic books. This is mind blowing stuff right here. You have Mr. Nobody’s hideout in the White Space in a comic book. Let’s talk about this a bit to fully appreciate the self referential nature of this idea. Effectively, the show runners are saying that DOOM PATROL is a comic book (well, it is any way), and Mr. Nobody is hiding outside its normal pages. That’s why they can’t find him. Since they are perceived as comic book characters, they can’t go off panel. Fortunately, Flex Mentallo can get them there using his Muscle Mystery powers. He even uses the comic book, ‘Mystery in Space’ (If you pay close attention you’ll spot the title) to get them there.I hinted on this last time, and he flexes his muscles to get the team to the White Space. Unfortunately, the first time he tries it he gives everybody on Danny the Street including the DOOM PATROL an orgasm. This is a funny sequence here, and it was funnier with Cliff faking an orgasm just so he wouldn’t be left out. Second time’s the charm though, Flex finally gets them to the White Space.

Back in the hospital, Vic has a heart to heart talk with his father, Silas. Vic finds out that his memory of his mother’s death was a lie. Vic’s memories were altered by Silas to protect him. The truth of his mother’s death is that Silas had a chance to save either Vic or his mom. Niles suggested to Silas that Vic would be the better candidate for saving with the biotechnology. As a result, Vic’s mother dies and Vic himself is transformed into Cyborg. Vic sees this as a true betrayal and validates his mistrust of his father. He leaves the hospital and goes on searching for the Doom Patrol to help them.

In the White Space, the Doom Patrol fall into Mr. Nobody’s trap. They are transported to times before they were transformed into their current state. Mr. Nobody gives them an offer: give up on The Chief, and they can live in that reality forever. Each member in turn denies this offer, and decides to go after The Chief. In fact, Rita takes a bit of control back by countering Mr. Nobody’s narration and does some narrating herself. She narrate that the Doom Patrol find each other, and this is what exactly happens. The Doom Patrol not only find each other in the White Space, but they also find Niles. Mr. Nobody is there to welcome their reunion. And here it is, the showdown between Mr. Nobody and the Doom Patrol. Game on. But, it wasn’t what it seemed. For one, Dr. Harrison takes over for Crazy Jane and concludes that Mr. Nobody is tormenting The Chief out of rejection from a woman. As a result, the rest of the Doom Patrol don’t want to engage in combat out of pity for Mr. Nobody. Then, out of nowhere, Vic disintegrates Mr. Nobody, and the battle ends. The Doom Patrol saves Niles and heads back home to Doom Manor.

So, it appears that it’s all good and well for the Doom Patrol. Not so fast. Niles and the Doom Patrol enter a groundhog day scenario wherein Niles witnesses the Doom Patrol dying at the hands of a giant robot again and again. The deaths are brutal. They are also hilarious. Niles notices the repetitive nature of their actions: breakfast, robot, death and repeat. His suspicions are confirmed when the Doom Patrol encounter another version of Vic showing up at Doom Manor. The first Cyborg transforms to Mr. Nobody, and the groundhog day scenario at Doom Manor ceases. The group never left the White Space, and Mr. Nobody admits that the Doom Patrol cannot beat him. He does tell them, looking at Niles, that there is only one way of making him go away, and it’s all up to The Chief. After a bit of introspection, The Chief does what Mr. Nobody is hinting. He tells the Doom Patrol that he was responsible for the creation of each of them. How will these characters react now that their mentor and friend tells them that he is responsible for events that caused them so much pain? We only have one episode left to find out.

‘Penultimate Patrol’ brings to light one of DOOM PATROL’s greatest secrets. Though it has been hinted on in the series for the eagle-eyed, this revelation could immensely alter the team dynamic. The resolution of this secret will be just another character driven scenario that has been at the core of what makes DOOM PATROL such a great series. Yes, it’s a super hero comic series. But, it deals with themes that makes you think about your own personal challenges. DOOM PATROL emphasizes that the best super heroes come from characters who overcome their inner demons.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol 13

This post contains spoilers for ‘Flex Patrol’, Episode 13 of DOOM PATROL. There’s a lot of juicy stuff here that even Mr. Nobody would love to see. If he doesn’t know about it already.

