Doom Patrol (vol.2) #42 (March, 1991)
"Musclebound: The Secret Origin of Flex Mentallo"
Writer - Grant Morrison
Guest Pencils - Mike Dringenberg
Guest Inks - Doug Hazlerwood
Letters - Joliet Jake Workman
Colors - Daniel Vozzo
Edits - Art Young
Special Thanks - Stevie Bamford & James Hamilton
Cover Price: $1.50
Ya know, I try to shy away from "current events" here at the site and on the air... First: It's really important to me to keep this space as worry-free and "safe" from the real-world as possible, Second: Anytime I see a content-creator shoehorning their work to make it tangentially "real life" relevant, I can't help but to think... they're cheating.
I know, I'm a weird dude.
Anyhoo, in light of recent events (which, time-travelers who discover this article years in the future will hopefully feel like an insignificant "blip"), my mind has turned toward the concept of "comfort food".
Comfort food comes in all shapes and sizes... and can be just about anything. A place, a feeling, a person, a memory, a dumb little comics-review blog (wink, wink), actual food... it's a potentially infinitely broad concept. We've all got 'em... however, since this is a comics-themed site, we're going to focus on'a da funnybooks.
I've said it before (and I'm saying it now... and I'm sure I'll say it again soon!), when you task yourself with writing and talking about comics on a daily-basis, you run into a situation where your "for fun" reading wanes. It's a simple cause and effect... the hobby transitions from reading to reporting (even though nobody ever asked you to do the latter!). There just isn't enough time in the day for everything. Also, the way you read comics sort of changes... it becomes more about nyoinking out salient facts from what you read to focus on later, than actually allowing yourself to "experience" the story.
Anyhoo.
Back in the days before I wrote about comics everyday, and talked about comics on the air often multiple times a week... I had time to actually read for fun. Often before bed, I'd have several stacks on my nightstand... and while over the years, those stacks would change with my mood, and what I was "hungry" for... there were only two constants.
If you know me, you're probably assuming that those "constants" were New Teen Titans and Uncanny X-Men. And, while those were fairly prolific in their appearances in my "comfort food" stacks... it's not them! No, the two constants... that, anytime of year you would find on my nightstand, were: Peter David's run on Incredible Hulk, and........ the Grant Morrison Doom Patrol.
Which, brings us to why we're here today. Feeding myself a big ol' dollop of "comfort food", and also refreshing myself on the controversial character of Flex Mentallo! Now, a word of caution before he hurdle over the dashes... my Doom Patrol is pretty rusty... it is, after all, at least a half-decade since I read any of this, but I will do my best to tell the tale!
What are some of your "comfort food" runs? I feel like, at present, this concept is very important. I'd love to hear what books give you the "warm fuzzies"!
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We open with Sarah Furness walking the Doom Patrol (well, part of the Doom Patrol anyway), into an apartment on Danny the Street. She guides them through a darkened living room into the kitchen so she can check in on Danny's mood. If you're not familiar with Danny the Street... well, it's a tough one to really explain, but the quick n dirty of it is, Danny's exactly what his name implies, a sentient street. We find out, via some notes, that Danny's doin' just fine.
The Chief ponders if it might be okay for them to have a look around... to which, Danny "replies" that he'd be more than happy to let them wander to their hearts content. He just adores visitors. This method of communication for Danny is a real hoot. So simple, but also so trippy.
It's now we start getting into the meat and potatoes of the issue... the introduction of a man, a man named Flex. Sarah starts asking him some questions, and he thinks to himself how he and the rest used to share their "secret origins" back in the long ago. This is sorta "meta", but also really neat. Gotta remember, this was 1991... before writers over-relied on "meta" concepts to prove their cleverness.
And so, Flex shares his Secret Origin... and it's likely to be a familiar one to fans of old comics. It's the "Insult that Made a Man out of 'Mac'.", which is to say... it's the old Charles Atlas ad.
Ya know, this one:
Heck, "li'l Mac" even does that cute little kick of frustration!
Ya know, like this:
Anyhoo, "Mac" spent his time feeling sorry for himself... until, one night he came across a strange trenchcoated individual leaving a bathroom wearing television-parts on his head. He makes our man a promise, that he can be the biggest, strongest, bestest... he could be the EST of ol' DC.
