This article is part of the DC Database Recommended Reading project, a series of articles written by our editors. They are meant as a guide to help both new and old readers, either getting into comics for the first time or looking to read more on their favorites. These should not be taken as a definitive guide; obviously you can start wherever and with whatever you want, but they're some general suggestions that we think you might find enjoyable.
Group therapy sessions
Doom Patrol is a super-team put together from freaks and outcasts who fight to protect a society that won't accept them as normal. Over the years they have met with many different deaths, resurrections and reinventions at the hands of good and bad writers. In the hands of less talented writers they appear to be nothing more than boring X-Men rip-offs, which is unfortunate considering they came first and provided inspiration to the latter team, albeit never reaching the same level of popularity. Written well they provide some of the most interesting, weirdest, surreal, and sublimely human stories in comic book history. This guide will hopefully help you distinguish between the two.
New readers
- Doom Patrol (Volume 2) is a Vertigo Comics series written by Grant Morrison from issues #19–63 that emphasizes the weirdness of the team with surreal storytelling that takes them into the strangest corners of the DC Universe. Niles Caulder leads Robotman, Rebis and Crazy Jane to become the world's leading experts on dealing with the problems too bizarre for anyone else.
- Doom Patrol (Volume 5) is Keith Giffen's take on the characters, an exciting and action-packed series that breathes new life into the franchise by staying true to the manic creativity and originality of the earliest run.
Further reading
- My Greatest Adventure (Volume 1) starting with issue #80 has the original run of Doom Patrol stories, later changing its title to Doom Patrol (Volume 1) based on the team's popularity. Eventually the series was canceled and ended with the entire team dying in issue #121.
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