TITANS #27 (DC COMICS)

After Deathstroke returns, the Titans need time to recover. Their conflict had a personal wound left on Beast Boy. Needing time off, he returned to his “second family”. The Doom Patrol welcomed him and Cyborg for a visit that turned business quickly.

An old rival has emerged and taken Negative Man & Beast Girl. Zookeeper is back. Is the combined effort of Titans and the Patrol ready for this return?

TITANS #27 by John Layman, Max Raynor, Matt Herms and Wes Abbott continues the wild team-up of heroes.

Let’s take a deeper dive on to where events go now.

TITANS #27 by John Layman, Max Raynor, Matt Herms and Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Layman plays up to the quirkiness of this team-up. The re-introduction to Zookeeper is a nice touch. Readers get a full understanding of who he is and why. This moves events along to its’ current dilemma. The writing lets Beast Boy shine while things fall apart. It serves as a solid refresh for his character. As solid as this moment is, it is eclipsed by another.

Cyborg’s heart-to-metal talk with Robotman steals the show. Knowing how very similar these two are allows the Titan to open up. The dialogue hits the major points of what his struggles deal with. Seeing Robotman be a voice of reason strikes a chord with readers. It helps to get the hero back on a positive track. This helps to assist in the main conflict.

The writing stages action very traditionally. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. These moments come across very well. It allows for a few fun moments to creep in before wrapping events up. Readers watch as the door is left open for more meetings in the future. Once the story goes to close, everything has changed. It is a hard reset lending itself to a larger picture n the horizon. An enjoyable read never the less.

Raynor and Herms set up the Zookeeper sequence with a few different looks. Flashback moments have a varied coloring to the panels. The art leans in on the key reveals before it ends. The final result is a full page image that starts off this issue’s conflict. Readers watch as the heroes converse about best plans. It leads to a solid half page panel featuring a few transformations.

The weight of Cyborg and Robotman can’t be denied in their panels. Vic Stone is clearly impacted by Robotman’s words. They are subtle panels but nail the key points. This moves events to the main fight with the art letting loose. In dealing with changelings, the imagination can run wild. The near full page reflects that view. It helps to compliment the fast action and unique end to the fight. Readers watch as this portion ends on a high note before changing directions in close. The full final page doesn’t pull punches as the next round is taking a bold swing. Get ready.

OVERALL GRADE: 8.4

The Titans/Doom Patrol team-up ends on an entertaining note before more trouble arrives. Layman pens a steady superhero tale with the writing. Raynor and Herms mix in some needed drama in between the action. It is a enjoyable set-up before darker times arrive for the DCU.

Let me know your thoughts on Titans #27 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

DOOM PATROL Season Four part 1 review (HBO MAX)

Welcome to a very special edition of Parlay points, the comic book blog to the ODPH Podcast. For this entry, we are checking out the return of one of the best television/streaming shows, let alone best comic book shows to hit the airwaves. Making its’ season four debut on HBO Max on December 8th, DOOM PATROL is back with an all new season! From their comic debut in DC Comics in 1963 to being one of the initial starter shows for the DC Universe service in February 2019 (along with “Titans” which just returned to HBO Max a few wees back), the quirky superhero team has won over fans with their unique adventures.

Season Four kicks off a very busy season for the heroes as they are slated to have a brand new series, “The Unstoppable Doom Patrol” by Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham, featured as a part of DC Comics’ new “Dawn Of DC” initiative slated in March 2023. I can’t stress enough: if you like what you’ve seen thus far on the show, make sure to sign up for DC Comics Infinite and check out some of their great comic stories. You will see the influence of the Grant Morrison run throughout the tv series.

Speaking of the series, DOOM PATROL will debut its’ first two episodes on December 8th with single episodes running thru January 5th before taking break and resuming later in 2023. The ODPH podcast was granted early screening privileges to the series premiere so here is out SPOILER FREE review!

