Doom Patrol

Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol is probably the title’s most famous period, mostly because the author has gone on to become a massively influential force on the industry. His name on the cover is not the only reason the period is viewed fondly though. Morrison’s Doom Patrol is inventive and bizarre and has a wealth of odd characters populating its pages. Morrison successfully took existing team members and made them his own, something which has developed into a trend as his career has progressed. These are the definitive interpretations of the Doom Patrol regulars.

Unfortunately none of this means it’s a completely flawless read. Various aspects of the book fail to hold up two decades later. While Brian Bolland’s covers are wonderful displays capturing the anarchic plots of the issues they’re for the interior artwork from Richard Case is decidedly of its time. It feels scrappy and rough around the edges, failing to create a feeling that you’re reading something special. He does fare better when creating reasons to empathise with the characters, serving Robotman particularly well.

Another problem is the central villain, revealed in the sixth collected volume. The revelation that the professor has turned bad reads like a shock for the sake of a shock, another trope that has become associated with Grant (see in particular his various Infinite crossovers for DC). It does make sense by the end of the final issue if you’re willing to give the title the benefit of the doubt. The Candlemaker is a poor attempt at a major villain. He has an underwhelming, unmemorable look and motives that are impossible to decipher.

The title loses steam over time. It feels like Morrison becomes disinterested. It’s great until that happens though. Morrison tosses in some truly bizarre ideas. The Brotherhood of Dada is a highlight, a group of rogues who are more interested in causing trouble than world domination (or any other generally recognised trait of comic book villains). Members included a woman who had practically unstoppable powers but could only use them when she was asleep, the concept of distraction, a living whirlwind, and a woman who had every superpower you hadn’t thought of before facing her.

Another intriguing creation is Red Jack. A being that lives off pain and thinks he is both God and Jack the Ripper? The character could have overstayed his welcome but Morrison thankfully uses him judiciously and leaves us wanting more. It’s the kind of creation he is known for these days.

Issue 45 introduces us to the Beard Hunter, a man who hates facial hair so much that he is driven to kill anyone who sports it (a not-at-all-hidden play on the Punisher). Unsurprisingly he targets the only member of the Doom Patrol who has a beard. It’s a weird, silly idea that you couldn’t get away with in most comics. There’s a living street called Danny, an infinite city, scissor men who cut people out of reality, and a bit part golden age homage named Flex Mentallo who proved so popular he got his own miniseries. Morrison tosses out ideas like they’re going out of style.

As mentioned above Morrison serves the regulars well. Cliff remains the relatable everyman similar to the Fantastic Four’s Thing while Negative Woman is revamped into a deliberately unrelatble omnipotent hermaphrodite. The Chief (again, as mentioned) is revealed to have gone a bit wrong, which gives him some substance and a reason for existing beyond being a wafer thin Professor X analogy. It’s a twist for the sake of a twist but it at least makes use of the tools Morrison has at his disposal.

Crazy Jane and Danny the Street are the creative team’s own contributions to the group’s roster, and they also fleshed out a background character that first appeared before they took over into Dorothy Spinner. Danny is the aforementioned sentient street that acts as base of operations for the team. Jane is a young woman with multiple personality disorder, each persona possessing its own power. Dorothy is a young girl with a monkey face who is responsible for the Candlemaker’s existence. The Doom Patrol should’ve offed her when they first met her to save themselves (and us) some bother.

Despite its faults Morrison and Case’s Doom Patrol is a fun and inventive title that never fails to surprise. While its ideas and artwork aren’t the most consistent it’s worth reading for when things go right. Anyone interested in the career progression of Grant Morrison, and his regular themes of sexuality, political commentary, and society’s present and future, will not be disappointed.

Preacher

Usually when I read something (a comic, a book, the back of a cereal packet) I’m reading it for the ideas on display. That’s what attracts me to a title. Plots and characters are important but I can cope with bad ones if there’s enough invention on offer elsewhere.

Preacher is an exception to this. That’s not to say there aren’t any worthwhile ideas in the title. It’s that the characters in it are so memorable and well-developed that they are the highlight of the series. The ideas take a back seat.

The general plot of the series is that Jesse Custer, a disgraced, borderline alcoholic reverend, must locate God and find out why he has abandoned his position. Pretty much all of the plot developments are linked to the series’ central cast or its supporting characters, giving it a slightly slower paced feel than some other Vertigo titles.

Custer (same initials as Jesus Christ, you may have noticed) is a compelling enough central figure. As with all good protagonists he has his own set of morals that he sticks to throughout the book and has a nice selection of problems to overcome. He’s also gifted with a pretty impressive power: The Voice of God. It means that anybody will obey any command given to them by Custer. One amusing example of its use is when a man is instructed to count every grain of sand on a beach.

Custer is also a fan of Westerns. At various points in the title a figure looking very much like John Wayne appears as a sort of spirit guide to give Custer advice. To be honest it can feel a little jarring as it never quite fits with the feel of the rest of the book though. It can make sense, but you have to want it to.

Accompanying Jesse on his search are his on-off girlfriend Tulip O’Hare and new pal Cassidy. Tulip’s good with a gun and Cassidy’s a vampire who likes a drink. The dynamic between the three is one of the driving forces of the series.

Opposing Jesses, because he has obtained The Voice, are The Grail, sort of like an FBI for Christianity. The group is led by Herr Starr, one of the greatest comic book creations ever. Starr’s bad luck and misfortune are one of the series’ many running gags. During the course of the 75 issues he has an ear ripped off, receives a rather unfortunate scar on top of his head, and loses his genitals in a particularly unpleasant manner. His zeal and anger make him a wonderfully over the top character and a highlight of Preacher. The one page scenes that see him trying on various hats and wigs are priceless.

In more ambiguous territory is The Saint of Killers. The patron saint of murderers and assassins is tasked with tracking down Custer by the supposed forces of good. He starts out as a walking weapon but it’s slowly revealed that he was once a good man with his own set of principles, much like Jesse.

Garth Ennis borrows liberally from Western films as well as his own Catholic upbringing for much of the book. They’re not things that you’d immediately affiliate with one another but he manages to make them blend very nicely. Steve Dillon’s artwork is a perfect fit for the author’s vision. His strength is facial expressions as opposed to action set pieces, and it’s the art that really helps to make the relationships between all the main players work.

There are plenty of things that I could mention that people who have read Preacher would agree make the title wonderful. Arseface, for example. A character surviving a tank blast is another. There’s a joke about a sexy cake too. They don’t mean that much out of context, sadly, but do give you an idea of the sort of book Preacher is. It’s not the most mature or subtle Vertigo series ever put out but it is an inventive, quirky book packed with memorable characters, snappy dialogue and clever ideas. It’s regarded as one of the Vertigo imprint’s greatest titles for a reason.