And so, the kid "gambles a stamp", and some time later is delivered a strange vibrating package (minds out of the gutter, folks). It's a book called Muscle Mystery and You.
We pop back to the present, where current-day Flex is buying a carton of milk from a vending machine. Sarah guides he and the Doom Patrol (well, the Chief and Josh Clay) into a police station on Danny the Street. All of the officers are making "Mee Maw Mee Maw" sounds. I'm going to assume they're mimicking the sounds of a police siren, and not calling for their grandmothers.
Anyhoo, we hop back into flashback land, where Flex has learned all about Muscle Mystery... and so, he returns to the beach, and kayos the clod! When he stops to flex his guns, his "hero halo" appears above his head. Naturally, it reads "Hero of the Beach", just like in the Atlas ad. When his would-be girlfriend rushes over to admire his bod, he shoves her away, calling her a "tramp". Ice cold, Flex!
Back on Danny, Sarah goes to introduce the fellas to a Doctor... but, there's something very strange indeed going on inside the office. Something, I honestly don't remember... for all I know this is a one-off gag... or, if might be the entire premise of an upcoming storyline! Whatever the case, Sarah slams the door in embarrassment.
Back to Flex's story. Back in 1956, he officially changed his name from Mac to Flex Mentallo... and devoted himself to fighting crime. He'd even form an association with a weirdo "league" of sorts... who, I'm honestly shocked nobody's ever tried to bring back. Maybe they have, and I've just forgotten?
Speaking of forgotten... Flex doesn't seem to remember all that much about the particulars of his super-heroing career. Only that, it was fun... and all of his adventures with that Weirdo League, had to do with the color green. He suggests that all of his associates got themselves "proper jobs" around 1958. We do see Flex signing an autograph for a kid named Wally Sage though... who would be very important to his story later on. We also learn that Flex took a wife... err, a steady girlfriend: Dolores!
Everything was hunky-dory until this one fella showed up. This is Norman Grindstone, a reporter who was working on a missing person story. A ghost-hunter named Harry Christmas went missing... and ol' Norm thought this concerned multiple accounts of people gone missing. Flex agrees to help him out.
Three days would pass before Flex heard from Norman again... and this time, the tone was quite different. No longer the cool and calm reporter, Norm is going rather frantic over a discovery he'd made. Flex heads out for a visit to look over Norman's evidence... and it shocked him to the core. Unfortunately, other than the fact that it had to do with The Pentagon, he can't remember a bit of what he learned that day! Also, that was the last time anyone had seen (or even heard of) Norman Grindstone! He was "disappeared" right after.
And so, over the course of the next several months, Flex tried his damnedest to try and recall what he'd learned that night. He does so by constantly flexing... and, I mean constantly. Day, night, always... this puts a big rift between he and Dolores... and eventually destroys their relationship.
Still unsuccessful in his "flexing", all our man knows is that this has to do with the very shape of The Pentagon building. He associates it with the "Geometry of Anguish"... and tries his damnedest to change the building's shape from five-sided... to completely round. Ya still with me? Try as he may... he continues to come up short... all he's actually able to affect is the libidos of some people (and their pets) in the nearby apartments!
Since he couldn't do it from afar, Flex decided it best to actually visit The Pentagon. After bypassing security with a modest flex, he heads down some "endless" corridors. He finally reaches a pair of swinging doors... and he discovers the root of all his problems. Only one problem... he can't remember none'a this either! There are some key terms he can recall, including "ant farm", but that's it!
No sooner did he make his discovery, than the Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. arrive to steal it all away. These are the only foes for which Flex's powers of Muscle Mystery were futile.
When Flex awoke, he found himself in the tearoom of despair... which looks like one heckuva place to find oneself. He escaped, but again, doesn't remember how.
He made his way like a nomadic Alan Moore for a bit, before finally happening across the hoppin' place known as... Danny the Street!