As I mentioned last episode, Vic apparently kills his father, Silas Stone during the breakout from the Ant Farm. ‘Flex Patrol’ confirms that Silas is not in fact dead, but just brutally injured and is left stable at a hospital after a quick escape by Flit, one of Crazy Jane’s personalities. But, Vic and company do not leave alone. They take with them cellmate 722. This is the person who lives beside Vic’s cell. This is also the person who lived beside Larry’s cell when he was incarcerated in the Ant Farm. Why is this guy important? If last episode I had my suspicions of who he is, “Flex Patrol’ substantiates that he is Flex Mentallo. This is another character created by Grant Morrison during his Doom Patrol comic book run. And according to Danny the Street, he is the important to finding The Chief.

So everything appears to be going well for our group, right? It’s not. When the Doom Patrol return with Flex to Doom Manor they discover two things. One, that Dr. Stone needs serious medical attention and so Flit sends him, Vic and Rita to the nearest hospital. And two, Flex has no memory of his past and has clearly been brainwashed by the Ant Farm. Thus, the team gets divided into two to sort both these problems out.

In the hospital, Vic is stuck with a conundrum. He doesn’t want to activate Grid back in his system, but it’s the only way to track the Beard Hunter who has an idea where Niles is. After some convincing by Rita, he finally decides to reinstall Grid, but tells Rita that the team is on its own to find The Chief.

More importantly, Rita gets a chance to reconcile with her past by talking to some old guy who can barely walk. She shares with him that she actually sets up young actresses for a meeting with big time producer, Gene Stanton. Gene, though only hinted in Rita’s story, has his way with the young starlet who gets her career boosted. This favor also helps Rita survive in show business as she gets new offers after each meeting. It was all going smoothly until Marybeth Wooten came along. Marybeth actually got pregnant, had a baby and committed suicide. The whereabouts of the baby are unknown to Rita. Ironically, it was with Marybeth’s meeting with Gene that Rita gets her role in ‘Forbidden Congo’…where she got the accident that made her into the ‘freak’ she is today. This cathartic moment helps Rita realize that a ‘bully only has power over you if you give it to him.’ With renewed conviction, Rita returns to Vic to find The Chief and face the bully, Mr. Nobody.

There’s a hitch though. The old man that Rita has been talking to all along turns out to be Mr. Nobody. Which is weird. He doesn’t want the Doom Patrol to find him, yet he motivates these characters to overcome their insecurities and become, in his terms,—a superhero team. Mr. Nobody also narrates that all the character driven drama is just sheer meandering to this point. Of course, Mr. Nobody might just be stating the obvious just to emphasize that DOOM PATROL is a very different kind of superhero series. It is and that’s what makes it so good.

In Doom Manor, Larry finds out, or rather recalls, that he was the cellmate beside Flex Mentallo. Flex offers to free both of them and his energy form, but decides not to do so. Yes, Larry was a wimp in 1964. Instead, Flex gets brainwashed, his wife used as collateral for his obedience which leads us to the current problem of Crazy Jane and Cliff: trying to restore Flex’s memories of himself and his powers. However, it is in this memory that Larry gets the idea of finding Dolores to help Flex out.

While Larry is sorting out his past, Jane and Cliff try everything they can to jog Flex’s memories. Only when they decide to retrieve an aging Dolores (a converted agent of the Bureau of Normalcy) with Flit through Larry’s prompting does Flex remember anything. Happy ending? Not so fast. There is a price to be paid for this reunion. Dolores reveals that if she ever goes looking for Flex, she will die. Dolores starts to disintegrate before everyone’s eyes. Dolores’s death restores Flex’s memories and he now knows how to use his ‘muscle mystery’ powers.

