Doom Patrol Vol. 5: Magic Bus by Grant Morrison, Richard Case, Ken Steacy, Stan Wock, Philip Bond, Mark McKenna and Scott Hanna (graphic novel review).
This fifth volume of Doom Patrol features issues #51-57. Did I mention that they originally came out in 1992? I can’t recall these stories, so they must have appeared after I dropped out.
The Brotherhood of Dada is back, and Cliff Steele is unable to persuade the other members of the team to help stop them. Instead, without going too far into spoiler territory, he becomes something of a bystander as the Brotherhood comes up against the Establishment and loses.
Objectively, I suspect Morrison considered all the options and chose this one to make a particular statement. No one beats the Establishment in any country.
The story that follows, And Men Shall Call Him…Hero!, is an obvious Marvel spoof, drawn by Ken Steacy and using a mixture of Kirby and Ditko homages. As I commented in earlier volumes, there had to come a point when Morrison needed to change the pace and intensity. This makes for a nice spoof.
The final continuing story doesn’t actually end, so make sure you get the sixth volume as well. The Doom Patrol is falling apart. Rebis has left for parts unknown. Crazy Jane has left a message saying that she is going to kill her father, except that he died at her hands a dozen years earlier. Dorothy is having nightmares. Josh goes looking for Caulder and is shot dead.
Things only get worse.
So much of this story would be spoiled by going into greater detail, particularly when we learn Caulder’s secret origin. Beware the Candlestick Man.
This final story is illustrated by Richard Case and returns to mostly traditional artwork, which is exactly what the material needed. However, you really will want to know what happens next.
GF Willmetts
August 2026
(pub: Vertigo/DC Comics, 2007. Graphic novel softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-40121-202-5)
Check out website: www.dc.com