Sarah Furness recalls first meeting Flex as a child... and how he would "make friends" by challenging everyone he met to an arm-wrestling contest. She even referred to him as Mr. Elbows-on-the-Table! Time would pass, and it wasn't until the Doom Patrol arrived to battle the Men From N.O.W.H.E.R.E., that Flex's memories of who he used to be started to stir.
He laments the fact that he no longer has the power of Muscle Mystery... but knows he's still gotta take care of bidness at The Pentagon... ya know, geometry of anguish and all'at. Josh Clay suggests the Doomies can help... once the rest of 'em return from space. Flex says it'll be too late. Ya see, this is a caper 32 years in the making... and, uh 3+2=5... and, well, The Pentagon has five-sides... so, it's now or never! Still with me?
Josh turns to the Chief for direction, but ol' Niles is just giddy with the thought that, on Danny the Street, the Doom Patrol have finally found themselves a new headquarters.
We wrap up at a train station, where... what looks like Flex's old flame, Dolores is being coached for a weird confrontation.
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Looooooove this. Love it lots!
Before getting into it, let's talk a bit about the "Man of the Hour", Flex Mentallo.
I learned about Flex... and his weird controversial origin, probably sometime around the turn of the century. At that point, I'm pretty sure I'd only ever read the first few issues of the Morrison run, in the original Crawling from the Wreckage trade collection. The 90's were still in the very recent rear-view, and so I never thought I'd be able to actually afford back-issues (remember, those used to be quite pricey!), and so, i would have to rely on whatever trade paperbacks DC decided to fork over.
I would, then as now, spend a lot of time reading newsgroups and fan-sites... and, I wanna say the first time I'd heard of Flex was on USENET... or whatever USENET approximation you could get access from AOL. What I learned first was, that the Flex Mentallo miniseries (from Vertigo) would never be reprinted, due to a cease and desist from the Charles Atlas folks. It was said that an overzealous Doom Patrol fan reached out to the Atlas Company to excitedly inform them about the nod to their classic ads in Flex's origin. Well... they didn't quite react the way this fan intended, and instead, slapped DC with a suit.
From here, I'd visit the old Grant Morrison discussion board, Barbelith... which, in all honesty, isn't a site I've thought about in probably fifteen years now! There, I'd learn quite a bit more... and read through annotations of both this era of Doom Patrol and the Flex Mentallo miniseries... and, I tell ya what, I really wanted to read this stuff myself! I was scared that, since Flex appeared in these issues of Doom Patrol, that they'd suffer the same fate as the mini... and never be collected. I don't think I was alone in that fear...
Anyhoo... the interesting thing about this... and, this is definitely a "Chris thing", but I attributed such importance to this... that I blew it up into being like the biggest thing ever in comics. I tend to do that a lot... just check out my Miracleman discussion and hours of podcasts. It was both infuriating and sorta-validating that none of my local shops gave half a damn about Doom Patrol nor Flex Mentallo! So, when I visited the shop and asked for 'em (likely with a fevered look in my eye)... they looked at me like I had three-heads. I managed to find issues #2 and #4 of Flex Mentallo, for a buck or two each... unfortunately, these aren't really the best issues to read in a vacuum.
Fast-forward about a decade, and DC-Vertigo was finally able to collect the thing in a hardcover... and I nabbed it just as quickly as it hit. I was beyond broke at the time... and was not spending any sort of money (mostly because I didn't have any)... but, this was a case where I (literally) "cashed in my coins", and bought something I really didn't need... but wanted so much... and for so long. There are (probably?) plenty of places online where you can hear the particulars on the Flex/Atlas suit if you're interested... I ain't a lawyer, I'm just an idiot with a boring personal story I wanted to share.
Anyhoo, into the issue. Again, I looooooved it. Just so weird... but, at the same time, oddly comfortable. Can't really explain it. Maybe I'm just a weirder guy than I thought.
First, I find the Flex origin to be... hmm, I don't wanna say "genius" or "brilliant" because the internet/social media has rendered both of those words meaningless... I'll just say, I found it to be pretty damn great! Clever, even! Such a simple idea... evoking an instantly recognizable old advertisement that comics enthusiasts have seen hundreds of times before. I loved this back in the long ago, and still love it now. I'm sure, upon seeing this for the first time, plenty of writers kicked themselves for not thinking of it themselves! I mean, it's been right under our noses this whole time!