Rita then returns to Doom Manor without Vic, and she knows where The Chief is. Everything is set for the Doom Patrol to face Mr. Nobody and find Niles Caulder. Yet, one very important question remains. What’s Flex’s part in finding The Chief?

Well, if you look at the entire episode, one of Flex’s powers is to open portals to different places. It could be that when they find The Chief, this ability will be important. Remember that Mr. Nobody lives in a pocked dimension where I assume he also keeps The Chief. Could Flex’s powers allow the Doom Patrol to transport to this pocket dimension? We’ll just have to wait and see.

‘Flex Patrol’ reveals a comic book fan favorite character and restores him to his full glory in DOOM PATROL. This series is filled with so many character driven plot lines that another one just adds more to the DOOM PATROL’s charm. But, there is a more important issue that is highlighted in ‘Flex Patrol’. If last episode dealt with inclusivity, ‘Flex Patrol’ deals with bullying. This is yet another strong message of DOOM PATROL. The only way to beat a bully is to take away his power over you. The next episodes of DOOM PATROL will be about taking that power back after realizing how much power you really have. I cannot stress enough just how excellent this show is. Ignore it at your own peril.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 12

This post contains spoilers on ‘Cyborg Patrol’, episode 12 of DOOM PATROL. If you fear the Bureau of Normalcy, time to turn away…

Speaking of the Bureau of Normalcy, this episode we get to explore the inner workings of their sanctum, The Ant Farm. The Ant Farm first came up in comics in ‘Agents of SHADE’ written by Jeff Lemire. Comparatively, it’s the shows version of Arkham Asylum, a place where the bureau keeps its assets. In one cell of the storage facility they even have a collection of living butts. Yes, ravenous man-eating butts. This is the bureaus way of keeping the world normal.

In the Ant Farm, Vic is incarcerated after being captured by bureau agents last episode. He is being kept there to research his tech even though they have an upstanding relationship with Silas Stone, Vic’s father, and STAR Labs. The reasoning is, by doing so, they can live without STAR Labs research if they can unlock Vic aka Cyborg’s secrets. Unfortunately, Vic is useless to them because he removed his operating system aka Grid and placed it in a separate computer back in Doom Manor. As if Vic’s capture wasn’t enough, he is now seeing things in his head through his onboard viewing files that makes him question not only his origins but also his relationship with his father. This pisses him off no end.

Back at Doom Manor, Crazy Jane reveals that Vic was captured by forces unknown. Larry verifies that these are agents from the Bureau of Normalcy and that Vic is probably in their home base the Ant Farm. Larry describes the Ant Farm as a combination of Area 51 and Dante’s Inferno. According to Larry, there is no getting out once you are inside.

Luckily for the Doom Patrol, they get unexpected help from the most unlikely of people: Silas Stone. Silas goes to Doom Manor to look for Vic because he was alerted that Vic was in trouble. He goes there to find Vic missing and Grid no longer in Vic’s cyborg body. Of course, Rita and Jane don’t trust Dr. Stone with what Vic shared with them about his father on separate occassions. Nevertheless, the group agrees to work with Silas for Vic’s rescue. The plan? A prison break!!!

Silas Stone’s plan was to go to the Ant Farm with the pretense of giving up the Doom Patrol in exchange for Vic. Rita being the lynch pin, hid inside Cliff’s Robot body to come out once everything was set and clear. While this was happening, Silas would see Victor with the exchange, and Rita would break out the rest of the captured Doom Patrol members. The plan worked to near perfection…Karen makes an appearance to save Jane which wasn’t part of the plan. The Doom Patrol even managed to free all the other inmates of the Ant Farm. But, there was one important glitch in the system…

…Vic kills his father Silas in the break out. He is instigated by memories of his father’s manipulation on his creation. Vic believed that Silas Stone intentionally knew that the nanites in his system would transform him slowly to a machine. Vic goes berserk in the escape and apparently beats up his father to death. This is where Mr. Nobody shows up and reveals to Vic that he implanted some memories in his head that mixed with the truth. This was enough to lead Vic into killing(?) his father. Vic shows remorse, but the deed is done.

