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Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7
Writer: Dennis Culver
Artist: Chris Burnham
Color Artist: Brian Reber
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Reviewed by Davydh Tidey
Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 is a book I’ve been excited about yet simultaneously dreading for some time now. Keep reading; it’s a positive review, I promise.
The final issue of this series has everything you could possibly want and have come to expect from this bombastic, exciting, heartbreaking series. This is one for the fans.
Positives
This is it, the final execution. The DP, Flex Force, the ‘Brotherhood of Evil or whatever’ and our new (but instantly recognizable) players on the field are all where they need to be for the final grand plan. Everything’s coming together, just as our villains planned.
Except, well, they’re the Doom Patrol… and you can never account for the Doom Patrol.
This series has never been shy about referencing old-school DP, bringing back characters from classic runs like there’s no tomorrow. From Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollack all the way through to Gerard Way, there’s a deep mythology to draw from, and that’s being done to full effect. Even Lotion is here, I love Lotion!
Not to say that there aren’t some new and surprising characters along the way, giving us an ending and a setup for Vol 2 that just can’t be ignored.
Speaking of that ending, all I’ll say is, never play cards with Dennis Culver, his poker face is pretty incredible.
Culver has achieved something really special with this series. From sources old and new, he’s created a story that not only moves the DP forward as both people and as a team but he also reconciles their pasts and helps them face the future with a newfound strength.
Wherever they end up next, these characters are forever changed, and Unstoppable Doom Patrol will always be influential for them. I’d love for this series to continue forever, and I have no doubt we’ll be getting that Vol 2, but its legacy will last far longer than that. Not many creators can say that for the characters they’ve worked on, and all praise for this run is well deserved.
This series would not have been the same without Chris Burnham and Brian Reber’s amazing artwork. As I’ve said before, the thick, dramatic linework and bold colors really make this book special and give it one of the most unique aesthetics on the shelves. Maximum effort has been put into every panel and every page of Unstoppable Doom Patrol, and it shows. Similarly, Pat Brosseau’s lettering has always been unique and distinct adding so much to the style of the book, I couldn’t not mention it for the final issue.
Negatives
Zero. Zip. Nada.
This was the ending we needed and deserved. I just don’t know if I can deal with waiting for Vol 2!
Conclusion
Here it is, the end of the ride. Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 wraps up an unforgettable series for the team and closes the book on one of the best DC series of the year.
With the renewed popularity of these characters, it’s inevitable that we’ll see them all again, in some way, shape, or form. I sincerely it’s in the form of an Unstoppable Doom Patrol Vol 2, because Culver, Burnham, Reber, and Brosseau’s interpretation of these characters has become one of my favorites.
The Doom Patrol will return.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