The walk through Danny the Street was a great way of facilitating both the "secret origin" and in introducing us to the trippy psychedelic aesthetic of the place. Just a heckuva lot of fun here... and while Dringenberg isn't the name I automatically connect to this era of Doom Patrol, he and Hazlewood knocked this one out of the park!
Overall... I definitely recommend, not only this issue... but the entirety of this classic run. I wish I had the time to revisit this whole run again! Well, if I ever do go missing from this blogging-space, you can probably safely assume that I've been taken by the Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and I'm finally indulging in a heaping helping of comics comfort food.
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Letters Page:
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Interesting Ads:
Bonus Book #3 - Doom Patrol (June, 1988)
"A Life in the Day"
Writer - Steve Miller (probably not that Steve Miller)
Pencils - Randy DuBurke
Inks - Joe Alidetta
Letters - Tim Harkins
Colors - Elizabeth Kessler
Edits - Paul Kupperberg
Consulting Edits - Mike Gold
Wow, that's a cover, innit? Pretty horrifying stuff... are we sure this is pre-Morrison Doom Patrol? How ya like Arani's pose there? Part tortured, part seductive... eesh, it's just really off-putting. If you followed during our ten-month Action Comics Daily endeavor last year, that art ought to be pretty familiar to y'all! Let's see how good it looks on the inside!
This bugger was jammed betwixt the staples of Doom Patrol (vol.2) #9 (June, 1988).
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We open with Celsius stood before a War Memorial. She is approached by an elderly woman in a wheelchair who seems to sense that she needs somebody to talk to. I'm not sure if the wheelchair is supposed to evoke Niles Caulder... but, I suppose that doesn't really matter. Anyhoo, the old woman asks what's up... and Arani hesitates before spilling her guts to this perfect stranger. She tells her all about the Doom Patrol and her missing husband. The old woman than shares that she recently lost a husband herself... and, she has decided that this day will be her "last day". As in, she's planning to die today. She introduces herself as Ellen and invites Arani to share in her company on this very important day. Since our Doomy has nothing better to do... and maybe figures she can talk this old bitty out of dying, she agrees.
Their first stop is Bryant's Barbeque Restaurant, which is actually a real place in Kansas City! Ellen orders a pork sandwich... and Arani kinda does the spoilsport thing and says she ain't hungry. Ellen takes it upon herself to order a sammie for her young tagalong.
Arani, unsurprisingly, loves the sandwich... and Ellen shares a story about the old owner of the joint, Arthur Bryant. She says he was so legendary in the area that when he passed away, a cartoonist drew him arriving at the pearly-gates of Heaven, with Saint Peter asking if he brought any sauce.
And, whattaya know...
Their next stop is to see the Kansas City Royals play. Ellen says she's been a fan forever, and always watches them on television... but has never visited the park. Today, they're playing the New York Yankees... so, why not? George Brett winds up hitting the game-winning Home Run... the ball soars right into Ellen and Arani's section.
The fan who caught the ball graciously offers it to Ellen. She gleefully takes it, and suggests she and Arani head down and try to get George Brett to autograph it for them. Arani is quite confused about the direction this day has taken.
They get the autograph... turns out Mr. Brett is "such a nice young man". Celsius is clearly beginning to lose her patience... and attempts to "call it a day", because she's got stuff to do... like, ya know, stare at walls, hoping that Niles' location will just magically pop into her mind. Ellen tells her they've got just one last stop. Arani begrudgingly agrees to accompany her.
On their way to their final destination, our pair happen across a burning building. Firefighters appear to be having great difficulty dealing with this inferno... but Celsius doesn't look to be all that interested in helping out. Ellen doesn't give her the choice... if Arani can do something to help save some lives, then she damn sure better!
Arani gives in and uses her powers to create a tremendous ice-slide gimmick. That's not good enough for our gal Ellen though. She insists that Arani inform the police and firefighters that she, in fact, assisted. Arani gives a flat-out "No".