‘Cyborg Patrol’ expands on the world building of DOOM PATROL by introducing another part of the DC Universe. It’s a scary place that matches with the tone of the series. Also, ‘Cyborg Patrol’ shows that there will be people who will not accept you because you are different. They will even go to extremes to enforce their standards on you. The message against those beliefs is clear in this episode. No one has the right to do that to anyone no matter how different you are. In this episode, DOOM PATROL shouts out to the world that we should be more accepting of the differences people have.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 11

This post contains spoilers from ”Frances Patrol’, episode 11 of DOOM PATROL. Keep your eyes away for those who are as emo as the opening credits.

‘Frances Patrol’ takes its name from an alligator in the story. That’s right. An alligator. The alligator ate and killed Bump Weathers, the guy who adopted Cliff’s daughter (Clara) and also had an affair with his wife. Now if you’ve been following DOOM PATROL religiously, you know that Cliff has been wanting to meet with his daughter for some time now. Bump’s death gives him the opportunity to do so. So, he goads Jane to allow Flit to transport him to a place called Salty Bump’s in Florida, and Rita tags along. After Flit transports the two to Florida, she returns back to Doom Manor.

Back at the manor, Vic is having an existential crisis. He learns from Grid after transporting his software consciousness in a desktop computer, that he is becoming more machine than man. After cutting his arm to verify the truth of this revelation, he naturally freaks out when he discovers Grid is not lying. At this time, Jane finds out that the character Flex Mentallo from a comic book (given by Danny the Street) has a wife named Dolores, and has decided to meet with them. Why is this so important? Because, this is their only lead to find The Chief, Niles Caulder.

Also in the episode, we are shown Larry’s reconciliation with his past. It turns out that the negative energy form was trying to help Larry make amends with John Bowers, Larry’s lover when he was still in the Air Force. All the scenes in previous episodes that show Larry in his dreams hooking up with John was actually the negative energy’s way of reconnecting them together in the present. Meaning, this wasn’t all just in Larry’s head. He was actually meeting with John’s psyche (soul?) in his dreams. All this time the negative energy was providing a way for Larry to come to terms with who he was with the person he loved the most. It’s really touching. And, by the end of the episode, Larry gets to meet John in person. With the personal visit and talk, it appears that Larry has gotten the closure he needed with that stage of his life. He also has a better appreciation of his negative energy counterpart. We are looking at a more focused Larry who has not only come to terms with his past, but also has begun to understand now that the negative energy form is not such a bad being after all. Hooray for Larry.

Though the same positive outlook cannot be said for Cliff and Vic. In Cliff’s case, he realizes that the only way to win Clara’s affection is to recover a watch that Bump had on him when he was eaten by Frances the alligator. He believes that by recovering the watch in the swamp, he can win Clara’s heart. After coming from the swamp with Rita, and recovering the watch from Frances(who I assume he kills), he heads on over to Salty Bump’s to return the watch to Clara. He chickens out, and just leaves the watch at the establishment for Clara to find without even talking to her.

In Vic’s case, when he goes with Crazy Jane to meet Dolores, he actually gets captured by some unknown individuals instead. He and Crazy Jane are separated leaving Jane trying to figure out how to find Vic. Later we find out that Vic was captured by minions of Darren Jones from the Bureau of Normalcy. Things are not looking good for Vic. No Dolores. No Flex Mentallo. Just a whole lot of trouble.

