Hey, let's all read GRANT MORRISON'S DOOM PATROL

in

By Zack Quaintance — I’ve been doing a one-issue-per-night reading project on Twitter basically since September 2018 or so, having in that fashion read Sandman, Hellboy, Animal Man, and, most recently, Stray Bullets. Now, I’d like to read Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol run, on which his primary artistic collaborator is Richard Case, who just does phenomenal work. At the same time, I’d also like to be more communal and organized about it, which is why I’ve created this page.

Yes folks, for the first time I’ve created a landing page to serve as a centralized location for anyone who wants to read along with me on a nightly basis. If, in fact, anyone does. If not, I’m contented reading it alone publicly as a way to keep me accountable to a pace of progress, and to solicit takes on the issues from anyone who follows me on Twitter.

But if you’d also like to read Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol run, I’d love to have you along. Here’s how I’m doing it.

  • I’m reading all of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol, which starts with Doom Patrol Vol. 2 #19 and runs through Doom Patrol Vol. 2 #63, and also includes The Legendary Doom Patrol Special #1.

  • I’m keeping my posts organized with the hashtag #OnDoomPatrol

  • And I’m posting about one issue per night starting Friday, May 8. I will generally try to post at 8:30 p.m. ET, but between 6:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET. is fair game. I’m writing one or two Tweets worth of insight to accompany at least four favorite pages or panels.

That’s it. I may also post some Tweets (or links to Tweets) here as a resource to anyone who wants to catch up later.

You can find all of these comics digitally, collected into three volumes. Links are below, and btw, if you’re reading this before May 11, they’re all on sale very very cheap.

Or for $6 a month, you can get them all via comiXology Unlimited, which is cheaper in the long run.

So, let’s do this! And if you’re somehow reading this site but not following me on Twitter, here’s that link!

Doom Patrol
Writer: Grant Morrison
Main Artist: Richard Case
Publisher: DC Comics - Vertigo
The groundbreaking series from Grant Morrison that led American comics in a wholly unexpected direction. Originally conceived in the 1960s by the visionary team of writer Arnold Drake and artist Bruno Premiani, the Doom Patrol was reborn a generation later through Grant Morrison's singular imagination. Though they are super-powered beings, and though their foes are bent on world domination, convention ends there. Shunned as freaks and outcasts, and tempered by loss and insanity, this band of misfits faces threats so mystifying in nature and so corrupted in motive that reality itself threatens to fall apart around them-but it's still all in a day's work for the Doom Patrol. Written by Grant Morrison and featuring art by Richard Case, John Nyberg, Doug Braithwaite, Scott Hanna and Carlos Garzón, DOOM PATROL BOOK ONE collects issues #19-34 and includes introductions by Morrison and editor Tom Peyer.

Update #1 - Friday, May 15

Well folks, we’re officially one week into this 44-issue read. So far the response to it has been greater than my recent daily reads of every Hellboy Comic Ever and Stray Bullets, and maybe right up there with Animal Man and Sandman. People love this run of Doom Patrol, and I’m having an easy time seeing why. This is perhaps writer Grant Morrison being the most simultaneously odd and earnest he’s ever been, supported by just phenomenal page layouts by artist Richard Case. Sometimes when reading all-time most-beloved run of comics, it takes a few arcs for the Oh, that’s what the big deal is moment to click. Not with this one — it was great from the start.

Here are some of my recent Tweets.

Update Two - Friday, May 29

Phew, we’re really flying through the issues now, and I’ve been struck anew just by how influential this run has been to the Doom Patrol franchise as we know it today. For example, in the past few days reading, we’ve had introductions for both Flex Mentallo AND Danny The Street. Plus, the absurdly good Richard Case artwork has continued as has the incredible idea density penned by Grant Morrison. On to some of the Tweets!

So, those are my three favorite issues from the past two weeks of reading…check back next Friday and keep following along on Twitter!

Also, checkout the Best Comics on ComiXology Unlimited!

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.