Well, if we know anything about Ellen... and, we don't know much... but, we do know that she ain't about to take "no" for an answer. Arani tells the Police about her helping-hand... and is absolutely bombarded with questions. Oh! So, that's what all those Twizzler's Mouths on the cover were all about!
Finally, Arani and Ellen arrive at the "final destination". It's a fountain at a park. Ellen asks Arani to look around and tell her what she sees. She responds with "people wasting time". Ellen corrects her, explaining that they're not wasting time... they're "enjoying their lives". She suggests Arani do the same... make friends, share her life with them. Life's short and all'at. She hands over her George Brett ball as a memento of their time together...
... then, she dies. Arani kisses her on the forehead.
We wrap up back at Doom Patrol headquarters... where Arani has a little chat with Cliff. She even tosses him the George Brett baseball. It looks as though she learned something from her day with Ellen... and perhaps, tomorrow can be a new beginning for her. Ya know, so long as there isn't some crazy alien Invasion! heading their way.
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Ya know... I'm not sure what I was expecting from this Bonus Book endeavor... well, actually, I take that back... I know pretty much exactly what I expected. I expected, to be completely blunt... garbage. I expected throwaways... I expected halfhearted efforts. I guess, I expected "current year" DC Comics anthology fare. What we've gotten instead (at least to this point) is... very earnest, well thought-out little stories. These first three Bonus Books appear to have that one intangible we overly precious-types go on and on about... they've got heart.
It's easy to look at this one, and... after the first handful of pages, sigh to ourselves and say "Oh, it's going to be one of those stories"... a "final day" story, where someone is going to learn a valuable lesson about life. And, don't get me wrong, that's exactly what it is. It's a trope we've seen time and again in fiction. The thing of it is, however, that it's done just so damn well here! This really was excellent!
Now, it's been... a very long time... since I've read any pre-Morrison Doom Patrol. This Kupperberg run, while not bad or anything, was always sort of a "Premack" situation to me. It was what I'd force myself to push through in order to get to the Morrison run. Could've just skipped it... and a lot of times I did. But, the times I did read it, it was out of some sort of weird obligation rather than any actual interest.
That said, I know the broader strokes of Arani's search for the Chief... I mean, I guess it's all broad strokes... she's searching for the Chief. Done. Thing is, you don't necessarily even need to be familiar with that aspect of that story to fully appreciate this. Miller does a fine job depicting Arani as troubled and focused on her mission... and shares what that mission is. I suppose what I'm trying to say here, but taking a rather "scenic route" is, you can go into this story cold, and you won't be lost. You can (and likely will) still enjoy it.
I appreciated the nods to actual Kansas City locales and history. I'm sure had I not had a Google-Machine within arm's reach at all times, I'd likely assume places like Bryant's were just made up by the writer... and, I mean, while it doesn't so much matter that it's real... I definitely appreciate the effort. From the Bonus Book Bio page (included below), it looks as though our writer, (not that) Steve Miller might just be a KC native.
Let's take a look at Mssr. Miller. If the DC Wiki is to be believed, he was (sadly) a one-and-done. This was his only story. That's definitely too bad, because, I tell ya what... this was a damn good story. Trying to Google this fella, as you might imagine, is somewhat difficult. If I'm not pulling up that Steve Miller... I'm getting Frank! His career started prior to his DC try-out with a series called Rust from NOW Comics. From my (admittedly litte) research, it seems like he came up with the Rust concept... but might not have actually written the comics? He didn't do a heckuva lot in the field after this though. That's really too bad.
Across the table, we've got our artist Randy DuBurke. Chris is on Infinite Earths regulars might recognize him as the artist on Action Comics Weekly's pair of Black Canary features! Now, I gave him a bit of grief during those runs... both for being "boring" and for being wayyy too experimental. It was a very bi-polar effort. Here, however, it would appear that DuBurke has found that "happy medium" between clean-clear-comics and Sienkiewicz-lite. It certainly helps that this more "talkie" story might best suit his style. From the DC Wiki, it looks as though Randy went on to do Action Comics Weekly, a few other things... then, poof... that's that! He does have a website you can check out if you wanna see some of his more recent work... which, it rather nice! There are some amazing-looking painted pages posted there.