From this episode, Vic, Larry and Cliff are challenged with facing realities of their present by reconciling with their past. Of the three, Larry appears to be the lucky one with a more or less fixed resolution. Cliff still is a bit iffy with his relationship with his daughter. I’m not sure if that story line will get resolved anytime soon. As for Vic, I’m sure his situation will carry over to the next episodes. Crazy Jane will surely try to find Vic, and most probably enlist the other members of the the Doom Patrol. This will be easy for Crazy Jane considering she can easily move from place to place with Flit’s teleportation. Her and Rita appear to be the glue of the team at this point in time. There’s a scary thought. The schizophrenic and the prima donna are holding the team together. Just as well, since the men in the group are having some serious emotional challenges. This is just another aspect of the series that is quite appealing. You can pull anyone’s story as an anchor for the episode and it will still work. It has worked thus far. The inclusivity doesn’t allow for any one character to dominate the narrative. Though with Mr. Nobody in an episode, he most surely will dominate the narration.

‘Frances Patrol’ just highlights further that DOOM PATROL is a character driven series with an underlying plot. There is an end goal, but that doesn’t stop the characters from dealing with their internal challenges. These challenges allow for better character growth, and promote the overall narrative of DOOM PATROL. Pay attention to the details, they have proven to be invaluable in appreciating this groundbreaking series.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 9

This post contains spoilers for ‘Jane Patrol’, episode 9 of DOOM PATROL. Read on at your own doom.

Last episode , Jane was left in a catatonic state. In ‘Jane Patrol’ we get to explore the inner workings of Jane’s mind. Here we get introduced to some of the personalities that inhabit the world of Crazy Jane’s psyche as it all begins with Hammerhead dragging Karen into The Underground. Early on, we find out already that it’s Jane’s choice not to surface which causes all the disharmony in The Underground, and also causes Crazy Jane’s physical body to remain catatonic in the process. However, Jane is convinced by her other personalities to step up in order to maintain equilibrium for their own greater good. As she heads on up via subway train, she does ask for more time from Driver 8 who drives the train to Jane’s surface consciousness before taking control again. Driver 8 does this by allowing the emergency break of the train to be pulled, thus preventing any personality from surfacing, including Jane’s.

Jane’s continued catatonic state prompts the Doom Patrol to go after her in her mind through some crazy idea of Vic’s. Vic doesn’t have any idea of how to transport anyone that way. Larry’s negative energy persona does, and he transports Cilff’s consciousness into Crazy Jane’s mind with a touch of his hand. The clincher here is that Cliff is back to his original human form. And, Cliff gets to explore The Underground in search of Jane.

However, Cliff is hindered in his search when he gets locked up by Hammerhead in a cell. There he meets Karen who is locked up in an adjacent cell. She tells Cliff that Jane is not worth saving. After Karen gets escorted out of her cell by Hammerhead, Cliff breaks out of his cell with the help of Jack Straw. At the other end of the wall of his cell, Cliff encounters Penny Farthing who tells him that Jane is headed to the well, and that they have to stop her. Penny explains that The Sisters sent Jane there, but no one comes back from there unscathed. They have to stop her from going there.

In their search, Cliff and Penny find Jane who cannot be dissuaded from proceeding to the well. Jane tells Cliff to get out of her mind, and she leaves both Cliff and Penny behind. Cliff follows anyway while Penny tags along, but she would not proceed any further at one point because, according to her, she doesn’t go to dark places. With Penny left behind, Cliff proceeds onward and encounters Black Annis. She says that no man can pass, and Cliff sheds his human persona to revert back to Robotman. Black Annis lets Cliff pass in his Robotman guise.

Up ahead, Jane encounters her darkest memory, a point in her childhood that led her into her current state. Though it is not mentioned directly, the scenes hint that Jane was molested by her father. Later it would be revealed that the well contains a monstrous version of her father that she cannot overcome…not by herself anyway.

As it turns out, Cliff’s presence in The Underground is enough to help Jane face her darkest fear. She stands up to the monstrous version of her father she created at the well when she sees Cliff’s lower body devoured by her father. This is enough to give Jane the courage to drive the monstrosity back into the well. After this encounter, Jane is accompanied by Cliff in the subway train. They make their way to the end, and both wake up to Rita and Vic waiting for them. It appears that Crazy Jane is back to normal as she goes to her room in Doom Manor and lies on her bed.

