Review: Doom Patrol Weight of the Worlds #3

Doom Patrol, in its many iterations has been among my favorite superhero team titles. Since its Young Animal debut under the guidance of the brilliant Gerard Way the title has returned to the stellar standards set by Grant Morrison back in the halcyon days of the Reagan Era. In the current series, Doom Patrol Weight of the Worlds, Way is exploring more character driven narratives offering deeper glimpses into the mind boggling back stories of some of DC Comics’ most eclectic heroes.

For this issue Way and co-writer Jeremy Lambert have teamed up with fellow maverick creator, writer Steve Orlando. All three writers seem to have similar sensibilities and share an off beat style that is pitch perfect for the Doom Patrol. Presented as issue #172 originally published in March of 2031, the narrative centers on Cliff Steel aka Robotman and his career as a private investigator. The team has been trapped on an inhospitable world that appears to be growing exponentially around them. Cliff is sussing out the mystery as the narrative unfolds, he finds pieces of robots that look very similar to him. Once the team is reunited the clues lead them to Beast Boy who is trapped in the form of a chimpanzee. He is not the only member of the team to take on an unfamiliar or at least altered appearance in this story; Rita Farr has shed her human form and has taken on the visage of Momaw Nodon aka Hammerhead of Star Wars fame albeit in a cute dress, Casey and Crazy Jane are now sharing an identity, as well as a body, now known as Jasey and Cliff is not only a P.I. but, has apparently evolved into a sort of alternate reality called Planet Cliff. Things heat up when further when the trail leads the reunited team right to the headquarters of the Syndicate only to find former team mate Mento has lost his mind. Complicated? Absolutely. Fun? You better believe it! This issue reads like Mickey Spillane writing a travel brochure of William S. Burroughs’ Interzone while on copious amounts or LSD. If you can’t imagine that try Jack Webb reading a Drag Net script on open mic night at the Korova Milk Bar. It’s that kind of party here at Doom Patrol and Way and company are not shy about taking us deeper still down the proverbial rabbit’s hole.

Although the heavy meta elements of the Doom Patrol can be intimidating, they are also the very thing that make this title so intriguing. The complex narrative and imaginative story beats create the perfect environment for these characters to fully develop into the archetypal oddballs we have come to expect of the Doom Patrol roster. This is a collection of crazies that would make David Lynch green with envy and that has always been the attraction of the Doom Patrol. In much the same way that Mike Allred’s Mad Man embodied the Punk Rock ethic of decades past, Gerard Way’s iteration of the Doom Patrol conveys that off kilter, outside-the-box sensibility that was usually reserved for the lyrics of a Ramones album.

As good as the writing is in this issue, and it is very, very good, the spotlight is almost stolen by Evan “Doc” Shaner’s fantastic artwork. Shaner’s style fits the Doom Patrol like a leopard print leotard fit drag superstar Divine and to equally stunning effect. He draws Robotman like he created the character, in fact the same could be said for the entire team. Shaner’s crisp, clean interior lines in his character designs as well as his backgrounds show a meticulous attention to detail. Those elements of visual storytelling combined with Tamra Bonvillain’s nuanced coloring give this issue a vintage feel that perfectly leans into the pulp crime novel aspects of the narrative.

If you missed the first two issues of this series, I strongly recommend picking them up before number four hits the racks. The Young Animal debut series of Doom Patrol has been collected in trade paperback form and while you can certainly read this series without reading it, why knowingly deny yourself the mind melting pleasure of a trip on Danny the Street with the Doom Patrol. 5/5

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Writers- Gerard Way, Jeremy Lambert, Steve Orlando
Artist- Evan “Doc” Shaner
Colors- Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer- Simon Bowland