Doom Patrol (4th Series)

    (DC, 2004-2006)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

There wasn’t anything “wrong,” exactly, with the last version of The Doom Patrol. Still, it made the usual mistake of assuming it was about a super–hero team instead of the support group for victims of mad science it’s supposed to be.

John Byrne, the man who almost invented the “going back to basics” concept, clearly gets it—and his approach of ignoring everything but the series’ original run works beautifully. Speaking of beautiful, he’s clearly a bit smitten with Rita Farr (who’s never looked lovelier) and has come up with a more modern, much scarier design for both Larry Trainor (what appears to be an S&M mask instead of Invisible Man–style bandages) and his Negative Man other self (a flying black skeleton).

It’s sharply written, and Byrne’s art hasn’t looked this good for years. Doug Hazelwood’s able inks give his pages both a much–needed polish and a touch of genuine warmth. Keeping a series going these days gets harder and harder, but here’s one that deserves attention.

— S.A. Bennett
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist
#1

4-Aug-2004
Cover Price: $2.50
9 copies available from $1.68 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#2

4-Sep-2004
Cover Price: $2.50
8 copies available from $2.34 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#3

October, 2004
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $3.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#4

November, 2004
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $1.75 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#5

December, 2004
Cover Price: $2.50
5 copies available from $0.99 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#6

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
10 copies available from $0.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#7

February, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
8 copies available from $0.99 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#8

March, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $3.19 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#9

April, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $3.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#10

May, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
6 copies available from $3.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#11

June, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $3.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#12

July, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
4 copies available from $4.00 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#13

August, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
3 copies available from $4.00 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#14

September, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
4 copies available from $2.25 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#15

October, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
5 copies available from $2.25 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#16

November, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
4 copies available from $4.00 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#17

December, 2005
Cover Price: $2.50
3 copies available from $4.00 		John ByrneJohn Byrne
#18

January, 2006
Cover Price: $2.50
7 copies available from $2.50 		John ByrneJohn Byrne