The episode is a father-daughter story involving Crazy Jane and Cliff Steele. Though, Jane is loathe to admit it, she sees Cliff as the father she never had. As Penny Farthing put it, Cliff gave Jane hope. It is this hope that helps Jane overcome her encounter with her monstrous father. Whatever uncertainty Jane has about her life, Cliff’s presence is enough to give life in the world outside The Underground another chance. The two appear to have kissed and made up. This might result in a better dynamic between Crazy Jane and Cliff in the future. How this translates in DOOM PATROL is something to watch with utmost interest.

Since the beginning, DOOM PATROL has established that the series is centered on building family relationships. Even though the members aren’t related by blood, they do act as one, albeit dysfunctional, family unit. This episode focuses on one aspect of the family dynamic. ‘Jane Patrol’ exemplifies the ups and downs of these filial connections, and that the key to it is having a deeper understanding of each other’s past. DOOM PATROL shows how this dynamic works very well, and is yet another reason to follow this groundbreaking series.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 8

This post contains spoilers for episode eight, ‘Danny Patrol’. Follow at your own DOOM. You have been warned.

Finally, we have Danny the Street making an appearance! Just when you think the series cannot get any loonier, we have another one of Grant Morrison’s creations making an appearance. Danny is a sentient gender queer teleporting street who is on the run. Danny’s appearance served this episode well, since both he(it?) and the DOOM PATROL are looking for Niles Caulder, albeit for different reasons. Danny sets up a meeting with Vic and Larry.

Speaking of making an appearance, Crazy Jane introduces us to one of her personalities, Karen. According to Rita, Karen only shows up when Crazy Jane is feeling very down. After the events of last episode, that could really be the case, and Karen is as annoyingly chirpy a socialite as they come and the complete opposite to Jane even at her kindest. It makes you want to punch her face in, but she’ll probably just end up smiling after the hit anyway. Karen pulls out a real winner by proposing to her on-and-off boyfriend, Doug to the chagrin of Rita and Doug’s family. Doug of course accepts. Apparently, Karen has the power to make anyone…ANYONE love her. She uses this power to change the demeanor of Doug’s family, and Rita. Voila! It’s looking like a cute suburban(as Hammerhead put it) Nora Ephron love story.

Back to Danny, It appears that Danny is looking for Niles to ask for help. He(it?) is hiding from a certain Darren Jones who is part of an organization that has links to Larry Trainor’s past: The Bureau of Normalcy. This triggers a flashback of Larry being used and tortured by the self-same organization. In short, Darren and company aren’t good guys, and this is well enough reason for Danny to go searching for the Chief. They get the lowdown from Agent Morris Wilson (now Mora Lee Corrupt dressed in drag) former member of the Bureau and partner of Darren Jones. He (it?) is being hunted and this is weakening. Danny is a safe haven for people who are ‘different’, but the Darren Jones’ witch hunt is stressing out Danny and his Dannyzens (the residents of Danny Street). If the Dannyzens stop being happy, then Danny’s heart stops and he dies.

In all the hustle and bustle, Larry refuses to help Danny and hears it from Vic. On the other hand, Cliff is not even accepted into Karen’s ‘circle of love’ and is left literally outside the door of Doug’s house.. These two characters have some serious baggage on them that it prevents them from reaching their full potential. It’s part of the growing pains, but these two are being left behind and they need to get their act together soon if the Doom Patrol will have any chance of finding the Chief and beating Mr. Nobody.Though, it appears that some of the emotional burden is lifted from Cliff and Larry when they embrace their true selves with Cliff dancing off with a child and Larry singing karaoke in the Perpetual Cabaret marque.

