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Doom Patrol (2009)
Doom Patrol, Vol. 2: Brotherhood
The World’s Strangest Heroes, the Doom Patrol, return in this eagerly anticipated relaunch of the classic, irreverent franchise.
These new adventures find the Doom Patrol facing off against a pandimensional wrecking crew who have come to Oolong Island looking for something specific – and the Doom Patrol had better find it while there’s still an island left! Don’t miss assassins made out of porcelain, The Brotherhood of Evil and a new squad of enemies called the Front Men!
These new adventures find the Doom Patrol facing off against a pandimensional wrecking crew who have come to Oolong Island looking for something specific – and the Doom Patrol had better find it while there’s still an island left! Don’t miss assassins made out of porcelain, The Brotherhood of Evil and a new squad of enemies called the Front Men!
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2011
43 people want to read
About the author
Keith Giffen
1,932 books217 followersKeith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 13, 2023
Better than the first volume in almost every way! While Giffen really zeroes in on the characters and the drama here-- his resurrected Rita Farr is a masterstroke, making the character far more of a tragic figure than she ever was before-- the big swings of the book are clever expansions and twists on ideas from the classic Grant Morrison run, introducing a new, insidious evil force that completely recontextualizes everything: CAPITALISM!!!
To begin with, the book presents a genuine threat to the whimsical entity known as Danny the Street by introducing evil multi-dimensional gentrifiers, who decimate Danny until all that remains is a brick. It's a BRILLIANT pitch and a distressingly relevant story angle to read about in a time when rents are skyrocketing and unregulated real estate markets favor exploitative land developers over the people who need housing.
Next up is a new take on the Brotherhood of Evil/Dada, who are reimaging as a corporate-sponsored superteam re-dubbed "the Front Men". The team is still evil, but their corporate masters use media framing and spin to make the Front Men seem like heroes who are trying to stop the wildly out-of-control Doom Patrol (even through the Front Men instigate all their battles). It's an incisive critique of the media's tendency to uncritically regurgitate the stories they're told by the loudest voices, which... yeah, which has gotten us into a LOT of trouble in the decade since this was published.
And finally, there's the villain behind it all: Mr. Nobody, who has decided to make himself into a "Mr. Somebody" by renouncing his philosophy of dada and anarchy in favor of pure capitalist power. He is the ultimate sellout: someone who once claimed to be an idealist, revealed to be little more than a self-interested nihilist by jumping onto the corporate bandwagon and becoming a suit. It's the trajectory of that segment of the Baby Boomer generation that went from flower children to Reaganites in just twenty years; in an indictment of late-stage capitalism, he's basically the perfect villain.
It KILLS me that this run was cut short by the stupidly short-sighted New-52 reboot of DC Comics. Giffen's Doom Patrol is phenomenal, and I wish it could have gone on for years.
To begin with, the book presents a genuine threat to the whimsical entity known as Danny the Street by introducing evil multi-dimensional gentrifiers, who decimate Danny until all that remains is a brick. It's a BRILLIANT pitch and a distressingly relevant story angle to read about in a time when rents are skyrocketing and unregulated real estate markets favor exploitative land developers over the people who need housing.
Next up is a new take on the Brotherhood of Evil/Dada, who are reimaging as a corporate-sponsored superteam re-dubbed "the Front Men". The team is still evil, but their corporate masters use media framing and spin to make the Front Men seem like heroes who are trying to stop the wildly out-of-control Doom Patrol (even through the Front Men instigate all their battles). It's an incisive critique of the media's tendency to uncritically regurgitate the stories they're told by the loudest voices, which... yeah, which has gotten us into a LOT of trouble in the decade since this was published.
And finally, there's the villain behind it all: Mr. Nobody, who has decided to make himself into a "Mr. Somebody" by renouncing his philosophy of dada and anarchy in favor of pure capitalist power. He is the ultimate sellout: someone who once claimed to be an idealist, revealed to be little more than a self-interested nihilist by jumping onto the corporate bandwagon and becoming a suit. It's the trajectory of that segment of the Baby Boomer generation that went from flower children to Reaganites in just twenty years; in an indictment of late-stage capitalism, he's basically the perfect villain.
It KILLS me that this run was cut short by the stupidly short-sighted New-52 reboot of DC Comics. Giffen's Doom Patrol is phenomenal, and I wish it could have gone on for years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2016
The only thing about this run I found interesting was that Giffen attempts to include ALL prior contunuity, which covers about 5 different Eras of DP history dating back to 1960s. (He even included the mediocre Byrne run!) --That made it kinda cool in one aspect only, as every few pages you are quizzed with a "spot the callback reference to better days" and if it WAS something you happened to have experienced way back when, you briefly felt warm & tingly inside, before being bored to death by the current story.....This run is what you would call a "workman-like, journeyman" effort. Everything is professionally done, but there is no real passion or energy in any of this and the attempts at surrealism fell flat. This is a non-essential work. There was honestly no reason for this incarnation of DP to even exist as there was really nothing left to say. Dull. Boring. Avoid.
February 16, 2011
I wanted to like this volume more than I did, and think part of the reason is writer Keith Giffen's dabbling with surrealism. It's just surrealism is not exactly my cup of tea when it comes to reading or movies. Giffen really does know the book's history as he brings in multiple concepts and characters from Grant Morrison's surreal run with the title. In addition, he even trots out Jost from a very unsuccessful revival a couple of years back. There are plusses here. The ongoing politics on the island and the growth, yes growth of the main characters, especially Rita.
October 27, 2018
Pretty solid effort on Griffen's part.
Yes, it has his trademark 'everyone must speak in clever one liners', but he tones down the comedy, digs deep into the Patrols convoluted history and builds a solid emotional core to the team.
Like that he tries to create an ensemble around the main trio. Shame that he doesn't seem to know what to do with half of them.
He taps into that surreal vibe that every writer post-Morrison has tried for, while writing some decent super hero action set pieces.
Probably the best thing Griffen has written in a decade.
Yes, it has his trademark 'everyone must speak in clever one liners', but he tones down the comedy, digs deep into the Patrols convoluted history and builds a solid emotional core to the team.
Like that he tries to create an ensemble around the main trio. Shame that he doesn't seem to know what to do with half of them.
He taps into that surreal vibe that every writer post-Morrison has tried for, while writing some decent super hero action set pieces.
Probably the best thing Griffen has written in a decade.
July 26, 2014
Definitely stronger than the first volume, I think in large part because Giffen has decided to more fully acknowledge his Morrison heritage. The final issue, about Rita, is particularly good. However the stories in this volume bizarrely don't seem to go anywhere. Major villains are introduced and fights are begun ... and they stop, and there's no indication why. I felt like I was missing issues as I read, and that ultimately detracted from the enjoyment of any weirdness.
December 21, 2020
This book was much better upon a reread. The first time I read this, I lacked context to understand this. This volume is not new reader friendly. Knowledge of the Doom Patrol’s core cast is necessary to follow the stakes of this story. Without that knowledge, much of the charm present here can be overlooked.
July 2, 2012
This book series started off like gangbusters, and once again they break up the key characters and we're just supposed to keep reading and enjoy.
September 16, 2013
As soon as Jane and Danny returned, I atarted warming to this series. And what Giffen reveals about the main trio of the DP is truly horrific and heartbreaking.
April 17, 2017
According to Wikipedia this series was cut short due to low sales.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews