BYRNE RELAUNCHES THE DOOM PATROL IN JUNE FOR DC

[MattBrady]

On his messageboard, John Byrne has announced that his next project for DC will be a relaunch of Doom Patrol.

While Byrne is remaining somewhat tight-lipped about the news the group will include - as will a handful of new, yet unnamed members - apparently, Niles Caulder - the Chief; the Cliff Steel Robotman, Rita Farr - Elasti-Girl; and Larry Trainor - Negative Man.

As for the feel of the book, Byrne said that the series’ catchphrase is “Together Again for the First Time!” – this given the team’s “appearance” in the pages of JLA #94. In regards to an explanation, Byrne related that their JLA appearance is the first time they have appeared openly in the DCU, although Batman knows something about them, and Ray Palmer (the Atom) has a connection with them.

Byrne also has referred to the relaunch as a reboot in the style of Wonder Woman, which many have taken to mean that the characters will be introduced fresh, without references to previous continuities or earlier adventures. This is referenced in JLA #94 when the character resembling Robotman is told by a wheelchair bound character that he (and the rest of the team) is not ready to go out into the field.

It's little secret that Byrne has long been a huge fan of the team and characters. He wrote and illustrated the team's classic origin in Secret Origins v.3 Annual #1 in 1987.

The series, according to Byrne will launch in June, with Byrne writing and pencilling. Mike Carlin will edit the series.

This will be DC's fourth go at a Doom Patrol series - kind of. While the team first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80, (1963) the series changed its name to Doom Patrol with #86, as the feature proved to be quite popular with readers...

Until around #121 - the team's popularity had faded, and instead of cancelling the series and leaving the characters in limbo, DC opted to kill the team, quite dramatically.

A new version of the team resurfaced in Showcase #94, with Robotman teh only holdout from the original team, but that version only lasted two issues in Showcase.

The publisher restarted the series again in 1987, but as popularity waned yet again, DC opted to make a Swamp Thing-like Hail Mary pass to a relative unknown and see what he could do with it - Grant Morrison. Under Morrison, the book moved far from the realm of traditional super-heroes, and eventually came under the Vertigo imprint.

Cancelled roughly two years after Morrison left, the series most recent incarnation was launched in 2001, written by John Arcudi and illustrated by Tang Eng Huat, and was cancelled in 2003.

[JohnPopa]

If we're betting I say we see Darkseid or a New God before Issue 8.

[Zadillo]

Interesting, so this finally confirms the "mystery book" that Byrne had been working on. Anyone remember when he had leaked a page of artwork that seemed to show someone test-flying some high-tech jets, and the file had GLC in it's name?

I guess the question is if GLC stands for anything having to do with the Doom Patrol, or if his sole reason to release the image with that file name was to trick people into thinking he was doing a Green Lantern Corps book.

-Zadillo

[eboladude]

Can the Challengers of the Unknown and Metal Men be far behind?!

[Device]

So after Morrisons revamp and the more recent forward looking series, Byrne is going to give us another 'wild', 'new' take.

...if it were done 20 years ago.

[Vito Delsante]

Actually...

Challengers by Chaykin

Metal Men by Dorkin/Allred

coming to a shop near you

[SuperStories]

Why does he complete reject the latest works, removing conutity, and showing no respect for earlier adventures and with Beast Boy in Teen Titans?

To me if he does not respect others work, why should anyone respect his?

[El Argentino]

YUCK!

12 issues, max.

By the way, I love the Arcudi's series....

[LFKittsteiner]

No more Silver Age throwbacks, please!!!!!!!!

Must go forward!

LFKO.

[dollman]

I'm assuming this series is set in the past, before the original DD was killed? It would be a shame if Byrne ignores all the continuity set up in Morrison's wonderful run.

[kossori]

One of the best new series of the year.

And I was there for the "revealing" last night... and John has made no mention of Gar Logan being a member. Actually he stated that Gar will be the Doom Patrol's Donna Troy as far as history goes.

[Sean Walsh]

Unless I'm reading the original chat transcript, and Byrne's replies, correctly, Gar Logan/Beast Boy is NOT part of this team at all.

Essentially, his connections to the Doom Patrol are being ignored, as Byrne feels it's not an important part of his life (or rather, it can be ignored without negatively affecting his Titan life). Byrne calls him "the Donna Troy of this reboot."

[spider985]

I cannot belive DC canceled the awesome series that was written and drawn by Arcudi and Tan Huat respectively, only to turn around a few months laters and re-launch it with JB!

I for one will pick this up because I like the characters but god forbid, if this is anything like JB's most recent efforts, its going staright to the crapper.

[JohnPopa]

Originally posted by LFKittsteiner
No more Silver Age throwbacks, please!!!!!!!!

Must go forward!

LFKO.

Go Forward? Comics? Are you serious?

[lekvarbun]

Originally posted by SuperStories
Why does he complete reject the latest works, removing conutity, and showing no respect for earlier adventures and with Beast Boy in Teen Titans?

To me if he does not respect others work, why should anyone respect his?