Overall... as if it's not obvious... I really dug this one. Well worth checking out... or digging up, if you've already got Doom Patrol #9 in a longbox somewhere!
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(Not the) Letters Page:
Doom Patrol (vol.2) #70 (September, 1993)
"The Laughing Game"
Writer - Rachel Pollack
Pencils - Scot Eaton
Inks - Tom Sutton
Colors - Tom Ziuko
Letters - John Workman
Assistant Editor - Julie Rottenberg
Editors - Tom Peyer & Lou Stathis
Cover Price: $1.95
Hey gang... we're going, uh, a bit Mature today. Reader discretion is advised, and all 'at.
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We open with a young man trying to chat up a classmate in High School. He's such a nobody that she's barely even paying attention while she turns him down... she tells him he's not "big enough", and while she was referring to his height... he took that to mean he was small in... another area. This one incident seemed to send him on quite the troubled path... so fearful and ashamed was he of his small... well, ya know... that he wouldn't be able to relate to women, without his package-baggage coming up. And so, what's a fella to do? Well if you answered, become a phallic-themed supervillain and attempt to exact revenge... you'd be on the right track!
We shift scenes over to Rainbow Estates, where George and Marion (the Bandage People) are getting ready for a day out shopping. They invite Cliff and Dorothy to accompany them... however, the former is worried they'll be stared at, and the latter is too busy playing with her super-creepy Charlie McCarthy doll. That thing is the stuff of nightmares, ain't it? The doll may or may not allow Dorothy to remember things from her past while she holds it... she offers him over to Cliff for a bit, but he wants no part of it... and I can't blame him!
Next, we head over to a costume shop and meet a woman named Kate Godwin. She buys a frog-head mask, and it's alluded to that she's been away for a little while... her friend, Jean, thanks her for returning in time for her birthday.
From here, they head to a bar for a demonstration of Kate's powers... because, she has some! They have the barkeep flip on a tap... and Kate makes the beer coming out of it coagulate. For her next trick, he dissolves a bottle sitting on a table.
Once the performance has concluded, Jean and Kate find a table. Kate spills the beans on how she (believes) she got her powers. Just think, a couple of years earlier they could've just said "Gene Bomb" and been done with it... nowadays, it's a bit more complicated. Ya see, Kate used to be a lady of the evening... and one night she was approached by a rather peculiar client... Rebis! She claims that while they... ya know... a "ghost" was discharged from the client's body... and the next morning she woke up next to a Russian stacking doll.
Her powers would emerge some time later, and Kate would try becoming the superhero "Coagula"... hell, she even attempted to join the Justice League! She says they liked her powers... but just "couldn't handle" her. It's here that we learn (or, can at least assume) that Kate is a transsexual woman.
From here, we rejoin our phallic-friend Codpiece... he's attempting to rob a bank with his... cod-piece. Funnily enough, all of the women present are absolutely taken by his... cod-piece! Gotta figure that that's a dream come true for this fella! He proceeds to blow his way into the bank regardless.
Inside, we see that his cod-piece is of the Swiss Army variety... he can attach all manner of weaponry to his groinal-area. He drills his way into the vault and heads on in... just then, the police arrive. He takes them out with some... I can't think of a punny way to say it, so I'll just say it straight... sonar. He shoots sonar out of his cod-piece.
He ain't done yet though... from here he fires a bunch of missiles, which blows up the police cruisers. It's here that we see him in silhouette... which is probably the most risque panel in the book because you wouldn't be able to tell just what that "mass" he's packin' really is.
Nearby, the Bandage People are out having a time. A snot-nosed kid notices that they're... ya know, covered in bandages... and assumes they'd be invisible underneath. And so, he does what any jerk-ass kid might do... he tries to unwrap poor Marion. This doesn't work out all that well for the boy... and he winds up wound up (winds up... wound up) in bandages. The kid's mother (I assume) wishes she had the ability to do that. Might wanna call Child Protective Services, you guys.
George and Marion continue on their merry way, until coming across a crying woman named Alice. She rushes up to them and applauds their bravery for being in public while looking like mummies (fashionable mummies, but mummies nonetheless).