‘Danny Patrol’ resolves the Danny Street story arc with a stand off on Danny Street him(it?)self. Darren Jones gets beaten up by Mora who reveals to him that he was Morris. Larry joins in, and both Mora and Larry send a message through Darren that the Bureau should just leave Danny alone or face the consequences. In the aftermath of the battle, Danny refuses to fight Mr. Nobody to find the Chief for the sake of his residents. He does give Vic a clue to the location of the Chief by Danny in a comic book. Later, Larry and Vic are teleported back to Doom Manor.

On the other hand, Rita invites Cliff inside Doug’s house for the wedding preparations. Karen offers Cliff to walk her down the aisle at the wedding. Outraged, Cliff declines and asks for Jane. Karen uses her powers on Cliff, but they don’t work. In his attempt to take Karen away, Cliff reawakens Hammerhead who tries to kill Doug. Karen reemerges to stop the attempt which was successful, but she later gets dragged back into Crazy Jane’s mind in the Underground. The personality clash leaves Crazy Jane catatonic on Doug’s foyer.

Many series claim to be inclusive, but fall short in the process. The attempt feels forced, and hinders the storytelling flow of the show. This episode emphasizes with gusto that this is not the case for DOOM PATROL. The inclusion of a diversified set of characters is very organic, and quite intuitive. ‘Danny Patrol’ shows everyone that once you accept who you are, the better you are at accomplishing what you can do. We are all indeed ‘misfits living in a world on fire’. But, will the fire burn you or mold you? DOOM PATROL is showing us how to embrace the fire to mold you.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Episode 7

This post contains spoilers for ‘Therapy Patrol’, the latest episode of DOOM PATROL. Turn away your eyes if you’re the type who hates spoilers or you’ll be needing therapy after this.

The episode is aptly named as we see childhood traumas and attempts to reconcile with them. If we were to look at these flashbacks as memories, Crazy Jane has the oldest with her remembering her father leaving her when she was crying in her crib at home. That’s some memory she has. On the other hand, Vic’s childhood is the most recent since it deals with an active ‘Cash’ dating profile that is once again active since he deactivated all restrictions from his programming. He finds out the hard way that he can’t go back to his normal life with his current cybernetic body.

Aside from the character flashbacks, we have some interesting insights from the group. For one, Crazy Jane has gone all crazy and starts destroying all items that remind her of Niles Caulder. This is a result of the fallout from last episode when she finds out that Niles wanted to put her in the same place as the damaged members of the the original Doom Patrol. This doesn’t sit too well with her, and it takes a lot for her to not completely go overboard with the destruction.

While Jane is going crazy, Cliff is really having a bad day. He tries to eat toast, which he can’t. He is brooding over the fact that he can’t meet his daughter, Clara, without repercussions. And, he initiates a fight with Vic in the belief that he is Bob, the guy who is now in custody of his daughter. Later we find out that this is all due to a rat named Admiral Whiskers who infiltrated Cliff’s body via the hole in his arm caused by Vic aka Cyborg’s finger being embedded in it. Why did ‘Admiral Whiskers’ do such a heinous act? Because, Mr. Nobody goaded him to screw with the guy who ran over his mom with a bus way back in episode one. Yes, the lunacy in this episode has roots from the very beginning of DOOM PATROL.

At the point where things were going out of control with Cliff, he suggests that everyone should sit down and talk to each other in a therapy session since he thinks he is not the only one with some sort of emotional damage. He is right. Rita seconds the motion saying that this is how Mr. Nobody defeated the original Doom Patrol: turning them against each other with lies and secrets. So, it would be best to put all cards on the table so that everyone will be on the same page.

The talk reveals Larry’s discomfort with his sexual orientation, Rita’s identity issues, Vic’s involvement with the death of his mother, Crazy Jane’s daddy issues with Niles, and of course Cliff’s problems involving his daughter. As the sharing gets heated, Crazy Jane brings out the painting that looks like the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths 7. The Hangman’s Daughter, one of Crazy Jane’s personalities, explains that Vic can’t be trusted and will lead the Doom Patrol to their deaths. Before anything is resolved, Crazy Jane storms out of Doom Manor and Cliff collapses as Admiral Whiskers comes out of Cliff’s robot mouth.

