Review: Justice League of America / Doom Patrol: Milk Wars #1
Welcome to a new world, where heroes are sanitized for the masses, repackaged to cater to a new audience. No, this isn’t another “New Re 52 Birth” scheme from DC Comics; instead its an almost satirical look at their, and to be fair Marvel’s, marketing strategy which can alienate fans just as easy as acquiring new ones.
The Doom Patrol have discovered the shady company, RetCo, has been taking stories, giving them a polish and sending them out minus aggressive tendencies, effectively warping the universe as the changes take hold. This of course affects the Justice League of America, which truth be told could do with some adjustments to make it readable. It’s the non event of the years as mis-fit heroes go up against their biggest challenge; psychedelic cow juice…..and the Doom Patrol.
Steve Orlando and Gerard Way are the co-writers who may have taken a sip of Kool-Aid in putting pen to paper for this book. There is a certain amount of eye-winking going on, with the changes on show only working if you have a working knowledge of all involved. That said, speaking as not the biggest Doom Patrol reader, the oddness of the team is refreshing, if a little head scratching at times. For “serious-minded” superhero fans, there is no explanation as to why or how a character’s father is a crossdressing ambulance; it just is, accept it! The dialogue in the book is breezy enough to engage the reader and the idea of Milkman Man is a true stroke of genius as is the Rhode Island Community League!
Aco is the illustrator for the majority of the book, giving the book a streamlined look that could be seen as a shock to the superhero grandiose that few books actually deliver. As Orlando and Way try to weave their subversive meanderings, the greater impact of how the League is changed is served by the art. Yes, there are no fishnets, at least for a while. Arco doesn’t fail to deliver in mirroring the overall idea. Tamara Bonvillain and Marissa Louise provide the colors in an almost pastel feel which again gives that looking through a different lens impression. Thrown in for good measure is an old school Doom Patrol story, which, depending on your point of view, will either hep or hinder you.
Reading this book, with its simplicity of intent, I am reminded of quite of lot of the movies Pleasantville and The Truman Show. If you fancy a walk on the non-straightforward, pot shot taking side, this book could be just the one to compliment the more standard superhero books in your collection and a great way to start becoming familiar with the Young Animal imprint.
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by, Steve Orlando & Gerard Way
Art by, ACO & Hugo Petrus
Colors by; Tamara Bonvillain & Marissa Louise
Letters by Clem Robins
Published by; Young Animal / DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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