Unstoppable Doom Patrol #3

COMICON

Robotman and Negative Man go up against the Green Lantern Corps as they take in another new waive and stray looking to be understood. But, as the galaxy's police squad, the Green Lanterns would rather shoot first and ask questions last. Which makes up for a conflict in the making in ‘Unstoppable Doom Patrol' #3 by Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham.

Comic Watch

Many fans of this series may not know that the premise behind this issue is what writer Dennis Culver originally pitched to DC before this series came to fruition. The issue is one long chase, with Robotman using his skills as a former race car driver to try and evade the Green Lanterns. In tow is a metahuman who goes by Starbro, someone whose metahuman genes activated when Starro attempted to take control of him, granting him authority of the Starro face mask and giving him quasi-Starro powers. The Green Lanterns here are justifiably concerned since Starro is such a significant threat in the galaxy. This creates an interesting dynamic between the Doom Patrol and the Lanterns, where there is no right or wrong answer in handling this individual. (....) The art from Burnham soars in the high-concept sci-fi parts, where he draws everything from Starro taking over a planet to the rest of the team fighting Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man. Doom Patrol has always been an off-the-wall conceptual series, so Burnham fits like a glove when it comes to all of the craziness. That’s not to say that the softer moments are lost, with Burnham bringing immense care to the discussions between Negative Man, Starbro, and Robotman throughout the issue. Their conversations are nuanced, fitting the more prominent theme of the narrative, but Burnham brings them to life, giving these unusual characters a unique sense of humanity. (...) Unstoppable Doom Patrol #3 takes all the action of a Fast and Furious movie and infuses it with this series’ charm. The themes continue to stand tall while the art team blows away every page and panel.

DC Comics News

Unstoppable Doom Patrol is the book that shows trauma survivors picking up and carrying on, and I cannot ascribe enough value to it for that. Keep up the good work Dennis, Chris, Brian and Pat, youve all got a fan for life in me.

AIPT

Unstoppable Doom Patrol has been a delight as part of the Dawn of DC initiative. The new series has captured the quirky and weirdness of the team, but also their kindness. In the latest issue, Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham have two members of the Doom Patrol on the run from Green Lanterns who want to arrest an innocent kid whose metagene has put them in a tricky position. (...) Unstoppable Doom Patrol #3 is another great chapter in a series that’s easy to fall in love with. From the endearing main characters to the weird new heroes they’re trying to save, this book feels truly special. Like I’ve said before, can we get this upgraded to an ongoing series?

Geek Dad

Three issues in, this series seems to be all over the map—literally. That’s a good thing, as the motley crew of the Doom Patrol heads across the country to help mysterious metahumans gain control of their powers and stay ahead of the law. This issue takes them to Reno, Nevada—for a mission that puts them in the sights of the Green Lantern Corps. That’s because they’re trying to help a teenager who has bonded with a spore of Starro the Conqueror, but had unique metahuman abilities that allowed him to maintain his mind and create a new hive-mind combining them both. The result is… Starbro, a psychic bro-dude with a starfish on his face, who kind of just wants to vibe and is enthusiastic about working with the Doom Patrol. The problem is, the Green Lantern Corps have deemed anything Starro-related to be an imminent threat—and are willing to tear Reno apart to get it. It’s Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner who draw the short end of the stick and have to take on this mission, with the two playing the good cop-bad cop routine pretty well. Negative Man plays the starring role in the Doom Patrol this issue, with his negative spirit wreaking havoc on the Lanterns pretty effectively. There is also some great material involving the unconventional identities that some members of the Doom Patrol have, with a conversation between Robotman and Negative Man having some surprising heft. Chris Burnham’s art continues to be a massive highlight, with the kinetic energy and gross-out effects being note-perfect for this property. Overall, this issue is missing the other characters just a bit, given the last issue’s cliffhanger, but these oddball done-in-one adventures are a lot of fun and are giving some unexpected new characters the spotlight in every issue.