The decision to start from scratch and not reference any previous incarnations was not John's, but the powers that be at DC, specifically Dan DiDio. Mr. Byrne mentioned this on the JBF last night.

[SpyGuy]

Originally posted by MattBrady
While Byrne is remaining somewhat tight-lipped about the news the group will include - as will a handful of new, yet unnamed members - apparently, Niles Caulder - the Chief; the Cliff Steele Robotman, Rita Farr - Elasti-Girl; and Larry Trainor - Negative Man.

It's little secret that Byrne has long been a huge fan of the team and characters. He wrote and illustrated the team's classic origin in Secret Origins v.3 Annual in 1987.

The series, according to Byrne will launch in June, with Byrne writing and pencilling.

Not to be picking nits, but the DP SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL was #1, not #3. #3 was the TEEN TITANS.

And if Byrne is writing and pencilling, please, please, please let someone else be inking and lettering the book...

[LFKittsteiner]

Originally posted by JohnPopa:

Go Forward? Comics? Are you serious?

Kind of. Yeah.

I wonder if Grant Morrison will ever feel the need to do a fill-in issue...

LFKO.

[Trevah]

Originally posted by SpyGuy
I'll be interested to see how Byrne explains the resurrections of The Chief, Rita and Larry considering that all of them were killed off at various points in time. Unless, of course, Byrne simply brings the original DP forward in time just so that he can play with them...

And if Byrne is writing and pencilling, please, please, please let someone else be inking and lettering the book...

New continuity, as per DC's orders. All previous versions of The Doom Patrol are no longer part of DC continuity.

and thank God for that ...

Byrne's only inking the covers. Someone, as yet unnannounced, will be inking the interiors.

I wonder what Geoff Johns has planned for Beast Boy?

Re: the fake page of art people assumed to be Hal.

Isn't one of the Doom Patrol a pilot just like Hal?

Maybe that page was about him.

Re: Reboot.

Besides the Vertigo series by Morrison and the last one, has there ever been a Doom Patrol series set in Post Crisis continuity?

I don't think there has.

Weren't those two series (the Vertigo and DC one) linked?

So if you ignore the Vertigo one that cancels out the second one.

Vertigo comics take place in a reality similar but separate from the DC Universe.

While you may have seen Clark and Bruce in Sandman and Swamp Thing in Aquaman and Daniel in JLA, they aren't the same ones.

Vertigo is more like the mature side of the DC Silver Age while DC is the more heroic side of Vertigo.

All of the above gives Byrne a clean way to reintroduce the Doom Patrol into modern Post Crisis continuity without having to use anything that Morrison or others have done.

[Fazhoul]

I was trying to find where I read it but it was suppossedly Dan Didio's idea to do the "reboot" and not John's. If I can find the thread/page/site again I'll post a link.

[El Argentino]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by LFKittsteiner
No more Silver Age throwbacks, please!!!!!!!!

Must go forward!

LFKO.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Go Forward? Comics? Are you serious?


BWA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally posted by SpyGuy
Not to be picking nits, but the DP SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL was #1, not #3. #3 was the TEEN TITANS.

And if Byrne is writing and pencilling, please, please, please let someone else be inking and lettering the book...

Byrne is only writing and pencilling. He couldn't/wouldn't reveal who the inker is last night.... DC is apparently in control of when that is revealed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the newly DC exclusive Jerry Ordway.

[David P. Lyons]

Originally posted by ManofTheAtom
Re: the fake page of art people assumed to be Hal.

Isn't one of the Doom Patrol a pilot just like Hal?

Maybe that page was about him.

Re: Reboot.

Besides the Vertigo series by Morrison and the last one, has there ever been a Doom Patrol series set in Post Crisis continuity?

I don't think there has.

Weren't those two series (the Vertigo and DC one) linked?

So if you ignore the Vertigo one that cancels out the second one.

Vertigo comics take place in a reality similar but separate from the DC Universe.

While you may have seen Clark and Bruce in Sandman and Swamp Thing in Aquaman and Daniel in JLA, they aren't the same ones.

Vertigo is more like the mature side of the DC Silver Age while DC is the more heroic side of Vertigo.

All of the above gives Byrne a clean way to reintroduce the Doom Patrol into modern Post Crisis continuity without having to use anything that Morrison or others have done.

No.

The Doom Patrol appeared in the post-Crisis JLA: Year One, where the Patrol played a somewhat important role, and also in the Silver Age crossover event in 2000.

It's a rewrite, but I don't mind it, and I hope it isn't explained: I think the better approach is simply to ignore the continuity-ness of the earlier stories, enjoy them on their own, and leave them at that.

[IanZL]

Originally posted by dollman
I'm assuming this series is set in the past, before the original DD was killed? It would be a shame if Byrne ignores all the continuity set up in Morrison's wonderful run.

That is EXACTLY what he is doing. Following Morrison must have been too hard.

[MattBrady]

Originally posted by SpyGuy
Not to be picking nits, but the DP SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL was #1, not #3. #3 was the TEEN TITANS.

Right - but the series was volume 3. "#1" added in.

Regardless, it was a fine story...

MattB