Doom Patrol Season Four - Airing on HBO Max starting December 8th

Photo Credit: HBO Max

In case you are not familiar with the Doom Patrol, they are a group of super powered individuals who are flawed but still push forward somehow saving the world in the process. The team is comprised of:

Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby) who can stretch her skin but struggles to maintain it,

Negative Man (Matt Bomer), who radiates a dark energy being inside of him

Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), who’s multiple personalities each have their own powers

Robotman (Brendan Fraser), who’s human brain was installed into a robotic body

All of which were at one point being helped by Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) until a massive reveal in season 1 fractures everything. Cyborg (Joivan Wade), the longtime member of the Teen Titans and most recently the Justice League, was added to this line-up for the series since the beginning. Cyborg is half man, half robot following an accident at his father’s lab. Joining the team this season is Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez), a “frenemy” last season who can change her shape.

Throughout the previous seasons, the team has dealt with their haunting pasts, personal discoveries and encountered a wide variety of characters such as Danny the Street, Mr. Nobody, Kipling, Gargaux The Decimator and the Sisterhood of Dada to name a few. To say there is no show like this on TV/Streaming is an understatement. The adventures have lived up to their comic book legacy leaning heavily into their time on the “DC Vertigo” Mature Readers and “Young Animal” imprint style of story. It stands out on its own due to its incredible ensemble cast.

How Diane Guerrero hasn’t won an Emmy for this role is a complete travesty in my humble opinion. The same can be said for Frasier, Bowlby and Bomer who each have had standout arcs within the first three seasons. This show transcends the typical super hero formula as its strongest themes are how these individuals deal with their own personal issues and push forward to do the right thing, even if they have no shot of winning. Heading to season four, the bar has been set very high for this show. Does it hit the mark?

Diane Guerrero, Jiovan Wade, Brendan Fraser, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, Michelle Gomez

Doom Patrol Season Four - Airing on HBO Max starting December 8th

Photograph by Dan McFadden/HBO Max

The answer is a resounding YES! Season Four kicks off with the group “working” as a team under the leadership guise of Elasti-Woman. The first mission viewers see goes off as one would expect with this team and is a perfect way to kick the season. From here, the team’s plan of a simple trip post mission goes drastically wrong. With a detour into the future, the Doom Patrol gets exposed to what might be the end of the world and at what cost it might take to stop it.

From the initial start, viewers can bank on another strong season from Diane Guerrero, who handles such a complex character with seemingly ease switching personas as per the story direction. Jane’s story continues to be one of the noteworthy plots of this show. Guerrero persists making Jane a must watch factor of this show. However, the one character to keep an eye on this season will be Jiovan Wade’s Cyborg. From the offset, he looks to have a big story line on the horizon. This will be a great upgrade for Cyborg, as he’s been the “outsider” of the group for quite some time. Personally, I think the banter back and forth between Bowlby and Gomez, who is such a great addition to the show, will make for quite a few memorable scenes.

This season doesn’t stray away from the winning formula that has made the show such a hit from the beginning. The writers continue to embrace the challenge of each individual’s struggles while braving the offbeat surroundings they find themselves in. Viewers can easily connect and root for this group of misfit toys because each actor isn’t holding back from adding to the emotional depth of their characters. For as much as this show doesn’t fit into a certain mold, it makes its own that more shows should follow.

Doom Patrol Season Four - Airing on HBO Max starting December 8th

Photo credit: HBO Max

FINAL POINT: Let’s get weird for all the right reasons! Season Four of Doom Patrol comes out the gates swinging with a perfect blend of delight and dysfunction. The story looks as it will challenge the team more than they ever have been before. Viewers can tag along and witness strong performances from Guerrero, Fraser, Bomer and the team as they navigate to find a way to help save the world and each other in the process.

Hit me up on the ODPH social media accounts and let me know what your thoughts are on Doom Patrol.

Thanks again to HBO Max for the early screener access!

Thanks for reading!