THE DOOMSCROLL for Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1

Welcome to The Doomscroll, the unofficial letter column for Unstoppable Doom Patrol! Here I’ll answer reader questions regarding the latest issue and drop some cool teasers along the way. Let’s go!

Alex
Hey Dennis, super excited to see Unstoppable hit the stands! One of the things that struck me in reading the first issue was how well-situated in the DCU the book is, in a way that feels very natural and unforced. The team has been around for sixty years, and has been in and out of the regular continuity a number of times during that time, so how did you approach finding a place for them in DC's current landscape?

Thanks for writing, Alex! When we were putting together our book we were asked to have it spin out of Lazarus Planet which helped us fit in right from the jump. Then it was just a matter of finding a way to dovetail our themes into what was happening there. Fortunately the idea of “Saving the world by saving the monsters” pairs really well with an event that is turning everyone into monsters! Simultaneously some of the themes coming out of the Dawn of DC initiative also fit well with where we wanted to take Doom Patrol. On top of all that I’m fortunate to work with editor Ben Abernathy who always finds a way to say yes to my ideas like having the team roll into Gotham or square off against the Green Lanterns.

Personally I think the Doom Patrol and their history are far more interesting (and fun!) fully integrated into the DCU. There’s always a path to making it all work together!

Owen Seyler
Hello Dennis. First off, I want to say how exciting it is that we're getting a new Doom Patrol series and that you're serving as the writer on it. While I am bummed that it is a limited series, I do hope that strong sales and good word of mouth will allow this to become an ongoing. But, speaking of the book's length, this leads to my question. Recently it was announced that the series would be receiving a bonus 7th issue that will be drawn by David Lafuente. What it's like knowing that you the chance to work more with the Doom Patrol than you previously anticipated and what has it been like working with Mr. Lafuente? Much love, Owen.

Hi Owen! I’m super excited we added a 7th issue! We already had a planned break for Burnham’s schedule but this allowed us to give him a bit more breathing room as well by making this bonus issue come in at #4. Also I already had all the other scripts written when we were approved for this one so it allowed me to look at the series as a whole and hit some things I didn’t have space for and had resigned myself to getting to them if we got another series approved. Specifically digging in a bit deeper to the emotions of the core cast by having a therapy issue where they each sit down with team psychologist Dr. Syncho and really dig into things. And since this is the Doom Patrol Dr. Syncho is no ordinary doctor. Her metagene allows her to channel five 5th dimensional entities that speak through her as one.

As for working with David Lafuente, I couldn’t be happier about it. When I was describing the idea for the issue and how I saw the art unfolding with our editor, Ben, he immediately suggested David and he is the perfect choice for it.

This issue is gonna be a whole lot of fun!

Unstoppable Doom Patrol 4 cover by Burnham and Reber

Katherine
That ending blue screened my brain. I had to put the comic down for a minute to just sit there and process what happened. Needless to say, I'm more excited than ever for future issues.

Now that the team's survived Batman, do you have any hints on what other major heroes the team might be butting heads against?

You might have to restart your brain a few times as the series continues, Katherine! While Batman won’t be in any upcoming issues as he keeps his eyes on the team we will see Peacemaker turn up again. As soon as NEXT ISSUE! As mentioned above you can expect the team to cross paths with the Green Lanterns and we’ll also soon see Robotman teaming up with a superhero he’s never met before and spoilers: they DO NOT get along at all! Watch this space for more about that!

Unstoppable Doom Patrol 3 cover by Burnham and Reber.

Craig MacDonald
Loved the first issue and excited to see the subplot with General Immortus develop. In regards to Peacemaker, was his inclusion in the book something DC requested given the character’s TV show and film appearance to boost sales? Or was he included because you enjoyed his appearances in those?

I’ve made no secrets about my feelings that the Suicide Squad as a concept is diametrically opposed to the Doom Patrol’s current mission so the logical choice for a foil in that regard would be Amanda Waller but she wasn’t available at the time. While I had already wanted Peacemaker by her side there as I am a fan of the character and his place in the Suicide Squad, I still need someone for him to bounce off of which led to the inclusion of General Blanche in the Lazarus Planet Dark Fate story.

@fingerstripes13
Could the Unstoppable Doom Patrol potentially have an adventure with Nightwing and the Titans in the future? Have Gar Logan be the bridge between teams and meet Beast Girl?

Anything is possible if people keep showing up for the book! There’s definitely some interesting territory to explore with the two teams and the idea of Beast Boy and Beast Girl meeting is too good to not visit at some point.

@KiddoCut
Thanks so much for answering questions on your new DP book. I've been dying to ask this since I saw art work by @TheBurnham (and others for variant covers) -but are the team costumes inspired by Ultraman's Science Patrol by chance?

Not directly. Anything is possible when it comes to what bubbles up from the subconscious but the ideas for the uniforms started with wanting to make the dominant color orange and everything else evolved from there.

Chai-CaptainHattress
Will we be seeing other older members from the other Dp runs?

We will see some cameos and full on guest appearances from previous members however this first series has its main focus on our principal cast featured on the cover of issue 1. If you don’t see your favorite in some capacity in the first series then odds are they will turn up if we get to do another.

Look for Flex Mentallo in issue 2!

Dan_GT
Hello! I’ve always loved letter columns in comics, so I’m glad you can do this on your substack!

First of all, I wanted to say that the first issue was a banger!! You had everything from the Doom Patrol being badass, misfits, a great twist in the end and of course the introduction of two great characters!!

My question is about Beast Girl - who is already one of my favorites! I was thinking about her design and what could be her inspirations, is there anything you would be able to share with us?

Thanks, and have a great day!

Thanks Dan! Beast Girl came from thinking about the archetypes filled by the various members and the role Gar played in his early days on the team. I wanted that same energy while making it something brand new. From there I landed on the name Beast Girl as a nod to Gar and did some doodles in my notebook until landed on this and sent over to Burnham:

There’s a reason why I write.

From there Burnham made her way better and cuter.

PlejdaMuso
First off, thanks for reaching out to the fans. That's really cool of you.

Second, Is it possible that we could see Nudge and Grunt from Byrne's run, even in a cameo? Granted, I'm probably one of the few people in the world that liked them and felt they had a rough ending.

Thanks for reading what myself and others wrote. Keep up the great work!

Thanks! Nudge is still deceased but Grunt is definitely still out there roaming around so we might see him one day.

ramengirlxo
Any chance of Kate Godwin? It’s been too long!

Kate along with Dorothy are also still deceased but their presence along with the rest of the team from Rachel Pollack’s run will be felt in our book as soon as issue 2. Keep reading!

Issue 2 on sale 4/25