Just then... there's an explosion! The Bandage folks take Alice to safety before deciding to get involved... after all, they are "super-thingies" now. The threat is, of course, Codpiece... who's Swiss Army Crotch is currently punching a cop in the face with a boxing glove. Ollie Queen wants his royalty check... you can, uh, keep the glove though.
The Bandage folks get into position and bombard the baddie with bandages. Codpiece panics and proceeds to unload a salvo of... man, why can't I come up with any puns this morning... a salvo of... missiles, I guess. The explosions catch the attention of our new friend, Kate.
By this point, Codpiece has a giant pair of scissors sticking out of his crotch (either that, or he's just glad to see us)... and is hacking away at the bandages. Marion decides it's time to unleash "the spooks"... these are humanoid insects that apparently live inside her purse. They aren't super-effective.
Just then, a frog-masked woman appears on the horizon. Codpiece isn't impressed. Then, Coagula uses her powers to first... coagulate the cod-piece... then, dissolve it. That sounds like the start of a pretty bad day for our baddie.
With Codpiece in custody, George and Marion decide to extend an invitation to Kate to join the Doom Patrol. She ain't sure what the Doom Patrol's all about, but decides to go along anyway.
We wrap up back at Rainbow Estates, where Cliff's curiosity has finally gotten the better of him... and he picks up the janked-out Charlie McCarthy doll. It speaks to him... and sends him back to his childhood, where he is being bullied by a pair of goofs. He is then approached by a rather debonair Fox, who offers him great powers. Ruh-roh.
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Heckuva fun issue!
It's going to perhaps sound weird... but, ya know that intangible element in comics we sometimes discuss... the "heart" of a comic story? This issue, despite being about a fella with a phallic arsenal, actually has heart... at least, to me. There's this weird "goodness" to this story... an altruism. Now, I'm not talking about our man Codpiece of course, but the rest of our cast... they just feel like good people here.
Now, where to start? I guess we can get my thoughts on Coagula out of the way. Now, her being a transsexual woman is a sensitive subject, and honestly one that I'm probably not qualified to opine on. All I will say is I'm happy she's here, and I really appreciate her depiction as just a person trying to live their best life. She's not shown as a novelty or an outlier (no more than the rest of the Doomies, anyway)... she's just a woman who wants to do good. Back in ye old 1993, this was a pretty brave move. Hell, today it's still a risky gambit! I'm honestly surprised we haven't had Kate reappear in more recent years!
Speaking of characters I'm surprised we haven't seen again... Codpiece! This dude is just "funny, ha-ha" enough to pop-up again (now the puns happen!). I appreciate his origin stemming from a misunderstanding. I think a lot of people speak without thinking... and don't really pay much mind to how their words affect those around them. In simply dismissing the teen-age Codpiece (we never learn his real name) as being too small (meaning short), she unwittingly planted the seeds for a villainous career (which wound up being just as short as he was!).
When some people are told their "too small", they go the Charles Atlas route... others, as we see here... become phallus-focused and attempt to exact revenge on a world that looks down on him! I'm assuming there is something symbolic in his... coagulatory castration of sorts... but, I'll just leave that in the ether.
The Bandage People, George and Marion, are a hoot. They don't seem to realize (or care) that they look the way they do. Cliff is depicted here as rather self-conscious over his appearance... which, the B.P.'s can't really wrap their head around (wrap... head... ay yai yai). Later, that woman Alice calls them brave for being out in public... and they really don't get that either. These are fun characters... and they've got that intangible "heart" to 'em.
The one thing I didn't much like... was the Charlie McCarthy doll... and that's the whole point, I reckon. I'm not supposed to like that cursed thing! It's supposed to make my skin crawl (and it kinda does!). There's such a disquieting on the page when the puppet's there... and the fact that only Cliff seems to be skeeved out by it makes it all the more anxiety-inducing. I hate looking at the puppet... but, I'm glad he's here to creep me out.
Overall... this issue probably won't be for everybody. I enjoyed it a great deal... but I'd understand if people did not. It's a bit crass, to be sure, but if you're open-minded and comfortable with seeing a villain lead with his crotch, I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll dig this as well. This issue is available digitally.
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