Doom Patrol collections and Doom Patrol sales

[Mutant 77]

Hello guys,

Just few questions. The fantastic and brilliant Doom Patrol TV show (a real masterpiece) just turned me into a crazy Doom Patrol fan again...

1- Sales of the Doom Patrol from 1963 to 1968. Have they been good, all in all?

2- The first DP collection ("The Archives") featuring the Drake run... has it been carefully restored and "revitalized" when it has been reprinted?

3- Was the Morrison run highly successful in terms of sales?


Thank you so much, really.

[Zero Hunter]

Out of all the run since the original Morrison did have the longest run with 45 issues. Everyone else usually makes it about 20 or so issues. Rachel Polack took over after Morrison and the book lasted 24 more issues before getting cancelled.

John Arcudi had a new series after which made it 22 issues.

John Byrne had a series after that which made it 18 issues (which is more than is deserved because it was awful)

Keith Giffen then had a series that lasted 22 issue.

Gerald Way current series that is at 12 issues.

I loved the Arcudi and Giffen runs but it does seem like DP is just one of those series that has a preset limit before being cancelled.

[Mutant 77]

John Byrne had a series after that which made it 18 issues (which is more than is deserved because it was awful)

Keith Giffen then had a series that lasted 22 issue.

Well, Byrne and Giffen were the ones who returned back to the original team (Robot, Neg and Elasti), right? I've heard that Byrne did an awful job before. That truly surprises me.

How do you rate the Giffen run? Do you like the pencils?

[j9ac9k]

Well, Byrne and Giffen were the ones who returned back to the original team (Robot, Neg and Elasti), right? I've heard that Byrne did an awful job before. That truly surprises me.

How do you rate the Giffen run? Do you like the pencils?

A lot of people had problems with Byrne's run from jump because the team was totally revamped - their history wiped out for some reason and they barely resembled themselves. I have no idea how the actual stories were, but that was enough for me personally to not even want to pick it up.

FWIW I really liked Giffen's run. He did the opposite of Byrne and tried to embrace the whole history of the team without overburdening it. I also liked how he wrote the characters and their dynamic.

[Mutant 77]

A lot of people had problems with Byrne's run from jump because the team was totally revamped - their history wiped out for some reason and they barely resembled themselves. I have no idea how the actual stories were, but that was enough for me personally to not even want to pick it up.

Well, that's a problem inherent to the DC Comics (multi)universe, always rebooting/revamping itself through Crisises. Old trick.
I think that Byrne just wrote bad issues, beyond the fact that he rebooted the series.

I must buy Giffen's run. It looks like it was very good. Reviews are fairly positive.

[Zero Hunter]

How do you rate the Giffen run? Do you like the pencils?

I loved the Giffen run. Giffen just wrote the series though with Mathew Clark doing the pencils for almost the entire run which I quite liked. He added some new members like Bumblebee from the Titans (who was now stuck in her miniature form) and Ambush Bug who I thought fit in well with Negative Man, Robotman, and Elisti-Woman. Plus he brought back some of the members of the Morrison run with Crazy Jane and Danny the Street. The book did get dragged into one crossover during it run which was Blackest Night, but the crossover issue were pretty good and didn't derail the series. Clarke also did the covers so that should give you an idea of the art style of the book.

[Lee Stone]

Hello guys,

Just few questions. The fantastic and brilliant Doom Patrol TV show (a real masterpiece) just turned me into a crazy Doom Patrol fan again...

1- Sales of the Doom Patrol from 1963 to 1968. Have they been good, all in all?

2- The first DP collection ("The Archives") featuring the Drake run... has it been carefully restored and "revitalized" when it has been reprinted?

3- Was the Morrison run highly successful in terms of sales?


Thank you so much, really.

1. The 1960s version did just about as good as the 1960s X-Men. Meaning, they both got cancelled while virtually everything else DC and Marvel put out back then thrived.
While the stories (and art) were pretty good, readers weren't flocking to either of the books.
Marvel just did a better job of reviving the X-Men in the 1970s than DC did with Doom Patrol.
Doom Patrol wouldn't get a proper revival until Morrison.

2. From looking at the digital versions of the more recent Doom Patrol: Silver Age collections, the art is nice and clean. And there's no distracting photoshop liberties with gradients.

3. It did better than what it replaced. The Doom Patrol was near death's door in the middle of its second year. It would not go past #28, surely, if Morrison hadn't taken over. And because of his intervention, the title managed to hit #87.
It even outlasted their original run by 46 issues (more than doubling it, even).

[Lee Stone]

Well, that's a problem inherent to the DC Comics (multi)universe, always rebooting/revamping itself through Crisises. Old trick.
I think that Byrne just wrote bad issues, beyond the fact that he rebooted the series.

