Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7: Is It Really The End?

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 is the culmination of what started as one of the first titles in the Dawn of DC. Though not traditionally known as one of DC’s most sought-after series, these creators took this work in stride, delivering one of the most unique, authentic, and heartfelt approaches to the Doom Patrol since the great runs by Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollack. Though this is the culmination of what has been done throughout the first six issues, it is evident that this team wants to deliver some more Doom Patrol action for DC fans, ending this in a way that leaves things available for anything to come in the future.

Dennis Culver has been at the top of his game with this series, delivering some of the best, witty dialogue of any DC book on the shelves. Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 is no exception, with all the characters feeling as authentic as ever. This issue delivers on the promise of this series’ conceit, “Save the world by saving the monsters,” as The Chief uses her abilities to show trust and care for The Quiz, one of the team’s long-standing villains. This display of trust towards someone who has routinely done the world harm indicates the book’s central focus, displaying how this team’s newest direction is sustainable, even attributable to their villains. 

Chris Burnham delivers a tour de force with Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7, putting so much nuance and detail into even the slightest objects. As the team prepares to face off against General Immortus’s new form, Burnham delivers a fantastic spread that shows Robotman squaring up. The amount of detail within Robotman here is astonishing. The fight had caused his jacket to burn up a bit in places, and Burnham puts so much detail into that part alone. It’s astounding how much work he puts into every one of these characters, going the extra mile to make sure that everything looks the best it possibly can. 

Brian Reber continues this trend of going the extra mile regarding his colors. Not only does everything pop off the page, but all the small, minute details are also covered. This issue features many characters; they all look just as perfectly colored as the next. Reber gives a unique color to practically every surface, only using the orange costuming for the leading team over and over. This makes each character and villain look outstanding, allowing even the non-speaking ones to get some form of spotlight as they prance across the page. Burnham’s pencils look great, but Reber elevates them to a level worthy of an Eisner.

The sleeper hero of Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7, and the entire series, is letterer Pat Brosseau. This book is meant to appear very “comic bookish,” with all of the unbelievable dialogue and fun poses included. Brosseau establishes that aesthetic here by holding true to lettering staples, making this series so fun to read. Sometimes, characters will speak with a cadence, or sometimes, it needs to be evident that they are shouting, and Brosseau can convey that easily through tiny nuances and speech bubble structure. There’s no doubt that this series would not read as well without him, showing why this award-winning letterer was perfect for the book.