Doom Partrol - Grant Morrison

 

I guess back in the 60’s I never really realized quite how fucked up the concept of the Doom Patrol was. I mean, Marvel had misfits like the X-Men, the Thing, the Hulk and others, but the DP was something altogether different. Maybe it was because of how DC generally kept things pretty light hearted in the 60’s - and while I don’t remember details, I bet that included the DP. But man, a human brain trapped in a robot, a “negative man” who had to always be wrapped in bandages, a paraplegic leader (based on the X-Men, natch) and more. Kinda crazy in a way…And now, they are joined by a multiple personality called, quaintly, Crazy Jane, and each personality has their own super power!

All of the stories also seem to have a psychic, psychotic quality and tend to be based in some sort of madness made incarnate, making for some truly surreal stories. Extraordinarily surreal - and surreally depicted - are the Brotherhood of the Dada, "villains" who do not wage a war for power or riches but wage a war on reality itself and, in doing so, manage to eradicate Paris! 

Definitely not the usual superhero fare, as mental illnesses are highlighted throughout and are the basis for the tales, and the strange characters all have numerous issues (including the supposedly "normal" "Chief", who just seems like a jerk most of the time), so we are certainly not revisiting the DC Doom Patrol of the 60's! Weird, fairly nonlinear stuff - if you're into that sort of thing, it's worth checking out!