I must buy Giffen's run. It looks like it was very good. Reviews are fairly positive.

IMHO, Giffen's run is what gave Rita and Larry a new lease on life.
I also liked how Karen (Bumblebee) was added to the team.

[Mike]

John Byrne had a series after that which made it 18 issues (which is more than is deserved because it was awful)

Other than the original run, Byrne's run was the only other version of the Doom Patrol that I cared for.

[Mutant 77]

1. The 1960s version did just about as good as the 1960s X-Men. Meaning, they both got cancelled while virtually everything else DC and Marvel put out back then thrived.
While the stories (and art) were pretty good, readers weren't flocking to either of the books.
Marvel just did a better job of reviving the X-Men in the 1970s than DC did with Doom Patrol.
Doom Patrol wouldn't get a proper revival until Morrison.

2. From looking at the digital versions of the more recent Doom Patrol: Silver Age collections, the art is nice and clean. And there's no distracting photoshop liberties with gradients.

3. It did better than what it replaced. The Doom Patrol was near death's door in the middle of its second year. It would not go past #28, surely, if Morrison hadn't taken over. And because of his intervention, the title managed to hit #87.
It even outlasted their original run by 46 issues (more than doubling it, even).

Thank you so much for your precious feedback, it helped a lot.

1- Yeah. Too bad DC missed the chance in the Seventies and the three issues try-out they did in 1977 was a weak effort (Celsius, new Robotman, Tempest...). Marvel was wiser and more subtle, their X-Men revamp was a phenomenon.

2- I'm glad they did a great restoration. Sometimes, archival reissues suck.

3- I think Morrison's run is a big sleeper hit and it is more popular now. I also guess reissues of the Morrison's run sold well...?

[Comic-Reader Lad]

If you're looking to read Silver Age Doom Patrol, skip the old archive book and just get the Omnibus edition, which reprints the ENTIRE Silver Age series in 1 book! It's 1080 pages and only $68 at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Doom-Patrol-S...s=books&sr=1-7


DC has also announced a 2nd Doom Patrol Omnibus that reprints the Bronze Age material before the Morrison revamp. According to Amazon, it's over 800 pages and scheduled for September 2019.

This collects SHOWCASE #94-96, DC COMICS PRESENTS #52, DARING NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERGIRL #7-9, SECRET ORIGINS ANNUAL #1, DOOM PATROL #1-18, DOOM PATROL AND SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL #1, SUPERMAN #20 , DOOM PATROL ANNUAL #1 and stories from SUPERMAN FAMILY #191-193, along with a new introduction by Paul Kupperberg.

https://www.amazon.com/Doom-Patrol-B...s=books&sr=1-1

Then, the Grant Morrison issues are reprinted in their own Doom Patrol Omnibus. It's 1200 pages and goes for $101 at Amazon.

The new Doom Patrol puts itself back together after nearly being destroyed, and things start to get a lot weirder for everybody. The Chief leads Robotman, the recently formed Rebis and new member Crazy Jane against the Scissormen, part of a dangerous philosophical location that has escaped into our world and is threatening to engulf reality itself.

Collecting Grant Morrison's definitive run, which launched his career as one of the comic industry's most innovative and creative writers!

Collects Doom Patrol #19-63 and Doom Force Special #1.

https://www.amazon.com/Doom-Patrol-O...s=books&sr=1-3



So, right now, you can get Silver Age Doom Patrol and Grant Morrison Doom Patrol with the in-between stories coming later this year!

[Mutant 77]

DC has also announced a 2nd Doom Patrol Omnibus that reprints the Bronze Age material before the Morrison revamp. According to Amazon, it's over 800 pages and scheduled for September 2019.

Jesus Christ! Best comic book news of the year. This truly made my day. It's Doom-mania right now. Thank you so much!

[Lee Stone]

Jesus Christ! Best comic book news of the year. This truly made my day. It's Doom-mania right now. Thank you so much!

One of the great things about getting a well made tv show and breaking into the mainstream (well, at least the fringe of it with a subscription-based service) is that the long-time fans get to reap the benefits.

I'm hoping that the DVDs will have a similar effect when they get released. It will be interesting to see how DC reacts if the buzz that the show has been generating continues up until the release.

[Mutant 77]

One of the great things about getting a well made tv show and breaking into the mainstream (well, at least the fringe of it with a subscription-based service) is that the long-time fans get to reap the benefits.

You're 100% right.

I just hope the brilliant, mindbowing and visionary TV series is a big hit, my friend.

[Mutant 77]

Any news about new DP collections?