This is a beautiful episode which starts with the initiated therapy session by Cliff then moves to the actual beginning with a meeting initiated by Vic, and ends with the collapse of Cliff after Admiral Whiskers escapes his mechanical body. The non-linear storytelling here is a welcome change to an already intriguing plot. ‘Therapy Patrol’ warns you to not take anything that happened earlier in the series for granted. Just when you think you had the structure of the series figured out, the writers put a monkey wrench into the audience’s comfort zone, and create more reasons to stick around, if you didn’t have enough reason already.

‘Therapy Patrol’ reminds me not to rely on fixed patterns of storytelling for DOOM PATROL. Don’t try to predict the direction where this series takes you because you will get frustrated with the attempt. Instead, just enjoy the ride as DOOM PATROL takes you through various twists and turns that will leave you marveling at the manner the series progresses. Indeed, DOOM PATROL is one of the best if not THE best comic book series adaptations right now.

Viewing Review: Doom Patrol Pilot

DOOM PATROL is the second live action super hero comic book team on DC Universe.  The team is composed of misfits rescued by Dr. Niles Caulder, and given a new life.  What that life is though is far different from what it was before.  The ‘new life’ granted given by Dr. Caulder comes with a few perks, though you can also argue that they double as curses.  To call these misfits a super hero team would be an oversimplification.  Growing together in knowledge, the team members figure out how to use their newfound abilities together while growing as a very dysfunctional family.

You can relax, guys.  This review is SPOILERLESS, so read on as I take you through the first episode without giving away anything…mostly.

The opening credits provides you with the tone that is set for the series.  It’s like a macabre science fiction sequence. As you proceed to the early parts of the episode, you can see that not only is it dark, but it is also for mature audiences.  The sarcasm and ironies suit the storytelling well.  The combination of these thematic elements delivers a tone that is well-suited for DOOM PATROL.

The first episode identifies our key players.  The antagonist, Mr. Nobody, and the members of the Doom Patrol: Dr. Niles Caulder,Robotman, Elasti-Woman, Negative Man, and Crazy Jane. It provides vignettes for each of these players, just so you understand who these characters are.  Though, they aren’t referred to by these names which is quite similar to most of the heroes in TITANS(Robin being the only one named).

Unlike TITANS,  DOOM PATROL is not a household name but to a few of geek niches.  So, this approach allows the audience to ease their way into the minds of these characters.  This was a very shrewd move.  One that was strung together by the primary narrator.  That too is a difference between TITANS and DOOM PATROL: the pilot episode is told from a third person point of view.

The character personalities are established early, and these heroes have truly divergent minds.  These differences provide a lot of layered storytelling for this initial episode while still providing a lot of mystery to move the plot forward.  But, let there no mistake: this is a character driven story.  Again, since the characters are not well-known even in comic book fandom (overshadowed by those mutants in the OTHER great comic book company), this approach provides a lot of intrigue to draw in even the most skeptical of viewers.

In spite of their attempts to have normal lives, the Doom Patrol are reminded constantly that they are not normal.  It’s a sad realization that hits all of them in the gut (except for Crazy Jane).  However, part of the charm of DOOM PATROL is the characters’ acceptance of who they are and moving forward from their disabilities.  They have each other to rely on to hold everything together. And that I think is a true thematic gem that will guide this series to great heights.

There are some self-referential snipes here.  They are few, but they are quite intelligently funny.  When this series was solicited, few people expected a lot from this series. These low expectations have increased the range of success that DOOM PATROL can gain.  Fortunately, it takes advantage of this range by providing an excellent beginning for a very promising series.  I myself have to admit this series pilot far exceeded my expectations.

The pilot episode establishes the Doom Patrol as more than what they appear.  It urges the audience to look beyond their exteriors, and discover the heroes that are within them.  This is the hook, and it works.  I’m ecstatic for DOOM PATROL, and I’m looking forward to where this ride will take me next.