Major Spoilers

There’s a lot of complaining about how DC’s output has become saturated with Batman books, but Unstoppable Doom Patrol #3 reminds us that verisimilitude, diversity, and off-the-beaten path storytelling is still possible in the confines of the shared universe. If we want to convince the editorial departments that other comic properties can sell, we must support the weird books, and this one makes that proposition easy for readers by just plain being excellent.

First Comics News

The latest issue of UDP finds Robotman and Negative Man coming to the aid of a metahuman who’s under the influence of a Starro but then things kick into overdrive when Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner are in pursuit. Yes, the battle between the Doom Patrol and the Green Lantern Corps (Gardner and Rayner representing them) has that vintage feel to it that anyone will appreciate while also being entertaining but would I love to see both Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham on a Green Lantern Corps book?! The answer to that is a solid YES!!

The Super Powered Fancast

The Story: A fun, funny and entertaining story that is helped tremendously by the inclusion of Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner. The story has a lot of fun elements and a quirky sensibility that is engaging to fans of the characters. I like the chase elements of the story and how entertaining the Starbro character is as well. The Art: Burnham has a unique visual style and it works perfectly with the style and sensibilities of the story.

ComicBook.com

If you've ever wanted to see the Green Lantern Corps. vs. Doom Patrol, this is the issue for you. The reason behind their clash is rather heartwarming, since Robotman and Negative Man are helping someone whose metahuman powers have merged with a Starro. We mostly follow the adventure through the eyes of Robotman, Negative Man, Starbro, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner, but seeing them all use their powers is enough to keep us entertained throughout.

Lyles Movie Files

Dennis Culver is starting to develop a pattern with this title. The portrayal of the Doom Patrol is excellent with the characters quickly resonating as an intriguing and entertaining team. And when he focuses on the Patrol, Culver writes an engaging story. It’s when Culver feels the need to throw in some guest stars. That’s always a quick and easy way to drum up sales, but the execution has been spotty since Culver writes the cameo heroes as morons to make the Patrol look better. The thing is Culver is shortchanging the team by making them outwit watered down versions of highly competent heroes. This issue the conflict with Green Lanterns Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner as they attempt to stop Robotman and Negative Man from offering a Starro fragment sanctuary. That’s a fun concept even with Culver treating these advanced Lanterns like remedial threats. Chris Burnham remains consistent with solid and crisp artwork. This issue featured some massive battles and smart perspectives to convey the threat, which Burnham handled very well. Colorist Brian Reber keeps the vibrant palette in play to maintain the series’ brightness in the face of chaos approach. With a greater focus on solely the Doom Patrol, next issue should provide issue #2 was not a fluke. Even though this installment was kind of hit or miss, Unstoppable Doom Patrol has enough new concepts and characters and most importantly risk-taking to always make it more interesting and worth exploring beyond these six issues.

Graham Crackers Comics

Only 6 issues, that appears to be all we are going to get here but we are halfway done and we are still introducing new characters, new concepts, and new plot points. I can only hope that writer Dennis Culver know something we don’t. Like a possible on going series? If not issues 5 and 6 are going to get messy. And while I am enjoying this wacky trip through the DC Universe, I’m not sure where it’s leading us. Batman, Green Lanterns, a new version of Starro, Smallville, all very enjoyable but while the Doom Patrol are collecting new misfits while fighting old foes I’m not seeing the endgame purpose. Plus I can’t help but shake the uneasy feeling that Dawn of DC new title are just the newest version of New 52 titles series 3. At least with this title I’m enjoying myself. Having fun while being understandably cautious.

Weird Science DC Comics

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #3 has interesting, amusing moments and interesting, amusing action, but it falls short in the one area where it matters most - there is no plot. Chris Burnham's character art hits an unpleasant limitation in this issue, and the mini-series doesn't appear to have a point or direction. Quirky is good, but quirky isn't enough.